Study of lime hemp concrete (LHC) – Mix design, casting process and mechanical behaviour

This paper deals with the mechanical behaviour of lime hemp composites. LHC blocks have been produced by compression in a rigid die at a relatively high compression pressure. This process allows the production of LHC with a high proportion of hemp shiv. New mechanical parameters are proposed to compare experimental results of this study with those found in published literature. This paper shows that a high compaction pressure enhances the compressive strength and can offset a reduction of binder. Consequently, a new formula is proposed to predict the strength of LHC which depends on both the binder content and the compaction state of the shiv particles. The study leads to recommendations for the mix design of such composites.