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Sustainable Bricks- A Carbon Negative Manufacturing Process
Bariwall® Dense Aggregate Shielding Bricks are manufactured within the UK, with raw materials sourced locally. This minimises the environmental impact and associated carbon footprint of the Bariwall® range.
The brick itself is a concrete brick, which are inherent CO2 absorbers as opposed to clay bricks which are manufactured through high energy firing of kilns.
Clay Bricks vs. Concrete Bricks
The process of firing clay to produce hard, durable bricks was first introduced by the Roman Empire. When mixed with water the clay is shaped, air-dried to maintain shape and subjected to high temperatures to fuse the clay particles together. The energy intensive firing of kilns to over 1000°C uses natural resources and increases air pollution.
As the industry is following a decarbonisation and energy efficiency roadmap, concrete bricks have grown in popularity. The concrete brick manufacturing process requires no additional energy input, instead the process utilises the natural exothermic reaction of the cement. Due to the continuous carbonation over their lifetime, concrete bricks are in fact CO2 absorbers, with a carbon footprint that is 49% of traditional bricks.
Concrete Bricks Energy Performance and Ratings
The Code for Sustainable homes, introduced in April 2007, assesses, and certifies the sustainable design and construction of new homes. Concrete bricks meet the standards required for Level 4 of the code, surpassing current building regulations requirements.
BRE ratings assesses the environmental impact of an element group. Those with A+ ratings possess the lowest overall environmental impact with E being the worst performance. Concrete bricks reach an A+ BRE rating for brickwork and the Responsible Sourcing of Materials.
