Experimental investigations on the performances of composite building materials based on industrial crops and volcanic rocks

Abstract

Interdisciplinary and sustainability represent the main characteristics of this paper due to the fact that this research is offering a connection between two main areas—agronomy and construction, by using hemp shiv for the design of new building materials, which can increase the sustainability level of the building industry. For this reason, the main scope of this study is based on the investigation of a new category of composite building materials—lightweight mortars based on hemp shiv, volcanic rocks and white cement—which contribute to a positive environmental impact and help to increase indoor comfort. A complex report was carried out on two segments. The first one is focused upon the characteristics of the raw materials from the composition of the new materials, while the second segment presents a detailed analysis of these composites including morphological and chemical investigation, pyrolytic and fire behavior, compression and flexural strengths, and acoustic and thermal characteristics. The proposed recipes have as a variable volcanic rocks, while the hemp and the binder maintain their volumes and properties. The results were analyzed according to the influence of volcanic rocks on the new composites.