Skip to main content

Sustainable bricks from KENOTEQ

UK firm KENOTEQ is offering a sustainable construction product in the shape of an unfired brick that is made from waste materials. Construction and demolition waste make up around 90% of the materials used in the firm’s novel K-Briq.
August 19, 2021 Read time: 1 min
A novel brick is now offered that is made from waste materials

The company is a clean-tech spin-out from Heriot-Watt University and is looking to commercialise production of its brick. The aim is to supply more than two million bricks/year.

The K-Briq is made from over 90% recycled demolition and construction waste materials. It has just 10% of the CO2 emissions of a traditional fired brick for its production and requires less than 10% of the energy in its manufacture.

The firm says that the production of this type of brick reduces the need to send waste materials from construction and demolition to landfill. In addition, production also slashes energy use, both in manufacturing and also in use as it has double the insulation properties of existing bricks and blocks. By using recycled pigments, it can be made in a range of colours providing flexibility to architects and design planners.

The K-Briq was conceived by Professor Gabriela Medero from Heriot-Watt University following more than a decade of research and development into creating innovative, low-carbon products from recycled construction waste. Professor Medero is co-founder and technical director of KENOTEQ, which launched in January 2020.

Related Content

  • Concrete is sustainable if buildings are designed for long life
    April 26, 2018
    Concrete is the material of the future because it is sustainable – but only if we think about what will happen to it over the long term when we pour it, says Franck Vialet, associate architect with VIB. Concrete buildings can last 60 years or more, therefore they should be designed for 'upgradability' and recycling – allowing for change of use over time to extend their life. Concrete is an inherently architectural material, says Vialet, because it is robust, has attractive aesthetic qualities, can be used
  • Efficient aggregate production with new technology
    December 9, 2022
    New equipment is providing major benefits for aggregate production, offering superior product quality as well as increased throughput, while also being able to better meet sustainability targets for customers
  • Manufacturers push hybrid driveline technology
    April 22, 2014
    Driveline technology continues to develop rapidly, with many manufacturers at this year’s Conexpo exhibition showing Tier 4 Final emissions solutions, along with a host of fuel saving transmissions and hydraulic systems, all aiming to reduce operating costs for the customer. However, while there was certainly a hybrid presence at the show, things haven’t perhaps moved forward as fast as many had expected.
  • New plant offers productivity increase
    September 24, 2018
    A new asphalt plant has offered a major productivity and efficiency gain for a producer in the US. The privately-owned Tully Group has opted to replace two batch plants with a single large plant for its operation in the US state of Connecticut. The Tully Group’s Tully Construction Company has been a major asphalt producer/contractor in New York for many years and has had success in producing and placing RAP in the area. When the Tully Group purchased the Galasso Materials operation in East Granby, three b