Foam concrete production technology composition. Foam concrete products. Setting up a production line

At the beginning, I would like to say that contrary to the prevailing opinion that foam concrete is concrete with air inside, let's say it is air balloons, the shell of which is ordinary concrete.

Foam concrete production technology is four kinds: using a foam generator, with overpressure, turbulent resonance cavitation dispersion, using a foam generator and a dispersant. Let's take a closer look at each of them, because each has its pros and cons.

The composition of any foam concrete necessarily includes water, cement and a foaming agent. Can be used as a filler quartz sand(without clay), fly ash, microsphere, waste water treatment and even waste slag from metallurgical production. As a rule, all foam concrete is non-autoclaved, unlike.

1 Preparation of foam concrete using a foam generator(the most ancient")

The method is as follows: in a low-speed mixer, as a rule, with a horizontal rotor, a cement-sand mortar is prepared. Separately, a foam solution is prepared in the foam generator. The foam is then mixed with the cement mortar.

The pressure at which air entrainment (foaming) is carried out is equal to atmospheric.

A plus:

the ability to use all types of foaming agents: from protein to synthetic.

Minuses:

the presence of unstable bubbles in the foam and its partial destruction (precipitation) even before the setting period;
the impossibility of obtaining foam concrete of low density (grades below 500);
the impossibility of high-quality dispersed reinforcement to obtain fiber foam concrete;
installations of this type are very bulky and do not make it possible to carry out monolithic casting at the construction site.

Outcome: As a rule, blocks obtained by this method have an inhomogeneous structure and are prone to cracking due to the internal stress of the material itself. In one batch, the specific gravity can vary up to 100 units.

2 Preparation of foam concrete under excess pressure

The method developed by MGSU (Moscow) in 1979. Its essence is that in a pressure mixer with a vertical rotor, all components are loaded at once and pore formation occurs at excess pressure.

Pros:

this mixer can be used as a foam concrete pump, as foam concrete is removed from the mixer through a hose;
These installations are available in different sizes. Small ones (up to 200 liters) can be transported to the construction site.

Minuses:

the inability to carry out dispersed reinforcement of foam concrete with fiber;
high coefficient of mixture density variation from batch to batch;
mandatory presence of a compressor;
only synthetic foaming agent is used, and in large quantities;
due to the increased pressure in the mixer flask, the rotor seals wear out quickly.

Outcome: Due high pressure, the foam concrete obtained by this method "chokes" when removed from the mixer. The blocks turn out to be unstable, crack while still in storage and are extremely poorly tolerated by transportation to the masonry site.

3 Preparation of foam concrete using the technology of turbulent resonance cavitation dispersion

Preparation is carried out in open mixers with a vertical arrangement of the rotor. Due to the high speed and guides inside the mixer flask, the solution (mixture) is thrown onto the mixer stacks. It turns out a funnel (cavity). At its bottom, a zone of low pressure (up to 0.8 bar) is formed. The mixture constantly circulates vertically and, in order to compensate for the difference with atmospheric pressure, begins to “absorb” air into itself. This process is called the "physical effect of turbulent cavitation". Moreover, this process occurs evenly.
When the installation parameters are coordinated in a special way, a resonance phenomenon occurs in the liquid medium at the cavity boundary. As a result, cement and sand particles are crushed, as well as air bubbles are minimized.
The kneading lasts no more than 6 minutes (with a good foaming agent).
Settings:

pros:

stable concrete mix. Its bubbles do not burst (finely dispersed closed porosity), which increases the thermal resistance of the material by 1.5 times compared to the requirements of GOST;
due to the closed pores, this foam concrete is waterproof (floats in water). Its water saturation is not more than 11%;
the coefficient of variation in density from batch to batch is not more than 4%;
it is possible to use sands with a fineness module of 1 - 3, without preliminary grinding;
the possibility of using fiber with a fiber length of up to 70 mm;
all installations are mobile and can be used for pouring monolithic walls;
the possibility of using cements of "low" grades (ShPTs 400);
low shrinkage of foam concrete when it dries;
the possibility of obtaining foam concrete of "low" grades, up to 100.

