Tradical® Hemcrete®, the thermal hemp-lime walling available from Lime Technology, has been awarded LABC System Approval. This means that it is now possible to receive Local Authority building control approval for the walls of building projects using Tradical® Hemcrete® in all 376 local authority areas in the UK.
LABC System Approval Certificate download here
Phil Harrison, Business Development Director for LABC, commented “LABC are always supportive of effective, sustainable non-traditional building systems and are pleased to grant System Approval to give a simplified route through the local authority building regulation approval”.
This is a significant opportunity for house builders and developers to use a pre-approved building material with a unique ability to achieve better than zero carbon buildings and help meet government sustainability targets. The automatic recognition reduces the time and resources required to achieve building regulations approval and will support the introduction of Tradical® Hemcrete® into the mainstream building market.
LABC System Approval is a certification scheme for building systems where standard components and construction details are used in a variety of different buildings. LABC’s mission is to ensure that buildings are healthy, safe, sustainable and accessible for all users and tenants whether domestic, commercial or public service. The approval has been specified for walls comprising of a timber frame and Tradical® Hemcrete® applied through spraying or cast in shuttering.
Ian Pritchett, Managing Director of Lime Technology, UK manufacturers & distributors, commented “The joined up thinking of the LABC System Approval is a significant step forward for achieving building regulations approval with innovative products. Our local building control officer at White Horse Vale District Council has been highly co-operative and we are indebted to them for their support.”
Developed byLhoist, Tradical® Hemcrete® is a blend of specially prepared chopped hemp and a designed lime based binder. Industrial hemp is a renewable resource grown as a non-food crop in the UK. When growing, hemp transforms carbon dioxide and captures the carbon as plant cellulose, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. The captured carbon is locked into the fabric of the building when the hemp (Tradical®HF) is combined with the binder (Tradical® HB), making the building carbon negative at construction.
Combined with exceptional thermal performance in use, Tradical® Hemcrete® can achieve better than zero carbon buildings. |
