Combine in one wall material strength and energy saving are the cherished goals of every developer.

Unfortunately these two physical properties are directly opposite, so in practice the best option is a compromise between them.

One of the successful examples of the union of reliability and warmth is a house made of expanded clay concrete. This structure retains heat better than traditional solid brick. In terms of resistance to loads, expanded clay block is superior to brittle gas and foam concrete.

In Europe, where every calorie of heat is saved, this material has already won a place of honor.

It wouldn’t hurt to take a closer look at the features of construction from expanded clay concrete blocks in order to make an informed choice from the wall materials offered on the market.

Features of expanded clay concrete blocks, their advantages and disadvantages

Expanded clay concrete is a three-component material consisting of cement, quartz sand and expanded clay gravel (burnt and foamed clay). In terms of environmental friendliness, it is impeccable, since no chemicals are used in its production.

Thanks to lightweight expanded clay granules, the weight of the material is reduced and its energy-saving ability increases. Thanks to cement, the structural lattice of expanded clay concrete blocks is strong and stable. Additional weight reduction is achieved through voids created when the blocks are formed. They are used to strengthen masonry with reinforcement or install additional connections in frame houses.

Before making a purchase and starting construction, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate.

In addition to those already listed, their advantages include:

moisture resistance;
resistance to fire, rodents and insects;
durability;
low thermal conductivity (from 0.14 to 0.66 W/mK);
frost resistance (for heat-insulating blocks 15-50 cycles; for structural-thermal insulation blocks - 100, for structural blocks up to 200);
good vapor permeability (from 3 to 9 mg/m h Pa);
high speed and low labor intensity of masonry (one mason lays up to 3 m3 of blocks per shift);
savings in solution (compared to brickwork reaches 50%);
reliable fixation of fasteners during installation of external and internal finishing;
low cost.

We also note that building a house from expanded clay concrete blocks has its disadvantages:

it is impossible to save on the foundation, because expanded clay concrete walls heavier than foam and gas blocks;
cold bridges through masonry seams (walls must be insulated);
It is not recommended to leave the house without external protective finishing for more than 2 seasons (the strength of the walls is reduced).

Construction Features

Anyone who wants to build a house from expanded clay blocks must know the intricacies of the technology of such masonry.

Firstly , you need to decide on the type of material used. For low-rise construction, structural and thermal insulation blocks (density from 700 to 1200 kg/m3) are optimal. Lighter ones are suitable only for insulation, while heavier ones (structural) are used in multi-story construction.

Secondly , choose the block size wisely. In order for the costs of insulating expanded clay walls to be minimal, their thickness must be at least 40 cm (for middle zone Russia). The most popular size used for load-bearing walls is 190x188x390 mm. For self-supporting partitions, blocks with a thickness of 90-120 mm are purchased.

Thirdly , please note that the foundation for the walls must be strong and deep enough. The depth of the trench is chosen based on local soil conditions, but do not dig it shallower than 1.0 -1.2 meters. A sand cushion compacted with a tamper (20 cm thick) under the foundation is required. In addition, you will have to pour a reinforced concrete belt (15-20 cm), making a frame for it from 4-6 reinforcing bars with a diameter of 16-20 mm. In case of uneven soil settlement, it will protect the foundation and walls from cracks.

Fourth , it is more economical when insulation and finishing of a house made of expanded clay blocks are carried out simultaneously. Therefore, you should decide in advance on the cladding material (siding, facing brick, facade plaster, blockhouse) and insulation (basalt or ecowool).

The laying of expanded clay blocks is not fundamentally different from the technology of constructing walls made of block aerated concrete. Here, the seams are also bandaged and the deviation of the wall surface from the vertical is monitored (using a plumb line and level). Horizontal evenness is achieved by installing a mooring cord at the corners, marking the line of the row.

When building from expanded clay concrete blocks, there is one important nuance – use of insulating jute tape. It is laid in the middle of the masonry, thereby cutting off access to the cold through the solution into the premises.

You can save money by abandoning this decision, but in this case, heat will escape from the house through thick masonry joints (12-15 mm).

