HempCrete and Ferrock are presented as eco-friendly alternatives to concrete. HempCrete is a concrete-like building material created from hemp fibers bound with lime, and it has advantages like being lightweight and absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Ferrock is a new material still being researched that uses recycled materials like steel dust and broken glass to create an even stronger building material that absorbs CO2, making it carbon negative. The document discusses the history of construction materials and presents HempCrete and Ferrock as emerging carbon-negative materials that could replace or reduce concrete usage due to concrete's environmental impacts.

1. HempCrete & FerrockCO2 sponge that’s greener than Concrete !!!
HempCrete Ferrock

2. History of construction materials
• Reactions between limestone and oil shale - natural
cement12,000,000 BC
• Egyptians used mud mixed with straw
3000 BC
• Romans used slaked lime a volcanic ash called
pozzolana300 BC
• Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest
unreinforced concrete dome150 AD
• John Smeaton, rediscovered hydraulic cement
through repeated testing of mortar in both fresh and
salt water.
1756

3. History of construction materials
• Portland cement used in construction
1859-1867
• Francois Coignet, a builder in France, responsible for
the first widespread use of concrete in buildings.1850-1880
• Ingalls Building, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, was the first
concrete skyscraper.1904
• Fiber reinforcement in concrete was introduced.
1950s
• Petronas Twin Towers, 1476 ft. (90+ floors)
1996
• The urban city, as we know it, has become a concrete
jungle.Today

4. • Concrete is made up of three basic components: water, aggregate (sand, and gravel) and
Portland cement.
• Cement, usually in powder form, acts as a binding agent when mixed with water and
aggregates.
• This combination, or concrete mix, will be poured and will harden into the durable
material with which we are all familiar.
• Of late, usage of concrete has become hugely abundant. The world is turning into a
concrete jungle with each passing day.
• It has been lately found that concrete, although very reliable, has demerits when it
comes to it being created from generally unsustainable raw materials, efflorescence of
salts and environmental aspects of CO2 emissions (900 g of CO2 is released for every
1000g of cement production).
• Due to this, efforts are being made to find alternatives to the conventional concrete
which, in addition to strength is also environmentally sustainable.
What is Concrete ?

5. Eco-friendly alternatives
to Cement
 Rammed Earth
 What’s more natural than the dirt under your feet? In fact,
walls that have a similar feel to concrete can actually be
created with nothing more than dirt tamped down very tightly
in wooden forms.
 HempCrete
 HempCrete is just what it sounds like – a concrete like
material created from the woody inner fibers of the hemp
plant.
 The hemp fibers are bound with lime to create concrete-like
shapes that are strong and light.
 HempCrete blocks are super-lightweight, which can also
dramatically reduce the energy used to transport the blocks,
and hemp itself is a fast-growing, renewable resource.

6. Eco-friendly alternatives to Cement
AshCrete
AshCrete is a concrete
alternative that uses fly
ash instead of traditional
cement.
By using fly ash, a by-product
of burning coal, 97% of
traditional components in
concrete can be replaced with
recycled material.
Mycelium
Mycelium is a crazy futuristic
building material that’s totally
natural.
It comprises the root structure
of fungi and mushrooms.
Mycelium can be encouraged
to grow in molds or forms,
then air-dried to create
lightweight and strong bricks
or other shapes.
Ferrock
Ferrock is a new material
being researched that uses
recycled materials including
steel dust and broken glass to
create a concrete-like building
material that is even stronger
than concrete.
This unique material actually
absorbs and traps CO2 making
it actually carbon neutral.

7. Emergence of Carbon Negative Construction Materials
The search to find
sustainable and carbon
neutral alternatives to
current construction systems
is causing many new
materials to emerge, which
are aiming to improve upon
current environmental
conditions.
It is aiming to replace or
reduce the use of
concrete with a carbon
negative and better
performing material,
comprised mostly from
recycled materials.
'Carbon negative’ is
when the greenhouse gas
pollution the country
produces is not only
offset by its extensive
forests, but also in
the negative due to the
generation and export of
renewable energy.
Among the materials we
looked at earlier, those
that come into picture
here are Hempcrete
and Ferrock.

8. HempCrete (1950s)
 HempCrete is bio-composite material, a mixture
of hemphurds and lime (natural hydraulic
lime, sand, pozzolans) used as a material for
construction and insulation.
 Hempcrete is easier to work with than traditional
lime mixes and acts as an insulator and moisture
regulator.
 Further it lacks the brittleness of concrete and
consequently does not need expansion joints.
 The result is a lightweight insulating material ideal
for most climates as it combines insulation and
thermal mass.
 Like other plant products, hemp absorbs CO2 from
the atmosphere as it grows, retaining
the carbon and releasing the oxygen.
 Theoretically, 165 kg of CO2 can be absorbed and
locked up by 1 m3 of hempcrete wall during
manufacture.

