Porotherm, Wienerberger’s innovative interlocking clay block building system, is an extremely fast, virtually dry and strong construction system that is safe and simple to use. The heart of the system – and the secret of its speed and efficiency – is the precision-engineered clay block. The interlocking design rules out the need for mortar in the vertical joints and consistent manufacturing quality allows for true 1mm bed joints. The technical performance, efficiency in use and sustainability credentials of Porotherm make the product an easy choice for ASBP featured product of the month.
Used successfully for decades across Europe, and now well established as a walling solution in the UK, Porotherm can be used in wide range of wall and panel applications within structures. With its lean laying process and rapid daily output, Porotherm brings cost and time saving benefits throughout the build process.
Multiple environmental and social benefits
Porotherm delivers the inherent thermal and acoustic benefits of a clay building product whilst also satisfying the demands of modern construction: with a fast laying time and low water consumption. With no mortar needed in vertical joints and a minimal 1mm bed joint, Porotherm uses around 95% less water than traditional block-work. In a typical 212m2 building, concrete blocks with traditional mortar joints will require 1060 litres of water compared to just 72 litres for Porotherm. This is thanks to Porotherm’s interlocking design and the use of ZeroPlus mortar, which allows for the swift creation of true 1mm bed joints. As Porotherm blocks are generally lighter than traditional block-work, the system is capable of being built to storey height in a day, allowing workers to maintain steady production rates without the risk of repetitive strain injuries.
Porotherm boasts a high recycled material content, with up to 30% of raw materials sourced from alternative, recycled, or secondary materials. At the end of their impressive 150+ year lifespan, Porotherm blocks themselves can be recycled as crushed aggregate.
The high sustainability credentials of Porotherm are further demonstrated through adherence to the natureplus eco-label, a multi-stakeholder eco-label for construction products which was developed in partnership with industry, WWF Switzerland, FSC and Greenpeace. Porotherm has also achieved a Bronze level Cradle to Cradle certificate.
The diverse Porotherm range caters for both load-bearing and non-load bearing applications, and can be used in monolithic or cavity wall construction. The thermally efficient T range blocks are suitable for Passivhaus applications and the Poroton S-plus range has been specifically designed for use in earthquake prone areas.
The company
Wienerberger is a leading provider of wall, roof and landscaping innovations and is a Founder member of the ASBP.
Further information:
For more information on Porotherm/Poroton, visit www.wienerberger.co.uk, email porotherm@wienerberger.co.uk, or contact Wienerberger on 0161 491 8200.