Another significant point of technology is masonry reinforcement. It should be done in 3-4 rows, placing two reinforcement bars with a diameter of 12 - 14 mm in special grooves on the block.

Despite the fact that expanded clay concrete is stronger than aerated concrete, for the installation of floor panels, a monolithic reinforced belt will also have to be made for it. It will distribute the load from the slabs and prevent them from pushing through individual sections of the walls. From the outside, cold reinforced concrete must be insulated using foam inserts 5 cm thick.

As we have already said, laying expanded clay concrete stone is not too complicated, so not only a professional builder, but also any careful beginner can do it if desired. The main condition for quality independent work– careful study of orders (block layout patterns) and the use of control tools - plumb line, level and mooring cord.

Since the blocks are quite large in size, it is not difficult to lay them out in an even row. The holes made in them increase the accuracy of splitting with a hammer when it is necessary to make a “half” or “three-four” for ligating seams.

Expanded clay concrete blocks drill well and hold fasteners and plaster perfectly. Therefore, installing a ventilated facade on them, finishing with decorative mortar, plasterboard and other sheet materials is not particularly difficult.

Having ordered a detailed project of such a house, most home craftsmen will be able to remove the masonry with their own hands.

Speaking about reviews of people living in buildings made of expanded clay blocks, it should be noted that most of them are positive. Most often, owners note the good heat-saving qualities of the material, its strength and comfortable microclimate in the premises (subject to competently executed masonry and finishing).

Counting the number of blocks

In order to accurately determine the volume of purchase, you need to make a preliminary calculation of expanded clay concrete blocks for the house. To do this, sum up the length of all external walls and separately calculate the length of the internal partitions of the building.

The results obtained are multiplied by the height and thickness of the walls and partitions. Then the total volume of the masonry is divided by the volume of one standard block - 0.014 m3. This is how the amount of material in pieces is obtained. As a working reserve, 20% is added to the final figure, or when calculating, the volumes of window and door openings are simply not subtracted from it.

Estimated construction cost

It consists of several components:

Cost of work;
Fittings prices;
Cost of the solution;
Block prices;
Cost of delivery to the site.

When laying yourself, the first price factor equal to zero. If you order a team, you will have to pay about 1,200 rubles/m3 for the work. It costs about the same to build walls made of aerated concrete.

For 1 m3 of masonry you will need 65 hollow blocks, with an average cost of 40 rubles per piece. Taking into account the price of reinforcement, cement, sand and their delivery, we find that the minimum cost of erecting a wall from expanded clay blocks is about 2900-3100 rubles/m3 (without work).

In order to compare this figure with other types of masonry, let's say that brick wall On average it costs 2 times more. Difference with aerated concrete masonry not so great. However, it also exceeds the cost of expanded clay by 10-15%.

From expanded clay describes GOST 6133-99 “Concrete wall stones”. Exactly for this normative document Numerous suppliers of popular material refer, but not all of them can guarantee the absence of defects in the product offered. A guide to choosing expanded clay blocks, compiled by a builder with twenty years of experience, will help you avoid falling for the bait of unscrupulous sellers.

External signs of the quality of expanded clay concrete block

It only takes 3 minutes for a specialist to determine the quality of an expanded clay concrete block. Signs of non-compliance with GOST are difficult to disguise, so the first thing to do is to carefully study one, or better yet several, copies.

Geometry and overall dimensions

High-quality building blocks, as they say, are one to one. The height of all copies of the batch is equal - 18.8 cm, the same applies to width and depth. Don’t be too lazy to take a tape measure with you and measure the dimensions of the blocks. Differences in the numbers will indicate a violation of the production technology; it is possible that the composition does not meet the requirements of GOST; this also sometimes leads to excessive shrinkage or swelling of the building material.

The corners and edges must be precise, even, and not crumbling, so that the wall of blocks does not wave or warp.

Color and surface structure

The standard color of expanded clay concrete block is gray, like asphalt after summer rain. There is no yellowness on the surface, indicating an excess of sand in the original mixture, or white and black spots, which is also typical for blocks made from low-quality raw materials.

The block should not be as smooth as sand-lime brick. The structure is very rough, with clearly noticeable inclusions of expanded clay.

