A Mexican Firm's 'Jigsaw' Brick System Reduces Construction Time, Labor Global Construction Review
go to original September 5, 2016

ARMO SYSTEM Proceso Inductivo (Juan Manuel Reyes)

A Mexican company has developed a “jigsaw” brick that, it says, can halve the time required to build a wall.

Armed Omega says its “Block Armo” system can be assembled without using mortar. Rather, they are fitted together like pieces in a puzzle.

There are six shapes of block, each of which has a cylindrical internal space. Once a wall has been completed, steel rods are inserted into them every 80cm, followed by poured concrete. The result is a hybrid of traditional brick and reinforced concrete that can reproduce the decorative features of traditional brickwork.

The company's video illustrates how the system can be used to build a 25 square meter room in two hours.

It points out that the blocks’ internal spaces can be used to fit mechanical, electrical and plumbing services.

As well as cutting construction time, the company says it reduces costs by 25%. One advantage of the system is that, as the blocks can be fitted together only one way, they can be assembled by relatively unskilled labor.

Armed Omega, which is based in the town of Puebla, 140km to the east of Mexico City, first announced its invention at the end of last year as an entry in Mexico’s National Entrepreneur Week.

Read the rest at Global Construction Review

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