Fly Ash "Brick" Draws BIA's Ire

CalStar is marketing "fly ash brick" (FAB), which comes in modular and utility sizes in seven colors. The company also makes pavers for pedestrian and light traffic applications. The Brick Industry Association says fly ash is not brick, and that "claiming that fly ash is brick is actually pirating the brand equity of authentic, clay brick."

CalStar Products has recently introduced and marketed a "fly ash brick" (FLB) and fly ash paver. According to the company, FLB combines "fly ash, aggregates, mineral oxide pigments, and proprietary ingredients ??_ mixed with water, vibro-compacted and cured into a stable cementitious solid." The mix of fly ash to aggregate is a 40 to 60 ratio.

Reclaiming fly ash, a byproduct of burning coal, and converting it to a "strong, beautiful building material" is a "revolution in masonry," say CalStar.

CalStar officially opened a plant in Caledonia, Wisconsin on January 11, 2010 to produce 40 million bricks annually recycling fly ash from Wisconsin Energy Corp.

CalStar states FLB "meets or exceeds the requirements of ASTM C216 Grade SW, severe weathering, suitable for face brick in severe and freeze-thaw conditions."

BIA Counters Claims, Media Coverage

BIA felt it necessary to respond to various reports on the fly ash product in media outlets (e.g., Wall Street Journal) not connected with the building industry, in particular assertions touting FLB as "green" compared to brick.

The Brick Industry Association notes that brick is fully compliant with ASTM C216-07a: Standard Specification for Facing Brick (solid masonry units made from clay or shale) and that "no other material, except for brick made from genuine clay or shale, can make this claim."

BIA adds: “One may hear claims that the fly ash unit ‘meets the requirements’ of the ASTM standard for clay brick—claims that amount to meaningless word splicing if one needs to actually comply with the ASTM standard. Why? Because clay brick’s physical properties (compressive strength and absorption) were established by field and laboratory testing, something not yet accomplished by fly ash ‘brick.’ Fly ash masonry unit manufacturers use modifications to the clay brick freeze-thaw test in proving the durability of fly ash ‘brick’—something that is entirely different from clay. Without rigorous third-party review, much less a bona fide ASTM standard developed specifically for a fly ash modular unit, claiming that a fly ash unit meets clay brick’s performance history is intellectually disingenuous.”

BIA notes brick is made from naturally abundant materials and “does not off-gas volatile organic compounds or other toxic materials that have been a large source of indoor air pollution from paints, varnishes, and other traditional internal wall finishes.”

BIA reports that "more than 80 percent of brick kilns are fired with natural gas, and several facilities use fuels of bio-based materials from other industrial applications and waste products. These including sawdust from furniture manufacturers and methane gas from landfills."

The National Institute for Standards and Technology gives brick masonry a 100-year life.
"Brick is one of the few materials that the building codes actually allow to be reused in a building application when they meet the ASTM standard for clay brick," says the BIA.

"The brick industry has reduced the overall energy to produce a brick from an average of 4,000 British Thermal Units (Btu) per pound in 1970 to 1,239 Btu per pound today, a reduction of almost 70 percent. With clay brick's renowned longevity, no additional energy will be needed to make a replacement brick for centuries," concluded the BIA.