If you're looking to build a retaining wall, you may find yourself tossing up between concrete and timber. When making the final decision, it is important to consider the longevity and durability of the product. This is important for both financial benefit and sustainability responsibilities.

We've put together a list of reasons why choosing concrete is the more sustainable way to build your retaining wall and why it will save you time and money.

Circular Economy

A circular economy is a business model that focuses on a significant decrease of waste, by keeping material in use for as long as possible. We adhere to this principle by using wet excess, high-quality concrete, to create its concrete blocks. This allows us to deliver high quality products in a cost-effective and sustainable way.

Our concrete blocks are engineered and designed to increase the benefits to your retaining wall. As opposed to timber retaining walls, our concrete blocks boast strength and durability which is especially important for any infrastructure construction in New Zealand. Given many cities coastal environments, it is vital retaining walls can withstand erosion from the salt water, harsh winds, rain, and erosion. For that reason, our Stonebloc retaining walls have better longevity than timber.

Deconstruction

As a result of applying a circular economy to our business model, we consider the product’s end of life and product life cycle. Our concrete starts its life with low embodied carbon and absorbs carbon overtime. At the end of life, Stonebloc can be non-destructively dismantled  so it can be easily reused. By reusing high-quality material, you cut the costs of having to source new materials. Therefore, we offer a long-term financially cost- effective, sustainable solution.

Hits Sustainability Acts

Stonebloc fits neatly within the government regulations for sustainability such as the Zero Carbon Act and the Waste Minimisation Act. Our precast wall systems are a master of engineering design, achieving unmatched durability and longevity. Our concrete blocks reduce labour time, and minimise waste of materials during installation, making an overall more efficient, and environmentally sustainable solution to constructing retaining walls.

More Attractive Design

Stonebloc is more attractive to the eye than your typical timber retaining wall. With an aesthetic finish, Stonebloc's unique, yet timeless visual design for retaining walls and will enhance the appearance of your home and its value. 

Easy Installation

Stonebloc is created using our precast moulding system. Therefore, little building expertise and fewer labour workers are required for installation. Furthermore, some of our Stonebloc designs do not require consent from the council, which saves time and results in a faster installation process. This is vital for businesses and households looking to save time and money. It also established a seamless system and change processes for contractors.

Case Study

Steve and Sopa in Pokeno sought a solution for the uneven landscape of their home, where retaining walls were required. Retaining walls would make their outdoor space user-friendly for their vehicles and entertainment. The couple originally considered timber for their retaining walls as it was often a go-to approach. However, they wanted to achieve a different, more luxurious aesthetic than what timber could provide.

(The Stonebloc Retaining Wall Overlooking the Pokeno Landscape)

With Stonebloc, Steve and Sopa were able to achieve a sleek, and unique retaining wall, meaning they could plant fruit trees above the walls, and create an attractive, timeless outdoor entertainment suite. Not only is the installation and maintenance of the Stonebloc simple and cost-effective, but the materials and design also ensure the retaining walls will remain contemporary and last for generations to come.

(The retaining wall that goes across Steve & Sopa's driveway) 

While many may initially turn to timber for the construction of retaining walls, concrete is evidently an overall better solution. Its longevity and durability place concrete on a pedestal above timber as it is therefore, a more sustainable option. Our high-quality concrete block solutions can be deconstructed, and re-used, are easy to install, and adhere to the New Zealand government's
sustainability regulations, making it a more efficient, cost-effective option for retaining walls in the long-term.

With a forever expanding, and scaling modern infrastructure in New Zealand, structures require a variety of engineering parameters. Interbloc and Stonebloc are designed to offer a range of solutions, adhering to different engineering strengths.

Our concrete blocks can be constructed to form a variety of wall types, with different reinforcement options to suit the needs of the structural design. We have put together an easy list of our wall types and reinforcement options for civil engineering.

Gravity Wall

This wall uses the force and power of gravity through the mass of the blocks. Gravitational force is the process of object mass pulling towards each other. The Stonebloc modular retaining wall involves stacking the blocks on top of one another, utilising the supplementary support of the unique interlocking design of the blocks. This creates a shear key in either horizontal direction, ensuring security, strength and resistance to movement and overturning.

Williams Corporation is known for constructing high quality homes, and team up with their long-term civil contractors DiggersNZ to build residential retaining walls at St Leonards Road in Auckland. The project site manager boasted how pleased he was with the Stonebloc system, and how simple the installation process was. Given the walls rely on gravity and sheer mass, glues or grouts are not needed. By using this system you save on time, labour, materials, and financial costs. Not to mention, the durability and reliability of Stonebloc walls and their benefits of sustainable outcomes are unmatched compared to timber retaining walls.

