Upcoming Advancements in Concrete Brick and Block Manufacturing Will Assist to Reduce the Environmental Threats

Over the years, building and construction projects have increased drastically in developing nations. Due to this, the demand for building and construction materials has grown in the market. The government expenditures for reconstruction and development projects of infrastructure have risen remarkably. This has compelled the construction sector to raise the bar in terms of research, analysis, and quality control.
Due to the fast-paced infrastructural development projects, the market requires cost-effective materials, which also helps to reduce construction time, thus raising demand for concrete bricks and blocks in the market. In addition, an increase in building and construction activities drives the concrete brick and block manufacturing market growth. According to Allied Market Research, the global concrete block & brick manufacturing market is anticipated to reach $588.15 billion, with a significant CAGR of 5.7% from 2021 to 2030. However, the manufacturing of concrete building materials leads to greenhouse gas emissions and harms the environment. Due to this, market players are investing in the research and development of sustainable building materials.
In the construction of the building exterior, which consists of masonry walls, materials such as burnt clay bricks, fly ash bricks, concrete blocks, and so on are used. The construction of the exterior is unfeasible as it requires energy which causes carbon emission and mined raw materials. Market players are investing in the development of advanced blocks and bricks to make the construction activities sustainable and environment friendly. The scope in the market for the development of ecologically sound construction materials offers new entrants ad start-ups lucrative opportunities.
Development of sustainable alternatives to concrete blocks and bricks
The recent development of sustainable building blocks in the UK market is Cemex’s ReadyBlock Zero. This zero-carbon concrete block is a new addition to Cemex’s Vertua reduced-CO2 product range. It is believed that zero-carbon blocks will support the builders and constructors to meet the Future Homes Standard of the UK government which requires almost 75-80% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Plastic pollution is a serious environmental threat, and plastic waste management is getting more challenging for developing nations across the globe due to the increase in industries and their infrastructures. Industries are trying to make their manufacturing and industrial operations eco-friendly and reduce plastic waste production. Los Angeles’s start-up ByFusion is set out on a mission to reduce the plastic pollution in oceans. The company has developed a block making system that manufactures efficient building material blocks – ByBlock, with discarded plastics.
The company collaborates with ocean clean up firms to collect plastics and discarded wastes from marine environments. In summer 2020, ByFusion worked in association with Ocean Voyages Institute’s clean-up initiative, project kaisei, which collected more than 100 tons of waste from the Pacific trash vortex. The manufacturing of ByBlocks produces almost 41% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional concrete blocks as the procedure is additives and chemical-free and doesn’t need any fillers. ByFusion also offers partnership and license the block-making machine to government organizations, municipalities, waste management companies, and environmentally conscious corporations to make use of plastic waste and reduce plastic pollution around the world.
Another similar product in the market is the K-Briq developed by Herriot Watt University. This brick is made with demolition and construction waste. It is manufactured with an un-fired brick recycling technique. This brick looks and weighs similar to the traditional bricks and provides more thermal insulation than normal bricks, just like the Portland cement. These bricks emerge as a superior alternative to currently used bricks in construction activities as it helps to reduce the carbon footprint of building and construction activities. Though these eco-friendly bricks and blocks are not common in construction activities, still it is expected to have increased demand due to stringent government rules and regulations across various nations.
Covid-19 Scenario
The outbreak of Covid-19 has impacted the global concrete block and brick manufacturing industry. Implementation of various regulations and imposed lockdown to curb the spread of the virus has halted construction activities across the globe. Industries have stopped their operations to a huge extent, and the manufacturing of concrete blocks and bricks as well as other construction materials have either slowed down or delayed. The demand for building materials has declined drastically due to delayed construction and building development projects. However, the market has started to recover as the lockdown restrictions are released to some extent. The market growth is projected to continue to rise as governments across the world are working on restoring the economy by increasing infrastructure expenditure.