KS-Kreislaufstein

To what extent can sand-lime bricks contribute to sustainable architecture? This is the question that the brand association of medium-sized sand-lime brick manufacturers in Germany has asked itself: KS-Original. The starting position is more than ideal, after all, sand-lime bricks consist of the natural components lime, sand and water. These are extracted regionally and processed into the high-strength building material with only a low energy requirement. During its service life, which can be well over 100 years, the sand-lime brick also removes carbon dioxide from the air in the course of recarbonation, even when paints and plasters are applied. And not only that: the strength of the bricks even increases with the absorption of CO2.

Sounds ideal already, right? KS-Original nevertheless knows where the levers for further optimisation lie and is currently working on new processes for the production of sand-lime bricks with unmixed construction waste. Free of pollutants, the KS bricks can be returned to the cycle without loss - there is no need to fear any loss of quality in terms of building physics, such as compressive strength and bulk density. The visual characteristics do not change either. At least ten to 15 percent recycled material from reclaimed masonry is currently contained in each sand-lime brick. The recycling of the material on the part of KS-Original thus not only leads to less construction waste, but also to a lower demand for natural resources such as sand, which is needed for the production of the wall-building material. Environmentally friendly, low-energy and waste-free: KS-Original's Kreislaufsteine make an important contribution on the way to climate neutrality.

Tip: On 7 and 8 December 2022, KS-Original's Kreislaufsteine can be seen at stand 131 at the Frankfurt edition of Architect@Work.