Product category:
Bricks, Blocks and Lintels
News Release from: Lignacite | Subject: Polished Facing Masonry
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 February 2007
Developments in block design and
function
Products such as Lignacite's Polished Facing Masonry now provide designers with the opportunity to draw inspiration from the use of concrete.
The New Face on the Block Bricks and blocks feature - developments in block design and function
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 26 Oct 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Putting the words 'concrete' and 'design' in the same sentence might once have seemed something only the most ardent, some might say blinkered, PR company would have suggested.
When blocks were predominantly seen as a commodity purchase, it would have been inconceivable to think that awareness of the diversity of concrete block design could have failed to keep pace with manufacturing developments.
Indeed, in the 70's the array of colours, textures, shapes and finishes now available would have seemed inconceivable.
Further reading
Lignacite specified for Colchester redevelopment
Sir Robert McAlpine specified over 36,500 m2 of Ligancite Original Facing masonry for phase one of the Colchester Garrison redevelopment.
Replacing wooden and U-PVC fascias and soffits
RoofBlock, now available from Lignacite are moulded concrete blocks which replace wooden and U-PVC fascias and soffits.
Polished granite scores with Dons
Lignacite supplied 2,500m2 of granite-faced blocks for phase one of the MK Dons Stadium in Milton Keynes.
These now provide scope not just for contemporary designs but those to recreate the stunning appearance of natural materials.
Products such as Lignacite's Polished Facing Masonry now provide designers with the opportunity to draw inspiration from the use of concrete.
The visible aggregate grain and depth of colour below a brilliant surface create lustre and smoothness reminiscent of granite or marble.
By contrast, a range of Weathered Masonry has a fine natural aggregate texture which is emphasised to produce a softly rounded, almost pre-weathered finish.
Use of such blocks for a project like a bus station, designs of which have traditionally tended to reflect functionality rather than aesthetics, now creates structures which blend with and even enhance local communities.
Jefferson Sheard's Middleton bus station in Manchester, using Polished Facing Masonry in jade, shows how this effect is achieved.
The contrast with the interior colour and texture provided by blocks in the MacCormac Jamieson Pritchard's Ruskin Library could hardly be greater.
Whether for a school, hospital, housing development or retail park, it has never been easier to create a mix of contemporary styles which combine the best of traditional building design within current energy and thermal performance requirements.
Block development is progressing in other ways too.
This is well illustrated by luminous and phosphorescent blocks, which incorporate carefully graded particles of glass to absorb light.
These provide a colourful luminous blue or green effect even when natural light is restricted.
A specialised application perhaps, but a development which adds yet further perspective to concrete as a building material.
Much of the progress in block manufacture has been prompted by the need to produce in a more sustainable, energy efficient manner, while creating less waste.
The investment needed to achieve this is considerable, but in the process better quality is guaranteed.
This enables raw materials to be used to produce lighter products, examples being those which use either waste straw or fly ash.
With an over supply of 6-8 million tonnes of straw in the EC, the source is entirely replenishable, local rural economies benefiting as the supply source.
Critically, straw is carbon neutral, has low thermal conductivity, reduces unit weight and in its mixed and cured state is not flammable.
Trials have already shown the finished product also to have improved crushing strength.
Subject of a GBP32,000 development grant from the Home Grown Cereals Association (HGCA), Lignacite's block complements those in which wood shavings and clay have been in regular use for some years.
These lighter blocks, in some cases containing up to 50% of waste material, do not compromise durability.
The contrast with traditional block products is not limited to appearance and weight.
Shapes now routinely extend to internal, external and chamfered returns, as well as quoins, jambs, cills, stretchers and copings.
Pieces up to 3.25m long and 1.25m wide high can be cut, providing a cost-effective way of including intricate, subtle and diverse detailing such as beveled or rebated edges, and features such as 'pistol' blocks.
Developments have also extended to products such as RoofBlock, as a sustainable alternative to wooden soffits and fascia boards.
Using a durable masonry overhang eliminates repairs, maintenance and replacement, and colour fading of PVC-u.
It also eliminates the need to work at height once installed, and with no special site skills needed for installation, the end result is a better, maintenance-free appearance.
In the past, block manufacture was based on non-replenishable supply sources.
Products now made with recyclable materials, using energy efficient methods, are making a tangible contribution to building sustainability.
Better acoustic performance, inherent decorative appeal, durability and precision of surface finish are all factors encouraging a fresh approach to design of mainstream rather than specialist projects.
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