Hemp-based industry professionals, growers, builders and factories now have some muscle to help hemp get recognized as a viable building material. Hemp industrial byproducts may even be traded on national markets.
Former executive director and current member of the U.S. Hemp Building Association (USHBA), Jacob Waddell, has officially launched the Hemp Building Institute (HBI) to help progress the industry forward.
As the HBI president and founder, Waddell will work alongside a board of directors made up of industry professionals to help tackle industry-wide barriers and educate the public about hemp-building materials, while promoting the advantages of and establishing the necessary standards and testing procedures for such products.
The USHBA submitted a proposal in January 2022 to receive certification for hemp-lime insulation in the U.S. building codes, which the International Code Council (ICC) approved in September 2022. Waddell spearheaded the certification process.
The approval allows for “hempcrete, ‘a mixture of hemp hurds or ‘shiv’ (made from hemp stalks) and a lime binder, [that] creates a long-lasting fibrous insulation for wall assemblies,’ to be used as a standard material in residential construction in low seismic risk areas without required engineer design beginning 2024,” Cannabis Business Times previously reported.
After successfully spearheading that process, Waddell says he’s now focused on facilitating the creation of similar codes and standards for the industry through the HBI.
The HBI already has several projects in the hopper, including working with the USHBA to complete the final step in the IRC certification process, which is the “commentary” portion, he says. The HBI is also working with the USHBA to submit a proposal in 2024 to receive certification for hemp-lime (hempcrete) insulation in the International Building Code (IBC) for commercial construction.
The current IRC approval allows for hemp-lime (hempcrete) to be used on one- and two-family townhouses and dwellings, whereas the IBC approval would allow for hemp-lime to be used in commercial projects or multistory buildings, Waddell says.
The HBI is also working with the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM), an international standards development organization, to approve specific testing standards for these materials, such as hemp hurd.
The longer-term goals, in general, are to mainstream this material to make it so that it is a common option considered by home builders and consumers when they are either building new construction or renovating current construction.
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of Modular Home Source and Offsite Builder magazine. Email at [email protected]
Gary Fleisher, the Modcoach
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