Unit masonry and cast stone producer CalStar is the first to offer products meeting ASTM C1790-14, Standard Specification for Fly Ash Facing Brick, which recently cleared Committee C15 on 
Manufactured Masonry Units.
“Development of an ASTM standard requires several years of work and an immense commitment from key players within a building product category; as such, the creation of C1790 further affirms the importance and relevance of the fly ash brick category,” says CalStar CEO Joel Rood. “[Our] leadership in developing the category and driving the standard creation has both fostered acceptance for this growing technology and opened the door for future applications that combine performance with resource conservation through use of fly ash.”
“As the pioneer in fly ash brick technology, CalStar has subjected its masonry products to significant and extensive testing, often above and beyond industry counterparts,” adds Vice President of Engineering Julie Rapoport, Ph.D., P.E., LEED AP. “With the creation of ASTM C1790, product specifiers and end users have additional validation of the product category, in a format that is fully understood and accepted by all parties within a project team.”
Now producing unit masonry from its Wisconsin flagship plant and a new, larger Mississippi satellite, CalStar uses fly ash as an alternative to clay for its bricks, thereby eliminating the need for kiln firing. The process requires 81 percent less energy while emitting 84 percent less carbon dioxide compared to clay brick production.
Related article: CalStar begins production at two-line, Mississippi masonry plant