The difference of aerated concrete from foam concrete by the

Block products such as aerated concrete and foam concrete have already taken their positions in the construction market. The composition of such materials is almost the same, but they have different properties, which necessitates the existence of two types of blocks.

Most construction companies offering construction and repair services using such cellular materials do not consider it necessary to explain in detail why such products should be used in construction.

But in the event that it is decided to carry out construction and repair with your own hands, you should get acquainted in advance with the basic properties, as well as the differences between these two types of building blocks.

Terminology

First of all it should be noted that both of these materials belong to the group of concretes, called cellular, created on a lightweight cement base. The main feature of blocks of this type is the presence in the structure of numerous pores or cells, due to which they are endowed with many useful properties. There are several classifications of cellular concrete.

The method of formation of cells

According to this feature, these products are divided into three main groups:

1. Gas concrete;
2. Foam concrete;
3. Gaseous concrete.

Solidification method

Porous concretes are divided into two by the method of solidification;

1. Autoclave. This method involves the solidification of the solution in a special tank under high pressure and the presence of saturated water vapor;
2. Non-autoclaved This method involves the freezing of concrete in a natural environment without pressure. Such blocks are heated in the process of drying using electric discharges.

Note! In the process of solidification of the solution by the non-autoclave method, treatment with saturated water vapor can also be used.

The differences between foam concrete and aerated concrete blocks are quite significant, because these two materials are different:

• By the method of manufacture;
• By composition;
• According to the characteristics.

Blocks of these two types behave in the process of operation completely differently.

Features of production processes

The first thing aerated concrete differs from aerated concrete is the method of producing blocks from two different solutions. All these differences can be seen by considering the comparative characteristics presented in Table 1.

Talitsa №1 "Differences in the production process of blocks of two types"

Note! The cutting of aerated concrete into blocks is carried out by the string method, which ensures a perfectly smooth surface and minimizes the seam distance between the blocks in the process of laying. For cutting concrete can be used to cut reinforced concrete with diamond circles.

The main differences of porous materials

Despite the fact that the same instructions and regulatory documents apply to the production processes of both of these products, there are still differences between aerated concrete and foam concrete.

And what they are can be found in the following list:

• Moisture and frost resistance. На эти два параметра влияет в первую очередь технология изготовления. Gas concrete впитывает воду, как губка, а пенобетон проявляет большую влагостойкость. Но несмотря на данные характеристики, кладку из таких блоков не оставляют без отделочного слоя, что обычного ограждает и тот, и иной тип пористого бетона и от влаги, и от минусовых температур;
• Strength. Показатель плотности в обоих случаях одинаков и может быть равен величине от 300 до 1200 кг/м3. На практике же газобетон и пенобетон одинаковой плотности имеет различную прочность, и пенобетон уступает газобетону по данном показателю. (См. также статью Уплотнение бетона: как сделать.) Но прочность пенобетона зависит напрямую от пенообразователей, добавленных в состав раствора. А так как цена данных веществ довольно высока, многие производители хитрят, используя дешевые добавки. Таким образом пенобетон получается неоднородным с различным уровнем прочности на разных участках. Gas concrete же наоборот однороден в каждой точке блока;

• Environmental friendliness. Autoclaved aerated concrete has less environmental friendliness, since as a result of a chemical reaction between lime and aluminum, hydrogen is formed, which does not completely leave the solution;
• Insulation parameters. The denser the cellular structure, the worse its thermal insulation. Therefore, the foam is considered the best heat insulator than aerated;
• Geometry. The dimensions of aerated concrete blocks, in connection with the factory production, have the most accurate parameters. But foam blocks have an unstable size as a result of the production method, because they can be made directly on the construction site.

Council If necessary, in the process of construction and repair work, or even during operation, you can use a method such as diamond drilling of holes in concrete in the walls of aerated concrete to drill a hole in the walls.

Finally

That foam concrete, that aerated concrete is an excellent material for both construction and repair work. The main thing is to correctly make a choice in favor of a particular product, taking into account its basic properties. And even more about the nuances of this choice will tell the video in this article.