Cantilever Wall/ Vertically Reinforced Walls

The wall is vertically reinforced using the Reidbar system and anchored into the concrete foundation. The foundation is usually a substantial element cast into the excavator ground. These walls are vertically reinforced with steel bars inserted through central 60mm reinforcing ducts at 600mm centres. It's only available to the Interbloc range. 

(Reidbar from a vertically reinforced Interbloc wall prior to being cut)

This wall option was used to build the settlement ponds for the Waterview Tunnel. During large tunnelling processes, lots of excess water was produced and this water needed a safe storage and treatment solution. Interbloc provided high-quality concrete blocks for the project. McConnell Dowell the partner of Well Connected Alliance, who were tasked with the project, chose Interbloc
because they could be easily removed at the end of the project. Tehy even used the buyback guarantee. This choice saved the team time as the blocks are versatile and flexible. 

(Vertically reinforced settlement pond for the Waterview Tunnel, made with Interbloc)

MSE Wall

An MSE or Mechanically Stabilised Earth wall is a structure comprised of alternating layers of backfill and soil reinforcement elements secured to a wall. The interaction of soil and backfill creates a secure reinforcement system through friction and tension.

MSE is an engineering technique used to reinforce high wall loads. It can be typically used in building bridge culverts and tall retaining walls. It fastens the wall elements such as Interbloc deep into the horizontal retained soil with a material that resembles a mat.

For Stonebloc MSE walls, we can build 5m high with a 24 kPa surcharge. This method is ideal for building higher walls with greater load masses. The culvert at Hugh Green Group's Park Green Development is a great example of Stonebloc MSE walls in action. 

The South Waikato Industrial Processes team selected Interbloc to replace a failing timber retaining wall. They chose Interbloc for its speedy construction, changeable walls, and cost-efficiency. The resulting retaining wall was constructed within 7 days, with compacted gravel foundations. The team could build the wall up to 5.4m high.

(Interbloc MSE Wall created for Industrial Processors)

MSE with Vertically Reinforced Wall

This method combines both the MSE system and the vertically reinforced system. Civil engineering contractors, Fulton Hogan, chose Interbloc for the storage of their asphalt material in Silverdale. With the equivalent of over 2000 tonnes of material, the Interbloc retaining walls utilised the MSE vertically reinforced wall by installing geogrids into the blocks during the manufacturing process. This meant Interbloc could prove its ability to allow a high surcharge capacity reinforced wall. The geogrid was then used in the backfill of soil behind the retaining wall and secured to the blocks.

(Vertical reinforcing and geogrid was used in Fulton Hogan Silverdale's upgraded asphalt yard)

Given the constant growth and development of Aotearoa, New Zealand, we understand the importance of offering a range of solutions for various engineering requirements. Interbloc and Stonebloc are our solution. Our concrete blocks can build a variety of wall types, using different options of reinforcement to suit a wide range of projects and structures. Furthermore, they are durable, flexible, can be easily deconstructed and are a cost and time efficient solution compared to competing options.

All structures require some form of maintenance over their lifetime. When maintenance isn’t considered at the design stage of a project, it could up being expensive down the track. That’s why we’ve designed our concrete construction systems to be easy to maintain throughout their usable life. 

As part of routine maintenance, walls may need to be dismantled. One of the most common reasons is to access utilities. In some traditional solutions like cinder blocks, mortar is used as the glue between blocks. Deconstruction to conduct maintenance on a cinder block wall is near impossible - it will need to be demolished. This leads to increased costs as the wall needs to be duplicated. For better longevity and ease of use, modular construction systems deliver a unique combination of benefits. The most common sort of wall is referred to as a gravity wall. 

(To access utilities with a cinder block wall, demolition is often involved)

Envirocon’s gravity based construction systems - Interbloc and Stonebloc - have been designed around the concept of non-destructive dismantling. Where damage occurs, isolated sections of walls can be easy removed and replaced, providing basic maintenance at lower costs. Another example is where access to utilities underneath the wall is required - Interbloc and Stonebloc allow you to simply unstack the blocks to gain access to utilities. 

Interbloc and Stonebloc structures can be non-destructively dismantled in the same way. Here’s how they work:

• Source access to lifting equipment, preferably a excavator
• Attach the lifting klaw to a lifting pin on one of the blocks sitting on the top layer
• Lift this block up, removing it from the wall
• Move the block to a safe location, that is still easily accessible for reassembly 
• Continue this until you’ve cleared the area of the wall you need to access
• Conduct the maintenance you need 
• Add the blocks back to the wall, starting with the lower levels and working upwards

The Interbloc and Stonebloc ranges are built for deconstruction.

