LAS VEGAS, NV, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Hemp Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP): HempBuild Magazine recently reported that hempcrete, a carbon-sequestering fibrous insulation material, made from hemp stalk hurd and lime, has been approved for the U.S. residential building code, utilized by 49 out of 50 states. Hempcrete was approved for the model U.S. residential building code during a hearing last month, which was overseen by the International Code Council (ICC). The material was approved as an appendix for the 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), which governs U.S. residential building codes for 49 out of 50 states. The Appendix may be found at: https://ushba.org/wp-content/uploads/proposal_8646-Final.pdf.
The new code, set to be published formally in 2023, will feature Hemp-Lime (Hempcrete) under “Appendix BA.” Specifically, hempcrete was approved as a non-structural wall infill system. The approval applies to one- and two-family dwellings, townhouses and should increase the availability of hemp-based building materials and facilitate greener construction projects around the U.S.
Hempcrete creates a fire-resistant fibrous insulation wall that also acts as a moisture regulator. Since hemp is an organic material, hempcrete is considered a carbon-sequestering construction material, which further improves its sustainability.
While hempcrete will be available to most home construction projects in the U.S., it remains prohibited from commercial projects until at least 2025 — that is when officials are set to renew the International Building Code (IBC), which governs any occupancies not covered by the IRC.
The construction material has long been used in France and more recently in Canada, but federal hemp prohibition in the U.S. kept it out of official building codes for decades despite its uniquely sustainable properties.
Hemp, Inc. currently has 781,000 lbs of a Hemp/Kenaf blend of a product that is well suited as a base for Hemp/Kenaf plastics or oil spill cleanup. In addition, Hemp, Inc. has enough raw Hemp/Kenaf in stock at Hemp, Inc’s manufacturing plant in Spring Hope, NC to produce another 770,000 lbs of the Hemp/Kenaf blend. The Kenaf plant looks similar to hemp even though it is a genus of hibiscus. Kenaf can be a key ingredient in the production of hempcrete because it has very similar properties to hemp when used for making plastics, oil spill cleanup, and building materials.
Photo Credit: Hempitecture