'Green' bricks a good, competitive alternative 

‘Green’ bricks produced from broken tiles and old mortar look good, reduce consumption of raw materials such as clay, cut CO2 emissions and offer a viable alternative to traditional bricks.

These are just some of the results of a demonstration project entitled ”Programme for the promotion of organic building”, where for the first time ‘green’ bricks have been tested as part of a larger project to build 26 family council houses in the town of Herning.

Competing with regular bricks

Results from the project showed that CO2 emissions were reduced by 115 tons compared to building with traditional bricks and that in general residents are satisfied with the indoor climate. The experience gained from this project has since been applied to a number of other projects.

”Crushed broken tiles and old mortar produce an attractive building brick with a greyish nuance that over time patinates,” explains architect Kristian Sandgaard from the firm of architects Kristian H. Nielsen IS, one of the partners in the project.

“Economically the project has shown that ‘green’ bricks can compete with regular bricks, although at present there is no direct financial gain to be made from using them. Those likely to invest in ‘green’ bricks are people who already have an interest in ecological initiatives.”

More experience needed

COWI has followed the construction project from the planning stage to construction and for a further year after construction was completed in 2004. The objective was to promote sustainable development in the Danish construction sector.

The project has culminated in recommendations as to the best type of mortar to use, how to avoid crack formation and patination. COWI has also prepared a lifecycle analysis that evaluates the expected lifetime of ‘green’ bricks, environmental impact, indoor climate and health factors.

"The project is a success insofar as we have carried out a full-scale construction project with a product that no one else had any experience with. The result stands as a good example of innovative thinking combined with Danish brick-building tradition. The final result is a good, satisfying one for both residents and owners,” says COWI Project Manager Niels Møller Jensen.

By Christina Tækker, cht@cowi.dk
Posted 04.05.2005