When considering Decolite for a project where environmental concerns are in the fore front, one should consider the following:

Material

The technical composition is as per the attached data sheet. The inner core of EPS is formed from a non-renewable resource as it is a by-product of oil. However, it is a by-product that is being made use of. All the EPS off cuts from the manufacturing process are sent to a company whose prime business is the manufacturing of picture frames.
The outer casing is a combination of polyuria, also a by-product of oil, and fine sand.
Alternatively the casing is composed of an acrylic binder combined with a gypsum and cement system where a smooth concrete lookalike is required

Manufacturing process

The product is manufactured in a factory situated in Chamdor Krugersdorp. The process of cutting the profiles requires very little energy and the shapes are efficiently wire cut by means of a programmable CNC machine. The outer casing is sprayed on, which does require some energy, however there is no large machinery involved in the process. The manufacturing of the system does not require any further cooling or heating.

Transportation

The Decolite profiles are delivered to sites by truck, or small vehicle drawn trailer. We are able to supply all location within South Africa and adjoining Countries while maintaining a low carbon footprint.
Counties further afield are serviced using containerized shipments with the full volume of the container being utilized, as the maximum weight for a container will not be reached using Decolite.
An added advantage to the lightweight nature of the product is that we do not require additional cranage or fork lifts to either load or off load the trucks.

Installation

Decolite’s light weight nature, allows for a low carbon footprint in the installation process. Elements can be lifted in to position by hand and fixed in place either by means of a small mechanical or chemical fixing. Most elements are simply installed from conventional scaffolding, eliminating the need for cranage. Installation is also extremely fast, allowing for large quantities to be installed in the course a day. The process of installing Decolite being quick and simple requires very little energy.

Carbon Footprint

As the system utilizes minimal energy to manufacture, and install, the carbon footprint may be considered low, especially in comparison to conventional building systems. Decolite replaces materials such as concrete, glass re-enforced fiber cement, decorative steel, stone, and many other conventional decorative materials which are heavy and require substantial use of cranage and heavy lifting equipment. In addition to this Decolite allows for the transformation and upgrading of a building in a simple and energy efficient way. Decolite elements used on a project can be removed at any stage and replaced with elements of a revised design to transform the structure’s aesthetics at a later date. From an engineering perspective, using Decolite’s light weight system reduces the carbon footprint of any development, as one no longer requires the large supporting structural elements, which when using conventional building materials, would be the norm.

Re-cyclable

Decolite, once removed from a building, may be re-cycled. It is possible to remove the outer casing and transform the core in to picture frames. The only contribution to land fill would be the outer casing, which is inert and will not contribute to the filtering of harmful chemicals in to the soil.