Study of lime and hemp concrete (LHC) – mix design, casting process and mechanical behaviors

Abstract

This paper deals with the mechanical behavior of lime and hemp composites. LHC blocks have been processed by compression in a rigid die at a relatively high compression pressure. It allows producing LHC with a high proportion of hemp shiv. New mechanical parameters are proposed to compare experimental results of this study with those of literature. This paper shows that a high pressure of compaction enhances the compressive strength, and can offset a lack of binder. Consequently, a new formula is proposed to predict the strength of LHC, depending on both the binder content and the compaction state of the shiv particles. It leads to some recommendations for the mix design of such composites.