© Ernst Fesseler
The separation of insulation and ceramic material required with modern insulating bricks has been technically resolved. Insulation residue or granulate can be removed by screening or air separation after the bricks have been coarsely broken down, since the insulation is not firmly attached to the ceramic material.
Much more demanding is the separation of foreign mineral matter such as plaster and mortar adhering to the bricks. Here, too, though, advances are being made in recycling concrete processing, particularly in the separation and sorting of the material. With the aid of colour detection and near infrared technology, it is possible in large-scale works to create virtually pure fractions.
The new generation of bricks containing insulation are a product that meets the needs of multistorey housing in terms of load-bearing capacity, thermal and sound insulation. Even if these new products will become available as demolition material only many decades in the future, it is good if concepts for their exploitation and disposal already exist today. (Michael Pröll, Dieter Rosen)
Much more demanding is the separation of foreign mineral matter such as plaster and mortar adhering to the bricks. Here, too, though, advances are being made in recycling concrete processing, particularly in the separation and sorting of the material. With the aid of colour detection and near infrared technology, it is possible in large-scale works to create virtually pure fractions.
The new generation of bricks containing insulation are a product that meets the needs of multistorey housing in terms of load-bearing capacity, thermal and sound insulation. Even if these new products will become available as demolition material only many decades in the future, it is good if concepts for their exploitation and disposal already exist today. (Michael Pröll, Dieter Rosen)