Hempcrete is Happening!

May 4th was momentous for the site - marking the first day of hempcrete construction. Shelby, Wynter, and Josh conducted an efficient application of hempcrete around the perimeter of the property with the aid of a skid steer with mixing bucket, some flexible tubs, and great music and conversation.

One of the unexpected benefits of having a family-based business in the time of Covid-19 is that these three men all share a house, which means they aren’t having to navigate the challenges of social distancing on a construction site.

By the end of the first day, they were a well-oiled machine, moving easily around the building to create a monolithic wall. In preparation of the installation, HempStone led the crew in an on-site training which included a discussion of safety, mixing, and installation details to get them going.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a bunch of photos to paint a picture of early days at a hempcrete installation!

The photos take you on a journey from mixing to placing. Some of the details used in formwork are unique to this project. As with any project, speaking with hempcrete consultants like HempStone will help you be well-poised for success on your build.

A couple notes worth writing about:

After seeing a bucket mixer on a hempcrete project in Idaho, Shelby decided to invest in a bucket mixer to outfit equipment he already had. With a bit of modification (note in the photos the yellow steel that has been bolted onto the bucket mixers), this small bucket mixer can hold two batches of hempcrete. This keeps installation moving swiftly - on average a double batch is mixed in less than 10 minutes and placed in another 15 to 20 minutes with a team of 2 installers, depending on the area being installed. Adding one more installer would increase the efficiency of the build.

After watching this process in action, we at HempStone are sold on this equipment for builders who have access to a skid steer.