Mixing hempcrete - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 327

Method
First, think about where you are going to put your mixer. These are heavy things, best
moved as little as possible around the site. The mixer is loaded through the grille at the top
and, when ready, the mix is allowed to fall through the chute at the bottom of the machine,
filling tubs which are then carried to where the mix is needed. This part of the job is done
by hand and is obviously much easier and quicker if the machine is close to the wall being
filled.
You also need to consider how you will supply the bales of hemp and bags of binder to the
person operating the mixer. How much effort will have to be expended in getting the hemp
and binder close to the mixer, and up to the level where they can be fed into the top of it?
Both hemp and binder come on pallets, so if you have a telehandler on-site, this part of the
work could be made easier by using the forks to lift supplies to the required level.
The mixer area should ideally be slightly away from where people are working, because
of the dust that inevitably escapes into the surrounding air. It should have space for a good
supply of materials to be stored next to the person doing the mixing, so these can be eas-
ily reached. Materials need to be stored dry, and wherever possible the mixer itself should
be somewhere under cover, so that rain is kept off while it is in use. The under-cover area
should be well ventilated.