Hemp-Based Rebar Could Replace Steel in Construction, Researchers Say

*Image courtesy of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.*

From Hemp Today

Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY say they have developed a hemp‐based rebar reinforcing technology for cement construction.

Alexandros Tsamis, assistant professor of architecture and associate director of the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology, and Dan Walczyk, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Manufacturing Innovation Center, say the hemp-based natural fiber-reinforced thermoplastic rebar could replace steel in concrete buildings and infrastructure projects, eliminating common problems with corrosion while extending the structures’ lifetimes.

Subscribe for HempBuild Magazine’s free newsletter

Rebar is used to construct skeletal frameworks in conventional cement buildings to provide tensile strength, which concrete lacks, the researchers reported.

Strong as steel

The research team said preliminary study of the material has shown strength characteristics comparable to steel, and potential for significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

READ MORE at Hemp Today.