Deconstruction lets building components be removed piece by piece rather than damaging building parts from destructive methods (BRANZ). Cinder block walls are an example of what deconstruction isn’t. When you’re replacing part of the wall, the blocks are damaged and cannot be reused again. Interbloc and Stonebloc allow you to reuse the blocks time and time again - a prime example of a product made for deconstruction. 

With New Zealand’s move towards a more sustainable future via policies like the Waste Minimisation Act, waste needs to be reduced. This means creating systems that have multiple product life cycles. In other words, creating products that take a circular economy design approach.

The main aim of the circular economy is using resources for as long as possible. To get “circular” products, they need to be able to be reused or regenerated at the end of their service life. Interbloc and Stonebloc concrete blocks have been designed to help New Zealand easily transition to a circular economy. As they can be non-destructively dismantled and are made for deconstruction, they can be used time and time again. Following the circular economy is made possible with our ranges.

To work with products that allow for easy maintenance, get in touch with today. 

We have a waste problem in New Zealand. Yearly, we create 17.49 million tonnes of waste with 12.59 million tonnes going to landfill (76%). Adding to this problem is a low recycling rate. We only recycle and compost around ⅓ of the materials we place out on the curbside and ⅔ is sent to landfills  (Ministry for the Environment). In contrast, countries like Germany recycle ⅔ of all waste and send to landfill just  ⅓ (Radio New Zealand)

Waste causes harm to the environment and community, with pollution being a common output. Some of the most common instances are: 

• Soil Pollution: Waste can leak hazardous material into the soil, making its way into our food
• Air Pollution: The burning of waste at landfills releases toxic substances into the air (such as the extremely poisonous dioxin)
• Ocean Pollution: Every year, 13 million tonnes of plastic lands in the world’s oceans. Keeping this trend going, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish
• Groundwater Pollution: 280 billion tons of groundwater is being polluted every year - that’s 9000 tons per second!

As a country, we clearly need to reduce our waste creation. But what is waste, exactly? 

Waste is something that is thrown away because it is no longer useful in its current context. Depending on the product life cycle, waste can be created at different stages. At the start of the cycle, materials can be a by-product of production processes. An example of this is fly ash from a furnace. Later down the product lifecycle, waste may result from the inherent value being lost. This may be a newspaper being read, a package that’s been opened and emptied, or an apple that’s eaten to its core. 

One of the most common product lifecycles is called “cradle to grave”. This process has 5 key steps (Ecochain): 

For creating clay bricks, this is what the cradle-to-grave process looks like:

• Raw material extraction: Clay is extracted
• Manufacturing and processing: The clay is added to brick moulds and fired
• Transportation: The finished clay bricks are transported to a project’s location 
• Usage and retail: The bricks are then used to build a structure
• Waste disposal: Once the structure is no longer useful, it’s demolished with the bricks being disposed of

To effectively transform how waste is treated in New Zealand, we need to stop using the cradle-to-grave model. For a more sustainable future, we need to avoid waste being produced and added to landfills. 

We’ve made it our mission to reduce concrete waste - it’s why we exist. 

For the last 18 years, we’ve been perfecting a circular economy approach that reuses high quality, certified excess ready-mix concrete. This excess concrete is perfectly usable concrete, it just simply is no longer useful in its current context (i.e. left over at the end of a concrete pour)

Concrete waste is a significant issue as our modern world is literally built on it. In New Zealand we produce over 10 millions tonnes per year. About 300,000 tonnes - or seven sky towers worth - of this high quality, certified, concrete will end up as waste, simply because it can not be used before it sets. 

We work with NZ’s leading concrete companies to close the loop on concrete waste for good. 

Success requires capturing excess concrete in a usable form, and creating products that can be mass produced and mass marketed, without any reduction in quality. Matching seemingly unpredictable supply with mass market demand is our core competency. 

We do this through our Interbloc and Stonebloc precast wall systems. At the core of the  systems are proprietary block designs. The block designs look simple enough, but when you dive deeper they deliver a powerful combination of benefits. 

(Interbloc concrete blocks used for the Waterview Tunnel on the left and Stonebloc used for a home in Pokeno)

They start life with ultra low embodied carbon, and continue to reabsorb carbon over their life. 

They reduce time, labour, and materials waste during installation.

They deliver unparalleled durability, increasing the life of the structure. 

They can be non-destructively dismantled and reused at the end of life.

We’re calling this approach the CarbonSmart® - Low Carbon, Zero Waste sustainability system.

Envirocon’s CarbonSmart system delivers a comprehensive circular economy solution for all asset owners, developers, civil, and construction companies. 

