Lhoist building solution delivers sustainability breakthrough

Tuesday, 16 June 2009

The world’s leading innovator in building lime recently launched its latest product range that industry experts claim will make a huge impact on the future of sustainable building.

The Tradical Hemp Lime product range, developed by Lhoist, has the ability to make a significant contribution in combating global climate change while offering practical flexibility to users throughout the entire construction process.

The flagship product within the range is Tradical Hemcrete, providing one of the best value materials for low impact, sustainable construction technology to deliver environmental and health benefits. Key advantages of Tradical® Hemcrete include high thermal and acoustic insulation, low density, excellent water vapour permeability, high flexural strength and high carbon capture.

Tradical Hemcrete’s flexibility offers users a product which can be incorporated into a variety of elements in the construction process, from wall construction and floor screeding to roof insulation. Further products in the Tradical range offer solutions for brickwork, blockwork, rendering and plastering.

Tradical Hemp Lime products are made up of a combination of patented formulations of air-lime based binders and the chopped woody core of the industrial hemp plant. The hemp, in common with all similar plants, transforms carbon dioxide during its rapid growth and captures the carbon, releasing the oxygen to the atmosphere. This has an immediate positive effect for the environment in achieving the sequestration of the principal greenhouse gas.

During the production process, the captured carbon remains within the products and therefore within the fabric of the buildings constructed out of them. The Tradical® Hemp Lime products also offer a moisture balanced insulation which means that people using or living in the resulting building can reduce the temperature of the heating by as much as two degrees, while still retaining a very comfortable living environment. This will result in a significant amount of energy being saved
throughout the life of the building, helping to further combat global climate change.

Lhoist UK product manager, Mike Haynes comments: “The flexibility of Tradical® Hemp Lime means it can be used for any building project, from schools, hospitals and offices to large commercial buildings and residential homes. Not only are the products suitable for new buildings but they can also be used for improving the performance of existing buildings.

“We are anticipating that the Tradical® Hemp Lime products will make a great impact on the future of sustainable building and construction, especially as environmental and energy issues continue to be at the forefront of everybody’s mind.”

Tradical® Hemp Lime technology stems from over ten years of experience gained by Lhoist in continental Europe. Tradical has the ability to make further positive contributions by benefiting the UK’s agriculture industry and reducing its negative impact on the environment. No agro-chemicals are needed to grow the industrial hemp plant, and as demand for the product continues to increase, the agricultural industry will benefit by being able to grow another sustainable product.