Hemp Block - Blocco Ambiente®
Blocco Ambiente® is a unique material that combines insulation and thermal mass properties. It is composed of hemp shiv (certified CenC), hydrated dolomitic lime and probiotics. 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. It has dimensions of 20 × 50 cm and is available in thicknesses of 8, 12, 20, 25, 30, 36, 40 cm.
Download the installation manual of the Hemp Block – Blocco Ambiente®
Features
• Thermal, acoustic, and hygrometric comfort: Blocco Ambiente® 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
• Perimeter walls for the building envelope;
• Insulating walls for existing constructions;
• Subfloor insulation;
• Internal partitions with acoustic insulation.
Installation
• The installation takes place by laying the blocks with a thin layer of mortar composed of hemp and lime according to the proportions indicated in the installation manual.
• The cutting can be done with a manual or electric saw.
• The internal surfaces and the partition walls can be coated with sand and lime mortar, clay, plaster or other breathable finishes.
• The external surfaces can be left exposed or can be coated with breathable finishes.
Application
Perimeter walls and internal partitions
Blocco Ambiente® can be used to build an insulating masonry wall for the building envelope, with the monobloc solution or by filling an empty cavity with insulating interposition. The installation system is the same, obviously the thermal-acoustic performance will be modified.
Insulating walls
Another application of Blocco Ambiente® is the insulating wall for existing walls that are less efficient energetically. In this case, the anchors must be obtained thanks to the fixing of L-shaped brackets with a 40 mm dowel in the existing masonry and with a 60 mm nail (or screw) in the Blocco Ambiente®, laid every 150 cm and every three brick courses in height, that is, 60 cm.
Laying
Storage and handling. Blocco Ambiente® is carried and delivered on wooden pallets. Once brought to the floor they can be easily moved with the use of a transpallet. The lightness and insulating capacity of the Blocco Ambiente® are due to a lower density compared to traditional blocks. The hemp blocks must be handled with care, with both hands, taking care to not press too much near the edges. As a result, the masonry wall of Blocco Ambiente® will have equivalent characteristics of resistance to compression compared to traditional masonry.
[01] The cutting The cutting is simple by using an alligator saw or a reciprocating saw
[02]
First course Given the high hygroscopic capacity, in order to avoid continuous rising damp on the walls, the first course must be isolated from the ground with a bituminous, cement-based or lime-based waterproof sheath. Furthermore, as with any other brick, it is ideal to create a plinth of at least 15 cm vertically, protected with waterproof materials or with stone cladding.
[05] Electrical and plumbing systems Running electrical wiring or plumbing trough walls of
Blocco Ambiente® is easily done by using a chainsaw and/or a hole saw cutter, directly on the finished wall. Electrical boxes and pipes can be secured with any quick-setting cement, preferably from natural lime. The grouting mortar can be obtained by mixing LDN – Natural Dolomitic Binder with hemp in a proportion of 5 or 6 to 1
[04] Bedding The mortar is used in the construction of masonry walls to unify building materials and obtain a monolithic structure once hardened. The main function of the bedding mortar, especially the lime-based mortar, is not to “glue” the bricks or stones together, but to distribute the load of the overlying parts over the entire horizontal section of the wall, reducing the roughness of the bearing surfaces of the blocks. The bedding mortar can be obtained by mixing natural lime (Natural Dolomitic Binder – LDN) with hemp shiv as an inert component. The doses of each component referred to its weight follow a ratio lime/hemp of 4:1 which is similar to the ratio used for plaster mortar. You will get a mortar suitable for the construction of insulating walls with a homogeneous insulation guaranteed by the presence of the hemp shiv between one brick and another.
Technical data sheet – Blocco Ambiente®