• Scale: Envirocon operates 36,000 tonnes of capacity per year and is growing that at a rate of 420t per week. 
• National Footprint: Our network has 4 sites across New Zealand, and we’re opening three sites a year for the next few years. 
• Orthodox Engineering: Our construction systems are backed by orthodox engineering principles and are fully compliant with all NZ codes. 
• Easy Sustainability: Envirocon’s systems are deliberately designed for simple sustainability  - To achieve the changes New Zealand needs, it has to be easy 
• High Productivity Construction: Interbloc and Stonebloc are designed as low labour, high speed construction systems to help boost productivity in our construction sector. 
• Non-Destructive Dismantling: Interbloc and Stonebloc structures can be non-destructively dismantled. 
• Endless Reuse, and Unique Buyback Guarantee: Our blocks can be endlessly reused, and we offer a unique buyback guarantee on Interbloc  so when you no longer need them, we’ll take them back. 

By choosing Interbloc or Stonebloc for your project, you’re actively participating in transforming New Zealand into a circular economy. 

If you listen to the news, price inflation is the new reality. In the construction industry, we’ve experienced an average increase of 15.5% over the past 12 months. Anecdotal evidence would suggest this isn’t the end of these increases as demand is continuing to outstrip supply and supply often can’t be increased in a short period of time.

On an individual business level, this presents a unique set of challenges. Where, when, and how do you use price to moderate demand? How do these decisions interact with the business’ long term growth strategies, and what's the impact on your future relationship with your customers?

At Envirocon, our approach has been to apply the bare minimum of price increases - almost half of the industry average. While this sometimes results in longer lead times, this is easily mitigated by customers ordering well in advance of requiring the blocks. Few customers are going to build a large concrete structure within days of first thinking about it.

At the core of this approach is a long term view of our relationships with our customers, when inflation inevitably calms down we want to be the business that our customers look at and say they weren't taken advantage of.

That said, we acknowledge that some customers have urgent requirements - they actually need blocks within days. For these customers, we’ve introduced a priority surcharge. This modest surcharge is designed to cover the cost of additional temporary production.

We do this because there is a clear market demand for this service - customers are asking for urgency, and there is a clear way to avoid the additional charge - order early or wait the lead time.

We believe the priority surcharge is the fairest way of catering to the needs of all our customers, and without it, we wouldn’t be able to reduce price rises to half the industry average - and that situation would adversely affect all our customers.

Regards

Jack Bright
Director, Sales and Marketing

For over 18 years, Envirocon has been perfecting a unique circular economy solution to the issue of excess ready mix concrete. Excess ready concrete is usable concrete left over from a pour. It is a high quality, valuable resource. However it is also highly perishable with a limited timeframe to be reused before it becomes waste and needs to be ‘recycled’.

Pre-Envirocon, it was a significant waste issue because our world is literally built on concrete. In New Zealand we produce over 10 millions tonnes per year. About 300,000 tonnes - or seven sky towers worth - of this high quality, certified, concrete will end up as waste, simply because it can not be used before it dries. 

But waste in the construction sector isn’t just limited to concrete. Bad design of traditional building materials creates waste during the build process and at the end of life of the structure through destructive dismantling. 

Eliminating this waste is why Envirocon exists.

We work with NZ’s leading concrete companies to close the loop on concrete waste for good. 

Success requires capturing excess concrete in a usable form, and creating products which can be mass produced and mass marketed. Matching seemingly unpredictable supply with mass market demand is our core competency. 

We do this through our Interbloc and Stonebloc precast wall systems. At the core of the  systems are proprietary block designs. The block designs look simple enough, but when you dive deeper they deliver a powerful combination of benefits. 

They start life with ultra low embodied carbon, and continue to reabsorb carbon over their life. 

They reduce time, labour, and materials waste during installation.

They deliver unparalleled durability, increasing the life of the structure. 

They can be non-destructively dismantled and reused at the end of life.

We’re calling this approach the CarbonSmart® - Low Carbon, Zero Waste sustainability system.

Envirocon’s CarbonSmart system delivers a comprehensive circular economy solution for all asset owners, developers, civil, and construction companies. 

• Scale: Envirocon operates 36,000 tonnes of capacity per year and is growing that at a rate of 420t per week. 
• National Footprint: Our network has 4 sites across New Zealand, and we’re opening three sites a year for the next few years. 
• Orthodox Engineering: Our construction systems are backed by orthodox engineering principles and are fully compliant with all NZ codes. 
• Easy Sustainability: Envirocon’s systems are deliberately designed for simple sustainability  - To achieve the changes New Zealand needs, it has to be easy.
• High Productivity Construction: Interbloc and Stonebloc are designed as low labour, high speed construction systems to help boost productivity in our construction sector. 
• Non-Destructive Dismantling: Interbloc and Stonebloc structures can be non-destructively dismantled. 
• Endless Reuse, and Unique Buyback Guarantee: Our blocks can be endlessly reused, and we offer a unique buyback guarantee on Interbloc  so when you no longer need them, we’ll take them back. 

