Life assessment of hemp concrete wall manufactured by spraying

International audienceEnvironmentally friendly materials like hemp concrete are more and more frequently encountered in building construction. This study performs a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a sprayed hemp concrete wall. It identifies the main impacts of the hemp concrete wall and allows comparisons with other insulation ways or building products. The study defines first the functional unit such as the wall may ensure the function of bearing wall per square meter and its thermal performance is described by a thermal resistance of 2.78 m².K/W. After that, the scenarios for production, transport, lifetime and end of life considered in the study are explained. Then, environmental impacts are calculated. The results show that the production phase is mainly responsible of the environmental impact of the wall, mainly due to the binder production. The transport is the following factor that plays a role on environmental impacts. The hemp concrete appears as an efficient solution because of its high capacity for carbon storage that could reduce climate change if the end of life is well controlled