Build for Living. Report.
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clay and shale: two of our most abundant minerals
It isn’t commonly appreciated that clay and shale, the majority raw material of clay bricks and pavers, are among the most abundant minerals on our planet. And the ancient, time-worn landscape of Australia is a significant source of these minerals.
Unlike many other mineral extraction processes, the ‘winning’ of clay and shale has relatively low environmental impact. The amounts extracted are comparatively small which means that some extraction sites are active for up to a century. The extraction process does not require the use of chemicals or other agents.
At the end of their productive life, these quarries are highly valued as landfill sites. Frequently they are filled and replanted and returned to nature or used for housing. Many inner city parks, Sydney’s Olympic Park being just one example, now occupy the site of former brick quarries.
Manufacturing sites are usually located at or close to the extraction site which also means raw material transport costs are minimised.
Because clay bricks, pavers, Terraçade® panels and terracotta roof tiles are manufactured without the use of chemicals, solvents or fillers, they do not emit harmful gases. And if consigned to landfill, these units remain inert as they are simply returning to the earth from which they came.