Want to know more? Find out how we can offer a customized, comprehensive circular economy solution on your next project.

The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 is a key piece of legislation that aims to push New Zealand towards a circular economy future. Envirocon’s CarbonSmart®, Low Carbon, Zero Waste concrete sustainability system delivers on the key aims of the Act.

What’s the Problem?

Our world is built on concrete, and in New Zealand we produce over 10 millions tonnes per year. About 300,000 tonnes - or seven sky towers worth - of this high quality, certified, concrete will end up as waste, simply because it can not be used before it dries.

But waste in the construction sector isn’t just limited to concrete. Bad design of traditional building materials creates waste during the build process and at the end of life of the structure through destructive dismantling.

This results in the construction industry being one of New Zealand’s largest waste producers  3.5 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste is generated every year, equating to half of the landfills nationwide (MFE).

Minimising this waste is why the Waste Minimisation Act exists.

What is the Waste Minimisation Act?

The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 encourages a reduction in the amount of waste by putting a cost on waste and encouraging product stewardship. Product stewardship is the concept of manufacturers/importers of products taking responsibility for them at the end of the products usable life.

Key Sections of the Act Include:

• Impose a levy on all waste disposed of in landfills to generate funding to help local government, communities, and businesses minimise waste. This is a cost which will increase year on year to incentivise alternatives to landfill.
• Establish government accreditation of product stewardship schemes that recognize businesses managing the environmental impacts of their products.
• Require product stewardship schemes to be developed for certain ‘priority products’ where there is a high risk of environmental harm or significant benefits from recovery.
• Allow regulations to control the disposal of products, materials or waste, require take-back services, deposit fees or labelling of products.
• Allow for regulations to be made that make it mandatory for certain groups (eg, landfill facility operators) to report on waste.

Envirocon Sets the Standard

Envirocon’s CarbonSmart® concrete sustainability system demonstrates how the aims of the Act can be achieved via industry led initiatives.

It begins with the 300,000 tonnes of excess concrete produced in NZ each year. This concrete is no longer required for the original project, but still high quality certified concrete. It isn’t until the concrete dries that it becomes a waste product which needs to be ‘recycled’.

Processing this concrete is challenging. Concrete is highly perishable with a small window of just hours between batching and curing. Supply is unpredictable on an hour by hour, day by day basis. Any product manufactured from the concrete has to be mass produced with mass market applications - the complete opposite of traditional precast concrete. Capacity needs to be flexible, and located close to batching plants to minimise truck movements.

Meeting these challenges is Envirocon’s core competency - we’ve been doing it for over 18 years.

From this process comes Interbloc and Stonebloc. High quality, low carbon, engineered precast concrete construction systems.

At the core of the systems are proprietary block designs. The block designs look simple enough, but when you dive deeper they deliver a powerful combination of benefits.

They start life with ultra low embodied carbon, and continue to reabsorb carbon over their life.

They reduce time, labour, and materials waste during installation.

They deliver unparalleled durability, increasing the life of the structure.

They can be non-destructively dismantled and reused at the end of life.

This approach means Envirocon’s CarbonSmart® eliminates waste altogether.

Interested to know more about it? Get in touch today.

The terms ‘linear’ and ‘circular’ economy refer to different ideas of how we produce and consume things. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. However, the circular economy is increasingly being referred to as a way to support sustainability and economic growth.

What is the Linear Economy?

The traditional linear economy follows the “take-make-waste” process. Raw materials are collected and made into products until they can no longer be used. They then are discarded as waste because their economic value has been exhausted.

In a world of growing populations and limited resources, the linear economy exhausts raw materials, resulting in CO2 emissions. It’s estimated that 68% of raw materials are non-renewable meaning at some point we will run out of these resources. The overall global impact todate is dramatic - natural resources are being depleted by an estimated 45% annually.

In our daily life we tend to give little or no thought to the resources used to make the products we consume. Even fewer of us think about what happens to them when we no longer need them. Excluding the more expensive items like houses and cars, when something breaks we all have the tendency to buy a new version. The result of this is ever growing landfills. Simply put, many of the non-expensive items that we use are not made for reuse, repair, refurbishment, or able to be manufactured. (Ministry For the Environment)

What is the Circular Economy?

