LIGNACITE LTD
NORFOLK HOUSE
HIGH STREET
BRANDON
SUFFOLK IP27 0AX
Tel: 01842 810678
Fax: brandonsales@lignacite.co.uk
Suppliers of: Concrete Blocks Masonry Blocks Dense Concrete Blocks lightweight blocks building Blocks Concrete Blocks Concrete Soffit Blocks concrete
Lignacite are a leading manufacturer of concrete and masonry products and have one of the most efficient and modern manufacturing sites in the U.K.
Sustainable and Environmentally Sensitive Manufacturing
Lignacite sets the standards for sustainable and environmentally sensitive manufacturing. Our curing chambers re-use heat given off by the exothermic reaction between cement and water and when additional heat is needed, gas emissions are pumped back into the chambers, where blocks absorb CO2.
All water used at Brandon comes from a on site borehole, and is recycled at up to 5000 gallons / hour. Sand and aggregate quarried on land adjacent to the plant saves around 36,000 lorry journeys over the period of extraction. The land is then restored on an annual basis for wildlife conservation.
Main Product Ranges:
Lignacite ECO Range Concrete Blocks
Lignacite ECO concrete blocks are available with either 50% or 70% recycled content. They have been designed to reduce the embodied carbon impact of construction while meeting evolving planning regulations.
Each block is backed by an independently verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), providing transparent and reliable environmental performance data to support sustainability goals. In addition, we offer delivery using HVO (hydrogenated vegetable oil) fuelled vehicles, reducing the carbon embodiment for delivery by at least 90% compared to diesel.
Standar Range Concrete Blocks
All our products are Kitemarked as conforming to BS EN 771-3 Aggregate Concrete Masonry Units. They comply with category 1 Masonry Units and are manufactured under a quality assurance scheme assessed and certified to BS EN 9001:2000 by the British Standards Institute.
Lignacite GP Medium DenseBlock
- Lignacite General Purpose (GP) blocks are medium density and suitable for a wide range of applications above and below ground. They are robust and durable and have a textured face, which provides an excellent surface for mortars, renders and plasters.
- Manufactured to BS EN 771-3, Ligancite GP blocks contain a proportion of recycled materials, and their sustainability performance has been verified through an Environmental Performance Declaration (EPD).
Lignacite Standar Block range (Medium Dense)
- Lignacite concrete blocks are fine textured and available with a paint grade or fair face finish. Manufactured to BS EN 771-3, Lignacite blocks are robust and durable with a technical performance that makes them well-suited to most applications. The blocks’ unique mix design (consisting of cement, fine aggregates and recycled graded-wood particles) accounts for their outstanding technical performance.
- The 140mm width version (known as Lignacite SP) has a specially formulated mix that optimises the block density to produce a solid block with a unit weight of less than 20kg. There is a slight colour difference between Lignacite SP and 100mm Lignacite blocks.
Lignalite 190mm Lightweight Blocks
- Lignalite blocks provide combine ease of handling with thermal efficiency and are available in standard and paint finish grades.
- Available in a 190mm block thickness, when compared to more slender walls, Lignalite blocks can be used to create greater spanning walls saving on vertical or horizontal supports.
- Manufactured to BS EN 771- 3, Lignalite blocks are tough, durable and suitable for all types of buildings.
Fibo 850 Ultra Lightweight Blocks
- Fibo 850 ultra lightweight concrete blocks are available in 100mm and 140mm thicknesses. They are suitable for general-purpose walling applications and provide a strong background for applying plasters, renders and fixings. Fibo 850 blocks are easy to handle and provide great thermal efficiency values.
- Manufactured to BS EN 771-3, they consist of expanded clay aggregates and a mixture of other naturally occurring raw materials and cement. The clay aggregate is produced from carefully selected clays, which are bloated through heat expansion to create a low density, porous aggregate with numerous cavities. This makes Fibo 850 incredibly light and thermally efficient.
