GoBloc

An Environmentally-Friendly, Durable & Energy-Efficient Building Block

Designed For Ease Of Assembly
PRODUCT

CHALLENGING THE DAY WITH A NEW BUILDING WAY

GoBloc® is an innovative wall system that allows for less construction time, less waste and lower labor costs. The modular blocks are made of a low carbon composite material and designed to maximize building efficiency.

GoBloc® is not altered by moisture, freezing or thawing and demonstrates a very high resistance to combustion. The material contains no hazardous chemicals or glues responsible for release of harmful volatile organic compounds causing human health issues.

GoBloc® uses a composite material made of natural renewable fibers as its main ingredient per volume. These are combined with a selective mineral mix to create required properties of the material. The bio-economy’s commercial activities, such as agriculture and forestry, will assure the required plant and wood fibers are readily available.

A Canadian patent was obtained on the material, the blocks, the assembling design and components of the building system. The assembling design allows for an internal concrete structure to be created as specified by a structural professional.

GoBloc® is truly sustainable and environmentally-friendly at all stages of manufacturing and end-using. The manufacturing process uses little energy or water and does not produce waste materials. The construction process reduces land fill requirements dramatically.

GoBloc® is an engineered material that at the end of its life cycle can be re-used in the manufacturing process. Embodied carbon levels of GoBloc® walls are significantly lower than other competing technologies.

Greenhouse gas emissions are further reduced by value carbon sequestration. GoBloc® allows for effective use of carbon stored in the bio-fibers during growth.

GoBloc® offers a less expensive approach for quality homes, fulfilling a basic need for affordable and energy-efficient housing. Buildings made with this block are structurally solid, well insulated, durable and fire resistant.

Building with GoBloc® can be compared to building with large Lego blocks. These insulating blocks can be interlocked in a continual sequence to build walls. The blocks are assembled as needed for installing concrete reinforcement vertically or horizontally at chosen intervals. This system allows for structural requirements while minimizing the use of concrete.

With GoBloc®, indoor temperatures are easily maintained due to a combined effect of insulation and thermal mass. The insulating building blocks with the mass of the concrete structure, creates high thermal stability when assembled together. GoBloc® allows for passive solar design to heat and cool a building for comfort and substantial energy savings. The thermal performance of the GoBloc® wall system is most advantageous to use as exterior walls.

GoBloc® is durable, surprisingly light for its size and easy to work with. Common construction tools can be used. It allows for wide thread screws to attach other building components onto its exterior or interior surfaces.

The GoBloc® building concept is an architect’s dream come true. The versatility of the material allows builders to integrate interesting forms and shapes and to build higher and stronger while minimizing weight and dead load.
ABOUT US

OUR MISSION IS THE INNOVATIVE USE OF FIBERS FROM THE BIO ECONOMY.

GoBloc^R is representative of a new generation of building materials. It delivers high thermal and environmental performance to building construction. The wall system can be used to build load bearing low-rise residential buildings. GoBloc^R is an affordable, consumer-friendly solution for housing and a sustainable future.

GoBloc^R is an economical building product. All ingredients are easily available and relatively inexpensive. A cost-efficient pilot manufacturing model is under development in British Columbia. The resulting template will help take this unique building technology to other potential markets. This approach offers quality and cost-effective housing while reducing the need for long distance transportation. Local economies will be positively impacted.

GoBloc® achieves high value Carbon Sequestration by innovative use of the bio-economy’s need to recycle and the demand for sustainability in building construction. Further Energy and Greenhouse gases emissions are reduced at all stages of the process. This is due to natural fibers being available regionally, low energy required in the manufacturing process and reduced land fill requirements in the construction process.
OUR STORY

Since 2003, Louis Gagne has been working on a new building material referred to as mineralized natural fiber. Standardization and commercialization is the target. This new material to be manufactured is patented in Canada. The versatile building blocks can be made to suit different building applications. GoBloc® is a sustainable building material based on different residual biomasses available regionally. In Langley BC, a pilot plant is under way using a BC forestry by-product. This innovation is the result of a life time commitment towards practical, economical and truly environmental building materials.

Previously, Louis started working with straw as a building material in 1981. He designed a building system based on straw bales and concrete, and received a grant from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to do fire, thermal resistance and humidity retention tests at NRC's Building Material Laboratories. He did structural tests with Scanada, an independent engineering firm from Ottawa. The results of those tests conducted prior to 1985 confirmed the value of the straw bale and concrete system as developed by Louis, which later became known as the Gagné Method. Louis wrote three reports for CMHC, one report reprinted a number of times by popular demand.

From 1981 to 1998, Louis built straw bale and concrete houses in Québec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Progressively, he improved various aspects of his building technique.

Over the years, Louis was invited to conferences in Canada and Europe. He participated in demonstration building projects to teach people to build their homes with his straw bale and concrete system. Louis' system was meant to be versatile and easily adaptable to self-building. In some cases, people have applied the concept to a post and beam system where straw is the filler providing the insulation. Other techniques have evolved over the years derived from Louis’ system.

The straw bale and concrete system designed by Louis Gagné, as well as other methods that followed, can be said to have "made their way around the world". Reportedly, there are now straw bale houses being built in China, New Zealand and Australia.
TECHNOLOGY
GoBloc®:

Is part of the solution to use renewable raw materials from the Bio-Economy for application
in the construction industry.

Uses recycled natural fibers which are a by-product of harvesting and processing to create
a Low Carbon building material.

Has high quality insulation and thermal mass characteristics that support
Net-Zero Energy buildings.

Is highly resistant to combustion, moisture, freezing and thawing.

Materials do not contain harmful glues or hazardous chemicals.

Follows Zero Waste methods for the construction industry.
Gallery
COMMUNITY

We value Community Economic Development.

• Community based efforts to realize affordable high performance buildings, recycling and renewable energy systems.

• Communities can construct together buildings that are designed for ease of assembly, environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

• Public, social and private sectors partnering to create investment in resilience, sustainability and supportive communities.

• Moving towards a sustainable and low carbon economy while creating local “green collar” jobs to reduce our carbon footprint.
Contact

Reach us directly by phone: 604 926 3352

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