Bio Beton®
Bio Beton® is a low-density hemp and lime biocomposite that combines properties of insulation and thermal mass. It is composed of hemp shiv (certified CenC) and hydrated dolomitic lime. Respecting the principles of social and environmental sustainability, it has all the characteristics required of a building material in line with sustainable development: high insulating capacity, low embodied energy and the ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
Once hardened, Bio Beton® of hemp and lime becomes highly insulating, rigid and light allowing a wide range of application for both new construction and renovation: it is possible to vary the mixing methods and the proportions of the materials according to the desired purposes.
Legante Dolomitico Naturale® LDN, a natural binder based on hydrated dolomitic lime, stabilises the vegetable component by mineralising it which protects it from the possibility of decomposition, ignition or being attacked by insects or rodents. It also makes it capable of sanitising the living spaces by sterilising the water vapour that escapes during the breathing process.
The vegetable Hemp Shiv performs the function of aggregate to replace gravel, crushed stone, and sand. Thanks to its unique characteristics, such as the high silica content and the presence of millions of nanometer-sized micropores, hemp shiv has numerous properties, including high thermal insulation and perfect transport of water vapour. There is no natural, mineral or synthetic material able to match these distinctive characteristics.
Bio Beton® is present in the ITACA Product Catalogue, the software for the ITACA Protocol, which allows you to estimate the quantity of product required for your project. The form also allows you to calculate the components of renewable and recyclable material to be indicated in the ITACA Protocol Criteria for calculating the Environmental Sustainability Assessment for buildings subjected to national or regional assessment. Bio Beton® helps to improve the building’s ITACA Global Score to obtain, where applicable, volumetric and fiscal incentives.
Features
• Thermal, acoustic, and hygrometric comfort: Bio Beton ® is permeable to water vapour (it transpires);
• Resistant to fire, frost, insects and rodents;
• Absence of toxic fumes in case of fire;
• Low embodied energy;
• Recyclable.
Applications
• Insulation of roofs, attics, and lofts;
• Construction of insulating and breathable
masonry walls;
• External wall insulation system for
existing buildings;
• Internal wall insulation system for existing buildings;
• Underfloor insulation.
Installation
• The product is laid by casting it onto roof, floor screeds, attic, subfloor or into formwork.
• The product is delivered already mixed and ready for use in big bags of 2m3.
Features
Bio Beton® differs from conventional insulating materials for the following characteristics:
» Thermal insulation: Each piece of hemp shiv is composed of microscopic alveoli filled with air in which alternate continuous processes of micro-condensation and micro-evaporation. This configuration allows to block the passage of heat and cold from the outside to the inside of the building and vice versa.
» Thermal mass: Thermal mass is the ability of a material to store heat energy and release it over a longer period of time. Thanks to its important mass, Bio Beton® is able to accumulate heat and release it slowly, thus creating a level of comfort similar to stone houses: cool in summer and warm in winter.
» Breathability and absence of condensation: Allows the passage of humidity avoiding condensation problems and poor air quality inside the building.
» Breathability: : Bio Beton® works like a lung by regulating humidity. It absorbs excess moisture and releases it when the air is too dry as if it were a humidifier.
» Ability to fight climate change: Bio Beton® is able to capture and sequester CO2 from the atmosphere.
» Healthiness: Thanks to the hydrated lime content, our product allows you to sanitise the air in indoor environments by sterilising the water vapour that escapes during the breathing process.
» Acoustic insulation: Thanks to its porosity, the material guarantees excellent acoustic absorption.
» Lightness: Bio Beton® is mainly composed of hemp shiv that makes it lighter than conventional building materials. Depending on the applications, the density of the material varies from 200 to 450 kg / m3.
» Durability: Bio Beton® is a dynamic material that does not degrade over time since it prevents condensation. Therefore, it has an increased lifetime just like most historic buildings built mainly with natural materials that are still up today.
» Recyclability: At the end of its useful life Bio Beton® is totally reusable once crushed and remixed with water and lime.
» Biodegradability: : In case of disposal, the material decomposes naturally as it is free of toxic substances.
» compatibility: Composed mainly of mineralised hemp shiv with natural lime, Bio Beton® enjoys high standards of eco-compatibility: in addition to being recyclable and biodegradable, it has a very low level of energy incorporated in the material (amount of energy necessary for its production, use and disposal).
An eco-friendly product
Future-proof materials
The hemp plant enjoys several interesting properties from an environmental point of view. The hemp shiv is obtained through a mechanical roller separation process during which the hemp stem is divided into its two main components, the woody and the fibrous part. Considering that the plant grows up to 6 meters in just 4 months, that one cubic meter of Blocco Ambiente® seizes 18 kg of CO2 and that one cubic meter of Bio Beton® imprisons over 60 kg, the building envelopes of hemp and lime have seized 43,2 tons of carbon dioxide.
Lime is obtained by burning limestone at much lower temperatures compared to cement production. The binder is a high-quality lime blend specially designed to be combined with the vegetable hemp shiv.
Technical data sheet – Bio Beton®
