Hemp in construction - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 27

Spray-applying
The method of spray-applying hempcrete is often used in France and has now arrived in
the UK thanks to Myles and Louisa Yallop of The Limecrete Company. They have been a
driving force in the increasing use of sustainable construction methods in the mainstream
building industry, and have championed the use first of hand-placed and now of spray-ap-
plied hempcrete over recent years. The Limecrete Company's spraying machines, the first
of their kind to be used in the UK, have been in operation since early 2012.
Spray-applying hemp.
As with all things, spraying hempcrete has its advantages and disadvantages. The picture
is developing rapidly, with new ways of using the machines, and new equipment to en-
hance the method, constantly being developed. The spray-applied method for cast-in-situ
hempcrete follows broadly the same technique as that for hand-placed hempcrete, but with
fully mechanized delivery and placing of the hempcrete, and some minor alterations to the
structural frame to accommodate the way the machine works. The hemp shiv is of a finer
grade than that used for hand-placed hempcrete (see Chapter 6 ), as shiv containing pieces
longer than 20mm was found to block the hose on the spraying machine.