Concrete evidence of quality:

Concrete masonry has evolved over the years into a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colours and textures. The result is a highly functional and beautiful building material that gives designers the artistic flexibility to create strikingly beautiful residences.

Cape Brick, situated in Salt River, has a long history of providing quality concrete masonry for use in some of Cape Town's most prestigious homes. As a supplier mainly to the residential market the company has a solid understanding of the product qualities sought by the specifiers and contractors involved in building these unique houses.

Many upmarket houses are multi storey residences or are built on difficult sites presenting unique engineering challenges. These homes usually take the form of load-bearing brickwork with concrete slabs or a reinforced concrete shell with infill brickwork.

In all cases concrete masonry is the most compatible material. The reinforced floor slabs are concrete, the lintels are concrete, the mortar is concrete, the plaster is concrete, so when completing concrete structures, it makes the most sense to use concrete masonry. This creates a harmonious relationship within the structure, with the contraction rates for concrete and concrete masonry being almost identical. The use of quality concrete masonry will help in eliminating the cracking problem so prevalent in engineered housing, often caused through the use of dissimilar materials within the structure.

Concrete masonry is also renowned for its consistency and trueness of shape. This means that the plastering layer can be thinner, saving on material costs and minimising plaster cracking.

The engineering strength of concrete is also of great benefit with specific regard to upmarket housing. Engineering grade concrete masonry, as supplied by members of the Concrete Manufacturers Association, provides a cost effective retaining wall option. Because of its intrinsic strength, engineering grade concrete masonry can replace a fully reinforced concrete wall at a fraction of the structural cost.

Well-cured concrete masonry is often only slightly less strong than the reinforced concrete slab it supports. This leads to a homogenous structure which when plastered provides superior strength with no uncontrolled cracking.

Due to its uniformity and consistency, concrete masonry lends itself to bagged and fairface applications. It is highly compatible with most cementitious paint products. Concrete masonry exhibits excellent thermal efficiency and is very energy efficient. It is cost effective without compromising on quality standards, and has low maintenance requirements. The savings realised through the use of concrete masonry can be better utilised for finishing costs and more critical design aspects.

The use of concrete masonry also benefits the environment and promotes sustainable building practice. Not only is concrete masonry fully recyclable, but also 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.