Problem:
Clay bricks are some of the most preferred building materials both as inner and as outer walls in Europe and have major markets shares in the construction sector in Europe and abroad. However, the long term use of these building materials face numerous threats, namely:
• Tightened regulations on buildings energy consumption levels for 2020 demand less thermal loss through the outer walls, which is usually achieved with thicker walls. However, each additional 6 cm insulation thickness “costs” around 5% of indoor space, equating 7 - 8 m2 of living space in a typical family home.
• The goal of CO2 emissions reduction, new regulations and higher taxes on energy consumption from households dictate that the energy intensity of producing clay bricks (2030 KJ/kg) must be brought down to significantly lower levels.
• The building process in traditional cavity wall masonry is labour as well as time consuming with salary costs representing more than half the price per m2 of a cavity wall using small clay brick.
Societal issue:
Construction activities consume more raw materials by weight (as much as 50%) and energy than any other industrial sector. In Europe, the volume of building materials used exceeds 2Bn tons per year. The properties and combinations of materials determine the energy demand of buildings (about 40 % of global energy consumption), thus further increasing their environmental significance . This, together with increasing demands of resource-efficiency, emphasizes the need to develop and launch new materials that improve the energy-efficiency of buildings. Still, building materials must be designed not only to satisfy energy efficiency and indoor comfort, but also to have optimal structural and aesthetical functionalities
Overall objective:
GB vision is to take the final steps of commercial and technical development and product maturation towards the commercialization of CleanTechBlock (CTB) solution – a patented multifunctional sandwich-block solution based on the combination of two clay brick shells and foamed recycled glass. The advantages of CTB over bricks are compelling as the insulation, strength properties and construction price are similar to alternative solutions and it offers an overall increase in the inside living space (5%) and a potential reduction in the overall house wall construction time (5x faster), while reducing maintenance requirements and transportation costs.
This innovation project will result in the construction of two different buildings, each demonstrating and documenting the above two benefits in operation: a 165 m2 private home, where the 5% extra living space is of one of the benefits of high importance ii) a 1600 m2 sports hall, where the 10 times faster construction time will one of be the focus areas for demonstration and documentation
