Technology: Stak Block is the first product of it’s kind, an interlocking, structural and insulating building block made from rice straw, the waste product left over from the rice harvest. This is where the multiple climate benefits of this climate smart building material begins. By removing this waste straw from the fields, enormous amounts of greenhouse gases(GHGs), especially the dangerous and super-heating GHG methane, are diverted from damaging the atmosphere. Also, by using the waste rice straw to form the super-insulating Stak Blocks, 9 lbs of carbon per 30 lb Stak Block are sequestered, thereby also reducing carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e) wherever this technology is employed. The super insulating properties of Stak Blocks, 2.5 times more thermal insulative value than standard wood stud and bat insulation construction, continue the cycle of GHG reduction through the energy efficiency achieved by building with Stack Blocks.
Concept: Stak Block LLC has a simple building solution. Stak Blocks are a hybrid composite building block from the largest agricultural waste crop in the world, rice straw. Through a scalable, low energy-production process, Stak Block LLC can make and sell an almost an unlimited supply of non-toxic, highly insulating, structurally sound, and carbon-sequestering construction blocks.
Context: Common structural materials like wood, steel and concrete require huge amounts of energy to manufacture and distribute, while most common insulating materials, foam and fiberglass, are oil based chemical products. Stak Blocks will be the first truly resource- efficient structural/insulating wall system. It is a direct substitute for standard stud construction and insulation. The blocks will be manufactured where rice is grown, utilizing the annually renewable supply of waste straw that is left over from the harvest. As a locally-produced, 99% renewable content product that sequesters carbon, Stak Blocks are both environmentally friendly and energy efficient easily allowing them to earn LEED credits.
Marketing: The appeal of the Stak Block is that it replaces common building materials, which are high in toxic chemicals, and are labor intensive, with a green product that eliminates wood studs and petroleum based insulation. Its fast, fun and easy to build. Early entry users are envisioned to be builders constructing large insulated warehouses and residential customers who want a green, energy-efficient building alternative to traditional toxic and energy intensive construction. Then ultimately, Stak Blocks will provide a viable solution for public agency driven construction projects such as municipal buildings, low income housing, and highway sound walls. The climate benefits of Stak Blocks will make them a natural fit for government agencies and construction companies working under mandates to reduce GHG emissions and sequester carbon across all projects and contracts.
Business: Stak Block LLC is a California Limited Liability Corporation. The Company holds US and International patents that are issued and pending. Patents issued include 6,951,080 & 7,707,784 & 8,448,410. All patents are managed under the sole ownership of Stak Block LLC.
Additional funding is being raised to accomplish these next steps:
Establishing Stak Block manufacturing facilities to produce Stak Blocks at a large scale.
Securing renewable contracts for waste rice straw at scale with rice producers.
Completing International Code Council-Evaluation Services (ICC-ES) testing and certification processes.
Marketing this revolutionary new building material and its super-insulating benefits.