Foam concrete blocks: technical characteristics and

If you want to build a warm house at the lowest cost, then you should think about using foam concrete blocks for this purpose. This warm and relatively cheap material has a lot of positive aspects in comparison with more traditional building materials like brick, reinforced concrete and wood. We will consider it in this article.

A bit of history

First of all it should be noted that foam concrete is not as young as many are likely to believe. A patent for it was issued back in 1890 in Germany. However, it was not widely spread due to the foaming agent that was in short supply at the time, in which was bovine blood.

In the thirties of the next century, pure chance allowed us to talk again about this material. The worker dropped the soap root into a container with lime and cement, as a result of which the solution also began to foam, as was the case with the "bloody" experiments. But this method was still unprofitable for successful industrial production.

But already in our days there were two significant events:

• There were cheap and affordable blowing agents.
• Significantly increased in the price of energy.

As a result, the material in question has become associated with the words “economy” and “heat,” which, at least, already makes one think about its application. The rest of its properties simply will not leave you a choice.

Positive and negative sides

Technical characteristics of foam concrete blocks can be divided into two groups:

Virtues

1. The cost of foam concrete blocks is much lower than most other building materials.. This is partly justified by the fact that a considerable part of them is foam itself.
2. High heat-saving properties. Air bubbles inside the products are excellent insulators of heat.
3. A light weight. Here you can select two positive points at once:

• Lack of need for the strengthened base that allows to save on its filling.

• The absence of complications during the work on the upper floors of the building.

1. Convenient block sizes from foam concrete. They exceed the dimensions of the brick, which makes their installation more convenient and faster. Standard products have the following parameters:

1. A wide range of strength characteristics. You can choose insulating blocks with a lower level of strength or more reliable structural. Also important is the brand of concrete used for casting. Details of these characteristics are displayed in the table:

Tip: if you are aiming only to insulate the wall, then you should focus on the choice of insulating partition wall foam blocks. You should not overpay for unnecessary strength and excess size.

1. Ease of processing. You do not need such a complicated and time-consuming operation as cutting reinforced concrete with diamond circles, a usual hand saw directly on the construction site will allow you to give the block the shape you need.

1. Linear accuracy. The surface of the foam concrete blocks is so even and correct that their fixation can be carried out with a special glue that allows laying with a minimum width of the joint joints. In addition to the aesthetic effect, such installation significantly increases the insulation of the building.

1. Frost resistance. Severe winters cannot harm the structure of the material in question.
2. Inability to attack rodents or insects. Such blocks are unattractive for all known pests.
3. Ecological purity. All components used are of natural origin and absolutely safe for humans and the environment. Only the tree has great environmental friendliness.
4. Огнеупорность. A high level of fire safety in a residential building is never superfluous, while foam concrete guarantees it.
5. Available instruction manual. Installation of foam blocks is much easier than laying bricks, pouring concrete or building a log house.

1. High sound insulation. The peace and quiet of the foam concrete house will create a cozy atmosphere, both for rest and for receiving guests.
2. No rotting and corrosion processeswhich lead to destructive consequences.
3. Ease of communication. Diamond drilling of holes in concrete formed by foaming is not required. With the creation of the necessary holes perfectly pobedit nozzles.
4. Long service life. With proper care, it reaches several decades.

disadvantages

Ideal materials do not happen, the same applies to foam concrete.

But knowing the weaknesses in advance, you can easily get around them:

1. Hygroscopicity. Its foamy structure, due to which such a low thermal conductivity, light weight and ease of processing is achieved, also serves as a good accumulator of moisture.

Tip: it is recommended after erection of foam concrete walls to plaster them or treat them with a special water-repellent solution. So you eliminate the danger of moisture absorption, which can lead to premature destruction of the material.

1. Relative fragility. Strong mechanical impact or fall from a great height can lead to the destruction of blocks. Should be careful when handling them.

Manufacturing

Now let us analyze how the production of foam concrete blocks takes place, for which GOST 25485-89 and GOST 21520-89 are responsible.

Tip: only purchase products from well-known manufacturers, since small contractors often do not adhere to generally accepted standards, as a result of which the material may not correspond to the declared quality.

The process itself is carried out in a few simple steps:

1. The main element is created - foam. For this purpose, special organic foam concentrates are used.
2. The resulting product is immersed in the equipment for the implementation of the batch, along with sand, cement and water.

1. A homogeneous mixture is poured into prepared containers in which the concrete hardens and expands due to the formation of pores. Here there are three possible developments depending on the equipment used:

With a great desire and enough free time to make foam blocks can be at home. Then their price will be even lower for you.

Conclusion

Foam concrete blocks have a lot of excellent qualities that put it on a step above most common materials. They are very warm, which makes them especially popular against the background of the rise in price of energy resources. Cheap, thanks to simple production technology and availability of raw materials. And at the same time, they are also easy to operate, which is largely due to the convenient size, low weight and ease of handling.

The video in this article will give you the opportunity to read more information that is directly related to the above materials.

Use only the best materials in construction.