OVERVIEW
The Challenge Britain is facing a shortage of bricks for the construction industry due to rising demand for new homes. Combine this with the ever increasing financial and environmental cost of energy (approx. 85% of the energy from the production of fired bricks goes into firing) low-energy alternatives to conventional construction materials are becoming increasingly popular and indeed, imperative. According to new legislation, at least 70% of all construction waste will need to be recycled by 2025. The development of a sustainable masonry brick will assist essential waste reduction (in landfill and production materials) and advance recycling in Scotland and potentially worldwide. This exciting new building material has been born from traditional methods of earth construction, Scotland’s desire to reduce waste to landfill and Society’s imperative of reducing environmental impacts particularly in the building sector.
This Technology This unfired construction unit has excellent sustainability credentials - having 90% recycled content from construction waste, no energy input in its production in the form of gas use when compared to traditional clay-fired bricks and no cement use when compared with concrete blocks. The construction unit has a pleasant organic finish that does not require painting or surface treatment and also has the potential for a range of different colour finishes using recycled pigment. The performance characteristics of the unit and its “build-ability” make it suitable for most of the applications usually reserved for traditional brick/cement products and historically unsuitable for air-dried products.
KEY FEATURES • These unfired units have excellent sustainability credentials – no gas use for firing, or cement required • One of the largest recycled contents of any building product on the market, with over 90% recycled demolition and construction waste • Provides a market for recycled aggregates (gravel and sand) from construction and demolition sector • Low Energy vs Traditional Production Methods – Significantly lower life cycle environmental impacts when compared with traditional clay fired bricks/ cement-based products • Creates a new product from waste that would otherwise be landfilled • Sustainable construction product suitable for internal and external load-bearing and “facing” applications • Lower cost recycled materials than in traditional bricks / cement-based products as well as reduced production cost per unit
