Transforming demolition materials into valuable resources on site

The brick cleaner devised by the Danish company, which is part of NG Nordic group, was recognised by the judges, who commended the innovation for making brick recovery and reuse more efficient.

“By reducing cleaning time, the machine supports the circular economy and can help contractors cut costs while creating a new income stream,” they commented in their statement.

The purpose-built mobile brick cleaning machine is designed to process recovered bricks directly on demolition sites, removing mortar without damaging the bricks and allowing them to be reused in new construction.

On-site processing provides an alternative to manual cleaning or transporting materials to stationary facilities, while reducing the likelihood of bricks being crushed for lower-value applications.

(L-R) Host Matt Dawson with Christian Gravholdt (P. Olesen), Are Strøm (NG Nordic), Peter Olsen and award presenter Patrick Frye, EDA president (Image: KHL)

The machine has demonstrated the ability to recover up to 80% of intact bricks for direct reuse, with reported environmental benefits of up to 104 kg CO2e savings per tonne.

In addition to its technical performance, the machine has been designed with a strong focus on occupational health and safety, reducing manual handling, exposure to hazardous dust and improving overall working conditions on demolition sites.

During the cleaning process, an integrated swing crane reduces repetitive lifting and manual material handling. The machine can also be connected to an industrial vacuum system with a capacity of up to 10,000 m³/h to capture dust and fine particles, including quartz dust.

Electrical power means the machine produces no local exhaust emissions, while also reducing operating noise compared to similar diesel-powered equipment.

Where traditional demolition practices typically result in downcycling or disposal of bricks, this solution introduces a fundamental shift, according to P. Olesen.

By transforming demolition materials into valuable resources on-site and in real time, the machine enables a new, circular approach to construction – where materials retain their highest possible value.

“This award serves as an international recognition of a solution that enables bricks to be cleaned and reused directly at the demolition site,” said the company after the ceremony in Madrid.

“It is the result of a collective effort. A big thank you to all colleagues, partners and other stakeholders who have contributed their knowledge, dedication and hard work along the way and a special thank you to the team who turned an idea into reality.”