Lignacrete Block range (Dense)
- Lignacrete dense concrete blocks are robust and durable with a technical performance that will fulfil most applications. They are manufactured to BS EN 771-3 and are available in standard and paint grade (close textured for direct painting). High strength blocks up to 30N/mm² are available for demanding, loadbearing designs.
- Generally, blocks have a face size of 440mm x 215mm. However, Lignacrete 140mm Midi blocks have a face size of 290mm x 215mm and have been developed for easier handling while retaining the performance of conventional-size solid blocks.
Coursing Blocks
- Achieve uniform performance throughout a wall with Coursing Blocks. With a face size of 440mm x 65mm, you can remove the need for on-site cutting, which reduces waste and improves productivity.
Further technical information is available to download from the BPi download Library or directly from the manufacturer’s own website.
Lignacite launches carbon-cutting ECO Range to power sustainable construction
New block in town: Lignacite launches carbon-cutting ECO Range to power sustainable construction
A multi-award-winning masonry supplier has unveiled its new range of eco-friendly blocks to sustainably power a British building boom.
The new Lignacite ECO Range initially features concrete blocks made of 50% and 70% recycled materials – the Lignacite ECO 50 and Lignacite ECO 70. These lower-carbon blocks harness the power of recycled sand and wood particles, among other ingredients, to create a sustainable solution that maximises durability.
The result is a block which can offer up to 70%¹ reduction in embodied carbon compared to their standard counterparts. A project which uses 500m² of Lignacite ECO, for example, would save the carbon equivalent of either planting 300 trees, boiling 152,500 litres of water or 1,060 hours of train travel when compared to Lignacite Standard blocks².
The launch comes as the Government continues to push to get Britain building, with the range offering specifiers a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional blocks.
Giles de Lotbiniere, Chairman of Lignacite, said: “Our new ECO Range offers the same strength and reliability our customers expect – but these blocks aren’t just tough on performance, they’re kinder on the planet.
“Through this range, we’re cutting carbon, not corners – utilising recycled materials to provide the industry with a high-performance, eco-enhanced block that tackles one of the world’s greatest challenges.
“As with all our products, the ECO Range is supported by an extensive range of certifications, meaning our customers can rest assured they’re purchasing a product which provides maximum performance and reliability.”
Both the Lignacite ECO 50 and Lignacite ECO 70 have independently verified Environmental Product Declarations, issued by EPD Hub, guaranteeing their environmental credentials. This is further bolstered by the BES 6001 V4.0 accreditation for responsible sourcing³.
Testing has found both blocks match their standard counterparts in weight, strength and thermal conductivity, while providing excellent weighted sound reduction, fire resistance and air tightness.
Their sustainable credentials can be further boosted with delivery via hydrotreated vegetable oil-powered trucks, reducing carbon emissions during transport by at least 90% under A4.
Lignacite blocks have been used on some of the UK’s most iconic buildings – from The Shard to London Stadium and Battersea Power Station to Google’s UK Headquarters.
The business gave its factory in Brandon a multi-million-pound uplift in 2023, making it capable of producing approximately 7,000m2 of blocks per day – the equivalent needed to build around 65 three-bedroom homes.
It also has a second highly productive site in Nazeing, Essex, which serves the London and South East markets.
Mr de Lotbiniere added: “At Lignacite, we have been at the forefront of the construction industry for almost 80 years, relied on for some of the country’s most prestigious developments.
“The launch of our ECO Range further cements our position as an industry leader and demonstrates our commitment to crafting sustainable solutions.”
More information on the Lignacite ECO Range, including a calculator tool to better understand the possible carbon savings, can be found at: eco-range.lignacite.co.uk.
Lignacite - Everything you need to know about recycled aggregates
As environmental awareness grows, architects, builders and developers are seeking ways to reduce the footprint of their projects and make them more sustainable – from the building materials they use to the methods of construction and transport. In this article, we look at how recycled aggregates can support those goals and help to reduce the environmental impact of your next project.
What are recycled aggregates?
