Stronger than steel? – Hemp reinforcement could spark a green movement in building materials

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York confirm that hemp rebar could be a viable alternative to steel in cement construction. Dan Walczyk, director of the Manufacturing Innovation Center and professor of mechanical engineering, and Alexandros Tsamis, associate director of the Architecture Science and Ecology Center and assistant professor of architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic, say they have developed an alternative to steel in concrete structures and other infrastructure projects. Both scientists agree that hemp-based natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic rebar has the potential to displace steel as the preferred rebar technology in a few years. These hemp rebars are partially guaranteed to eliminate corrosion issues and are more durable than steel rebars.

Reinforcing bars are a critical component in the frameworks of cement buildings. They help to construct perfectly standing and durable skeletons for congress infrastructure projects. Concrete alone lacks tensile strength and this is the main reason rebar is used – to provide tensile strength.

The manufacturing potential of hemp

About 150 years ago, before cannabis prohibition and the criminalization of criminals began, hemp was used to make over 75% of the goods Americans consumed. Manufacturing of hemp-derived goods was halted when the government banned the drug’s cultivation and use due to threats of abuse. Currently, hemp is at the forefront of manufacturing discussions due to its undeniable potential to serve humans and the global ecosystem.

At the crucial juncture of severe environmental degradation and climate change, an eco-friendly crop like hemp could be the world’s savior. Hemp is a biodegradable crop that can be used to produce valuable materials, renewable energy and reusable products. Products that cannot be recycled are guaranteed to degrade in the environment as quickly as possible. Environmentalists researching the benefits of hemp claim that mass-producing the plant could go a long way in limiting the effects of global warming by reducing carbon monoxide compounds in the air.

Industrial uses of hemp plants could help produce thousands of essential items needed for everyday activities, including plastics, paper, clothing, laundry, and medicines. It could also produce several technological tools and building items such as rebars.

Hemp and the Steel Industry

Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic and other renowned institutions indicate that hemp could be a perfect substitute for steel. These scientists claim that these plants are phenomenal crops to be mass-grown on an industrial scale to produce dozens of products.

For example, the various car parts made of steel or plastic can alternatively be made of hemp. And hemp is a much stronger and more durable commodity than steel and plastic. Yes, hemp is stronger than materials and products derived from the plant and has a long lifespan.

The new study

The preliminary study confirms that hemp has better strength properties than steel and has a higher chance of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for Energy, Built Environment, and Smart Systems (EBESS) is responsible for this new research. The Institute is committed to developing a comprehensive strategy for a sustainable and cost-effective hemp industry to address the ongoing challenges of climate change in a traditionally driven ecosystem. The institute is an interdisciplinary initiative that the private school believes will bridge the gap between business, engineering and design.

Walczyk and Tsamis said the research arose out of a need for innovative and affordable hemp technologies. They also stated that hemp reinforcement is not the only technology being researched. These other innovations include new hemp biocomposite processing techniques and the development of decortication technology to separate hemp fibers without affecting their mechanical properties.

More details

Concrete does not have the internal strength needed to stand alone unaided. Construction workers and engineers use steel rebar to provide tensile strength or internal strength. Rebars are sturdier bars that are conventionally made of steel but are not long.

The research team from the private research university published that the newly developed hemp rebars can provide the necessary framework for building and infrastructure construction. They also emphasized the non-corrosive properties of the proposed rebars.

Hemp isn’t the only material that could replace steel for construction. In 1958, Roger Bacon discovered that graphite whiskers had ten times the tensile strength and three times the stiffness of steel. After this discovery, graphite was used to make carbon fibers. Recent findings on hemp claim that hemp fibers are much stronger than these carbon fibers.

Another notable material in construction is graphene. The Science Journal discovered that graphene sheets are at least 100 times stronger than steel. The carbon variant is an excellent conductor of electricity and can be combined with polyethylene products to allow conductivity. It was also used to make super energy batteries and electric vehicles. The disadvantage of this material is the cost of production. Another reason hemp is famous. The plant mimics many traits of graphene, steel, and graphite whiskers. It could store as much energy as graphene and has higher tensile strength than steel and can be mass-produced at inexpensive prices.

Note that mass production of hemp for everyday products and industrial tools or components still has some technical challenges to overcome. Some of these include developing efficient processing methods and equipment that best fit the hemp materials, manufacturing methods, and property data. Failure to overcome these hurdles would result in substandard hemp rebar samples, among other things.

bottom line

Hemp can be used to turn several high-end products into reality at a far lower cost than steel and other traditional production materials. Ongoing development and research into the potential benefits of hemp plants will shed more light on this. Rensselaer’s Seed to City Hemp Initiative will not only put the school on the hemp industry’s radar, but also contribute to the advancement of New York’s engineering, design, business and hemp industries. This proposed natural fiber reinforced thermoplastic rebar made from hemp plants will keep the hemp structures intact for a long time.

Note that steel cannot be completely replaced in industry, as it remains the best option for crafting some essential items and power tools.

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