The factory can produce 8,000 Lego-like blocks each day, enough to build a school or 10 townhouses in a week.
The mobile brick factory from Mobile Crisis Construction (MCC), Australia, transforms rubble from destroyed buildings into stackable bricks that do not require mortar, as reported by New Atlas on July 30. After years of development, the first mobile brick factory is en route to Ukraine to aid in rebuilding housing and infrastructure.
The mobile brick factory is compact and fits into a standard container. (Photo: MCC).
MCC’s mobile brick factory is quite compact, transportable within a standard 6-meter container and can be rapidly deployed in disaster-stricken or war-torn areas, utilizing rubble and waste materials. While the factory is not entirely self-sufficient, it still requires a diesel generator for power and a crusher to grind materials into fine powder. This powder is then mixed with a small amount of cement and water. In addition to rubble, waste materials such as plastic bottles, glass, and tailings (waste material produced during ore processing) can also be utilized.
When operational, the factory can produce 8,000 LayGo Blocks daily, sufficient to construct a school, three large houses, or ten townhouses in a week. Unlike conventional bricks, LayGo Blocks are designed to interlock without the need for mortar—a material that is scarce in many regions. They can be manufactured in various sizes, including 100 x 100 mm, 200 x 100 mm, 300 x 100 mm, and 240 x 120 mm.
LayGo Blocks interlock without mortar and have holes for rebar placement. (Photo: MCC).
The molds will be adjusted to produce flat bricks for window sills and the top row of a wall. The factory is also capable of producing bricks with varying heights in case horizontal stacking is required instead of vertical. The bricks need seven days to cure before they can be used for construction, reaching maximum strength after 28 days.
The mortar-free design allows even unskilled workers to easily construct walls. Each brick has holes for rebar placement, increasing the sturdiness of the structure. MCC stated that this new type of brick and the walls built from them can withstand earthquakes, fires, and storms, even more effectively than traditional brick walls.
Although the factory assists in building brick walls, finishing tasks such as flooring, roofing, and installing plumbing and electrical systems still require skilled labor. Initially, the factory will serve the reconstruction efforts in a relatively safe area near Kyiv, but MCC hopes to expand operations to other locations.
