DOI: 10.1615/ICHMT.2009.CONV
ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-261-4
ISSN Online: 2642-3499
ISSN Flash Drive: 2642-3502
STUDY OF THE TRANSIENT HYGROTHERMAL BEHAVIOUR OF A MULTI-LAYERED HEMP CONCRETE WALL
ABSTRACT
Hemp concrete is more and more recommended by the eco-builders because hemp is a renewable plant, recyclable and does not degrade within time. It corresponds perfectly to the requirements of High Environmental Quality buildings. To integrate this material into buildings, it is important to study its hygrothermal behaviour. In this paper, we study the transient hygrothermal behaviour of a multi-layered hemp concrete wall and we compare it with other materials used in buildings. The simulation environment SPARK was used. Moisture transport is made through liquid and vapour phases. The liquid phase is supposed to move by capillarity whereas the vapour phase diffuses under vapour partial pressure gradient. Our results suggest that hemp concrete reduces winter thermal heat losses and protects from summer heat waves. Besides its high vapour diffusivity allows buildings to breath. A numerical simulation is provided to depict the buffering capacity of hemp concrete structure as a function of the air exchange rate and the effective hemp concrete area.