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Mechanical Properties, Water Sorption And Frost Resistance Of Lime-Hemp

Cementitious Composites

Conference Paper · September 2008

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MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, WATER SORPTION AND FROST RESISTANCE OF LIME-HEMP

CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITES

Paulien DE BRUIJN M.Sc.1

1
Knut-Håkan JEPPSSON Ph.D. 2
Kenneth SANDIN Ph.D.
Christer NILSSON Prof.Dr.Eng.1

1
Department of Rural Buildings, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden,
paulien@ltj.slu.se
2
Division of Building Materials, Lund Institute of Technology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden,
kenneth.sandin@byggtek.lth.se

Keywords: concrete, cement, hemp, lime

Summary
This research focuses on the use of different binding agents used in the building material Lime-Hemp
Concrete (LHC). It is a light composite building material that consists of building limes and hemp (Cannabis
sativa). Contemporary LHCs only use the woody core part of the hemp, the shive. Using both hemp shives
and fibres may improve mechanical strength. This would also eliminate the need for a fibre separation
process which currently is not commercially available in Sweden. This research aims to elucidate the
feasibility of using the entire fragmented hemp stem in a LHC. Furthermore the aim was to determine some
important material properties of different LHC mixes, using varying compositions of the lime-based binder.
Five mixes of the binding agents hydrated lime, hydraulic lime and cement were tested. Specimens were in
total cured for 18 weeks at room temperature of which 40 days in a carbonatation room (4.5 vol% CO2). They
were tested for mechanical properties, water sorption and frost resistance. A compressive strength of 0.15-
0.83 MPa was found for the five different binding agent mixes tested. Using both shives and fibres in LHC
may be advantageous until possibilities to separate hemp fibres from hemp shives are commercially
available in Sweden. The research project is ongoing and further experiments will be carried out during 2008.

1. Introduction
In recent years sustainability in architecture has become a key issue for architects and builders.
Sustainability in architecture and building can be obtained in different ways. Energy that is used by buildings
should be reduced, both during the building process as well as during occupancy. Also, building materials
should be renewable and recyclable in the greatest extend possible. Schultmann and Sunke (2007)
mentioned that the highest amount of construction and demolition waste over the life cycle of a building
occurs during deconstruction. Therefore the use of renewable and recyclable raw materials in the building
industry is imperative to reduce this waste.
In present research the use of the renewable material hemp (Cannabis sativa) as building material is studied.
Hemp is a fast growing annual crop that can reach a height of 1.5-4m in northern Europe (Osvald, 1959).
Growing industrial hemp became illegal in Sweden in 1965 but has been legalised again in 2003. According
to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, 24 hectares of hemp were grown in Sweden in 2003. In 2007 this was
792 hectares. In the five years that hemp has been grown in Sweden, a viable commercial market has yet to
be established. The greater part of the hemp cultivated in Sweden is used as biomass fuel. Hemp is pressed
into briquettes and burned for energy purposes. Another part of the cultivated hemp is grown and analyzed
for trials and research projects (Rolandsson, 2008). At the Swedish Hemp Seminar in Alnarp, 13th March
2008, it was underlined that there is a very small commercial market for hemp in Sweden. Therefore the
Swedish market of non-food crops must find new products and possibilities to use Swedish hemp.
An advantageous application of hemp can be found in a lime-based cementitious building material; Lime-
Hemp Concrete (Arnaud and Cerezo, 2001; Arnaud et al., 2006; Cerezo, 2005; Evrard, 2003). Lime-Hemp
Concrete (LHC) is a composite building material containing hemp in a lime-based binder. In contemporary
LHC the hemp shives, the woody core parts of the hemp plant, are used. The process to separate fibres from
shives is complex and expensive, and requires a viable market for hemp fibres. No such commercial fibre
separation facility currently exists in Sweden.

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The compressive strength of contemporary LHC is not sufficient for the material to be load-bearing. In
contemporary LHC only hemp shives were used. The aim of this research was to determine the feasibility of
LHC as a load-bearing material using both hemp shives and fibres. Furthermore the aim was to determine
some important material properties of different LHC mixtures, using varying compositions of the lime-based
binder. Different ratios of hydrated lime, hydraulic lime and cement were used.
Using not only hemp shives, but also its fibres might influence mechanical strength of LHC. Also, this would
eliminate the fibre separation process and create a market in Sweden for the entire fragmented hemp stem.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1 Hemp, Limes and Cement
The hemp variety Futura 75 was used. It was acquired from a local farm in the province of Scania, Sweden.
The hemp was spring-harvested in 2006. The entire hemp plant was harvested, baled and stored. Hemp
bales were processed in an industrial shredder, displayed in Figure 1. Fibres, shives and dust were not
separated in the shredder and ended up in the hemp material used in this research. The shredder cut the
hemp plant in particles with an average length of 12 mm. The hemp material consisted of ⅓ parts fibres and
⅔ part shives. A small part of the material was dust.

Figure 1 Shredder.

2.2. Specimen preparation

Test specimens measuring 150×150×150 mm were made. Five mixes of the binding agents were prepared
(Fig. 2). The ratio of hemp to binder was 1:3 by volume. The binder mix, water and hemp were allowed to
rotate for a few minutes in a concrete mixer (Fig. 3). Test specimens were cast and then cured for 18 weeks.
During this time they were exposed to 4.5 vol% CO2 for 40 days to accelerate the carbonatation process.

