Innovations in the construction materials are on the go. In a span of six years, Wienerberger Brick Industry Pvt. Ltd is a testimony to this trend that has grown from brick products to integrated brick solutions

The increasing demand for the durability and aesthetic factors in building construction are paving many international construction material manufacturing companies entering India. One such company is Wienerberger Brick Industry Pvt. Ltd. that offers brick solutions for wall, façade, roof and surface. It was set up in India in 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Wienerberger AG. Headquartered in Bangalore, Wienerberger has commissioned a state of the art manufacturing facility at Kunigal in Karnataka to produce Porotherm clay bricks.

Wienerberger India also markets the Koramic range of roof tiles and ArGeTon clay panels for façade solutions in India and these products are available in various colors, textures and profiles to deliver the aesthetic value apart from offering high durability. Sustainability is the key for Wienerberger to make mark in the Indian market. To corroborate this, Mr. Monnanda Appaiah, chief executive officer, Wienerberger India, says, "Wienerberger is over 190 years old and it has been working with clay to produce bricks for all sorts of applications like facades, roofs and wall. Obviously, when you work with such a material over such a long time, sustainability becomes part of your business."

Responsibility towards nature

Wienerberger India uses the most environmental friendly manufacturing processes by adopting the best technology. The company has also drawn out an investment plan involving a phased expansion of its Kunigal factory to address its rapidly growing market. The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kunigal is involved in the manufacture of its Porotherm Perforated Bricks for both in-fill and load bearing masonry.

Mr. Scheuch, who was in India to launch Thermo Bricks and DRYFIX explains, "I strongly believe that the future success of the company lies in progressing into a more integrated building material company which provides systems and solutions for energy efficient and sustainable construction. This strategy will provide us with right answers to developments and trends of the building material industry"

Wienerberger has a commitment towards environment in preserving by extracting clay through a responsible way of excavation process. In addition, it creates natural reserves to store water for agriculture. "We have a responsibility concerning environment and every initiative we take towards that approach. For instance, in one year we are able to reduce over five percent of energy consumption with same production volume through optimization improvements. In addition, all clay products manufactured by our company are designed for centuries of lifespan. They are assessed as the convincing solutions for high value, aesthetical and sustainable buildings," adds Mr. Appaiah.

Products fit functions and aesthetics of building

Earlier times, bricks were looked as functional construction material. Now, technology has intervened to make bricks also usable for aesthetic purposes. "The usages of our products ensure users a healthy indoor climate, sound proven insulation and suitable artistic features. Porotherm is such a good example. We have revolutionized the way of buildings. Architects and builders have recognized these advantages. ," adds Mr. Appaiah.  When it comes to roof tiles, it is important not only to prevent from rain but visual aspect as well. A ventilated façade system called Argeton is a successful aesthetical solution in India, which is mainly used for commercial buildings. Being a natural clay product, it is preferred by many architects following contemporary as well as future-oriented design concepts.

Integrated solutions beyond bricks

Along with different range in walling and roofing solutions, Weinerberger has looked at having integrated solutions. Recently, the company has launched two new products namely Thermo Bricks and DRYFIX System. These two products are beyond bricks for the construction industry.  The launch of its two new lines of products is in keeping with the company's focus on innovative products and realigning itself from being a brick manufacturer to providing comprehensive solutions for the construction industry. While the DRYFIX. system replaces the conventional mortar in masonry, thereby saving on scarce resources such as sand and water, the Thermo Bricks are ideal for external walls in India as they provide  excellent thermal insulation with a U Value of 0.60W/m2K, the lowest in its class that is available in the country today.

"Instead of using traditional sand-cement mortar, we have come up with super glue that binds bricks together that takes care of one very fundamental issue like water and sand which are becoming extremely scarce today. Hence, by using such solutions, we can save on both these components and of course much higher speed of construction. These products are already there in the European markets for many years and we are bringing it to the Indian market now. We are introducing another insulating material in the perforation so that the insulation value more than improves by about 60 percent so to that extent the insulation properties go up," adds Mr. Appaiah.

Wienerberger boasts of 350 projects in the last two years which are mainly residential projects. Banking on the success of its modern brick factory at Kunigal in India, Wienerberger aims to expand in Southern India. "In a span of over two years, our manufacturing facility at Kunigal has been a success story for us.

We are very happy the way our Indian adventure turned out as it is the only and first fully automated and modern brick factory in India.

Box: The product being offered by Wienerberger in India includes:

• POROTHERM (Clay Perforated Bricks)
• TERCA (Clay Facing Bricks)
• KORAMIC (Clay Roof Tile)
• ArGeTon (Clay Ventilated Façade)

EOM

Mr. Heimo Scheuch, CEO, Wienerberger AG, said. "India continues to be a strategically important market for Wienerberger AG and our experience in the last few years have shown the tremendous potential of this market".