Minus:

the unit only works if a good synthetic foam concentrate is available.

Outcome: Foam concrete obtained by this technology comfortably tolerates transportation. It can be put on glue, with a layer thickness of up to 3 mm. Due to the use of fiber, there is no "cobweb" on it.

4 Obtaining foam concrete in a continuous way using a foam generator and a dispersant

Foam concrete using this technology was produced only in laboratory conditions. Unlike the first method, high-speed in-line mixing of a small volume of a mixture of foam and cement-sand mortar takes place here. This technology provides for the obligatory presence of a foam generator, a dispenser for mortar and foam flows, and a gerotor pump.

Minus:

large density variation coefficient (15 - 24%). Using this technology, it is impossible to obtain fibrous foam concrete, due to which it has a high probability of cracking.

A plus:

on these installations it is possible to obtain ultralight foam blocks in large quantities.

After considering all the cooking technologies, let's focus on the general advantages and disadvantages of this material. For comparison, you can see the "" described earlier.

Among the general advantages of foam concrete, It should be noted:

The organization of the production of foam concrete does not require large investments and huge workshops.
The production does not require a lot of energy.
It is possible to fill floors, roofs and monolithic walls (with certain technologies).
The possibility of fibration, thereby increasing the strength characteristics, on average by 25%, without increasing the density.
Good workability of the material.
Due to the fact that the pores in foam concrete are closed - low moisture and vapor permeability. Foam concrete is not blown by the wind.
Due to the fact that cement is used as a binder, over the years, foam concrete only gains its strength characteristics, and does not lose them, like aerated concrete. For comparison;
Due to the fact that foam concrete is not aggressive to metal, large building elements can be made from it - lintels, floor slabs, etc.

Today, the production of foam blocks at home is one of the most profitable types of business. With a relatively low cost of equipment, it is quite easy to organize the manufacture of a product at your own mini-factory. To do this, you can choose both separate installations and an automatic line, which will require a minimum of effort for the manufacture of foam blocks. Using high-quality components, it is possible to produce a reliable building material that is durable, has high thermal insulation properties and is light in weight.

The production process of any cellular concrete is distinguished by its subtleties and nuances, but this product remains in high demand, which makes it. Before considering directly the equipment for creating foam blocks, it is necessary to understand the manufacturing technology that can be organized at home. After you decide on the process, you can choose equipment that is suitable for the price, and or a large metropolis.

Production of foam blocks at home

Foam blocks can be produced in several ways, but only a few are suitable for home conditions. Optimal production can be considered that which is carried out in one of the two following ways.

Production of foam blocks by casting

To make this method, concrete mortar must be poured into a special iron cassette mold equipped with removable partitions and sides that divide the total container into several separate sections. It is in this form that the blocks are dried. After the solution has hardened, the resulting products are removed.

The main advantage of this method is the absence of the need to use as part of the equipment saw machine, which significantly reduces the time and cost of production of foam blocks. Among the disadvantages, one can add the likelihood of distortions in the installed geometry of the blocks, as well as low accuracy in dimensions. finished products even when using expensive molds. This leads to the appearance a large number defective products.

To prevent the destruction of blocks, special lubricants are used that decompose in the open air for several days. The price of such components when used in a mini-factory is very high, while they cannot insure against the occurrence of cracks and chips in individual blocks.

Production of foam blocks by sawing method

This technology for the manufacture of foam blocks is today the most common among those who produce foam concrete materials at home. The use of this method consists in the preliminary manufacture of a large-sized block from a foam concrete solution, which is subsequently cut into separate blocks of a given size.

To cut an array of foam concrete, you need special equipment - sawing machine. Its use inevitably leads to an increase in the cost of organizing production, but due to an increase in the quality of final products, profitability also increases. The main advantages of the method include the high accuracy of the geometric dimensions of individual products, the absence of chips at the edges.

The disadvantage of the method of producing foam concrete blocks at home is the complexity of manufacturing small-sized products, since cutting the foam block into small pieces requires quite expensive equipment, which increases the production price and the time required to produce the final product.

Manufacturing technology of foam blocks at home

The main stages in the production of foam concrete blocks for any method of manufacturing foam blocks at home include the same operations.

At the first stage, it is necessary to make a foam concentrate, which is diluted in a special container with water and sent to the foam generator. In the case when you have a cavitation unit at your disposal ( special equipment foaming contents due to the action of ultrasound), this step can be skipped.
Next is the manufacture of foam concrete mix. Dry components and special additives are placed in the mixing chamber, which is then filled with foam. The mixing process is carried out in a hermetically sealed chamber for only a few minutes. When using a cavitation unit, a foaming agent is first placed in the mixer chamber, into which the remaining ingredients are subsequently added. The mixture is stirred for 0.5 minutes.
Ready foam concrete is poured into molds. They must first be wiped with engine oil or other lubricating fluids.
Now it is necessary to keep the mixture at a temperature of about +20°C. A quarter of the maximum strength is achieved by foam concrete in about 8-10 hours of drying. In this state, it is already possible to pack the blocks or cut them to the specified dimensions.

Advice: not only the technology for producing foam blocks at home is important, but also the procedure for interacting with government agencies and partners in the building materials market. If you cannot, seek the advice of lawyers who will help you avoid the pitfalls of jurisprudence. More the best way LLC will be opened.

Equipment for the production of foam blocks at home

Buying equipment for the production of foam blocks at home is quite simple today. It is sold both individually and in complete sets, which form a single production line. It is very important to determine precisely necessary quantity blocks and the availability of funds for the organization own production foam blocks, since prices fluctuate in a fairly wide range.

in number necessary equipment for the manufacture of foam blocks includes:

Device for supplying cement and sand;
Distilled water dispenser;
Compressor;
Vibrating screen, which will screen materials;
mixer machine;
Foam generator (with the exception of installations operating with the use of barotechnologies);
Hose for supplying the final solution;
Forms for finished products or sawing machine.

Advice: note the experience of a number of builders who perform some of these operations manually. If you have a reliable team of people, then you can entrust them with the process of screening and dosing of raw materials at the initial stage, until you earn money to purchase the appropriate equipment.

Equipment for the production of foam blocks at home can be both stationary and mobile. Production lines can be automatic or conveyor. This also affects their value.

Production of foam blocks - equipment price

The price of equipment for the production of foam blocks will depend on the type of equipment purchased. These can be stationary lines, mobile sets or conveyors. Let's consider each option in more detail.

Stationary lines for the production of foam blocks at home

The cost of stationary kits for the production of foam blocks depends on a number of factors. The location of the manufacturer is also important (abroad or in Russia, which region, etc.), since logistics costs can significantly increase the price of equipment; and brand of foam concrete that you will produce; and efficient line performance.

The basis of most kits for the production of foam blocks at home are foam generators. In fact, such lines can produce up to 110 cubic meters daily. Stationary lines make it possible to obtain high-quality products in large volumes at a relatively low cost. At the same time, the price of the equipment itself is quite high. For example, the purchase of a complete set for the production of foam blocks in the amount of 72 cubic meters per day will cost 235-270 thousand rubles, and stationary lines with a capacity of 100 cubic meters cost about 1.5 million rubles.

Advice: to save at the initial stage, you can purchase individual used elements of the line. It is important to assemble it from the same equipment that is used in the supply of the foam block manufacturing plant manufacturer. It is always more difficult to buy a single used kit, and its price is much higher than when purchasing individual units.

