Product · Materials Science
Product · InnDex 58 · Evidence provided · High specification risk
Hemp-lime composite for insulation, infill and retrofit with claimed CO2 sequestration.
UK Hempcrete supplies and installs hempcrete—a hemp fibre and lime-based material—to address embodied carbon, thermal performance, and heritage-compatible retrofit in residential and mixed-use buildings. The material functions as both insulation and non-structural infill, claiming 110–165 kg/m³ CO2 sequestration depending on binder type and application. Deployment includes multi-storey residential projects and R&D partnership with University of Hertfordshire on durability performance.
UK Hempcrete is a supply-and-install specialist in hemp-lime construction, targeting residential and mixed-use buildings where embodied carbon reduction, heritage fabric compatibility, or breathable wall hygroscopics are driving the brief. The material's structural role is infill and insulation only — it carries no load — which limits design flexibility but also removes most of the structural compliance complexity that dogs novel materials. Deployment evidence across multi-storey residential and a live R&D partnership with the University of Hertfordshire give the product a credibility floor above early-stage bio-material claims, though the durability data is still maturing and the CO2 sequestration figures of 110–165 kg/m³ have not been independently verified or backed by a published LCA. The practical constraint for most projects is thickness: hempcrete's lower R-value per unit depth means thicker walls than foam alternatives, which eats floor area or triggers structural redesign — a real cost on urban sites. Outside the UK the supply chain and installer base are thin, and performance in high-moisture or tropical climates lacks substantiation. The honest fit is heritage retrofit and low-energy residential in the UK where breathability is valued, local installation capacity can be confirmed, and the team is prepared to size the thermal assembly correctly rather than assuming parity with conventional insulants.
CO2 sequestration claims (110–165 kg/m³) are supported by peer-reviewed LCA literature (ScienceDirect, ResearchGate cited), and the range reflects genuine methodological variation (spray vs. shuttered, binder type). Projects documented but no independent third-party audit or certified case study summaries publicly available. University of Hertfordshire R&D partnership reported but outcome/publication status unclear. Company registration and British Hemp Alliance partnership confirmed as plausible. Website source was non-functional (JavaScript form library code only), so direct claims cannot be verified from URL. Material performance (compressive strength, moisture uptake, vapour permeability, fire rating) not detailed in brief; critical for building control sign-off.
#hemp-lime #embodied-carbon #insulation #retrofit #bio-based #thermal-mass #heritage-compatible