Ibstock Brick , the UK’s largest brickmaker, will be exhibiting its full range of ‘green’ solutions for the first time at Ecobuild 2012, giving visitors to the exhibition the chance to see more sustainable clay products under one roof, than ever before. Ibstock invests heavily in ensuring a more sustainable future through its manufacturing, its communities and its products – over £55 million since 2003 – and was the first UK brick manufacturer to be awarded a ‘very good’ rating for the responsible sourcing standard, BES 6001, which now applies to all of its brickworks across the UK.
David Hill, Sustainability Expert at Ibstock, commented: “Brick has long been recognised as a key sustainable building material. Thanks to unique qualities such as long life, low maintenance, re-usability and an inherent thermal mass due to its high density and heat capacity, which contributes significantly to zero carbon building, as a construction material, it is no surprise that it has proved itself to be a popular choice.
“However, brick also provides the lowest cost cladding solution and has excellent durability. As such, we have made great advances to improve these credentials as standard and reinforce brick’s position as one of the most sustainable 21st century building materials; while our core brick range is already very sustainable, we have also developed a specialist range of products which offer exceptional environmental credentials. “Ecobuild provides an ideal opportunity for us to bring these high performance sustainable solutions, direct to those that could benefit from them most.”
The company, which will be exhibiting alongside leading designer and manufacturer of high integrity steel products, Ancon, offers an unrivalled choice of almost 500 different competitively priced products, all of which are highly sustainable. Taking centre stage at Ecobuild will be Ibstock’s recently launched Elementix Eco Freedom, an innovative new clay rainscreen cladding system developed to offer an unrivalled choice in façade finishes. Made from 94% recycled material, the tiles are engineered for speed of construction, durability and low maintenance.
Available in virtually any size and seven standard colours, the tiles are tested by the CWCT standard (Centre for Windows and Cladding Technology) and have a BRE Green Guide Rating of A+. The tiles are also manufactured in the UK resulting in low delivery miles and excellent availability. In addition, Ibstock will be showcasing its popular BrickShield® which was first launched at the exhibition in 2010. BrickShield® is an insulated external wall cladding system which allows solid wall constructions to be insulated, while still maintaining the traditional brick finish characteristic of Britain’s built environment.
The system has been specifically designed for the renovation and thermal insulation of both domestic and commercial existing buildings. It combines an attractive brick slip from Ibstock with a highly durable insulation board from Rockwool to give the appearance of traditional brick, while improving the U-values to as low as 0.25 W/m²K or better and eliminating cold bridging.
Ibstock will also be exhibiting other products from its sustainable range including SUDs pavers, Ecoterre Earth bricks, Fireborn large format clay blocks and CoolVault ceiling blocks. The only clay stock paver of its kind, Ibstock’s SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) pavers are designed to be bedded on a suitable permeable aggregate substrate and the joints filled with 6-8mm gravel. This design makes them water permeable and therefore compliant with new legislations.
Manufactured in the UK, Ecoterre™ is an unfired clay brick which is fully recyclable and offers excellent sustainability credentials, including low energy input and waste. When incorporated into a building it gives thermal mass and acoustic insulation, inhibits condensation and regulates the relative humidity of the atmosphere.
