Concrete block: types and features

The concrete block is a novelty in the building materials market, and the majority refers to them with a fairly large share of suspicion. However, the experience of recent years confirms their reliability, efficiency, and the low price and ease of handling increase popularity. They can be used in the construction of load-bearing and non-bearing walls, in the construction of foundations, fences, etc.

The concrete block can have different:

• Dimensions and shape (smooth or with grooves);
• Filling (heavy concrete, light and cellular).

Blocks of heavy concrete are usually used for the construction of foundations and socles. They are dense and strong, withstand heavy loads, are not afraid of temperature changes and high humidity. In addition, they have strict requirements for dimensional accuracy: the permissible spread does not exceed 2 mm. Blocks of heavy concrete can be reinforced concrete and sand-concrete (they are often used for the construction of private houses). Reinforced concrete is characterized by the presence of a framework of steel reinforcement or wire, which gives them increased resistance to compression and expansion.

Concrete block made of lightweight concrete is more often used in the construction of walls (use it as a heater). To reduce weight add porous materials: slag, expanded clay, pumice, etc. The larger the slag fraction, the easier the concrete block. Depending on the weight, the area of use of the material also changes: large-fraction (light) is used more often as a heater, fine-fractional - for the erection of walls.

Claydite as a filler for concrete - the ideal option for the ratio of price / quality. Blocks of expanded clay concrete have a sufficiently high strength, good sound insulation, low thermal conductivity, minimal hygroscopicity. But the walls of this material necessarily require additional insulation. The shortcomings of this building material also include fragility, inaccuracy of block sizes and processing complexity.

Cellular concrete is the most popular kind of material for private housing construction. Most often there are gas silicate and foam concrete blocks. The price for this kind of material is rather moderate, which, combined with high performance characteristics, has made it popular. The weight of each element is reduced by foaming the bonding element. Products made of cellular concrete have high sound and heat insulation properties, do not burn and have low vapor permeability. The aerated concrete block is convenient in processing: it is easy to saw, cut and drill. In addition, all the "bricks" have the exact dimensions. If you bought blocks of concrete 20x20x40, the deviations in size will not exceed 1-2 mm, which makes it possible to bind them not with cement mortar but with a special adhesive compound. As a result, an almost uniform wall is obtained, which avoids the appearance of cold bridges.

Blocks from foam concrete have not so identical sizes. The tolerance is 5 mm. Therefore, they are placed only on the solution. The advantage of this type of building materials is a lower water absorption. But for heat and sound insulation, as well as in the ease of processing, foam concrete loses aerocrete.