Foam concrete manufacturing - technology, materials and

The market of building materials is quite diverse, so you can often get confused when choosing the necessary. At the moment, the independent construction of residential houses is gaining popularity again. This article will be devoted to foam concrete - cellular concrete, which can be made even with your own hands.

About foam block and materials

Today it is not necessary for the construction of the dacha extension to attract the power of hired workers.

For example, you can independently:

• make brickwork;
• pour floors;
• block the roof.

In this case, it will be about the manufacture of foam blocks, which will be used as the main building material. The price for them is quite affordable, however, if you have the necessary technical knowledge, you have every chance to save even at this stage. The production of foam blocks usually has a 300% profitability, and you can organize it without much material investment.

Tip: for your own home does not necessarily follow the perfect shape of products.

Foam block is called foam concrete, which is enclosed in a certain form. Before you learn how to make it yourself, you should master the process of production of foam concrete.

Prepare the following materials for work:

• M400 cement and above, while avoiding any additives in its composition;
• sand, but remember that in the manufacture of insulating concrete, it is not needed; if concrete density is 550 kg / m³ and above - add crushed or natural sand;
• water;
• frother (add foam to the homogeneous mixture, its density is from 80-85 g / m³: if it is smaller, the number of pores in the foam block will increase, and this will cause its rapid destruction;
• special equipment.

Technology

If you think that you will need a lot of materials for the production of foam concrete, we hasten to please you, the costs will be significantly lower than when you buy branded foam blocks. The most expensive is cement, other components are only a quarter of the total cost.

Agree, the picture is quite interesting, but you should also take into account the difficulties that may arise in the production process of foam concrete blocks, which may entail additional costs. It is also necessary to calculate the cost of special equipment, as well as the fact that you will be the first to make foam concrete. There is also a high probability that the first time it will not be possible to achieve the required quality of the solution.

Pay special attention to the forms, as it is from them will depend on the future appearance of foam blocks and their overall dimensions. Among them, the main parameter is the width, as it affects the thickness of the masonry.

If you decide to build a garage - 200 mm is enough, while building a house it cannot be less than 300 mm. You can make the necessary equipment yourself or buy it in the trade network.

Immediately it should be said that the purchased device can sometimes not suit you according to a number of characteristics, then you will have to modify it yourself. The easiest way to make forms for foam concrete blocks, using any material, but it should have 2 basic qualities - evenness and keep dimensions under the weight of concrete.

Tip: if you are at a dead end and do not know how to dismantle reinforced concrete structures, you will be able to cut reinforced concrete with diamond circles.

We make forms

They should be cells in a large box with dimensions corresponding to the dimensions of the future block.

You can make them from:

• metal;
• plywood;
• boards.

The main plus of self-made foam blocks is the arbitrary shape and size of the finished product. Products with dimensions of 600x300x300 mm are suitable for building a house, although you can use others, but you should obey the rule - the length should be a multiple of the width or height.

Tip: Often we need to make a through channel in concrete goods, but this is beyond the power of ordinary tools. In this case, the output - diamond drilling holes in the concrete crowns of the desired type and size.

Sample plywood form

1. Cut out the plywood sheet bottom, the dimensions of which correspond to the length and width of the box.
2. We also manufacture its outer walls.
3. We bring down 5 plywood blanks so that they resemble a box. At the same time, its dimensions must be made slightly larger than a multiple of the length and width of numbers. This is due to the thickness of the partitions, which should also be taken into account.

For example, with a length of 1500 mm, 5 blocks and 4 partitions between them will fit in a box. Also calculate the width of the form.

1. Install the partitions in the finished box and secure with nails.

Tip: do not use spacers or different corners, you will have a foam block with a corresponding cutout from them, or you simply can not pull out the whole product from the mold.

1. Oblige partitions with polyethylene before filling the mold with concrete. This will protect the plywood from moisture, and the finished unit will be easier to get out of the cell, even without disassembling it. For independent work, it is enough to make about 60 or less cells.

Foam concrete production

Process - it is necessary to mix previously prepared stable foam with cement mortar. As a result, small air bubbles will form in the concrete, reducing the overall density of the material and making the blocks lighter.

Пену производят с помощью пеногенератора. Аппарат смешивает воздух, воду и специальный пеноагент, для его работы требуется компрессор. Полученная пена выводится наружу, а конечная цена foam concrete зависит от ее использования.

High-quality foam generators produce concrete more technologically - it has a lower density and greater strength, which is not achieved on obsolete single-stage cavitation machines. They provide an opportunity to manage the process and eliminate problems in time of foaming. In addition, a good foam generator can significantly save the amount of foaming agent? up to 0.5 l / m³.

During operation, do not forget that the consumption of foam should not exceed 1.5 liters per 1 m³ foam concrete:

1. Saving foam agent.
2. Affects the hardening process of the product. If you use too much foam, this time will increase, which will reduce the strength of the unit.

Вам также понадобится бетоносмеситель, где можно быстро перемешать ингредиенты. В принципе, его можно заменить ручной работой, используя лопату и большую емкость. Одно из основных преимуществ самостоятельного изготовления foam concrete – существенное снижение затрат и относительная простота процесса.

Conclusion

If you do not want to overpay for branded foam concrete blocks - make them yourself, the optimal instructions are offered above. In this case, you will need to purchase not only materials, but also equipment. The video in this article will help you find additional information on this topic.