PURA Plans 'To Disrupt' $200 Billion Steel Rebar Market With Hemp Alternative

Puration, Inc. PURA, a cannabis cultivation technology company, announced it "plans to disrupt the $200 billion steel rebar market with a hemp alternative".

Rebar is used to construct the skeletal framework in buildings as it provides the tensile strength that concrete lacks. 

"Steel production has a damaging carbon footprint and the potential corrosion of steel rebar can lead to building collapses," said Brian Shibley, CEO of PURA in a press release.  

"A superior hemp-based alternative can be produced with a carbon-neutral impact,” added the CEO. 

PURA is on track to solidify its first partnership in the $1.2 billion Asia Pacific hemp region in order to tap into richer resources that can accelerate the expansion of industrial hemp solutions.

Last year, PURA introduced its Farmersville Hemp Brand strategy to usher industrial hemp solutions into the market.

“PURA is working to introduce hemp as a multi-industry disruptor that can be a base of a better product or service contributing notably to the 2050 sustainability objectives. The Asia Pacific partnership is part of the company's plan to disrupt the lumber and steel rebar markets,” added the company in the press release. 

New York Researchers Say Hemp-Based Rebar Could Replace Steel in Construction

Meanwhile, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a private research university in Troy, New York, announced in January that they developed hemp‐based rebar reinforcing technology for cement construction.

The research team said preliminary studies of the material have shown strength characteristics comparable to steel, and the potential for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Hempcrete: Another Hemp-Based Construction Material  

Hemp rebar is not the only product that could revolutionize the construction industry. Hempcrete is also a hemp-derived alternative that could replace traditional concrete. The material resists mold, fire, and pests, and is extremely durable. 

In January, Hempcrete was submitted as an appendix in the International Residential Codes (IRC) by the US Hemp Building Foundation. Experts with the International Code Council are set to evaluate the paperwork, to be submitted in March 2022 and again in September 2022. Once accepted, hempcrete will be an approved natural building material in the United States.  

Certification of hempcrete can help construction companies gain more familiarity with the material, which is new to many since hemp was legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill.

Photo by Remedy Pics on Unsplash.