Eco-efficient Masonry Bricks and Blocks: Design, Properties and Durability

Masonry walls constitute the interface between the building’s interior and the outdoor environment. Masonry walls are traditionally composed of fired-clay bricks (solid or perforated) or blocks (concrete or earth-based), but in the past (and even in the present) they were often associated as needing an extra special thermal and acoustical insulation layer. However, over more recent years investigations on thermal and acoustical features has led to the development of new improved bricks and blocks that no longer need these insulation layers. Traditional masonry units (fired-clay bricks, concrete or earth-based blocks) that don’t offer improved performance in terms of thermal and acoustical insulation are a symbol of a low-technology past, that are far removed from the demands of sustainable construction.

This book provides an up-to-date state-of-the-art review on the eco-efficiency of masonry units, particular emphasis is placed on the design, properties, performance, durability and LCA of these materials. Since masonry units are also an excellent way to reuse bulk industrial waste the book will be important in the context of the Revised Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC which states that the minimum reuse and recycling targets for construction and demolition waste (CDW) should be at least 70% by 2020. On the 9th of March 2011 the European Union approved the Regulation (EU) 305/2011, known as the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and it will be enforced after the 1st of July 2013. The future commercialization of construction materials in Europe makes their environmental assessment mandatory meaning that more information related to the environmental performance of building materials is much needed.

• Provides an authoritative guide to the eco-efficiency of masonry units
• Examines the reuse of waste materials
• Covers a range of materials including, clay, cement, earth and pumice

Fernando Pacheco Torgal is a Principal Investigator at C-TAC, University of Minho. He holds the title of Counsellor (Top 0.5%) from the Portuguese Engineers Association and has been consistently recognized as a Scopus Highly Cited Scientist in the global rankings by Stanford University. With over 300 publications to his name, he has carried out in-depth peer reviews of more than one thousand scientific papers and assessed nearly one hundred research grant proposals across 15 countries. He serves on the editorial boards of nine international journals and has been involved in editorial decisions for several hundred manuscripts. In addition, he has edited 33 international books, many of which are available in the libraries of prestigious institutions such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford.

Paulo B. Lourenço is Full Professor of Structural Engineering, Co-head of the Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering and head of the Masonry and Historical Constructions Division at the University of Minho. He is also the coordinator of the International Master’s on Structural Analysis of Historical Construction (SAHC). He is the editor of the International Journal of Architectural heritage, associate editor of several international journals, and author of more than 230 ISI peer-reviewed technical papers. He also serves on several international codes and standards committees (e.g. RILEM TC 250-CSM).

Professor Prinya Chindaprasirt is the Director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Research and Development Center (SIRDC), a research unit in Khon Kaen University. He is now also the head of Advanced Functional Materials research cluster of Khon Kaen University. He was appointed a full professor in 2007. In 2009 he was the first person in civil engineering who was appointed the highest rank professor in Thailand. He has set up the Thai Geopolymer Network in 2005 to promote the research and collaboration among Thai researchers in this field.