Hemp in construction - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 35

Adnams' distribution warehouse was constructed from a mixture of hempcrete blocks and cast-in-
situ hempcrete. Image: Adnams
Panels
At the time of writing, Hemcrete Projects Ltd, part of the Lime Technology group, is the
sole producer of pre-cast hempcrete panels in the UK. The panels, which comprise a timber
framework, a built-in insulation layer and a 'breathable' vapour-control layer, are produced
and dried off-site, then supplied and assembled on-site by Hemcrete Projects. In contrast
to blocks, there is no need for mortar at the assembly stage, which means no waiting for
this to set before finishes can be applied.
Two types of panels are produced, Hembuild ® and Hemclad ® . The insulation layer in both
types is generally hemp-fibre quilt (see page 38 ) , which gives them a lower U-value (better
insulation performance) than cast hempcrete for a given wall thickness. This is a develop-
ment driven by market demand for lower U-values, rather than an indication of natural-
fibre quilt's superior overall thermal performance to hempcrete. See Chapter 7 for a de-
tailed description of the thermal performance of hempcrete.
Hembuild ® panels are structural, i.e. the timber-frame elements are designed such that
when joined together on-site, the panels form the structure of the building, as well as the