Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Texas A&M Receives Grant to Develop 3D-Printable ‘Hempcrete’ Buildings

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/30/22

Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently received a $3.74-million grant to research and develop the ability to 3D-print buildings using concrete made from hemp—or “hempcrete.” Local news reports that the substance made from hemp powder or fibers, lime and water could be used as a light, cheap and green building material and could help reduce the environmental impact of construction and make housing cheaper.

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Harnessing Emissions into Structures Taking Inputs from the Atmosphere (HESTIA) program, according to university news.

The project will be led by Dr. Petros Sideris, assistant professor at the university’s Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. According to a university news story, his team will include assistant professor Dr. Maria Koliou, professor Dr. Zachary Grasley, and professor Dr. Anand Puppala; and associate professor Dr. Manish Dixit and professor Dr. Wei Yan from the College of Architecture.

“While production of conventional construction materials such as concrete requires large amounts of energy and releases large amounts of CO2 (carbon dioxide), hempcrete is a net carbon-negative material, which can provide major environmental benefits,” Sideris said. "Resilience to natural hazards is intertwined with environmental sustainability because building damage and subsequent repairs due to extreme events such as hurricanes result in major environmental impacts.”

The project aims to make building designs printable and to meet modern design codes for structural integrity and energy performance. The digital designs will allow the process to be easily adopted by the construction industry at large.

“Hempcrete has excellent fire resistance and thermal insulating properties that can reduce heating and cooling energy demands," said Sideris. "It is water-resistant and offers good acoustic properties.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • California School District Completes Elementary School Modernization

    The San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting for a whole-site modernization of Pacific Beach Elementary School, according to local news. The school first opened with one building in 1930 and added six more between 1938 and 1957.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.