Weight and strength

The weight of blocks from the same batch must be the same; only a slight discrepancy is acceptable. Moreover quality material It will not be too heavy, which happens when there is an excess of sand and cement.

The strength will be indicated by the presence of chips and crumbling edges. For construction durable walls blocks that crumble before use are not suitable. Even high-quality finishing will not hide the flaws of the frame.

Conclusions

A good expanded clay concrete wall block is gray, like wet asphalt, it does not crumble, has a rough surface, meets dimensional and geometric standards and sounds correct.

It’s easy to test the sound of a block, just tap on it wrench, as in Astrakhan watermelon. The sound of the impact should be loud.

If all the tests are passed, then you can safely buy a batch of expanded clay blocks and start construction, they will not let you down. You can buy expanded clay concrete blocks on our website - you can get detailed information about the procedure for purchasing products and their delivery to the site from our managers.

How to choose expanded clay concrete blocks yourself. How to choose expanded clay concrete blocks. Tips for buyers. Blocks for building a house: which ones are better, price and characteristics

August 8, 2017

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The growing number of developers and the desire to find an economical, strong, durable and warm material for building a house has led to an increase in the popularity of lightweight concrete blocks. Along with gas block and foam block, expanded clay concrete blocks have become widely used, which have excellent thermal insulation qualities, are safe, lightweight and relatively inexpensive. Many private builders call this material one of best solutions for the construction of a country house or cottage. Is this really true? Let's deal with the issue the right choice expanded clay concrete, the pros and cons of the material, its types and manufacturers.

No. 1. How to make expanded clay concrete

Expanded clay concrete began to be produced in the middle of the last century, then it was safely forgotten, and today it is experiencing new era popularity. The composition of the material, like any lightweight concrete block, includes cement, water and sand, and is used as a filler expanded clay– granules different sizes, obtained by firing low-melting clays. Expanded clay granules are light due to the large number of pores inside, but durable, as they have a strong fired shell. For the production of expanded clay concrete, granules measuring 5-40 mm are used. Blocks can be solid or hollow. Moreover, expanded clay concrete solution can be used for monolithic construction of house walls.

Huge value on performance characteristics block has a ratio of expanded clay and cement. The more expanded clay, the lighter, warmer and more expensive the block will be. The quality of cement determines the grade of strength of the material. Due to the expanded clay filler, the material acquires unique thermal insulation properties, for which modern developers love it so much.

Unscrupulous manufacturers add adhesive additives to the mixture to increase the strength of the material, but this has a negative impact on environmental safety. Blocks in production are formed under the influence vibrations, dried in special chambers, where heating occurs with streams of hot air or infrared rays.

Today, private and country houses, dachas, sheds, garages, fences are built from expanded clay concrete; it is used for monolithic construction of buildings.

No. 2. Expanded clay concrete blocks: pros and cons

The composition of expanded clay concrete determines its numerous positive aspects, which ensure the popularity of the material. Among the main advantages of expanded clay concrete blocks:

Expanded clay concrete blocks also have disadvantages:

No. 3. Types of expanded clay concrete blocks by purpose

Expanded clay concrete blocks can be divided into two fundamentally different groups based on the presence or absence of voids:

full-bodied;
hollow.

Solid blocks is a construction material with high density and relatively heavy weight. Load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls are erected from it; even multi-storey buildings can be built.

Hollow blocks thanks to the holes inside, they have improved thermal insulation properties, are suitable for the construction of partitions and load-bearing walls one-story buildings.

No. 4. Size of expanded clay concrete blocks

By size, expanded clay concrete blocks are usually divided into:

wall;
septal

It is clear that the former are used for laying external walls. They must have certain strength and density indicators, which will be discussed further. In size they can be 288*138*138, 288*288*138, 290*190*188, 390*190*188, 190*190*188, 90*190*188 mm. According to their fullness, they are either full-bodied or hollow.

Partition blocks, as the name suggests, are used for laying internal partitions. They have less weight, which reduces the load on the foundation. In size, as a rule, partition blocks Available in 590*90*188, 390*90*188, 190*90*188 mm.

