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| LaterSAIE: The exhibition dedicated to brick and its applications in building An exhibition area of around 4, 000 square metres at SAIE 2005, the International Building Show, will be entirely given over to LaterSAIE. This “show within the show” will provide a comprehensive overview of a material that has evolved radically over time to response to the changing needs of architects and builders. A traditional and at the same time an innovative, high-performance and sustainable material, developed by an industry whose priority is constant improvement in the context of radical changes in production methods, brick has been increasingly used in building in recent years, thanks to the countless solutions proposed by manufacturers. Innovation and sensitivity to sustainability issues – qualified as “the environmentally sustainable production of an environmentally sustainable product” – are highlighted in the voluntary agreement recently signed in Rome between the Environment Ministry and ANDIL Assolaterizi regarding the sustainability of the clay products industry. This is a hugely important initiative by which the environment ministry supports industry through its direct involvement, recognising the technical and environmental qualities of brick and brick construction. The brick industry sees environmental concern as an important resource in terms of competitiveness for its firms, and its innovative industrial model is a template for other sectors to follow. Reductions in energy consumption, clay and CO2 emissions (over 32% since 1980) are some of the pluses of Italy’s brick industry, which heads the global rankings in terms of quality and quantity, with aggregate turnover of around €1, 500m and 10, 000 employees at over 200 factories. It is quite rightly called a “clean industry” since, among other things, it has signed an “environmental commitment charter” and produced important environmental reports. The sensitivity of Italy’s brick industry to the environment is also borne out by the commitment – announced some years ago – to regenerate clay quarries and by the adoption by Andil Assolaterizi member factories of BAT methods (the best available), even before they were defined by the European Union. The extremely dynamic brick industry organises a series of initiatives aimed at disseminating this culture of sustainable production and promoting awareness of brick and its possible uses. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |