Hempcrete, a building material made from hemp and lime, has been gaining popularity in recent years due to its environmentally-friendly and sustainable properties. The good news for advocates of hempcrete is that it has been submitted as an appendix to the International Residential Code (IRC) and will soon be included in the 2024 edition.
The IRC is a widely-used set of guidelines for building codes in the United States, and its inclusion of hempcrete means that it will be accessible as a certified building material for construction purposes. This is a significant development for those who want to use sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials in their building projects.
To be included in the IRC, hempcrete had to undergo a certification process by ASTM International, an organization that sets standards for building materials. This process ensures that the material meets certain safety and quality standards, and it can be a lengthy and rigorous process. However, once certified, it opens up opportunities for widespread use of hempcrete in residential construction across the country.
This is a positive step forward for sustainable building practices and for the hemp industry, which has the potential to provide a more sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional building materials. The inclusion of hempcrete in the IRC will likely encourage more people to consider using it in their building projects, ultimately leading to a more sustainable future for the construction industry.
