ecobrick

Q1. What is an ecobrick?

ecobrick™ is a brand of autoclaved concrete brick that contains unique closed air pockets, making them both lightweight and energy efficient.

Q2. What will ecobrick do for my new home?

ecobrick’s unique composition means that your home will be more comfortable, all year round. The insulating qualities of ecobrick will help make your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer, while ecobrick’s acoustic qualities will also make your home quieter due to enhanced noise reduction.

Q3. Will ecobrick save me money?

YES! When your home is well insulated, you use considerably less artificial heating and cooling to maintain a comfortable inside temperature.

Of course each home is different, but CSIRO research tells us that on average heating and cooling you home can account for 26% of the running costs of your home.  Think how much you’ll save!

Q4. Is ecobrick safe?

This technology is not new. It was invented in the 1920’s and has evolved into a modern, efficient fully automated system that utilises the common building materials of sand, cement and lime. It is the way that these materials are combined that makes ecobrick unique.

1. ecobrick has been tested by recognised Australian laboratories and meets all relevant Australian standards. (AS/NZS 3700-2001)

The Building Code of Australia recognises AAC technology as a common building system.

Q5. What about clay bricks?

ecobrick is generally used as an internal brick, and is recommended that in order to maximise energy efficiency, you use a combination of clay bricks as an outside wall and ecobrick as an internal wall.

Data published by the WA Sustainable Energy Development Office (SEDO) indicates that the thermal properties of this type of wall system is a 57% improvement over double clay brick. 

Q6. Is ecobrick environmentally friendly?

YES! The ACC process uses between 60% and 80% less energy to produce when compared with a comparable clay brick, and furthermore, during the production process all off cuts or reject material are 100% recycled.

In addition, when ecobrick’s are used in your new home they will effectively reduce the use of fossil fuel generated by electricity, which is a major factor in greenhouse gas emissions.

Q7. How does ecobrick keep my home warmer or cooler?

Solid dense materials like full strength concrete, clay bricks and steel allow heat to pass through them by a process called conductance.

Because ecobrick contains air pockets, it makes the brick less dense and as such, they do not allow the same level of conductance as a solid material.

As these air pockets act is the same way as insulation bats do in the roof of your house, they stop hot or cold air from escaping (or coming in) meaning that rooms do not need extra heating or cooling to make them comfortable.

Q8. How does it keep my home quieter?

Like above, it is the unique air pockets that stop the movement of noise through ecobrick.

Bulk insulation has the same noise insulating properties which means that using ecobrick for the internal walls gives you the double benefits of enhanced temperature and noise control.

Download FAQ sheet about sustainability – 417KB

A good information reference is www.yourhome.gov.au. Section 3.4b – ACC.