ClickBrick is a dry-stacking system consisting of flat-cut clay facing bricks which are set together by means of stainless steel clips and are connected to the rear structure via cavity anchors. The system is fully demountable and can be 100% reused. ClickBrick Pure bricks are hand-moulded bricks with standard dimensions and a false joint (8 mm). This creates a traditional appearance. ClickBrick Pure is made from 100% natural, mineral raw materials and fully recyclable at the end of its lifespan.
Clay facing bricks are naturally colour and dimensionally stable and maintenance-free. Even after being reused in a new project, the strong properties are retained. That is why the product has a long lifespan.
This circular facing brick has been developed for the Gent Design Museum from scratch. By making the waste particles visible (up close) in the circular facing brick we created a perceptible distinction with industrial bricks.
Raw Materials
The facing bricks consist mainly of clay extracted from local quarries near the production sites or from river sediments. The quarries are reclaimed as natural or agricultural areas.
The bricks are secured with stainless steel clips and anchors supplied with the system.
The production process
- The clay is extracted locally from quarries or from river sediments.
- The various raw materials are mixed and homogenised. This is done by rollers and double shaft mixers, among others. This way, we get a constant raw material, which is crucial for the quality of our end product.
- The raw material is made elastic by adding steam. For the production of facing bricks, clay balls are kneaded by machine and automatically thrown into pre-formed trays. This gives us the shape of a brick.
- Drying and firing are done automatically. The shaped bricks are first dried in drying chambers or tunnel dryers. Through a complex system of heat recovery, residual heat from the kilns is used for this purpose. Firing is always done in tunnel ovens at temperatures ranging between 950 and 1050°C. This is how the bricks acquire their high-quality properties.
- After firing, the ClickBrick bricks are calibrated to possess the perfect height. During this process, the grooves are also cut.
- Rigorous quality controls are carried out at every step of the production process, in close cooperation with our laboratories. Additional checks are also carried out on the finished product.
- The products are then ready for use. With the help of robots, they are stacked from the oven trolleys (on pallets), and provided with a shrink sleeve or foil to reduce the risk of breakage during transport.
- The facing bricks have a lifespan of more than 150 years. At end-of-life of the facade, both the bricks and the stainless steel clips can be dismantled, sorted and reused in the/a new facade.
- When the bricks are finally at the end of their service life, they can be ground into ceramic debris and used as a secondary raw material in the production of new facing bricks or other ceramic materials. The stainless steel clips can be formed into new metals in a metal recycling process.
Today, facade masonry, when demolished, is often recycled as aggregate for road construction. Our ambition should be higher than this form of ‘downcycling’.
Applied
ClickBrick Pure can serve as a circular external cavity slab in any facade. Colruyt group applied the colour Menton in the facade of their new supermarket in Zoersel.
Environmental impact
- ClickBrick Pure is made from 100% natural, mineral raw materials and is fully recyclable at the end of its life. All elements can be detached without damaging the rest of the building.
- When ClickBrick Pure is manufactured, like all new materials it has a certain environmental impact. Due to its long lifespan and its 100% demountable and reusable system components, ClickBrick Pure creates an end-of-life scenario with a huge positive environmental impact. This largely negates the initial impact.
Also nice!
The system is dry and simple. Very little cutting is required. And that immediately means less waste on site. Dry processing makes the construction of the façade easy and fast.
No (adhesive) mortar needs to be prepared and no tubs or concrete mixers need to be cleaned afterwards. Jointing is not necessary. Moreover, the building site and scaffolding remain clean.
ClickBrick is a labour-friendly construction method and the installation is not affected by weather conditions, which facilitates the timing of the implementation phase.
Growth Opportunities
ClickBrick Pure can match traditional cladding or masonry both aesthetically and in terms of execution. The circular properties are its advantage.
It is a new product on the Belgian market. In the Netherlands, however, it has already proven its technical robustness. Belgian contractors and architects still have to get to know the system and become familiar with it.