UNFIRED Clay Bricks

AI Quick Summary

Bricks manufacturing has a very high environmental impact due the firing process and depends on natural gas importation. This Industry needs to make a radical change in production technology to lower its energy consumption. The idea is to develop a product with improved shape and raw materials composition in order to avoid the firing process while maintaining sufficient strength for building. 1. Introducing the problem to solveBricks manufacturing has a very high environmental impact due the firing process and depends on natural gas importation. This Industry needs to make a radical change in production technology to lower its energy consumption. The idea is to develop a product with improved shape and raw materials composition to avoid the firing process while maintaining sufficient strength for building.2. The TeamTerrabloc is a young company specialized in raw-earth construction products. The two co-founding partners are Laurent de Wurstemberger (Architect AAM SIA SWB FAS) and Rodrigo Fernandez (Doctor - Materials Engineer EPFL SIA). They are both guest lecturers at the HEIA (Haute école de ingénierie et d'architecture) in Fribourg. They also collaborate actively with the LEMS (laboratory for materials and structures testing) at the HEPIA (University of landscape, engineering and architecture) in Geneva. Laurent de Wurstemberger is an architect. He graduated in 2002 from the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio, Ticino. In 2006, he co-founded "ar-ter, atelier d'architecture-territoire", which has built numerous buildings and public spaces in Geneva. Since 2018, he has been working as a freelance architect, as LDW architects, with several collaborators. In 2011, he launched the Terrabloc project with his engineer colleague Rodrigo Fernandez. Since 2011, he has promoted earth construction within his large network of architects. He is responsible for the communication and marketing of the company and actively participates in its development.Rodrigo Fernandez graduated as a materials engineer from EPFL in 2003. During his PhD at the Building Materials Laboratory, he explored the potential of calcined clays as a substitute for cement. Between 2011 and 2015 he worked for the local clay industry. In 2011, he launched the Terrabloc project with his architect colleague Laurent de Wurstemberger. Within Terrabloc SA, he is the operational director and responsible for research and development. Grégoire Aguettant graduated as a civil engineer from EPFL in 2018. Between 2018 and 2022, he is a research and development engineer on cast earth concrete and other bio/geo-sourced material products in the Ecozimut design office in Toulouse. He joins Terrabloc in 2022 to reinforce the team for the research of new raw earth products in contemporary construction.The company has two partnership agreements with factories in the canton of Vaud and Lucerne (Cornaz SA and Sebastian Müller SA) which allows it to manufacture its ecological products on an industrial scale throughout Switzerland. These factories are prefabrication concrete plants, and the technology developed with the machines of their partners is the Compressed Earth Block (CEB). These products tend to be stabilized with 4 to 5% of cement. 3. Positive impact of the ideaTerrabloc has recently identified an industrial partner with an extrusion production line willing to collaborate in the innovative idea of developing raw-earth construction products through extrusion, without the use of cement and without firing. These new products would be called Extruded Earth Blocks (EEB). They could lower even more the environmental impact of earth based-products compared to compressed earth blocks (CEB).The great strength of this project lies in:- using local and widely available natural resources- getting rid of natural gas (used to fire the extruded bricks)- the very fast developing potential between the tests and the marketing of the products (short time to market)- The manufacturing costs of the extrusion line without the firing process are low and will allow reducing of selling pricesand boosting of the volume of products on the market to replace conventionaland energy consuming products.-Terrabloc’s network and technical knowledge to implement raw clay products in the construction sector will help a rapidadoption of these new technologies by end users- Avoiding firing = reduction in non renewable energy of 84% kWh/kg of product = reduction inCO2 emissions of 91% kgCO2/kg of product (see graph attached)4. Where are we so far ?The Extruded Earth Block Technology, without firing, has already been experienced in some neighboring countries, like Germany. We can therefore get inspired by the developments already performed. However, each region has its raw material characteristics and building culture. The local raw materials as well as the ideal formats for gaining acceptance in the swiss market have to be experimented.The Production of Prototypes in partnership with the industry AND The laboratory testing stage are essential before introducing these innovative products in the market. Terrabloc has had the chance to obtain some initial funding (CHF 15’000.-) from the Geneva’s Industrial Promotion Office (OPI) for finding the industrial partner, discussing on a potential collaboration and perfoming some basic laboratory testing on some of their unfired existing products, without any raw materials nor shape modification.5. Planned work thanks to CBI Booster:The objective of this project is to go further in the process by:- producing several new prototypes of extruded bricks with our new industrial partner, raw and without cement, with optimized recipes and shapes. Mechanical tests, erosion tests and physical properties of the bricks will be assessed (water uptake, permeability).- From the best shapes and mixes produced, prototype walls will be built at real scale. We will be able to assess the speed and ease of mounting of these bricks by consulting professional masons, but will also perform mechanical and physical testing, in order to provide characteristic values for the civil engineers to be able to plan new buildings using these new materials with confidence- Clay renderings, electrical inserts and mechanical anchorage to these walls will also be tested in order to make sure the meet the durability criteria of the end users6. Expected support from CBI BoosterTerrabloc has already found the industrial and academic partners willing to experiment on these new products for construction. We now need financial support from the CBI Booster in order to speed up the developing process of these products and cover the small scale prototype level until the demonstration system (levels 4 to 7 of the Technology Readiness Level). The great advantage is that once we have demonstrated the system, as all production facilities are existing and Terrabloc benefits from a large network of architects willing to experiment their new products on real construction sites. Thus, the commercialization phase could be very fast, with real positive impacts for a more sustainable building industry.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: UNFIRED Clay Bricks
• Date: 3/23/2022 10:08:13 PM
• Administrators:
  • Rodrigo Fernandez

Project Idea Description

1. Introducing the problem to solve

Bricks manufacturing has a very high environmental impact due the firing process and depends on natural gas importation. This Industry needs to make a radical change in production technology to lower its energy consumption. The idea is to develop a product with improved shape and raw materials composition to avoid the firing process while maintaining sufficient strength for building.

