Concrete Masonry: Superior Technology at Work

Concrete technology has seen dramatic advances over the last century, with concrete being the material of choice for most major structural engineering projects (Harbours, dams, bridges, etc.) The same can be said for concrete masonry, which is now the worldwide preference in terms of all masonry requirements.

Use of concrete masonry goes back to various times within the 19th century but as early as 1900 hollow-core concrete building blocks were being manufactured in the United States. Since then the industry has seen major changes in the size, shape, texture, appearance and use of concrete masonry. Today they are used in virtually every type of building construction to include commercial, industrial and residential buildings, paving and retaining wall landscape projects.

Concrete blocks have been a basic building material for hundreds of years, but those gray building blocks of yesteryear have now evolved into a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colours and textures. The result is a highly functional and beautiful building material that is gaining popularity with architects, engineers, contractors and others worldwide. Today's concrete products give designers the artistic flexibility to create strikingly beautiful single and multi-family residences, office buildings, warehouses, municipal buildings, manufacturing facilities, learning institutions, hospitals and much more. If there is a type of building out there today, you can build it with concrete masonry.

One of the most significant architectural benefits of designing with concrete masonry is its versatility - the finished appearance of a concrete masonry wall can be varied with the unit size and shape, colour of units and mortar, bond pattern, and surface finish of the units. One can achieve a high quality look without sacrificing economics. Other benefits include design flexibility, insulation and energy efficiency, and low maintenance requirements.

Another major architectural benefit of concrete masonry is the modular masonry design concept. The modular system of concrete masonry allows for efficient design co-ordination of sizes of building components, such as door and window frames. Units such as blocks and bricks are the dimensions which permit other components to fit into the space provided in a controlling reference system in a particular direction. Modular co-ordination enables components to be built on site without modification, as well as reducing the range of sizes required. Research in the Netherlands has shown that substantial savings in building costs can be achieved by modular construction. The savings arise from the ease of building in units which fit into the space provided without having to cut or modify, saving on labour and materials. These savings can then be utilised elsewhere in the project to enhance design aspects.

Concrete masonry is also becoming the product of choice in the residential market. When looked at from an overall perspective, it is completely cost effective. Life costing, initial cost, maintenance cost, cost of heating and cooling a house, as well as salvage value shows concrete masonry to be arguably the most effective form of house construction. Because of its trueness of shape it is easy to use and quick to build, giving increased productivity in laying and reducing costs.

The use of concrete masonry also benefits the environment and promotes sustainable building practice. Not only is concrete masonry fully recyclable, but leading manufacturers such as Cape Brick are using recycled crushed aggregate in the manufacture of their products. This has major advantages in terms of lessening environmental impact and gives rise to a truly green building product.

For further information please contact Jean Tresfon at Cape Brick (021) 511-2006.