Hi Todd,
It was irresistible :) I have nothing against hemp walls, but to introduce yet an other experimental construction material, without major benefits in cost or properties? I believe that hemp can be used for a great number of purposes, among them medical and clothing. As a material, hemp can substitute many oil products. I am a supporter of hemp and its features, except smoking it myself. Bricks are hardly used as building material in countries with high labor costs, not because of the cost of material. but the intensive labor needed. If hemp are used for other purposes and grown for that, maybe hemp can compete with straw on a cost basis. Cereal straw is not the crop, it is a byproduct from production of a necessary food supply. R-values (U-values) is not always the most important feature of the material for energy transmission. Please visit my site http://energysavingnow.com/ and read more about it. But if anyone wants to have hemp in wall construction, I would not oppose, as long as all the other important things are there. The only thing I say is that it does not have a ground breaking feature that will motivate me to pay more. If it would be very cheap and simple to build with, it is an other story. Hakan At 12:36 PM 9/17/2002 -0400, you wrote: >Hakan, > >Just couldn't resist the poke, eh? :-) > >But no. A flaming hemp house will get no one high. However, have >you ever noticed how constables who burn "hemp" or smokeable >cannabis plants always stand downwind from the fire...? I wonder >how long the wait is after such activities before they conduct a >drug test on them. Gives a copper a 1-2 week window for a binge >every fall. > >On the bio-fuels/bio-resources note, hemp fiber can be laced into >concrete, making "light-crete," the cellulose hurd by-product is >superior animal bedding (and industrial source for cellulose) and >the seed produces feed meal and oil. So from a high yield of >co-products perspective, hemp is a superior crop to cereal straw. > >Yes. I know that a straw bale can achieve an insulative R rating >of ~45. But hemp fiberboard also has a very high R-value, is >considerably more fire resistant than present day exterior >wallboard and is resistant to decay. With 2 x 6 studded walls, 1" >hemp wallboard exterior and R-19 fiberglass insulation, a >traditionally built crackerbox can achieve a total insulative R >value in the realm of R-30, about double that of present day >practices. > >There also is the small matter of energy inputs for hemp farming >versus cereal straw. While many hemp farmers do apply some >fertilizer, virtually no herbicides are needed for the current >crop, while future crops such as cereal grains require >considerably less herbicides due to the choking nature of hemp >stands planted previously. Essentially, hemp/cereal grain >rotation can reduce total herbicide inputs by 75% or more. > >Much the same can be said for pesticides, as a three year >rotation (2 years hemp, 1 year cereal grain) reduces the >population of larvae in any given field. Low to no volumes of >pesticides are required for the industrial hemp (more often no >pesticides), while reduced pesticide is required for a following >crop. > >So the issue expands a good bit beyond a simple R-value equation. >There are soil erosion, energy input, water quality and human >health issues that come into play as well. > >Of course we could continue to build houses using methods that >achieve "to the moon" R-values. But what will the health of the >population that occupies such homes be? > >Not knocking ceareal straw bale houses. Just wish more of the >straw was organically or near organically grown and rotated with >industrial hemp to further reduce chemical and energy inputs, not >to mention the corresponding "outputs." > >Todd Swearingen > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Hakan Falk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> >Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 5:08 AM >Subject: Re: [biofuel] Hemp Homes in the UK > > > > > > It is a variant of the construction with straw, used for >hundreds of > > years. I can not see that hemp give any major benefits compared >to > > straw. Straw as a bi-product in farming is of greater >abundance > > than hemp. The use of straw in this case, would not be on a >scale > > that effects the farming cycle. > > > > If we want to make something better, we have to look for a >material > > or mixing with a material that give a significant reduction of >the emission > > factor for the wall (like aluminium). Maybe straw with >aluminium mixed > > in the glue (clay traditionally). I think that research should >be a little > > more advanced than only attempt with non-traditional materials. > > > > I prefer the straw bale houses as more serious experiment. It >combines > > a very low cost construction with high insulation. Even earth >houses > > seems more rational. Both are connected with empirical >traditional > > building methods,. > > > > It might be one big advantage with hemp homes. If you get >caught in > > a fire, you will maybe pass away happier. > > > > Hakan > > > > > > At 11:36 PM 9/16/2002 -0400, you wrote: > > > >http://www.globalhemp.com/News/2002/September/hemp_homes_could_b >e > > >.shtml > > > > > >Tuesday, September 10, 2002 > > > > > >Hemp homes could be the future > > > > > >James Mortlock, East Anglian Daily Times > > > > > >Hemp might be more usually associated with rope and illegal > > >cigarettes, but it could become the London brick of the 21st > > >Century. > > > > > >A Suffolk-based study into using the material to build > > >environmentally-friendly homes has found hemp to be the ideal > > >choice and, although more expensive than conventional brick >and > > >block, experts are sure the costs will fall. > > > > > >The project in Haverhill has given analysts the chance to >examine > > >the environmental impact and energy costs involved in the > > >construction and use of four identical houses. > > > > > >Two have been built using the specially-produced sheets of >hemp, > > >lime and timber as the main materials, while the others are of > > >traditional brick and block construction. > > > > > >The project is the first in Britain to use hemp to build >complete > > >houses and the main conclusions are they have a far less >negative > > >impact on the environment - using less energy to build, >producing > > >less waste and taking less to heat. > > > > > >But they cost about 10% more to build than brick and block >homes, > > >although the difference could well fall if hemp construction >was > > >to be adopted on a commercial scale. > > > > > >Suffolk Housing Society chief executive Steve Clarke - who > > >commissioned the project - said: "At the moment it comes down >to > > >what the building industry regards as being the most important > > >factor when it comes to deciding on future construction >methods - > > >financial or environmental cost. > > > > > >"I believe the findings will be of interest to both public >sector > > >and private house builders. The hemp system does have >advantages > > >over brick and block construction and, if adopted, could mean >a > > >change in the way houses are built in the future." > > > > > >The hemp used in the Haverhill homes was grown in France, but >the > > >crop is grown in the UK. It is combined with lime before being > > >poured into wooden shuttering which, when removed, reveal the > > >walls of the new timber-framed houses. > > > > > >Each hemp home at the site in Park Road features natural > > >materials such as wooden window frames and clay tiles on the > > >floor of the kitchen. > > > > > >Mr Clarke said: "This project has the potential of changing >the > > >way we think about building homes in a more > > >environmentally-friendly way. > > > > > >"There is a growing interest in building properties in a more > > >sustainable way and we have had interest from around the world > > >from people keen to know more." > > > > > >Mike Dawson, acting director of St Edmundsbury Borough >Council's > > >housing department, said the authority - which helped fund the > > >project - was delighted with the results of the study. > > > > > >"We're very, very pleased with this as a development >experiment > > >for social housing. But it's not just housing, it's about > > >sustainable development, making sure the houses we're building > > >leave the smallest possible environmental footprint," he >added. > > > > > >Mr Dawson said he was confident the price would fall as the > > >technique developed and believed hemp homes would become a > > >feasible option for affordable homes in the near future. > > > > > >Jessee Mulcock and her five-year-old son Vinni moved into the > > >second hemp house during the spring. > > > > > >Ms Mulcock moved from a flat in Haverhill and said the hemp >home > > >is far warmer. Otherwise, she had noticed little difference, >but > > >added: "It's just like any other home, but I really hope they > > >take off because it's so good for the environment." > > > > > >For more information, contact: > > > > > >James Mortlock > > >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > > >Biofuels list archives: > > >http://archive.nnytech.net/ > > > > > >Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > > >To unsubscribe, send an email to: > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > >Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to >http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > Yahoo! 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