From stone-saw waste to energy-saving walls.
StoneCycle manufactures gypsum bricks made with recycled stone powder — the fine waste left behind by stone-cutting saws. The result is a sustainable building block designed for thermal insulation, water resistance and real energy savings.
Mix 2: 10% of the gypsum replaced with recycled stone powder.
Buildings are one of the world's biggest energy users.
How we build — and what we build with — shapes how much energy our homes and workplaces consume for decades. Better wall materials are one of the most direct ways to cut that demand.
of global energy is used by the buildings and construction sector.
of global CO₂ emissions come from buildings and construction.
of global waste is linked to buildings, according to the UN environment programme.
Source: UNEP & GlobalABC, Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction 2024–2025
Every cut stone leaves powder behind.
Stone-cutting workshops produce large amounts of fine stone powder as saws shape blocks and slabs. Usually it is treated as waste. StoneCycle turns it into a raw material, partially replacing gypsum in every brick.
Four mixes, put to the test.
The research compared three mixes, with stone powder replacing 5%, 10% and 15% of the gypsum, against a reference brick made from 100% gypsum.
100% gypsum — the baseline every mix is compared with.
Stone powder replaces 5% of the gypsum.
Stone powder replaces 10% of the gypsum.
Stone powder replaces 15% of the gypsum.
Five tests every brick must pass.
Each mix was measured against the reference brick on the properties that matter for building and for energy performance.
Viscosity
How the fresh mix flows — key for casting bricks consistently.
Compressive strength
How much load the brick carries before it fails.
Setting time
How long the mix takes to harden — it affects production speed.
Water absorption
How much water the brick takes in — lower means better resistance.
Density
How heavy the brick is for its size, which links to insulation.
Source: Shakarna et al., 2023 2nd International Engineering Conference on Electrical, Energy, and Artificial Intelligence (EICEEAI), IEEE, pp. 1–6. doi:10.1109/EICEEAI60672.2023.10590357
Waste powder, real benefits.
The study concluded that recycled stone powder can offer substantial benefits in gypsum bricks — especially for conserving energy in buildings.
Energy savings
Bricks designed for thermal insulation help keep buildings comfortable with less heating and cooling.
Water resistance
Better resistance to water supports more durable gypsum walls.
Less waste
Stone powder that would be discarded becomes a useful raw material.
Less gypsum
Partially replacing gypsum reduces the demand for virgin material.
Made for builders who build green.
Contractors
A sustainable block for partition and interior walls.
Green building projects
Material choices that support energy-efficient design.
Stone-cutting workshops
A destination for powder waste instead of disposal.
Engineers rethinking the humble brick.
Faculty of Engineering & IT
StoneCycle was founded in 2023 by a research team from the Faculty of Engineering & Information Technology, combining materials engineering, sustainable construction and energy efficiency.
Frequently asked questions
What are StoneCycle bricks made of?
Gypsum, with part of the gypsum replaced by recycled stone powder collected from stone-cutting waste.
How much stone powder do they contain?
The research studied three mixes with 5%, 10% and 15% stone powder replacing gypsum, compared with a 100% gypsum reference brick.
How were the bricks tested?
Each mix was tested for viscosity, compressive strength, setting time, water absorption and density.
Why do they save energy?
The bricks are designed for good thermal insulation, which reduces the energy needed to heat and cool a building.
What happens to stone-cutting waste today?
It is usually discarded. StoneCycle turns it into a useful ingredient for building materials.
Built on peer-reviewed research.
Read the IEEE study behind StoneCycle's energy-saving gypsum bricks.
Shakarna, M., Jaradat, O., Kanan, M. A., Shalaldah, A., & Shalaldah, M. (2023). Energy-saving gypsum bricks with recycled stone powder for sustainable buildings. In 2023 2nd International Engineering Conference on Electrical, Energy, and Artificial Intelligence (EICEEAI) (pp. 1–6). IEEE.
https://doi.org/10.1109/EICEEAI60672.2023.10590357