Terca Eco-Brick reduces CO₂ and creates space gains

The new Terca Eco-Brick facing bricks from Wienerberger are only 65 mm wide, the clay building materials manufacturer announces. This also results in interesting advantages for architects, planners and property developers when implementing contemporary efficiency standards, says Wienerberger.

The Terca Eco-Brick facing brick from Wienerberger is five centimetres narrower than conventional masonry bricks in standard format. This achieves a CO₂ reduction in the entire production process, which can be tracked from the clay pit through production and transport to storage logistics on the construction site. On the finished building project, it can ultimately be quantified as CO₂ savings of between 20 and 30 percent per square metre of facing brick, depending on the Terca Eco-Brick format chosen, according to Wienerberger.

Space advantages for the construction

The sustainability goals of climate protection and environmental conservation are also supported by new construction options that result from the dimensions of the Terca Eco-Brick. If the traditional masonry dimensions are abandoned and narrower facing bricks are used, double-skin masonry walls can be made slimmer overall. With unchanged insulation thickness, this means less space consumption or additional space gain: In a residential house with 140 square metres of living space, for example, an increase of approx. 3.5 m² of living space can be achieved in this way.

As usual, the double-shell masonry can be completely or partially filled with a thermal insulation layer. The Terca Eco-Brick facing shell is connected to the load-bearing shell by means of air layer ties with a wave. Their number and positioning are regulated in the General Construction Type Approval No. Z -17.5-1225, which the DIBt issued for the Eco-Brick in February 2021. Double-skin Terca Eco-Brick facing brickwork is approved for buildings up to a height of ten metres above ground.

The Terca Eco-Brick masonry is processed using a smooth jointing method and is considerably easier to handle due to the lower weight of the bricks. The Wienerberger team offers support to processors and planners with processing and construction recommendations, technical documentation and further information, for example on masonry associations and tender texts.

High-quality façade design

Together with the rear masonry made of Poroton bricks, the Eco-Brick facing bricks form an exemplary, ecological wall construction system, according to Wienerberger. Due to the low height of the bricks, delicate structures can be designed in the masonry bond. The Terca Eco-Brick bricks are available as rustic hand-moulded bricks (format 215 x 65 x 65 mm) and as extruded retro facing bricks (format 240 x 65 x 40 mm). The colour palette of the 16 new varieties ranges from light shades to dark anthracite.