In contrast to the take-make-waste process the linear economy follows, the circular economy aims to drastically reduce waste by keeping resources in use for as long as possible. In doing this the maximum value is extracted from the resource. This is achieved by recovering and regenerate products/materials at the end of each service life (forming a circular, hence the "circular economy”) (MFE).

It’s designed on 3 basic principles: (Ellen Macarthur)

• Design out waste and pollution: By focusing on design, the circular economy can eliminate the concept of waste and avoid it ending up in landfills or incinerators
• Keep products and materials in use: In the circular economy, products are reused, repaired, remanufactured, and recycled
• Regenerate natural systems: Instead of continuously degrading nature, the circular economy works to build natural capital

As the world’s population grows, the demand for raw materials increases. To ensure we’ve got enough raw materials, implementing the circular economy is vital (European Parliament)

Why there is a move to the circular economy

From a New Zealand perspective, there are government policies that are helping move the country to a circular economy. The most important ones are the Waste Minimisation Act, the Zero Carbon Act, and the Resource Management Act.

Waste Minimsation Act

The Waste Minimisation Act 2008 encourages New Zealanders to reduce the amount of waste we generate and dispose of. Overall, the goal is to reduce the environmental harm of waste and provide economic, and social and cultural benefits to the country (MFE).

Zero Carbon Act

The Zero Carbon Amendment Act 2019 provides a framework so New Zealand can develop and implement clear and stable climate change policies (MFE).

Resource Management Act 1991

Focusing on sustainable resource management, this Act considers the impact of activities on the environment. As well as managing air, soil, fresh water, and costa marine areas, the Act also regulates land use and its infrastructure as they are important parts to planning the future of New Zealand (MFE).

When implemented correctly, the circular economy can tick off many of the goals. It can be complicated to implement if transitioning from linear to circular, but the benefits win out in the long run. There is, however, a much easier way to become a part of the circular economy - using Interbloc concrete blocks in your projects.

Envirocon Makes It Easy

Our world is built on concrete, and in New Zealand we produce over 10 millions tonnes of it per year. About 300,000 tonnes of this high quality certified concrete will end up as waste, simply because it can not be used before it dries. This is not the fault of the manufacturers or customers of concrete companies - it's simply a reflection of the practicalities of ready mix concrete.

Waste in the construction sector isn’t just limited to concrete. Bad design of traditional building materials creates waste during the build process, and waste at the end of life of the structure through destructive dismantling.

Eliminating waste is why Envirocon exists.

We work with NZ’s leading concrete companies to divert high quality excess concrete to produce precast concrete construction systems. Success requires products which can be mass produced, yet provide flexibility in application and superior functionality.

We achieve this through innovative product and system design.

We think about the people who will use our blocks, and the places our blocks will be used. We think about how the needs of a structure may change over time, and what will happen at the end of its life.

Our designs harness the power of simplicity, because simple products are fast to learn and easy to use.

From this comes Interbloc and Stonebloc. At the core of the systems is a concrete block. The block designs look simple enough, but when you dive deeper they deliver a powerful combination of benefits.

They start life with low embodied carbon, and continue to reabsorb CO2 over their life.

They reduce time, labour, and materials waste during installation.

They deliver unparalleled durability, increasing the life of the structure.

They can be non-destructively dismantled and reused at the end of life.

It’s CarbonSmart. Low Carbon, Zero Waste.

Embedded carbon is a key element discussed in sustainability. It affects the entire process of a project, including a product’s end-of-life. Recarbonation is also important to the sustainability discussion - it's just talked about less. 

What is embedded carbon?

Embedded carbon (also called embodied carbon) is the amount of greenhouse gas needed to produce materials. It involves the amount of energy consumed to extract, refine, process, transport, and fabricate material. Embedded carbon is expressed as a total, divided into energy from non-renewable and renewable sources (BRANZ).

(The most common areas where embedded carbon can be found)

• Energy is used to dig the raw material out of the ground
• Energy is used to shape clay, sand, and water into blocks
• Energy is used to head the shaped blocks and turn them into bricks
• Energy is used to transport bricks to the site
• Energy is used to move the bricks on site
• Energy is used if bricks are wasted if added to landfill (along with the loss of resource)

To counteract the long-term effects of embedded carbon, recarbonation takes place. 

What is recarbonation in concrete?

Embedded carbon is often discussed in relation to concrete, however, there is an element that is discussed very little - recarbonation. Recarbonation is the absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via concrete during its service life. The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCAA) describes this as a natural process that concrete creates with the carbon dioxide in the air. Concrete can reabsorb up to 100% of the c02 emitted during the calcination of the limestone and the manufacturing process. These “process” emissions account for approximately 60% of the embodied carbon dioxide of concrete (Ready Mix News, April 2022).

