Acoustic Absorption of Hemp Walls with Ground Granulated Blast Slag
Unwanted sound reflection can create acoustic discomfort and lead to problems of speech comprehensibility. Contemporary building techniques enable highly finished internal walls resulting in sound reflective surfaces. In contrast, sustainable construction materials using natural and vegetal materials, are often more porous and absorptive. Hemp shiv is used as an aggregate and when mixed with lime binder creates a low-embodied-energy concrete. Cement replacements such as ground granulated blast slag (GGBS), a byproduct of other industrial processes, are viewed as more sustainable alternatives to high-embodied-energy cement. Hemp concretes exhibit good hygrothermal performance. This has focused much research attention on them as natural and sustainable low-energy alternatives to standard concretes. A less explored benefit is the acoustic absorption capability of hemp-based concretes. This work investigates hemp-lime-GGBS concrete specifically, and shows that it exhibits high levels of sound absorption.
F. Collet and S. Pretot, “Thermal conductivity of hemp concretes: Variation with formulation, density and water content,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 65, pp. 612–619, Aug. 2014.
[2] A. Shea, M. Lawrence, and P. Walker, “Hygrothermal performance of an experimental hemp–lime building,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 36, pp. 270–275, Nov. 2012.
[3] R. Walker and S. Pavía, “Moisture transfer and thermal properties of hemp–lime concretes,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 64, pp. 270–276, Aug. 2014.
[4] M.-P. Boutin, C. Flamin, S. Quinton, G. Gosse, and L. Inra, “Étude des caracteristiques environnementales du chanvre par l’analyse de son cycle de vie (Study of environmental characteristics of hemp by means of an analysis of its lifecycle).,” Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche (Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery), 2005.
[5] R. Walker and S. Pavia, “Behaviour and Properties of Lime-Pozzolan Pastes,” 2010.
[6] R. Walker and S. Pavía, “Physical properties and reactivity of pozzolans, and their influence on the properties of lime–pozzolan pastes,” Mater. Struct., vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 1139–1150, Nov. 2010.
[7] World Health Organisation, Burden of disease from environmental noise. Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. 2011.
[8] T. Grey, O. Kinnane, and M. Dyer, “Perceptions of thermal environments in dementia friendly dwellings. (Accepted for publication),” presented at the Windsor Conference, Windsor, UK, 2016.
[9] O. Kinnane, M. Dyer, and T. Grey, “Energy and environmental forensic analysis of public buildings.,” Eng. Sustain. Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng., vol. 167, no. 4, 2014.
[10] A. Leaman and B. Bordass, “Assessing building performance in use 4: the Probe occupant surveys and their implications,” Build. Res. Inf., vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 129–143, Mar. 2001.
[11] Department for Education, “Acoustic design of schools: performance standards 2014.” (Online). Available: http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=384. (Accessed: 16-Nov-2014).
[12] DIN 18041:2004-05, Acoustical quality in small to medium-sized rooms. Beuth, 2004.
[13] O. Umnova, K. Attenborough, E. Standley, and A. Cummings, “Behavior of rigid-porous layers at high levels of continuous acoustic excitation: theory and experiment,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol. 114, no. 3, pp. 1346–1356, Sep. 2003.
[14] A. Laukaitis and B. Fiks, “Acoustical properties of aerated autoclaved concrete,” Appl. Acoust., vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 284–296, Mar. 2006.
[15] S. B. Park, D. S. Seo, and J. Lee, “Studies on the sound absorption characteristics of porous concrete based on the content of recycled aggregate and target void ratio,” Cem. Concr. Res., vol. 35, no. 9, pp. 1846–1854, Sep. 2005.
[16] P. Glé, E. Gourdon, and L. Arnaud, “Acoustical properties of materials made of vegetable particles with several scales of porosity,” Appl. Acoust., vol. 72, no. 5, pp. 249–259, Apr. 2011.
[17] L. Arnaud and E. Gourlay, “Experimental study of parameters influencing mechanical properties of hemp concretes,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 50–56, Mar. 2012.
[18] P. Glé, E. Gourdon, L. Arnaud, K.-V. Horoshenkov, and A. Khan, “The effect of particle shape and size distribution on the acoustical properties of mixtures of hemp particles,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol. 134, no. 6, pp. 4698–4709, Dec. 2013.
[19] R. Walker and S. Pavia, “Impact of water retainers in the strength, drying and setting of lime hemp concrete,” in Bridge and Concrete Research in Ireland, Dublin, 2012.
[20] R. Walker, A Study of the Properties of Lime-Hemp Concrete with Pozzolans’. Dublin, Ireland, 2013.
[21] ISO 10534-2:1998 - Acoustics -- Determination of sound absorption coefficient and impedance in impedance tubes -- Part 2: Transfer-function method. 1998.
[22] R. Oldfield and F. Bechwati, “Accurate low frequency impedance tube measurements,” in Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 2008, vol. 30 (4).
[23] R. Walker, S. Pavia, and R. Mitchell, “Mechanical properties and durability of hemp-lime concretes,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 61, pp. 340–348, Jun. 2014.
[24] J. Grimes, O. Kinnane, R. Walker, and S. Pavia, “In situ measurement of the sound absorption characteristics of existing building fabrics,” in Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, Manchester, UK, 2013, vol. 35(2).
F. Collet and S. Pretot, “Thermal conductivity of hemp concretes: Variation with formulation, density and water content,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 65, pp. 612–619, Aug. 2014.
