Turning Sawdust into Stone
An innovative German industrial method promises to transform Aberdeen's abundant sawmill waste into fireproof, durable building bricks.
The story, cleaned up
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Aberdeen is most prolific in resources. Even the neighbors who sneer at our superfluous stock of sawdust are liable to have the laugh turned against them. A French writer has found a new use for this apparently useless article, and one that is likely to raise its value considerably and bring it into general demand. The writer in question recommends its use for making plaster, in place of lime, commonly used. His composition consists of two parts dry sawdust, two parts lime, five of sand and one of cement. It is also stated that the Technical Royal School of Charlottenburg has been making a series of experiments with sawdust and has now proved that it can be used as building material. The sawdust is mixed with certain refuse mineral products, and compressed with a pressure of 1,500,000 kilograms to the quadrameter into the form of bricks. After this treatment the sawdust, it is said, forms excellent building material, very light, impervious to wet and utterly inflammable. A slab of this substance was placed for five hours in a coal fire, and came out of the test intact.
“A slab of this substance was placed for five hours in a coal fire, and came out of the test intact.”
Aberdeen's history is defined by the boom and bust of the timber industry. Finding value in 'waste' products remains a recurring theme for Pacific Northwest towns looking to pivot from raw commodity extraction to sustainable manufacturing.
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