Standardization News

ASTM International’s cannabis committee (D37) is inviting interested parties to help develop two proposed standards for using hempcrete in construction.

Hempcrete is a biocomposite material mixture of hemp hurds and lime that is used as a material for construction and insulation.  Specifically, the proposed standards (WK70549 and WK70550) focus on testing procedures for measuring fire resistance and R-value (the capacity of an insulating material to resist heat flow) for hempcrete construction materials.

According to Tai Olson, one of the proposed standards aims to review existing ASTM International test methods for R-value and fire resistance to evaluate their appropriateness for hempcrete, while the other proposed standard will be used for establishing unbiased R-value and fire resistance properties for hempcrete insulation materials. Manufacturers, laboratories, architects, contractors, and regulatory bodies, especially permitting offices, could be the primary users of the proposed standards, Olson notes. 

For more information on ASTM International’s cannabis committee, please watch this video. 

ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. Become a member of ASTM. The next meeting of the cannabis committee is Feb. 2-4 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.