Some companies produce blocks that do not comply with the above dimensions- they are carried out not according to GOST, but according to specifications that the manufacturer himself can determine for himself. As a rule, large-format blocks are produced according to specifications.

Separately worth noting facing blocks, which are produced by some enterprises. They have dimensions of 600*300*400 mm, are produced by adding dyes to the solution and have a relief decorative surface.

No. 5. Strength grade of expanded clay concrete blocks

When choosing expanded clay concrete for building a house, garage, partitions, utility rooms and other buildings, it is necessary to take into account a lot of performance indicators of the material: strength, density, frost resistance and thermal conductivity. They are all interconnected. Let's start with strength.

Durability refers to the ability of a material to withstand loads and resist destruction. Typically, the strength of expanded clay concrete is denoted by the letter M followed by the number from 25 to 100, which means how many kilograms each cm 2 of the surface of the block can support. The M25 block can withstand 25 kg/cm 2 , and the M100 block can withstand 100 kg/cm 2 . In private construction, as a rule, blocks with a strength higher than M100 are not used: M75-M100 blocks are used for the construction of walls, and M35-M50 for partitions. In industrial and multi-storey construction, blocks of greater strength can be used.

It is worth noting that the M75 block can withstand both 65 kg/cm2 and 75 or 80 kg/cm2. Despite the inaccuracies, this method classification of expanded clay concrete still continues to be used. A much more accurate option is strength classes, which are marked with the letter B. This is strength with guaranteed security. The numerical value is from 2.5 to 40: the higher it is, the more durable the block will be. M100, for example, corresponds to B7.5.

No. 6. Density of expanded clay concrete

Another important indicator– density. The lower the density, the higher the thermal insulation qualities. On the other hand, the higher the density, the higher the strength and resistance to moisture. The density of blocks is marked with the letter D followed by a coefficient from 350 to 1800. The coefficient is equal to the density expressed in kg/m3.

The area of use of the material depends on the density:

No. 7. Frost resistance and thermal conductivity of expanded clay concrete

Frost resistance called the ability of a material to withstand sudden changes in temperature. This indicator is determined by the number of shock freezing and thawing, marked with the letter F. For expanded clay concrete, this indicator can vary from 25 to 300, but in private construction the material is used F15-F100. For northern regions It is better to take material with frost resistance F50-F75. Blocks with low frost resistance are suitable only for interior work.

Thermal conductivity material directly depends on the density. For the D1000 block it is 0.33-0.41, D1400 - 0.56-0.65, etc. (see table). Depending on which block is selected for construction and the region in which the house will be located, calculating the thickness of expanded clay concrete and analyzing the need to use insulation:

No. 8. What to look for when choosing?

At visual inspection there is a lot to be said about the quality of the material. Pay attention, first of all, to the following points:

No. 9. The best manufacturers of expanded clay concrete

Factories involved in the production of such promising building material, today there are a lot, and there is a big risk of stumbling upon poor quality product, produced under inappropriate conditions. A normal manufacturer is not afraid to show the production process and invite the buyer to the factory, and can provide all the necessary quality certificates and test results. Let's look at the largest manufacturers of expanded clay concrete blocks:

No. 10. DIY expanded clay concrete blocks

Self-production of expanded clay concrete can significantly reduce the cost of building a house. As a rule, they make small batches of material with their own hands for the construction of simple small buildings, otherwise the labor intensity of the work will simply be unjustified.

In addition to the already known ingredients, you will need special equipment, it can be rented. A concrete mixer with a volume of at least 130 liters will be required. You will also need a vibrating machine; it already has molding containers, so you don’t have to bother with their production. Otherwise, you will have to make them from metal or wood.

The process of making expanded clay concrete blocks with your own hands looks like this:

mixing components in a concrete mixer. First, mix 3 parts of sand and 1 part of cement, then add 1-1.2 parts of water, and then another 6 parts of expanded clay. Mix everything thoroughly; you may need to add a small amount of water if the mixture is too dry. Some add a little liquid soap to ensure better viscosity;
mixture in portions placed in mold machine and turn on vibration, excess solution is removed;
the plate with the finished block is raised, the blanks are dried for 2 days, then the steel plates are removed;
Without using a machine, the process is somewhat more complicated and longer. It will be necessary to pour the solution into pre-prepared and greased molds and tamp thoroughly. It is better to use blocks no earlier than after 28 days.

