| French company, Isochanvre SARL, has developed a method of crystallising the sap of unstable raw hemp or shiv. The resultant material known as Isochanvre®, is finding numerous uses in thermal and acoustic insulation as well as now being used as a construction material. Isochanvre is mixed with hydraulic lime and water to bind it together, then packed into timber formwork and left to solidify like concrete. It is easy to work with and requires less skill than common brickwork. Construction times are lower than brick, no cavity is required and neither is a damp proof membrane. As an additional environmental benefit, it takes only 4 months to grow the raw material for a house. |