Mobile kits for the production of foam blocks

An alternative is mobile equipment, which has a rather low productivity and does not require the use of an expensive foam generator. Typically, equipment of this type operates using barotechnologies, and its capacity for the finished product rarely exceeds 45 cubic meters of foam blocks per day. In list positive qualities mobile lines for the manufacture of foam blocks at home - the simplicity of the method and the lower cost of equipment. At the same time, such lines for the production of foam blocks are characterized by a rather high consumption of foaming agents at low productivity, and strength final product differs for the worse.

You can buy a complete set of mobile equipment for the manufacture of foam blocks at different prices. The cost of a mini-plant with a capacity of 24 cubic meters per day is 50-70 thousand rubles. You can also find more productive sets of equipment, giving three times more production - 72 m 3 / day. However, its price differs upwards - 250-300 thousand rubles.

Conveyors and automatic lines for the production of foam blocks

Automation of production requires the preparation of a large enough room to accommodate equipment, which is not so easy to organize at home, but this provides a number of advantages for the businessman. If free space is not a problem for you, then pay attention to other types of business in order to capitalize them as efficiently as possible. For example, on .

The line for the production of foam blocks includes 5 key sections. It will be necessary to create a cement mini-bunker, which will produce automatic dosing of raw materials and similar mechanisms for sand, water and technological additives, a site for the production of foam concrete. In addition, you will need to organize a place for drying foam concrete, a part for automatic pouring into molds or sawing a single foam block. On average, the capacity of such kits allows you to produce 80-100 cubic meters of foam concrete products daily. The price of such plants for the production of foam blocks at home is quite high - 1.5-3 million rubles, depending on the final capacity.

To organize the production of foam blocks at home is a feasible and real task. Today it good source income, since during the crisis the demand for real estate increases significantly, which means that the need for building materials also increases, among which foam concrete products are not the last. Initially, you can purchase cheap used equipment for the production of foam blocks or replace individual elements. manual labor, however, it must be borne in mind that this will necessarily affect the quality of the final product.

If there are preliminary agreements for large deliveries, it makes sense to rent a room and organize an automatic production line. An important point is, because this will increase your confidence on the part of large buyers. The price of individual blocks is reduced due to the large scale of production, which increases the profitability of production. The production technology may differ, and it is worth choosing it, starting from the available capital. If the price of equipment for the production of foam blocks is high for you, create capital on less costly ideas at the initial stage of earning money in a crisis, for example, on or.

The use of foam concrete has more than fifty years of history. The operation of structures with its use has already shown the reliability and durability of the material. Foam concrete has high soundproofing properties. Today we will consider the features of opening our own production of this building material.

What is foam concrete

Foam concrete is a concrete with a cellular structure, which is formed by closed air bubbles. This material has low density and thermal conductivity. It can be applied as thermal insulation material(grade D200 - D500), structural and heat-insulating (D600 - D800) and structural with reduced thermal conductivity (D900 - D1600).

The brand of foam concrete indicates its density. For example, foam concrete brand D400, means foam concrete with a density of 400 kg / m 3. Foam concrete is produced in accordance with GOST 25495-89 “cellular concrete. Specifications". The low density of foam concrete causes a low consumption of materials for its manufacture. For this reason, the cost of foam blocks is significantly lower than concrete blocks. Especially beneficial is the use of such materials in low-rise construction and the construction of intra-house partitions.

Foam concrete is very easy to process. It can be cut with an ordinary hacksaw, hammer nails into it. Working with foam concrete on a construction site has much in common with working with wood. Foam blocks are the same foam concrete, molded in the form of parallelepipeds. Foam blocks are made as standard sizes(200*300*600 mm or 100*300*600 mm) and larger ones. At self-manufacturing the size of the foam blocks is determined by the size of the selected form.

Appearance of foam blocks

The advantages of using foam blocks in construction:

low cost and, accordingly, high profitability of production;
high thermophysical characteristics;
ease of processing;
the ability to save money during the construction of the foundation due to the low mass of the walls, as well as lower transportation costs;
environmental friendliness.

