BUILDING A BETTER ENVIRONMENT
HOW DO YOU BUILD A BETTER ENVIRONMENT?
A better environment can only be created through the promotion of sustainable development. This means specifying and using building products that are energy efficient.
WHEN IS A MASONRY PRODUCT ENERGY EFFICIENT?
There are two requirements to an energy efficient masonry product. The first is that the product should have good thermal insulation properties. Concrete masonry is naturally thermally efficient, and when used in cavity wall construction has the effect of ensuring that buildings stay warm in winter and cool in summer, thereby lessening the need for artificial climate control and wasted energy . The second requirement is that the product should have a low embodied energy.
WHAT MAKES OUR PRODUCTS ENVIRONMENT ALLY FRIENDLY?
Cape Brick promotes sustainable development through the manufacture and supply of the most energy efficient and lowest embodied energy masonry available in the market. Up to 60% of our raw material (sand/stone) aggregates are recycled. In fact we recycle in excess of 75,000 tons of reinforced concrete annually. We substitute 15% of our cement with a slag & fly ash replacement to reduce our overall cement content. All our products are fully recyclable.
WHAT IS EMBODIED ENERGY?
This is the energy consumed in the manufacture and transportation of construction materials to site. To manufacture a masonry product with a low embodied energy the raw materials should be sourced as close as possible to the manufacturing plant and should contain as much recycled material as possible, the manufacturing process should use as little energy as possible, and the manufacturing plant should be as close as possible to the site to reduce the transport energy component.
WHERE DOES RECYCLING FIT IN?
The use of recycled materials is crucial to lowering the embodied energy of masonry products.