If you are not sure about own strength, then it's better to buy ready material with well known performance qualities. If you follow the production technology (famous manufacturers can be trusted) and masonry technology, a house made of expanded clay concrete will last a very long time.

Following:

When choosing blocks for construction, it is necessary to take into account such parameters as strength, thermal conductivity, frost resistance, hollowness and density.

Expanded clay concrete blocks or sand cement blocks?
For the construction of external walls of houses, expanded clay concrete blocks are usually used, since they have best performance thermal conductivity and lower weight. Sand-cement blocks are used for heavily loaded structures, such as foundations, plinths, load-bearing supports, since these blocks have greater strength, and thermal conductivity and weight do not matter in such buildings.

Slotted (hollow) expanded clay concrete blocks or solid ones?

Solid expanded clay concrete blocks (with a similar concrete density) have greater strength (up to M100) compared to slotted ones. Solid blocks are perfect for reliable installation they contain all types of fasteners (various dowels, anchor bolts, etc.). Solid blocks are used for the construction of load-bearing walls of houses, including high-rise ones, filling the caracas of monolithic houses, load-bearing walls with subsequent installation curtain facades. Slotted expanded clay concrete blocks (with a similar concrete density) have lower strength, less weight than solid ones, but also lower cost. Hollow expanded clay concrete blocks have optimal parameters for construction country cottages, garages,

outbuildings, filling the frames of monolithic buildings.

What brand of expanded clay concrete blocks should I use?
Strength grades of expanded clay concrete blocks currently produced in factories: M25, M35, M50, M75, M100. Strengths below M50 are used for unloaded low-rise buildings, such as garages, fences and outbuildings. buildings. Strengths M50, M75 are used for the construction of load-bearing walls country houses, including with severe concrete floors, up to 10 floors. For low-rise cottages with a wall thickness of 20cm, it is advisable to use M75 blocks, and for a wall thickness of 40cm - M50.

Blocks of the same hollowness have different weights. Which ones to choose?

Expanded clay concrete blocks with a volumetric weight of up to 900 kg/cub.m. (lightweight) have better thermal conductivity and lighter weight, which reduces the load on the foundation and slightly improves thermal insulation. Such expanded clay concrete blocks have a rough surface, which increases the cost of subsequent wall processing. The cost of lightweight blocks is higher due to the high cost of expanded clay gravel. If there is external wall insulation (according to modern standards, it is mandatory for houses for year-round use), the difference in the final thermal conductivity of the wall is less than 1% (compared to a wall made of a block with a density of more than 1000 kg/cub.m).

Thus, the thermal conductivity of the load-bearing wall blocks of year-round houses fades into the background. Expanded clay concrete blocks with a density of 1000 kg/cub.m. have greater weight compared to lightweight ones and a smooth surface, which reduces the cost of plastering. Greater weight increases the thermal inertia of the house, which smoothes out temperature changes in the house when changing outside temperature air. The lower cost makes such expanded clay concrete blocks more preferable for construction.

Which void geometry is more preferable? Which partition blocks to choose?

Blocks measuring 390x90x188mm are used for partitions for various purposes. Sand-cement (including solid) partition blocks are used in damp rooms: cellars, basements, foundations, inspection pits. Expanded clay concrete blocks are used for residential premises, as they are lighter and better soundproof the premises. Solid partition expanded clay concrete blocks are used in critical places during installation door frames, hanging heavy indoor equipment, appliances, furniture, etc. Lightweight hollow partition blocks better soundproof rooms, but are more difficult to process. Expanded clay concrete blocks weighing more than 1000 kg/cub.m. They have smooth walls and require less processing, and they are also cheaper.

What blocks to use for finishing the facade with porcelain stoneware?

If you have any questions, you can ask them by email info@site. You can also view the answers to the most popular questions in the "" section.