Nov 26 2004
Professor Geoff Edgell the Building Technology Manager from Research Group at CERAM gave a major presentation to an audience of over 750 delegates at the 50th Anniversary of the Brick Plant Operators Forum in Clemson, South Carolina. The Forum was founded by Dr Gil Robinson and in his memory the Keynote Address was a video of his lecture to the Forum in 1994 on the subject of durability (resistance to frost action) of clay bricks. Dr Robinson’s lecture drew extensively on the published work of former CERAM staff Frank Peake and Bob Ford who developed the CERAM approach to testing which this year saw the 4000th brickwork panel tested.
Geoff Edgell updated the Forum on European developments where the CERAM test is about to be adopted across the whole of Europe and should ensure that trade in the UK in clay bricks is confined to those that are suitable for our climatic conditions. Export of clay bricks meeting the test requirements will be facilitated. Professor Edgell also highlighted developments of the test to assess a range of products for specific projects eg. repaired and simulated Terracotta at Castle Ashby, paving products for the City Centre in Amsterdam and the repair and revitalisation of the Round Foundry area of Leeds City Centre.
The Plant Operators Forum is the key event in the Brick Industry calendar in the USA, held over three days at the Littlejohn Coliseum on the Clemson University Campus it enables on the one hand brickmakers from across the USA to meet and exchange experiences together with hearing contributions of an international flavour as provided by Geoff Edgell.
For more information on bricks, click here.