Recycled aggregates are a type of secondary aggregate. These are materials that have been salvaged from elsewhere, as opposed to primary aggregates, which are sourced from the natural environment.
The most common recycled aggregates are:
Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA): Usually crushed concrete, salvaged from construction, demolition and excavation waste (CDEW).
Recycled asphalt: Derived from old roads and railways.
Industrial byproducts: Waste, such as slag and fuel ash, are often repurposed as aggregates.
Agricultural waste: Straw, husks, bamboo and hemp can also be recycled.
Before being used in construction projects, materials are sorted and crushed into uniform sizes. They are then refined and screened to remove impurities such as dust and soil, and tested for size, cleanliness, strength and moisture content.
While recycled aggregates may vary in size to suit different construction needs, they must be inert, which means they won’t chemically react with other materials.
To encourage the adoption of recycled aggregates in the construction industry, the UK introduced the WRAP Quality Protocol in 2013. This sets standards and provides guidelines to ensure that materials meet consistent quality requirements.
What are recycled aggregates used for?
Recycled secondary aggregates are versatile and have a broad range of applications. They are commonly used as hardcore for road construction. They can also be used for landscaping, paths and pavement, as well as foundations and drainage and fill material in place of natural gravel.
Recycled aggregate materials can also be used as a coarse aggregate in new concrete and concrete blocks.
The benefits of using recycled aggregates in construction
There are many benefits to using recycled aggregates in construction.
Versatile
As mentioned, they can be used across a broad range of applications in construction, landscaping and infrastructure.
Cost-effective
They are often cheaper to buy than primary aggregates and can be sourced locally, helping to reduce transportation costs.
Environmentally friendly
There are numerous environmental benefits, as outlined in the next section.
The environmental impact of recycled aggregates
There are numerous environmental benefits to using recycled aggregates. The primary advantage is that it reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill. As such, their use contributes to the circular economy, giving new life to materials that would otherwise go to waste.
A related benefit is natural resource conservation. By using recycled materials, the need to mine or quarry virgin primary aggregates is reduced. This helps to protect habitats and limits environmental disruption.
The use of recycled aggregates can also lower a project’s carbon footprint. Because primary aggregates are not extracted, there is no carbon cost associated with it and recycling generally requires less energy.
In addition, recycled aggregates can often be sourced locally, so it reduces emissions from transportation.
Using recycled aggregates in concrete blocks
Recycled aggregates have long been used to make concrete blocks and Lignacite is proof of that! For more than 80 years, we’ve been incorporating recycled wood particles in our concrete blocks, along with recycled sand and other industrial byproducts.
Does using recycled aggregates affect concrete strength?
The answer isn’t straightforward. It depends on a variety of factors, including the quality of the source material and how it was processed. Concrete strength can also be affected by the volume of recycled material used, the overall mix design and the intended application of the concrete.
What types of recycled aggregates are good for concrete?
This will depend on how the concrete is going to be used and the conditions it will need to withstand.
Generally, RCA derived from construction waste is a strong candidate for use in concrete. This is because it has similar properties to the rest of the material. Recycled brick may also be used, but care must be taken because it can be more absorbent than primary aggregates. Slag products from steel production and blast furnaces can also be a good option.
At Lignacite, we have consistently used recycled aggregates in our blocks. Graded wood particles have been used since the company was launched back in 1947. Sourced from soft-cure timber off-cuts, this recycled aggregate is great for carbon capture. Our blocks have excellent compressive strength and fire ratings, while contributing to sound insulation, making them an ideal choice for a wide range of buildings.
Ash is used in our medium-density blocks, such as those in our Lignacite GP range. This inert and lightweight aggregate is recovered from power stations and makes a great recycled material for concrete blocks.
Sand is a commonly used aggregate in concrete too. Its fine particles help to add density and strength to concrete blocks.
Find out more about our raw materials
At Lignacite, we are always looking for ways to minimise our impact on the environment, using recycled materials to make our blocks whenever possible. Find out more about the aggregates we use.