Foam concrete, like any other material, is not without drawbacks that should be considered when using it. Its strength is significantly lower than that of concrete, and even more so reinforced concrete, it does not work on bending, has relatively high water absorption and permeability, and gives significant shrinkage (exposure up to one month is recommended before use). But at the same time, the manufacture of foam blocks as a business can bring quite high profits.

Production

The production of foam concrete, despite the relatively low cost of factory foam blocks, is very tempting to produce them at home or in a mini-factory.

There is a common misconception that foam concrete can be produced by simply adding a blowing agent to a standard concrete mix. This is not true.

The production of foam blocks from foam concrete is carried out mainly by two methods. The classic method is to prepare cement mixture(recipes are given below). Foam from the foam generator is fed into the finished mixture and after mixing, the foam concrete is poured into molds. According to the autoclave method, all components are thoroughly mixed in a mixer under pressure. The resulting mixture is squeezed through the nozzle into the prepared mold. Technologies based on the mixing of dry components are usually used in mass production.

Form for foam blocks

For the production of foam concrete, Portland cement of a grade not lower than M400 (preferably M500), sifted and washed, is used river sand, foaming agent. Sometimes, additives are added to the concrete mix to speed up setting (for example, liquid glass), as well as improving the structure of concrete (calcium chloride or calcium nitrate). Sand should be used in fine fractions, since large particles quickly settle (sediment), which significantly reduces product quality.

foam concrete- This is a porous stone that is created artificially and has a porous structure throughout the volume. The pore size reaches up to 3 mm. It is also called cellular concrete. Currently, in the production industry of foam concrete, as well as products from it, there are two main technologies for its production: barotechnology and production using a foam generator. It should be noted that almost the same raw materials are used in both methods, but the differences are both in the method of mixing and in the order of introduction of the basic components. Due to this, the products are of different strength and quality.

Barotechnology

Using the method of barotechnology in the production of this material has both advantages and disadvantages. Products obtained by barotechnology have low level strength, but differ in a simpler and less costly process. They do not require expensive equipment and too large premises, and the time for obtaining a conditional unit is significantly reduced. This method obtaining foam concrete used for these economic reasons. However, if the above qualities are a plus for manufacturers of such building materials, then the consumer receives low-quality products that should not be used in large volumes of construction.

When using barotechnology, in a hermetic mixer introduce the basic components of the stone: sand or fly ash, cement, water, hardening accelerators, foaming agent, and sometimes air-entraining additives. In the technology for the manufacture of mixtures, optionally, they are also introduced additional operations, which are aimed at optimizing the particle size distribution of the components and regulating the porous structure, the use of gas and foam formers, as well as the use of functional additives that accelerate structure formation.

Then, under the pressure generated in the mixer, all these components are thoroughly mixed and the mixture is actively saturated with air. This process is called air entrainment.. Under pressure, the resulting solution through the pipeline enters directly into the injection molds. This stops the process atmospheric pressure, which was pumped in the mixer using a compressor, after which the foam concrete mixture begins to increase in volume. Visually, this process resembles a shoot yeast dough, which differs only in the speed of "ascension": for the same material at the moment of molding, the increase occurs instantly.

Advantages and disadvantages of the barotechnology method

And now let's take a closer look at the pros and cons of barotechnology for the production of foam concrete. This method is characterized by lower product strength, which is its main disadvantage.. Of course, it is better and more effective to beat more liquid substances. To compare, you need to imagine the consistency of whipped 30% sour cream with milk. Manufacturers are forced to introduce into the composition of the mixing large quantity water, due to which the final strength of the foam blocks is significantly reduced. For a complete hydration process in the production of cement, a larger amount of water is undesirable. The process of hydration is the addition of water, which occurs with the help of chemical reaction clinker components of cement with water. When interacting with water, the cement hardens and turns into the so-called cement stone.

At the same time, in foam concrete, which is produced by barotechnology, fairly large pores. They can be compared to the pores of fine pumice. Air voids in its structure are rarely less than 1-2 millimeters. Naturally, such large pores greatly reduce the strength and bearing capacity blocks in future building designs.