How Interbloc and Stonebloc Help the Environment

Interbloc and Stonebloc both help the environment (and meet the government’s environmental policies). Although the process of creating the block systems varies, both product ranges contribute to reducing carbon emissions and provide recarbonation.

Interbloc

Interbloc is part of Envirocon’s product stewardship scheme. The scheme works alongside some of New Zealand’s leading concrete companies with the common goal of utilisting wet excess concrete. Instead of wet excess concrete going into landfill, it is diverted into Interbloc moulds. This reduces the amount of carbon emitted and eliminates a waste stream.

Once Interbloc blocks are cured, that’s when the benefits of recarbonation start to take form. As the blocks are modular, they can be used over and over again. Eventually, this leads to a 100% reabsorption rate of the embedded carbon. 

(Gravity Retaining Wall made with Interbloc Concrete Blocks)

Stonebloc

Stonebloc is not part of the product stewardship scheme, but they do benefit from recarbonation. Like Interbloc, Stonebloc is a modular system that allows for non-destructive dismantling. That means, over time, the carbon emitted will be fully reabsorbed. 

(Gravity Retaining Wall Made with Stonebloc Concrete Blocks)

Wanting the benefit of a concrete block system and recarbonation? Get in touch  to get building with Interbloc or Stonebloc.

Over the past month or so, there has been an increase in ram raids across New Zealand. We knew our concrete blocks could help. So we combined the strength of our 1000KG concrete block with a timber seat to help Kiwi businesses protect their assets, creating BollardBloc. 

The flexibility of our concrete block systems mean we can adapt to your needs fast. Instead of spending a couple of months developing a new product, we simply adapted some of our current range to provide you with a solution. 

Here's some BollardBloc benefits worth highlighting:

• They're not necessarily permanent - unlike other bollard systems, Bollardbloc provides a strong, durable, temporary solution with no additional site works required. As the security threat is reduced the blocks can be removed with ease.
• They enhance street aesthetics - Bollardbloc is designed to look like outdoor furniture. This enhances the public utility of the product while minimising local government and community concerns on the aesthetics.
• They're sustainable - it is a product of the Envirocon Product Stewardship Scheme accredited by the Minister for the Environment under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008. Bollardbloc is manufactured from concrete diverted from landfill, is low carbon, and at the end of life can be repurposed over and over.
• They can be rapidly deployed - installation of Bollardbloc can take as little as 30 minutes.
• They're low cost and financially prudent - lease and purchase options are available, and Envirocon runs a unique Buyback Guarantee on the blocks which means when they are no longer required we will buy the blocks back and repurpose them.

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The race to become sustainable can produce some perverse outcomes. Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCAs) are the perfect example. It's an excellent way to reuse old buildings and footpaths. However, with the wrong initiatives, it can also increase waste and embed more carbon into concrete.  

What are recycled concrete aggregates?

Why RCA's are borderline sustainable

RCA's offer limited environmental benefits. The largest impact RCA's offer is the reduction in requirement for quarrying a finite resource - virgin aggregates. For the most part, virgin aggregate this is an abundant resource in New Zealand. This means that for our country, RCAs can be viewed as a simple cost trade-off compared to virgin aggregates (Infrastructure Resources Study, November 2021).

RCAs often require trucking crushed concrete longer distances, making initial carbon reduction unclear. High carbon belching machinery is then required to crush the aggregate. It then needs to be sorted, stored, and transported again. 

Back in 1988, it was estimated that it takes 5 times the energy to produce RCAs compared to its virgin counterpart. The main difference between the two materials is labour. RCAs need resources/labour allocated to identify and remove materials like plastic, and glass. This process is not needed with virgin aggregates. In terms of transporting these two types of aggregates, it takes 3.8MJ for coarse & RCAs compared to 2.7MJ for fine aggregate (The Environmental Impact of Recycled Concrete, 2012). This is a difference of 1.1 MJs or a 40% difference in energy use.

An alternative solution to recycled concrete aggregates

Like most things in sustainability - there is no magic bullet. Different situations require different solutions. RCA's have their place in the reuse of old concrete post demolition.

However in an effort increase the use of RCA's some preverse practices end up becoming incentavised. Take wet excess concrete. This is the concrete left over at the end of the concrete pour. 

In its wet state, the concrete is perfectly usable, and can be turned into high quality precast concrete products such as Interbloc. Jobs are created during the upcycling of the concrete, and the design of the block means it can be used over and over again. 

Alternatively the excess concrete can be dumped on the ground, left for 28 days and then crushed for recycled concrete aggregate. In the process embedding every more carbon in the RCA to produce a physically inferior substitute product in a market with more supply than demand.

