Recipient Organization
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
LOGAN,UT 84322
Performing Department
Civil & Environmental Engineer
Non Technical Summary
The current methods for hemp waste management, including incineration, composting, and landfilling, do not contribute to holistic product use or sustainability. Hemp fibers can burn at low temperatures and improve the spalling resistance and fire performance of high strength concrete. Thus, this project will utilize waste hemp fibers to biomanufacture fire-resistant, high-strength concrete.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
40%
Developmental
40%
Goals / Objectives
The goal is to biomanufacture high-strength concrete by adding waste hemp fibers, which will increase its stability at high temperatures. The objectives are: i) Identify and source hemp plants with geographically diverse genetics; ii) Process, treat, and characterize hemp fibers for incorporation in high-strength concretes; iii) Formulate hemp fiber-reinforced high-strength concrete (HFR-HSC) mix designs with optimal hemp fiber dosage; iv) Characterize material properties of HFR-HSC at ambient temperatures; v) Assess fire-induced spalling resistance and material properties of HFR-HSC at high-temperatures; vi) Quantify the overall sustainability of biomanufacturing HFR-HSC. Our work is expected to facilitate the value-added use of a discarded product leading to a reduction in the global carbon footprint.
Project Methods
By incorporating discarded hemp fibers, this project aims to biomanufacture high-strength concrete, increasing its ability to withstand high temperatures. The project will identify hemp species and collect stalks for extracting fibers from them. Utilizing the stalks, the hemp fibers will be processed, treated (degumming), and characterized for incorporation in high strength concretes. Mixture proportions for hemp fiber-reinforced high strength concrete (HFR-HSC) will be formulated which meet the concrete industry performance standards. The mixing protocol for HFR-HSC will be developed to ensure homogenous fiber dispersion in the concrete mixture without any clumping. The fresh and hardened properties of HFR-HSC mixtures will be assessed using standard, industry-accepted ASTM International methods for fiber-reinforced concretes. Particularly the fresh mix workability, mechanical, and durability properties of HFR-HSC will be assessed. This will lead to a broader understanding of hemp fiber-reinforced concretes. This project will evaluate the fire behavior by instrumenting HFR-HSC cylinder specimens with high-temperature thermocouples, followed by heating in an electric furnace. The test specimens will be heated to different target temperatures for monitoring spalling and high temperature mechanical properties. The sustainability metrics of recycling hemp stalks and adding them to concrete will be evaluated by conducting comprehensive life-cycle assessment (LCA) analyses. This project will be deemed successful upon attaining the milestones of processing hemp fibers, manufacturing high performing hemp fiber concrete mixes, capturing high temperature behavior of the new fiber-reinforced concrete mixes, and conducting sustainability metrics analyses.