2. The Team

Terrabloc is a young company specialized in raw-earth construction products. The two co-founding partners are Laurent de Wurstemberger (Architect AAM SIA SWB FAS) and Rodrigo Fernandez (Doctor - Materials Engineer EPFL SIA). They are both guest lecturers at the HEIA (Haute école de ingénierie et d'architecture) in Fribourg. They also collaborate actively with the LEMS (laboratory for materials and structures testing) at the HEPIA (University of landscape, engineering and architecture) in Geneva.

Laurent de Wurstemberger is an architect. He graduated in 2002 from the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio, Ticino. In 2006, he co-founded "ar-ter, atelier d'architecture-territoire", which has built numerous buildings and public spaces in Geneva. Since 2018, he has been working as a freelance architect, as LDW architects, with several collaborators. In 2011, he launched the Terrabloc project with his engineer colleague Rodrigo Fernandez. Since 2011, he has promoted earth construction within his large network of architects. He is responsible for the communication and marketing of the company and actively participates in its development.

Rodrigo Fernandez graduated as a materials engineer from EPFL in 2003. During his PhD at the Building Materials Laboratory, he explored the potential of calcined clays as a substitute for cement. Between 2011 and 2015 he worked for the local clay industry. In 2011, he launched the Terrabloc project with his architect colleague Laurent de Wurstemberger. Within Terrabloc SA, he is the operational director and responsible for research and development.

Grégoire Aguettant graduated as a civil engineer from EPFL in 2018. Between 2018 and 2022, he is a research and development engineer on cast earth concrete and other bio/geo-sourced material products in the Ecozimut design office in Toulouse. He joins Terrabloc in 2022 to reinforce the team for the research of new raw earth products in contemporary construction.

The company has two partnership agreements with factories in the canton of Vaud and Lucerne (Cornaz SA and Sebastian Müller SA) which allows it to manufacture its ecological products on an industrial scale throughout Switzerland. These factories are prefabrication concrete plants, and the technology developed with the machines of their partners is the Compressed Earth Block (CEB). These products tend to be stabilized with 4 to 5% of cement.

3. Positive impact of the idea

Terrabloc has recently identified an industrial partner with an extrusion production line willing to collaborate in the innovative idea of developing raw-earth construction products through extrusion, without the use of cement and without firing. These new products would be called Extruded Earth Blocks (EEB). They could lower even more the environmental impact of earth based-products compared to compressed earth blocks (CEB).

The great strength of this project lies in:

- using local and widely available natural resources

- getting rid of natural gas (used to fire the extruded bricks)

- the very fast developing potential between the tests and the marketing of the products (short time to market)

- The manufacturing costs of the extrusion line without the firing process are low and will allow reducing of selling prices

and boosting of the volume of products on the market to replace conventional

and energy consuming products.

-Terrabloc’s network and technical knowledge to implement raw clay products in the construction sector will help a rapid

adoption of these new technologies by end users

- Avoiding firing = reduction in non renewable energy of 84% kWh/kg of product = reduction in

CO2 emissions of 91% kgCO2/kg of product (see graph attached)

4. Where are we so far ?

The Extruded Earth Block Technology, without firing, has already been experienced in some neighboring countries, like Germany. We can therefore get inspired by the developments already performed. However, each region has its raw material characteristics and building culture. The local raw materials as well as the ideal formats for gaining acceptance in the swiss market have to be experimented.

The Production of Prototypes in partnership with the industry AND The laboratory testing stage are essential before introducing these innovative products in the market. Terrabloc has had the chance to obtain some initial funding (CHF 15’000.-) from the Geneva’s Industrial Promotion Office (OPI) for finding the industrial partner, discussing on a potential collaboration and perfoming some basic laboratory testing on some of their unfired existing products, without any raw materials nor shape modification.

5. Planned work thanks to CBI Booster:

The objective of this project is to go further in the process by:

- producing several new prototypes of extruded bricks with our new industrial partner, raw and without cement, with optimized recipes and shapes. Mechanical tests, erosion tests and physical properties of the bricks will be assessed (water uptake, permeability).

- From the best shapes and mixes produced, prototype walls will be built at real scale. We will be able to assess the speed and ease of mounting of these bricks by consulting professional masons, but will also perform mechanical and physical testing, in order to provide characteristic values for the civil engineers to be able to plan new buildings using these new materials with confidence

- Clay renderings, electrical inserts and mechanical anchorage to these walls will also be tested in order to make sure the meet the durability criteria of the end users

6. Expected support from CBI Booster

Terrabloc has already found the industrial and academic partners willing to experiment on these new products for construction. We now need financial support from the CBI Booster in order to speed up the developing process of these products and cover the small scale prototype level until the demonstration system (levels 4 to 7 of the Technology Readiness Level). The great advantage is that once we have demonstrated the system, as all production facilities are existing and Terrabloc benefits from a large network of architects willing to experiment their new products on real construction sites. Thus, the commercialization phase could be very fast, with real positive impacts for a more sustainable building industry.

Bricks manufacturing has a very high environmental impact due the firing process and depends on natural gas importation. This Industry needs to make a radical change in production technology to lower its energy consumption. The idea is to develop a product with improved shape and raw materials composition in order to avoid the firing process while maintaining sufficient strength for building.