Anybody watching The New Inventors on the ABC last night will have spotted this fantastic local invention that essentially lets you build your own house out of a lego-like brick.
The Benex Blocks are a lightweight, fire- water- and salt-resistant building block that slot together using patented connectors, just like Lego. Unlike traditional bricks, which require a professional bricklayer to lay mortar between each layer of bricks and ensure the wall is built evenly and level, the Benex Blocks only require the bottom layer to be fastened with mortar – every subsequent layer slots together and is stuck together using a special Benex adhesive.
But not only can you build a wall yourself quickly and easily, you can also use regular handtools to cut holes or resize the blocks. You can even screw directly into the blocks themselves without weakening the product. Each large block weighs about 13kg, and measures in at 600 x 200 x 200mm. And if you’re wondering about strength – the CSIRO has rated the blocks as one of the hardest masonry products available.
Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see people making their own houses, brick by brick, using Benex Blocks, just like creating their own Lego homes.
[Benex Blocks – Thanks Mys!]