“There are some natural fibers that have a similar strength to steel for the same weight,” Alexandros Tsamis, a professor of architecture at RPI, tells Fast Company. “Instead of extracting it from the earth, you grow it.”
Steel reinforcing bar is critical to the structural integrity of building towers, but is susceptive to moisture. Extensive corrosion of steel reinforced bar played a role in the catastrophic collapse of a 12-story condominium in Surfside, Florida in June of last year. Switching to hemp-based materials would eliminate corrosion risk, extending the life of concrete in buildings and bridges by decades.
“By switching the material used in one object from steel to a composite of fibers, you can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the building industry, because you extend the lifetime of structures,” adds Tsamis.
The team says hemp rebar is still years away, but they are already discussing its potential with large constructions companies. “It will demand a high volume of production, so we think it’s going to force some of the supply chain things to fall into place,” Tsamis adds.