SUSTAINABILITY
RECOGNISING THE RECENT GROWTH IN DEMAND FOR CONCRETE FACING BRICKS, MICHAEL DAVIES, TECHNICAL MANAGER FROM AG DISCUSSES HOW THIS BRICK HAS TRULY COME OF AGE… Facingbrickwith up to 30% less embodied carbon
A sk any design purist what they’re looking for in a facing brick and they’ll probably tell you they want the very best in both form and function. It is vital that a facing brick delivers a stunning first impression. Colour, texture, how they’re laid and complemented by mortar are all essential elements – but high levels of consistency, colour integrity, strength and overall performance are equally important for the professional who puts their name to the scheme. Here are eight reasons why concrete facing brick fully merits serious consideration from housebuilders. 1. Sustainability: An increasingly important consideration for clients, specifiers and contractors, concrete facing brick again stands up well to scrutiny and outperforms the most common materials used. Produced using low cement and water content, no additional heat is required during curing (no energy-intensive kilns). Therefore, CO2 emissions are minimal and embodied CO2 is typically around 30% less than fired clay facings! 2. Delivery and lead times: AG facing brick can be obtained with as little as one week’s notice, with lead times on some made-to-order items being as little as four to six weeks. AG also holds a range of stock items that can be despatched even more quickly, satisfying the needs of housebuilders. 3. Durability, acoustic and thermal performance: Thanks to their composition, concrete facing bricks are highly resistant to sound transmission and boast a moderate rate of thermal conductivity. In terms of durability, concrete bricks are fully frost resistant with minimal soluble salts, making them worthy of consideration. All AG brick is manufactured to exceed standards established by BS EN 771-3:2011 and (subject to terms and conditions) boast an impressive 60-year guarantee. 4. Water absorption: Apart from compressive strength, water absorption is important in masonry. The product’s
ability to absorb water can impact colour integrity and overall performance. Concrete facing brick has typical absorption levels of 6-8% compared to many other building options, which have a much higher absorption rate. 5. Efflorescence: This can be the bane of specifier, contractor and end-user alike. Who hasn’t seen a beautiful building spoiled by the presence of efflorescence? The fact is: the higher the porosity of the material, the greater the likelihood and risk of efflorescence occurring, meaning that AG concrete bricks, thanks to vapour curing, create minimal porosity and soluble salts to achieve exceptional levels of aesthetics. 6. Colour integrity and finish consistency: Thanks to significant investment in pigment development and technology, AG has laid to rest historic concerns some may have had regarding the colour integrity of concrete bricks. Using the latest technology, AG concrete facing bricks are produced in strictly regulated factory conditions, thereby ensuring repeatable results. Many sites built several decades ago are testimony to this. 7. Dimensional accuracy: When it comes to designing and building, brick size
matters. Concrete facing brick will deliver dimensional accuracy of 1-3mm across all dimensions – much better than many of their clay counterparts. 8. Buildability: Innovative production of facing brick made with concrete is also dispelling the age-old opinion of tradesmen associating concrete brick as being heavy and hard to lay. AG’s Woodward collection, available in two finishes, is designed with a ‘frogged’ hollow depression on the top face, which reduces the weight of the brick, thus making it easier to handle. Bricklayers love them. Also, depending on weather conditions and mortar consistency, bricklayers can easily build 15-20 courses in a day using facing brick made with concrete. Apart from being aesthetically pleasing, the many benefits of concrete facing brick make them the ideal choice for housebuilders. It is no surprise then that they represent one of the fastest growing material groups in the UK brick industry, reshaping the construction landscape. If you would like to find out more about AG’s range of Facing Brick, you can log on to:www.ag.uk.com/Woodward-brick contact us on +44 (0)121 747 0202 or email: specifications@ag.uk.com
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