Manufacturing and dimensions of lightweight aggregate blocks

Currently, at the disposal of developers a huge amount of structural and heat-insulating materials, as the GOST indicates, expanded clay concrete blocks (61.33-99). It is noteworthy that in the construction market you can buy different sizes of artificial stone of this type, therefore, you can adjust the thickness of the walls and partitions.

In addition to the geometric parameters, we are also interested in the technical characteristics and production methods, which will be discussed below, and you can also watch the demonstration video in this article that relates to our topic.

Lightweight aggregate blocks

Note. Lightweight porous material used for construction, which is obtained by burning clay or shale, is called expanded clay. Depending on the size of the fraction, the bulk density of the material can be from 350 kg / m 3 to 600 kg / m 3.

Dimensions

Geometry table

In the photo above you can see the most common size of an artificial stone of this type - 390x190x188 mm, but, as the table of geometrical parameters shows a little higher, claydite-concrete blocks according to GOST 6133-99 may have other dimensions. Everything depends on the need not only in the thickness of the wall, but also in the capacity of thermal insulation, that is, such blocks can be used for insulation, together with other building materials.

Thin blocks of various sizes are used for partitions - their thickness is only 90 mm, which is clearly not enough for both the bearing and self-supporting walls. In this case, the decisive role is played by their large area and low weight - with such parameters, partitions are erected very quickly, without any particular physical difficulties.

It should not be forgotten that imported products may differ in geometrical parameters, but when building an object, this is usually not the decisive parameter when buying building materials. The most important parameters that pay attention in such cases is density, thermal conductivity and frost resistance. And, of course, the price of products.

If you want to know how many lightweight aggregate blocks are in a cube, then you just need to calculate the volume of one unit. For example, for a 390x190x188 mm stone, you need 0.39 * 0.19 * 0.188 = 0.0193308, then 1 / 0.0139308 = 71.783386453 or 72 pieces in one cube. But, since the volume of the lightweight aggregate is different, it must be calculated for each size - the length multiplied by the width multiplied by the height and then one cube divided by the resulting number, converted into meters.

Specifications and manufacturing

comparison table

The relative strength of lightweight aggregate blocks

• For the manufacture of such a stone, a mixture of cement-shortcake dough and expanded clay of different fractions is prepared, so for corpulent blocks, a fraction of 10-20 mm is used for GOST, but for hollow ones, this is already too much, there is no more than 5-10 mm. These indicators are very important, since a hollow stone with a large grain of aggregate will practically lose its compressive strength, therefore, it will be unsuitable as a structural material.

• If you decide to prepare the material with your own hands, then you will need to pre-fabricate for this the shape of the desired size, equipping it with inserts for casting voids. Of course, you can arbitrarily change the dimensions, but it is better to adhere to this Gosstandart - it is more convenient to build masonry. Pour the solution into the prepared form and place it on the vibrating table, adding the mixture as necessary, and then deposit the formed stone for drying, which lasts about 2 weeks.
• We should not forget that the main disadvantage of the claydite-concrete blocks made by the artisanal method is the lack of a certain technology, that is, the instruction on the proportions of ingredients is not observed.. Therefore, it is very important to take into account the brand of cement and the desired brand of concrete, so that aggregates are not more than necessary.

• It is noteworthy that for the Russian regions with a temperate climate, the load-bearing wall of such blocks will be quite enough to maintain the indoor climate.. But, of course, it is better to additionally use insulation for concrete such as mineral wool, foam or foam plaster.

Recommendation. Do not forget that the construction of load-bearing walls of hollow claydite-concrete, if it is not combined with other material at the same time is unacceptable! For bearing and self-supporting walls, only a full-bodied stone of this type is needed.

Conclusion

By and large, the properties of claydite-concrete blocks are mainly considered as materials for insulation of premises. Although load-bearing walls are erected from such a stone, they are most often lined with brick, which serves not only as decoration, but also gives strength to the structure.