Congratulations to BCIT Civil Engineering faculty member Dr. Sudip Talukdar, BCIT alumni Spencer Behn, and Kumayl Rashid for their research work and manuscript publication on alternative uses for hemp waste.
With funding from NSERC, this research paper was published in collaboration with Dr. Cristina Zanotti and Dr. Farhad Pargar from UBC, and Dr. Krupal Pal from sponsoring company Nextleaf. The paper focused on an environmentally friendly alternate ─ the use of hemp waste as biofuel and cement replacement. After incinerating hemp waste, the waste was then added to concrete mixes and tested for factors such as strength, workability, and water absorption. The findings showed that hemp ash had the potential to be added to concrete as a filler, which would reduce environmental impact and costs by replacing 5% of cement. The full manuscript is available online.
As a result of the team’s research findings, Nextleaf Solutions has filed a patent for this process. Their research has also been accepted into a peer-reviewed journal published by Springer Journals Editorial Office.
This is a great step forward in finding sustainable alternatives in materials that would otherwise have been discarded or overlooked.
BCIT continues to support its researchers and offers applied education in a format appropriate to the unfolding global situation. Learn more about the BCIT Civil Engineering program, including its upcoming intake in 2020.
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(Caption for top image: BCIT alumnus Kumayl Rashid prepares concrete cylinders for research in February 2019. Hemp waste was tested as biofuel and cement replacement.)