An important feature in many building designs of today is sustainability. Whether it’s the cost savings or simply knowing that a building is doing its part in reducing the carbon footprint, sustainable construction has many benefits. Concrete masonry products inherently provide numerous environmental benefits including their long life-cycle, energy efficiency, and use of locally sourced materials. County Materials is committed to helping our customers and communities achieve green building goals by offering sustainably made and long performing products.
Crafted with Sustainability in Mind
County Materials manufactures a variety of concrete masonry units that support sustainable practices and design. Our products are locally-sourced from abundant natural resources, making them a practical choice for sustainable construction and reducing the carbon footprint for hauling heavy materials. We also offer products that are produced with pre-consumer recycled content in the manufacturing process, including our Premier Ultra® Burnished Masonry Units and Heritage CollectionTM Designer Concrete Brick.
County Materials manufactures several varieties of concrete masonry units that are uniquely engineered to enhance R-values, resulting in better energy performance. Open Cell Insulating Units are manufactured with smaller, ¾” thick webs that decrease the area where energy can be absorbed through. These units are lighter weight for easier installation, pass energy code requirements, and meet ASTM C90 specifications for loadbearing concrete units. ProBlock Insulating Units are another option that are uniquely designed to drastically increase R-Values. With fewer and smaller webs, thermal bridging is greatly reduced. When injected with foam insulations, these unique blocks can greatly increase R-Values.
Reducing Energy Costs
In addition to utilizing special thermal concrete blocks, walls can be designed to drastically decrease thermal transfer and heat loss. Constructing a multi-wythe wall not only increases the overall energy savings of a building but allows for the use of a decorative veneer to enhance the attractiveness of a building. Multi-wythe wall design includes several layers of protection that all work to increase the overall R-Value of the system, including the block, insulation, airspace and veneer.
Utilizing concrete masonry products from County Materials can help contribute toward projects achieving sustainable building certifications, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Green building program. Additionally, concrete masonry products can reduce the energy and lifetime maintenance costs of a building. If you are considering sustainable building for your next project, reach out to your local County Materials’ sales representative or contact our customer service department at (800) 242-773 to learn more about the impressive performance of concrete masonry.