(High-quality excess concrete being added to a Interbloc mould)

Interbloc: Build Faster, Stronger, Safer

Interbloc is a precast concrete wall system with an innovative concrete block at its core. The system is made possible by our product stewardship scheme. We’ve partnered with some of New Zealand’s largest concrete companies to divert their excess wet concrete into the moulds that form Interbloc.

Instead of this high-quality excess being made into RCAs, it’s being used in our modular construction system. The modularity not only allows for fast installation, it means structures can be non-destructively dismantled and used for another project. This is a much more practical answer to sustainability.

Comparing recycled concrete aggregates to Interbloc

The production of Interbloc is efficient, but how does it compare to RCAs? Once the end of the construction phase is complete, Interbloc has 5 associated environmental impacts. RCAs on the other hand would have 10. The environmental impacts of these products are:

Interbloc

1. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of transporting excess concrete to Envirocon’s yard.
2. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of forklifts maneuvering within the yard.
3. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of transporting Interbloc to construction sites.
4. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of lifting cranes (or similar machinery) used for the assembly of Interbloc and heavy machinery used for excavation.
5. A chemical release agent is used to facilitate releasing the blocks from their molds. Around 300 liters of chemical release agent is used per month.

RCAs

1. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of transporting excess concrete to landfills.
2. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of bulldozers (or similar machinery) used to demolish concrete into chunks
3. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of transporting demolished concrete to quarries.
4. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of machinery used to crush demolished concrete into the base course.
5. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of transporting base course to construction sites.
6. CO 2 emissions from diesel consumption of heavy vehicles used for laying and compacting base course.
7. It is expected that the production of RCA in quarries will consume considerable amounts of water.
8. As stated by S. B. MARINKOVIĆ and I. IGNJATOVIĆ (2013) [3], the recovery rate of demolished concrete is expected to be around 60%, which means 40% of the total concrete volume which will go to landfills.
9. Crushing concrete in quarries is also expected to produce a considerable amount of dust.
10. Dumping concrete in landfills requires dedicated spaces.

Interbloc uses less carbon, resources, and processes than RCAs.

To become truly sustainable, begin by using Interbloc.

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The Zero Carbon Act heralds a significant change in the government's approach to managing climate change. Over time, initiatives undertaken as a result of the Act will impact on, and disrupt businesses. We believe we're uniquely placed to help our customers to adapt to meet the flow-on effects of the Act. 

What's the Zero Carbon Act?

Before we jump into how we can help you meet the Act, here's an overview of what the Act is. 

The Zero Carbon Act aims to help limit the global average temperate increase to 1.5 celsius under the Paris Agreement. 

The Zero Carbon Act goals are to:

• Set a new domestic greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for New Zealand to:
• Reduce net emissions of all greenhouse gases (except biogenic methane) to zero by 2050
• Reduce emissions of biogenic methane to 24–47 % below 2017 levels by 2050, including to 10% below 2017 levels by 2030 (Legislation)
• Establish a system of emissions budgets to act as stepping stones towards the long-term target
• Establish a new, independent Climate Change Commission to provide expert advice and monitoring to help keep successive governments on track to meeting long-term goals.

The Construction Industry is a Key Contributor

A significant contributor to greenhouse emissions is the building and construction sector.  A big part of this contribution is through the carbon 'embodied' in building materials during the manufacturing process. And once a building is complete, energy will continuously be used. Meeting this challenge is about using resources in a smart way to reduce the carbon footprint.

How does Envirocon meet the needs of the Zero Carbon Act?

Envirocon is founded on the principle of ensuring sustainability is both practical and effective. Through great product design and incorporating high-quality surplus resource streams into our manufacturing process, we can deliver low-carbon products that work within existing construction methodologies. 

We call this Practical Sustainability. At the core of the Practical Sustainability approach is an acceptance that;

• Construction is good for the economy and society;
• It improves lives;
• Concrete remains the best building material available to deliver those benefits

From the offset, Envirocon’s goal has been to reuse excess wet concrete that would’ve otherwise been dumped. As the carbon cost is already allocated to the project it came from, the excess concrete that we use to make Interbloc is carbon zero. That's why we call Interbloc a CarbonSmart® solution.

By doing this, we are helping transform New Zealand’s construction sector from a linear economy to a circular economy. The circular economy aims to make sure everything we create can be used for as long as possible and then once it’s reached its end of life, it can be reused.

So when choosing for your upcoming projects, Interbloc can help you achieve your Zero-Carbon Status. This in turn helps you meet the requirements of the Act.

(Interbloc Mass Concrete Blocks on the left, Stonebloc Retaining Wall on the right) 

Get in touch with us for your carbon smart® construction solution.