A prototype for "smart bricks" designed to join together easily is garnering comparisons to Lego building blocks. The smart bricks contain open internal spaces for insulation; infrastructure elements, like plumbing pipes and steel reinforcement, can be threaded through the bricks to provide additional structural support. A removable panel will allow easy access to these elements.
Photo: Kite Bricks/Wired UK

A UK-based building materials company called Kite Bricks is developing "smart bricks" made from high-strength concrete that could reduce construction time, as well as energy and capital costs.

The patent-pending bricks are similar to Legos, as they can easily connect together and come in a variety of forms. Rows of knobs along the top of bricks can fit into voids along the bottom of other bricks.

Steel bars can be slotted through channels in the bricks to provide the same support as reinforced concrete, and a special adhesive dispenses with the need for cement. The bricks can be delivered to building sites in a kit, allowing structures to be assembled with a minimum of debris and labor.

The bricks feature open internal spaces for insulation, which means that buildings made with the bricks require less energy for heating and cooling. Removable panels allow for easy access to infrastructure elements run through the voids, so that portions of the walls will not need to be demolished for maintenance.

The peculiar makeup of the bricks has allowed Kite to claim that construction costs can be reduced by as much as 50 percent. The bricks can be used to make floors, walls and ceilings, and the company says that construction of an average five story with the bricks could save about 30 percent of its energy costs compared with traditional construction methods.

The bricks remain in the prototype stage, though company founder Ronnie Zohar has filed for IP protection. Zohar says he needs about $3 million in further funding to bring the smart bricks to market. Product demonstration videos and additional information about the company is available at kitebricks.com.