CalStar Better Brick

How do you make a better brick?
How do you make a better brick?
The production of clay bricks has remained essentially the same for thousands of years. Bricks are fired to 2,000°F
for up to four days in kilns that operate around the clock for months at a time. As a result, each clay brick you see
is responsible for emitting almost a pound of CO2 and consuming more than 6,000 BTUs of energy. In a typical
year, U.S. brick kilns can generate as much CO2 as over a half a million cars and use about as much energy as the
households of 1 million people.
Make it sustainable.
CalStar has developed a patent-pending formula and manufacturing
process to make a better and more sustainable brick. With no firing
and no Portland cement, CalStar’s process consumes 81% less energy
and releases 84% less CO2. Plus, we use 37% post-industrial recycled
material that would otherwise wind up in a landfill.
“
”
Anything we can do in manufacturing or production to save the
environment is a blessing for all of us.
– Rex Milam, GM Creteform Construction
Make it for less...
CalStar proves that sustainability doesn’t need to be more expensive. By
replacing mined clay with recycled by-products and reducing manufacturing
energy, we take cost out of the equation: the same innovations that make
our products sustainable also make them affordable.
...And make it perform.
Of course, we’ve retained all the features that everyone loves about
brick. The durability, low-maintenance, and in-wall performance are
comparable to clay brick. Many masons can’t tell the difference: it handles and installs the same. And the warm, rich, appearance is suited to
a wide range of building styles, from traditional to ultra-modern.
“
”
I’ve laid hundreds of different types of brick, it’s in the
top 10-15% of the products I’ve used.
– Jeff Rivenbark, President Rivenbark Masonry
Who needs a better brick?
Who doesn’t? We’ve shipped millions of units to building and hardscape
projects throughout the northeast, central and southern United States. Whether
you’re working with a tight budget, counting LEED® contributions or trying to
achieve a particular aesthetic, CalStar can deliver solutions with the added
benefits of saving energy, CO2 emissions and landfill space.
“
”
We have confidence in this material. It’s easy to work with, a very true
product and very aesthetically pleasing.
– Dean Brodley, Project Manager Culpepper Construction
How do we stack up?
CalStar brick is installed exactly the same way clay brick is: the big differences in the CalStar and clay brick life cycles result
from differences in raw material extraction and manufacturing (known as “Cradle-to-Gate”). Here is a Cradle-to-Gate
comparison of CalStar and the average fired clay brick.
CalStar
Clay
Manufacturing electricity
552
1151
Manufacturing gas
465
4844
Raw material extraction/transportation
186
256
total (BTUs)
1203
6251
CalStar
Clay
Manufacturing electricity
0.10
0.15
Manufacturing gas
0.02
0.62
Raw material extraction/transportation
0.01
0.04
total (lbs.)
0.13
0.81
6251
7,000
energy (BTU)
EMBODIED ENERGY
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1203
1,000
0
Clay (BEES Online)
81% Savings
0.81
CO2 (lbs)
CARBON FOOTPRINT
0.13
Clay (BEES Online)
84% Savings
Don’t take our word for it.
CalStar worked with leading architectural firm Perkins+Will to perform an ISO-compliant life cycle assessment (LCA) for
brick. We’ve had our CalStar LCA results third-party verified and published our findings in the first environmental
product declaration (EPD) for brick. The CalStar EPD outlines 13 different environmental impacts over the entire life
cycle of our product, from raw material extraction through end-of-life.
CalStar brick has achieved SMaRT© Sustainable Platinum rating. Sustainable Materials Rating
Technology (SMaRT) is the world’s leadership sustainable product standard and label
approved for credit by the US Green Building Council’s LEED program globally, the Canada
Green Building Council, and the Australia and New Zealand Green Building Councils.
What else can we make better?
Environmental results vs. concrete may vary.
84% Less CO2
81% Less Energy
Pavers
Holland, 4" x 8" x 60mm
Permeable, 5" x 10" x 80mm
12" x 12" x 60mm
Structural Units
8" x 4" x 16"
12" x 4" x 16"
8" x 8" x 16"
Facing Units
4" x 8" x 24"
37% Recycled
Visit CalStarProducts.com for detailed product
information and helpful installation advice.
2825 Four Mile Road | Racine, WI 53404
phone 877-700-9501
fax 262-672-6300