Hemp in construction - The Hempcrete Topic: Designing and Building with Hemp-lime - page 38

using expanding tapes between panels to achieve airtightness means the addition of a high-
embodied-energy, synthetic material into the wall build-up.
Panels being installed on-site. Image: Lime Technology Ltd
Cast-in-situ versus pre-cast hempcrete
The main advantage of pre-cast panels and blocks is that the hempcrete is already dried
before it arrives on-site. This means that plastering can begin almost as soon as the wall
construction phase is complete, whereas cast-in-situ hempcrete walls take several weeks to
dry sufficiently for finishes to be applied, and this is dependent on local conditions. Dur-
ing the winter months this drying process makes casting hempcrete in situ a practical im-
possibility. With cast-in-situ hempcrete, factors such as temperature, exposure, humidity
and effective management of drying need to be considered, accounted for and managed