Polystyrene concrete blocks: material for "warm" walls
Doing polystyrene concrete blocks with your own hands, as well as building various structures from them began relatively recently. However, today the material has become quite popular, not least because of its ease of use and outstanding performance.
In the article we describe the features of concrete with a polymer filler, and also give a number of tips for its manufacture and use in construction.
Properties of concrete with a porous filler
Material characteristics
Polystyrene concrete is a kind of lightweight concrete, which contains granules of polymeric material as a filler. It can be used both as a formwork fill for monolithic construction, and as preformed blocks.
As a rule, material properties depend on the ratio of components (concrete / polymer).
According to this criterion, the following groups are distinguished:
- D200 - D300 - blocks of low density, which are used either as a thermal insulation cladding, or for the construction of internal walls with low bearing capacity.
- D350 - D500 - blocks that are used in the construction of internal supporting structures.
- D550 and more - dense materials used for arranging the exterior walls of low-rise buildings.
According to the masonry principle, these products do not differ from other porous concretes. The only thing worth noting is that to minimize the thickness of the seams it is better to use not a cement mortar, but a special glue for polystyrene concrete blocks. It not only provides reliable adhesion of parts, but also reduces the thermal conductivity of the wall.
Advantages and disadvantages
The characteristics of polystyrene concrete blocks make it possible to use them for solving a variety of engineering problems. The main direction of use is energy-saving construction, as well as the construction of structures with a minimum mass (for example, on weak soils).
This material is characterized by both advantages and disadvantages. In the table below, we have tried to present the main arguments for and against:
| Positive traits | Operational deficiencies |
| High heat and sound insulation characteristics. The use of polystyrene concrete products in the construction of supporting structures allows you to save on additional insulation. | Relatively low strength connection with fasteners. Metal anchors buried in polystyrene concrete can eventually cause its destruction. |
| Relatively low weight, which allows you to save on the power base. | Problematic installation of window and door structures: rigid fastening is difficult due to the low density of concrete fencing. |
| Ease of production and processing. The material is well sawn with special devices (costly cutting of reinforced concrete with diamond circles is not required), it is easy to assemble, it has good adhesion both to solutions and to special adhesives. | Relatively low fire resistance: the material itself does not burn, but under the influence of high temperatures quickly loses its strength. |
| Low price. If necessary, you can master the technology of self-production of polystyrene concrete blocks using the simplest equipment. | To protect against moisture, as well as periodic freezing and thawing requires additional plastering. |
| Environmentally friendly and lack of toxins in the composition. | Low vapor permeability can lead to a deterioration of the indoor microclimate, so it is necessary to design ventilation systems with a margin of performance. |
As you can see, it is difficult to call universal blocks from this composite. And yet, the advantages often overlap with possible disadvantages, so that the popularity of the material is constantly growing.
Manufacturing of building modules
The cost of polystyrene concrete blocks depends on their density, as well as on the technologies used in their manufacture.
Today, the following methods are relevant:
- Injection technology, which is the most simple and affordable.
- The technology of volumetric vibropressing, which is usually implemented in industrial enterprises.
Note! The second method is more expensive, but it allows to obtain much more dense building modules.
In some cases, one of the edges of the product is applied a more dense polymer coating - lining. Such a polystyrene concrete prefabricated block does not require protection against moisture, which significantly reduces labor costs during building finishing.
If we need a certain number of such blocks to insulate a wall or build a partition, they can be made independently.
The instruction assumes the following sequence of operations:
- First, prepare the cement mortar, adding plasticizers to concrete products.
- To ensure the porosity of the material, we introduce into the resin saponified resin (LMS), which stimulates the formation of air bubbles.
- Then add granulated polystyrene to the solution (it can be bought in building supermarkets or made from waste foam sheet) and mix thoroughly in a construction mixer.
- The dimensions of polystyrene concrete blocks are determined by the dimensions of the formwork into which the liquid material is poured. The formwork can be purchased in finished form, and you can make yourself from thick plywood.
Tip! To make the product easier to remove from the mold, it should be greased with used oil before pouring.
The molding process itself is fairly simple:
- The solution is poured into the formwork, evenly distributing throughout the volume.
- Compaction is not required, since the more pores remain inside - the better the insulation performance will be.
- Drying takes about a day. During this time, it is desirable to keep the surface moist.
- After this time, the blocks are removed from the molds and matured to a final curing of another 5-7 days.
Tip! To speed up drying and improve performance, drying chambers can be used. At about 50 0With the term of the primary curing is reduced to 6 hours.
Conclusion
Polystyrene concrete blocks with lining and without it are actively used in low-rise construction. And the fact that some varieties of such products can be made independently, can not but rejoice economical and practical craftsmen. You can learn more about the technologies described above by viewing the video in this article.