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PHOTO: G.R.N. SOMASHEKHAR

LIGHT BRICKS, YET STRONG: Rudy van Reeth and Ingo Johannes of Wienerberger Brick Industry in Bangalore. –

Wienerberger Brick Industry (a subsidiary of Vienna-based Wienerberger), in its first Asian plant in Karnataka, will have an annual output of one lakh tonnes to begin with and is expected to be operational by the year-end. The company is the world’s largest producer of clay hollow blocks and has the second largest market for clay roof tiles in Europe.

The Austrian brick manufacturer’s foray into the Indian market, with an investment of Rs. 90 crore for its 30-acre Kunigal plant, will see the launch of four brands – Porotherm (hollow clay blocks); an exclusive range of Terca facing bricks; and Koramic clay roof tiles and Argeton façade tiles that would be brought over from Wienerberger’s plants in Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Ingo Hofmaier, Managing Director, Commercial, Wienerberger Brick Industry, said, “The demand for eco-friendly building materials is on the rise globally. India, the birthplace of clay brick architecture, still yearns to go back to the clay days. Since we have the technology that would render the material in one of the finest forms to suit contemporary thinking, building with the green substance would lend an up-to-date perspective too.”

Rudy van Reeth, Managing Director, Technical, Wienerberger Brick Industry, said, “We are working closely with architects and are keen to introduce the state-of-the-art product in Indian constructions. Our load-bearing clay hollow block forms a new concept which beats the heat due to its high thermal insulation properties.”

The thermal insulation is twice as good compared to concrete blocks, and the blocks are half the weight of their concrete counterpart, says Hofmaier. “Let alone the architect, even the mason is going to find it a joy to work with the hollow clay block as the product is perfect for construction, given the fact that it is machine made and wire cut,” he says, adding that it is expertise that lends a dimensional stability for laying them perfect on the wall.

While a concrete block weighs 30 kg, a Porotherm clay block is only 11 kg, making it a light weight for a non-load bearing wall, that would be available in three sizes. Wienerberger’s vertical and heavy load bearing blocks have better insulation properties with grip holes that would make it easier for masons to handle them. The blocks will have three kinds of clay from Tumkur district mixed with the perfect blend of sand and silt.

And how environment sensitive is Wienerberger? “We are tackling the clay tanks where de-silting is a must but aren’t going anywhere near agricultural land,” assures Hofmaier.

Says Jaisim, “Lake bed clay would be a better bet as it would take care of sedimentation-clearing too. This would save the top soil from getting eroded. This is where hollow clay blocks score over hard bricks.”

Extending its role from manufacturing construction products in clay bricks and roof tiles, the company institutes “Brick Awards” to the most creative brick structures around the world once in two years. “In this way, the world’s largest producer of bricks acknowledges the undisputed role of bricks as a sustainable and ecological building material,” says Hofmaier.

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