ShelterWorks Nets Grant for Recycled Brick

An Oregon company got a grant to get their green building product tested in hopes of wider distribution.  Looks promising.  From Sustainable Business Oregon:

ShelterWorks, which operates out of a former lumber mill in Philomath, will work with seismic experts at Portland State University's InfraStructure Testing & Applied Research Lab to generate specific seismic information about the building material that will make it easier for engineers to use it in building projects.

So far, the company's Faswall-brand building blocks — which contain 85 percent chipped pallet wood and 15 percent cement — have been sold mainly to residential builders. The blocks are a greener alternative to conventional wall framing or other insulated concrete form blocks. ShelterWorks blocks have been used in a few commercial projects but research data is expected open up the market for the product by simplifying the engineering process.