Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Having set out the 'nuts and bolts' of hempcrete construction, we now consider the
wider practical issues on a hempcrete building site. The main roles are discussed
here, together with factors affecting the success of a hempcrete build. Many of the is-
sues raised in this chapter will be especially important to those who are building
with hempcrete on a busy commercial site, alongside a range of other contractors. If
you are going to be doing a lot of hempcrete work, or your project is a large one,
then this chapter is for you. If you are a self-builder with only a one-off project to
think about, you won't need to worry about everything contained in this chapter,
but a broad understanding of the concepts set out here can only improve the effi-
ciency of your build.
Roles on a hempcrete build
As we have seen in previous chapters, there are three distinct stages to a hempcrete build.
Often these are actually separated by a period of time, as well as conceptually. The roles at
each stage are summarized below.
Stage One: framing
A supervisor is required to take responsibility for the frame being constructed to the struc-
tural engineer's specifications, and for the requirements of the hempcrete that is to be cast
around it. A team of joiners either builds the frame on-site from plans, or assembles a
frame that has been prefabricated elsewhere and delivered to site in easy-to-transport sec-
tions.
There may be a need for a labourer or semiskilled role to assist every one or two joiners
on-site, depending on the requirements of the job.
Stage Two: mixing and placing hempcrete
A supervisor, with an oversight of the whole process, is required to ensure that a consistent
standard of work is achieved by everyone involved in casting the hempcrete. Particular at-
tention needs to be paid to the accuracy of the shuttering work; the quality and consistency
of the mixing; and the consistency of tamping of the hempcrete mix, to avoid over-tamp-
ing.
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