Concrete LEGO blocks from secondary raw materials:

THE PERFECT FIT FOR THE BLUE ECONOMY!

The Blue Economy
Why a Blue Economy? When you look at the earth from the universe, it is blue. Because of all the blue water and blue sky, the earth is actually a blue species. But what exactly does it mean? The basis lies in nature. As Gunter Pauli (author "Blue Economy," former director of Ecover and member of the Club of Rome) puts it, "By looking closely at natural systems, we can arrive at a sustainable way of producing and consuming. Knowledge of how organisms - from bacteria and mollusks to reptiles and mammals - are formed and function can help us formulate solutions to the many challenges in the near future."

Cooperation rather than competition
The Blue Economy is a different way of thinking economically. Basic needs are met with what is locally available. It is based on how nature works and assumes cooperation rather than competition. In a "blue business model," multiple streams of income are always generated, in part by using waste/output from one process as input to another. The Blue Economy aims to create jobs and build social capital without polluting or depleting the (natural) environment.

Quickly achieving a sustainable society
Meanwhile, an international community has emerged around the Blue Economy ideas, working according to the "open source principle": information to put blue business models into practice is freely accessible to everyone In this way, we can achieve a truly sustainable society as soon as possible. No less than 21 principles underlie the Blue Economy. To give you an idea, here is a small selection. Replace something with nothing:

1. waste does not exist;

2. change is the constant in nature. So innovation happens constantly;

3. in natural systems, everything is interconnected and evolves toward symbiosis;

4. nature is efficient. So in a sustainable operation, optimal use is made of materials and energy, reducing the unit price;

5. nature is always looking for "economies of scope. Therefore, natural innovation brings several benefits to all;

6. nature has evolved from a few species to a rich biodiversity. Diversity means prosperity, so this is the aspiration in "blue business models.

Blueblocks
The name 'Blueblocks' comes from the term 'Blue Economy' or 'Blue Economy', which plays the leading role in the production process of these concrete LEGO blocks. The Blueblocks are made almost entirely from secondary raw materials, with maximum use of renewable energy and minimum transport distances. As a result, Blueblocks contribute strongly to restoring the sustainable balance in the materials cycle. It is also important that the quality is at least equivalent to comparable products made from primary raw materials, but certainly not more expensive.

These concrete LEGO blocks have been produced for several years by Carmans Blue Technology NV, located in Lummen at the busy interchange of the E313 freeway with the E34 and also at the most important waterway in Belgium: The Albert Canal! This allows us to offer an optimized transport which minimizes these costs. Production is carried out by a fully automated installation which guarantees uniformity in the finished products.

With a wide range of more than ten different shapes/sizes, based on a sketch, a complete design is made in 3D by the technical department. This gives the customer a good idea of his project even before realization. Also the correct numbers of all the different shapes of Blueblocks are already known.

Thanks to a patented gabion system, the Blueblocks can very easily be fitted with gabions which are applied in various thicknesses to the existing fence. This gives the whole a completely different aesthetic character. This gabion system has the advantage that, because it is attached to the side of the blocks, it remains enormously stable when these gabions are filled with natural granulates. A small sagging of the stones does not cause deformation of the gabion system. Also, by using only a minimum thickness of natural granules (gabion system is 15 or 20 cm thick) the price can be kept low compared to other systems.

If lava rock is used as the natural granulate, which has a very good sound-absorbing character, then this construction can be perfectly applied as a soundproof wall. For example, a soundproof wall has already been installed along an access road to a Swedish furniture giant and along a railroad bed.

Text and Image | Carmans