[2] A. Shea, M. Lawrence, and P. Walker, “Hygrothermal performance of an experimental hemp–lime building,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 36, pp. 270–275, Nov. 2012.
[3] R. Walker and S. Pavía, “Moisture transfer and thermal properties of hemp–lime concretes,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 64, pp. 270–276, Aug. 2014.
[4] M.-P. Boutin, C. Flamin, S. Quinton, G. Gosse, and L. Inra, “Étude des caracteristiques environnementales du chanvre par l’analyse de son cycle de vie (Study of environmental characteristics of hemp by means of an analysis of its lifecycle).,” Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche (Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery), 2005.
[5] R. Walker and S. Pavia, “Behaviour and Properties of Lime-Pozzolan Pastes,” 2010.
[6] R. Walker and S. Pavía, “Physical properties and reactivity of pozzolans, and their influence on the properties of lime–pozzolan pastes,” Mater. Struct., vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 1139–1150, Nov. 2010.
[7] World Health Organisation, Burden of disease from environmental noise. Quantification of healthy life years lost in Europe. 2011.
[8] T. Grey, O. Kinnane, and M. Dyer, “Perceptions of thermal environments in dementia friendly dwellings. (Accepted for publication),” presented at the Windsor Conference, Windsor, UK, 2016.
[9] O. Kinnane, M. Dyer, and T. Grey, “Energy and environmental forensic analysis of public buildings.,” Eng. Sustain. Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng., vol. 167, no. 4, 2014.
[10] A. Leaman and B. Bordass, “Assessing building performance in use 4: the Probe occupant surveys and their implications,” Build. Res. Inf., vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 129–143, Mar. 2001.
[11] Department for Education, “Acoustic design of schools: performance standards 2014.” (Online). Available: http://www.bre.co.uk/page.jsp?id=384. (Accessed: 16-Nov-2014).
[12] DIN 18041:2004-05, Acoustical quality in small to medium-sized rooms. Beuth, 2004.
[13] O. Umnova, K. Attenborough, E. Standley, and A. Cummings, “Behavior of rigid-porous layers at high levels of continuous acoustic excitation: theory and experiment,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol. 114, no. 3, pp. 1346–1356, Sep. 2003.
[14] A. Laukaitis and B. Fiks, “Acoustical properties of aerated autoclaved concrete,” Appl. Acoust., vol. 67, no. 3, pp. 284–296, Mar. 2006.
[15] S. B. Park, D. S. Seo, and J. Lee, “Studies on the sound absorption characteristics of porous concrete based on the content of recycled aggregate and target void ratio,” Cem. Concr. Res., vol. 35, no. 9, pp. 1846–1854, Sep. 2005.
[16] P. Glé, E. Gourdon, and L. Arnaud, “Acoustical properties of materials made of vegetable particles with several scales of porosity,” Appl. Acoust., vol. 72, no. 5, pp. 249–259, Apr. 2011.
[17] L. Arnaud and E. Gourlay, “Experimental study of parameters influencing mechanical properties of hemp concretes,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 50–56, Mar. 2012.
[18] P. Glé, E. Gourdon, L. Arnaud, K.-V. Horoshenkov, and A. Khan, “The effect of particle shape and size distribution on the acoustical properties of mixtures of hemp particles,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., vol. 134, no. 6, pp. 4698–4709, Dec. 2013.
[19] R. Walker and S. Pavia, “Impact of water retainers in the strength, drying and setting of lime hemp concrete,” in Bridge and Concrete Research in Ireland, Dublin, 2012.
[20] R. Walker, A Study of the Properties of Lime-Hemp Concrete with Pozzolans’. Dublin, Ireland, 2013.
[21] ISO 10534-2:1998 - Acoustics -- Determination of sound absorption coefficient and impedance in impedance tubes -- Part 2: Transfer-function method. 1998.
[22] R. Oldfield and F. Bechwati, “Accurate low frequency impedance tube measurements,” in Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, 2008, vol. 30 (4).
[23] R. Walker, S. Pavia, and R. Mitchell, “Mechanical properties and durability of hemp-lime concretes,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 61, pp. 340–348, Jun. 2014.
[24] J. Grimes, O. Kinnane, R. Walker, and S. Pavia, “In situ measurement of the sound absorption characteristics of existing building fabrics,” in Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics, Manchester, UK, 2013, vol. 35(2).
@article{"International Journal of Architectural, Civil and Construction Sciences:73870", author = "Oliver Kinnane and Aidan Reilly and John Grimes and Sara Pavia and Rosanne Walker", title = "Acoustic Absorption of Hemp Walls with Ground Granulated Blast Slag", abstract = "Unwanted sound reflection can create acoustic discomfort and lead to problems of speech comprehensibility. Contemporary building techniques enable highly finished internal walls resulting in sound reflective surfaces. In contrast, sustainable construction materials using natural and vegetal materials, are often more porous and absorptive. Hemp shiv is used as an aggregate and when mixed with lime binder creates a low-embodied-energy concrete. Cement replacements such as ground granulated blast slag (GGBS), a byproduct of other industrial processes, are viewed as more sustainable alternatives to high-embodied-energy cement. Hemp concretes exhibit good hygrothermal performance. This has focused much research attention on them as natural and sustainable low-energy alternatives to standard concretes. A less explored benefit is the acoustic absorption capability of hemp-based concretes. This work investigates hemp-lime-GGBS concrete specifically, and shows that it exhibits high levels of sound absorption.", keywords = "Hemp, hempcrete, acoustic absorption, GGBS.", volume = "10", number = "9", pages = "1188-4", }