9. The 4 steps of
HempCrete
block
production
 The mixture
 The raw materials (hemp, lime and water) are precisely
dosed and mixed together.
 Moulding
 The hemp concrete is then moulded in a block in a special
press that creates blocks between 6 and 30 centimetres
wide.
 Curing
 Once the blocks are out of their mould, they go on an
automatic conveyor belt to a temporary storage area where
the blocks harden, so they can be handled.
 This natural open-air drying process requires no additional
heat. So there is no energy input necessary.
 Palletisation
 Once the blocks are able to be handled, they are again
conveyed towards a robotic arm which loads them on pallets.
The pallets are then ready for an open-air drying period that
takes between 6 and 10 weeks depending on the width of the
blocks produced.
 Once this period is over, the pallet is ready to be shipped on
site and to be part of your personal achievements.

10. Functionality of Hempcrete
 Hemp itself is a beneficial crop requiring no fertilizer, weed killer,
pesticide or fungicide.
 It grows so thickly that weeds cannot grow.
 Farmers grow it in rotation with other crops such as barley or rye.
 The crop following the hemp requires no weed killer because the
hemp has driven weeds out.
 The hemp seed is harvested as a nutritious food supplement rich
in Omega-3 oil, amino acids, protein and fiber. It is considered a
“super food”.
 The outer fibers are used for cloth usually as a blend with 45%
cotton.
 The woody inner core is chopped to uniform size for our use.

11. 5 major advantages of the Hemp block
1. Thermal Regulation
The hemp block naturally regulates the
temperature of the building thanks to its
excellent ability to diffuse the accumulated
heat.
• cold in winter by keeping the heat in the
house longer
• hot in summer by avoiding overheating of
the habitat
As a real thermal buffer, it maintains a
constant indoor temperature and
significantly reduces the impact of heat
variations between day and night.
2. Humidity Regulation
Thanks to its high permeability to water
vapour, the hemp block acts as a water
buffer and offers a constant and healthy
indoor climate for the occupants. The
relative humidity level is thus stabilised
(from 50% to 55%).
Humidity regulation in commercial projects
where humidity variations are high: archive
rooms, museums, sports halls, swimming
pools...

12. 5 major advantages of the Hemp block
3. Acoustic Insulation
Hemp blocks used for your walls
external and ambient noise will
be significantly reduced.
In terms of sound insulation, the
hemp block acts as a real sound
trap and helps to dampen the
majority of sound waves,
protecting you from noise
pollution.
4. Protection and fire
resistance
Hemp block complies with
current standards and provides a
simple and effective solution to
your site problems.
With an excellent reaction to
fire, it offers up to more than 2
hours of fire resistance depending
on the finish and thickness of the
block used.
5. A 100% natural
solution
It is manufactured according to a
very low energy-consuming
process, using 100% natural
materials (limestone and hemp)
that are sourced locally.
A very positive carbon footprint,
since a pallet of Hemp blocks
stores 100kg of CO2.

13. Demerits of HempCrete
It’s not loadbearing — a
frame is required to carry
the loads.
Forms are needed, which
must be raised as you build.
It’s illegal to grow hemp in
many places, so you’d
typically have to ship
materials from far away,
thereby adding to the cost
and environmental
footprint.
Not enough research has
taken place on hemp
concrete yet. Lack of
complete understanding of
material science.
Mechanical properties are
not in the desired range -
low compressive strength,
flexural strength, etc.
Manufacturing processes are
not standardised, thereby
leading to an unstandardised
product - safe only for non-
structural purposes.
Lime based construction is
tricky and requires a
different skill-set.
Early age mechanical
durability issues are
rampant.
Because hempcrete walls
are thicker, we risk losing
carpet area.
Commercially available
binders are rather
expensive. Offsets the cost
savings (if any) from using
hemp.

14. Where is HempCrete used ?
 Hemp is legally grown in UK, France and a few other parts of Europe.
 As hemp resembles marijuana (a cannabis drug), its cultivation is forbidden in the
United States.
 It may be growing wildly or unintentionally in other parts of the world.
 As the research into its properties and strength are still in process in India, we do
not yet have the technology, validation and the ecosystem required for it to come
into market.
This lack of knowledge, resource and availability makes Hemp relatively less used in the
construction industry, at the moment.

