Properties of Aerated Hempcrete as a potential sustainable Building Material

Abstract

Abstract Aerated concrete is lightweight concrete commercially available as aerocon blocks for the construction of infill walls. The compressive strength of these blocks varies from 4 to 6 MPa. This paper discusses the properties of aerated concrete by the use of mineral admixtures like fly ash, construction and demolition waste (C&D Waste) and hemp fibres. In order to reduce CO2 emissions, save energy and conserve natural resources, there is a need for reducing the production and consumption of concrete products. This paper manifests the investigations carried out to study the feasibility of using aerated Hemp concrete Blocks in Urban Housing. Industrial Hemp fibers have been identified to potentially absorb carbon. Hence the use of processed Hemp hurd can be used to develop concrete blocks. The aeration process and the complete elimination of coarse aggregates make the blocks light-weight and energy absorbing. In addition, the partial replacement of Cement with Fly Ash and sand with pulverized Construction and Demolition waste is also employed here, thereby providing a cost-efficient, energy-efficient and moreover, recyclable model. The properties of concrete containing these replacements were examined and it was concluded that this beneficial, high-silica content crop can be effectively utilized as a building material, without sacrificing the strength and performance of the concrete. Improvement in engineering properties of this aerated hemp block is also investigated in this paper.