Hydrated lime Hydraulic lime Cement

10

9 2
3,3
8 4
5
7
2,7
Parts in volume

5 2 10

4
6,7
3
5 5,3
2 4

0
A B C D E
Mixes
Figure 2 Binder mixes. Figure 3 Concrete mixer.

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2.3. Specimen measurement

A compressive strength test was performed on the test specimens. Six specimens were tested per mix.
Secondly, six specimens per mix were subjected to a total of 25 freeze-thaw cycles. The set temperature
was +20 ºC for 12 hours followed by -20 ºC for 12 hours. After the freeze-thaw treatment the test specimens
were tested for compression strength.
Thirdly, water sorption was tested by placing three test specimens per mix in a container with 5-10
millimetres of water (Fig. 4). The weight of the test specimens was measured at 12 occasions between 0 and
24 hours from the start.

Figure 4 Water sorption test, specimens from mix B.

2.4. Statistical analysis

Statistical analyses were carried out with the software package Minitab 15 for Microsoft Windows (Minitab
Inc., State College PA, USA). Appropriate t-tests, analysis of variance as well as Tukey’s tests were carried
out to determine if the tested mixes were significantly different (P<0.05)
3. Results
Compressive strengths for the mixes A-E ranged from 0.15 MPa to 0.83 MPa. Compressive strength after
freeze-thaw treatment was similar to that of the test specimens that did not undergo freeze-thaw treatment,
see Figure 5.
(MPa) Compressive strength Compressive strength after freeze-thaw treatment
3,0
f

2,5

2,0

1,5

1,0 c
c
b
b
0,5
d
a,e d,e d
a

0,0
A B C D E
Mixes
Different letters (a, b, c) indicate values that differ significantly (P<0.05).
Comparisons were not made between before and after freeze-thaw treatment for different mixes.
Figure 5 Compressive strength before and after freeze-thaw treatment.
The average water sorption coefficient for the five mixes was 0.15 kg/m²·√s. No significant differences
between mixes A-E were observed.

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4. Discussion
Compressive strengths of the specimens tested in this research were comparable to values found in other
research. Compressive strengths of contemporary LHC were 0.4MP to 1.2 MPa (Arnaud, 2006) and 0.4 MPa
(Evrard, 2003). Arnaud (2006) reports that compressive strength of LHC increases with time. This could
explain the fact that compressive strength of contemporary LHC which had cured for a longer time, were
slightly higher than the values observed in this research.
Not only hemp fibres were included in the hemp material, but also dust. The hemp dust may have had a
negative influence on the mechanical properties of the LHC mixes. Also, hemp fibres differ greatly from
hemp shives; this may have influenced mechanical strength of the material. However, tensile strength might
be improved when using fibres as well as shives.
Comparing compressive strength before and after freeze-thaw treatment, values only significantly decreased
for mix C. Values found for mix B and E even showed a significant improvement. Mixes A-E all underwent
the same curing treatment. This meant that test specimens containing cement, mixes C-E, were not water
cured. Watering fresh cement is very important for curing. Before the freeze-thaw cycles started, the test
specimens were placed in water for 24 hours. This probably caused the noteworthy improvement in strength
for mix E (binding agent cement).
No significant differences in water sorption coefficients were observed between the mixes. Important is not
only water absorption, but also the rate at which the absorbed water can leave the material again, its
desorption. In this aspect lime and cement behave differently.
5. Conclusion
Using the entire, shredded, hemp stem in a LHC created a material that seems to have the same
characteristics as contemporary LHC. Compressive strength was rather low. Using a hemp material with
both shives and fibres did not seem to create a mechanically stronger LHC.
Differences in mechanical strength between mixes were not big. However, mixes D and E showed the best
results in compressive strength. Specimens with cement that were water cured after preparation would
probably have improved the mechanical properties of the material. Mixes D and E contained most cement.
Cement seemed to have a beneficial impact on the mechanical properties of the material. However, using
cement in LHC might have a negative influence on the hemp material, which not studied in this research.
LHC is an interesting building material that uses the renewable raw material hemp. It can be used in
combination with a load-bearing structure. The impact of freeze-thaw cycles on the material was low. Also
water sorption was moderate. This shows potential for the material to be used in a Swedish climate with cold
winters and rain all year round. The use of LHC as a building material in Sweden could increase the market
for Swedish hemp, while introducing a durable and sustainable building material.
More research is needed in order to explore possibilities of the use of LHC.

References
Arnaud, L. and Cerezo, V. 2001, Qualification physique des matériaux de construction à base de chanvre
[Physical qualification of construction materials based on hemp]. Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de
l’Etat, Département Genie Civil et Bâtiment, Vaulx-en-Velin (in French).
Arnaud, L., Cerezo, V. and Samri, D. 2006, Global approach for the design of building material containing
lime and vegetable particles. The 6th International Symposium on Cement and Concrete, Xi’an, pp. 1261-
1265.
Cerezo, V. 2005, Propriétés mécaniques, thermiques et acoustiques d’un matériau à base de particules
végétales : approche expérimentale et modélisation théorique [Mechanical, thermal and acoustical properties
of a material based on vegetable particles]. Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’Etat, L’Institut National
des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Saint Valérien (in French).
Evrard, A. 2003, Bétons de Chanvre, Synthèse des propriétés physiques [Hemp Concretes, a Synthesis of
Physical Properties]. Construire en Chanvre, Saint Valérien (in French).
Osvald, H. 1959, Åkerns nyttoväxter [Non-food crops]. Esselte, Stockholm (in Swedish).
Rolandsson, H. 2008, Personal communication, Swedish Board of Agriculture, Jönköping.
Schultmann, F. and Sunke, N. 2007, Energy-oriented deconstruction and recovery planning. Building
Research and Information, 35, pp. 602-615.

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