15. Ferrock (2000s)
What’s the best of all?
Ferrock’s hardness comes from the fact that as it dries, the material absorbs and irreversibly binds large amounts of
atmospheric CO2.
It can take more compression before breaking, and several times more flexing and bending force; that
means it could be resistant to the shocks of small earthquakes or industrial processes, and perhaps even
more resilient to weather.
In reality, Ferrock is actually quite a bit stronger, almost 5 times more than Portland cement, by far the
leading type in use today.
Ferrock is the brainchild of a PhD student David Stone, who set out to create a viable alternative to
cement, one that could be mixed and poured to make a substance with all the strength and versatility
of concrete.

16. How is it made ?
➢ As the name implies, the basic
building blocks of Ferrock come from
iron discards in the form of waste
steel dust.
➢ A common byproduct of numerous
industrial processes, the iron in waste
steel dust reacts with carbon dioxide
(CO2) to form iron carbonate.
➢ The iron carbonate becomes part of
the material's mineral matrix, adding
to its overall strength.

17. 1. Although the structural applications for both concrete and ferrock are very similar, the
manufacturing and chemical processes involved are vastly different.
2. Ferrock also uses clay and limestone as part of its composition, but the ratio of clay and
limestone used is much smaller compared to OPC, 8% and 10% respectively.
3. The majority of the mixture, totaling 80% - 90%, is composed of low-value waste products.
4. The main ingredient is metallic iron powder, which is a byproduct of shot blasting, a
finishing technique for steel manufacturing.
• During the shot blasting process the iron powder is ground to a micro-particle scale
(~19.03μm), which becomes a considerable nuisance to the blasting facility because of
its ineffectual applicability and the inherent respiratory hazard associated with
working with such a fine material.
5. These ingredients are combined as a dry-mix with a source of silica, such as fly ash or
recycled glass. Oxalic acid is also added to facilitate the chemical process and then
blended to create a uniform mixture.
Manufacture of Ferrock

19. What makes Ferrock so special ?
➢ Ferrock is a carbon-neutral material that could be used in the same manner as cement.
➢ Ferrock is 5 times stronger than concrete, can withstand a lot more compression and flexure
before breaking, also it resists the earth movements by seismic activities.
➢ Ferrock's greatest strength lies with its eco-friendly properties. Although Ferrock releases
CO2 during production, it also absorbs large amounts of CO2 as it hardens.
➢This makes Ferrock an effective carbon sink that permanently locks in those potentially harmful
greenhouse gases. This unique trait may prove appealing to those who wish to lower their carbon
footprint through the use of ecologically sustainable materials.
➢ In addition to being eco-friendly, it also possesses incredible durability thanks to a unique
property. When it hardens, it does so in a way that mimics solid rock. This allows Ferrock to
resist certain forces differently from concrete, giving it excellent overall durability and
stability.
➢ One of the unique properties of Ferrock is that it becomes even stronger in salt water
environments, making it ideal for marine-based construction projects.

21. Challenges about Ferrock
As a relatively new material that hasn't seen much use in the industrial arena, Ferrock's overall capabilities remain
largely unproven.
It's also unknown how Ferrock behaves under a wide range of building conditions or whether traditional concrete
techniques can be used on the new material. On the other hand, concrete is a tried-and-tested commodity for the vast
majority of builders and developers.
Cost is also another factor that puts concrete ahead in most construction projects. Given Ferrock's unique production
process, it's likely that its overall cost will be significantly more than that of Portland cement. There's also concern that
steel producers may catch on to waste steel dust's newfound uses and charge for it accordingly.
The economics of Ferrock must not only account for this potential development, but also for other changes in
production and marketing methods.

22. Will Ferrock
Replace
Concrete
Anytime
Soon?
The chances of Ferrock completely replacing concrete are pretty slim.
After all, concrete has a lot going for itself – not only is it relatively cheap
to purchase, but it's also easy to produce and it can be used to build a
wide variety of structures.
Concrete can also prove effective when it comes to neutralizing CO2
emissions. For instance, magnesium silicate-based cement can also absorb
large amounts of CO2 as it hardens. The abundance of magnesium silicates
also makes it a lower-cost alternative to Ferrock.
Concrete’s sheer versatility is what makes it attractive in so many ways.
But one shouldn't discount the usefulness of Ferrock as an eco-conscious
alternative. When used in conjunction with other eco-friendly materials
and building strategies, it becomes possible for entire countries to lower
their overall greenhouse gas output and create more sustainable
environmental conditions for future generations to enjoy.

23. Future of
HempCrete
&
Ferrock

24. Thank You.