The disadvantage of this method can also be considered the use of synthetic foaming agents., which have low environmental friendliness. The desired mobility of the mixture, without increasing the proportion of water, is obtained by adding plasticizing substances - superplasticizers. None today modern enterprise cement or concrete mixtures does not do without special additives in the production of concrete, which significantly improves the quality of the mixture and regulates the processes of setting and hardening of cement.

Despite the unconditional increase in the quality and mobility of the foam concrete mixture, its use eliminates the use of natural foaming agents, which are used for the production of cellular concrete. It is known that they are obtained in the process of transformation of natural protein macromolecules by hydrolysis in an aqueous solution. In a word, if the consumer decides to build a house from environmentally safe materials, he should initially exclude the use of foam blocks, which are made by barotechnology.

Undoubtedly, essential dignity production of these products by this method is considered lower cost, which significantly increases the economic benefit for the manufacturer. The main advantage of barotechnology is also the use of cheaper technological equipment, which does not require large investments and is organized in any room adapted for this.

If in the application of this technology for producing concrete, all the advantages go to manufacturers, then the description of another method given below can become an advantage in the production of foam concrete to please builders and buyers.

foam generation method

In the first half of the 20th century, the engineer Bayer invented a new method for the production of foam concrete, which differed from barotechnology in that the foam of the product was prepared separately. In its production by foam generation, two stages are distinguished: making foam with a foam generator and mineralization of the resulting foam with cement and sand. Upon receipt of the product using the first method, the main components are mixed in the correct dosage, and the process does not adhere to the principle of changing the water-cement ratio. Due to this, the output products are distinguished by their manufacturability. The main element is the foam generator, in this technology is used to obtain finely porous foam from a mixture of air, water and a foaming agent. The latter is used with 20-30% savings. At the same time, despite the scale of production, it is necessary to complete the line with modern and quality equipment, which will guarantee high reliability of the products obtained, as well as a long service life.

Here's how the blocks are produced using the foam generator method. Such precisely dosed bulk components as cement and sand are introduced into the mixer, sometimes fly ash can be added as a filler. When replacing sand with the last component, the thermal conductivity of the stone significantly decreases, which, in turn, increases the heat saving of the building. It is necessary to know that those sellers for whom profit is more important than the quality of the products received, use mineral powder and fly ash as a weight additive in their production. The cost of these components is much less than the cost of cement.

After adding the components to the mixer and mixing them, compressed air from the compressor is supplied to the foam generator. At the same time, the personnel must constantly regulate the supply of the working foam concentrate and compressed air, on which the quality of the foam at the outlet depends. This process is no different from the production of concrete. After preparation, the technical foam is fed into a specially made mixer - a foam concrete mixer, the speed of which is not more than 300 rpm. This stage is carried out very carefully, without destroying the resulting foam. Then cement and sand are introduced. This process is called "dry mineralization" technology. And with “wet mineralization”, the foam is fed into a pre-prepared solution of cement and sand. Thanks to a fully controlled process of active mixing of foam with cement-sand mortar, the production of foam blocks is made at a higher quality level.

Advantages and disadvantages of the foam generation method

The following are some of the disadvantages and advantages in the foam-generating production process. This method is quite expensive when expensive equipment is used in production, and per unit finished products takes more time. Parallel to this, the cost of produced blocks also increases. That is, a higher price of production follows from the high cost of production.

The advantages of this production building materials with a foam generator is a higher quality foam block array. The use of pre-prepared foam helps to produce the product at the exit with correct structure, thereby avoiding large air pockets and aiming for a higher and more uniform strength.

It should be noted high environmental friendliness in their production when environmentally friendly foam concentrates are used. Their use in the construction of houses becomes the key to the health of their future residents.

Summarizing the above qualities of the "foam" technology, we can say that this method is rather "for" the consumer, and manufacturers, in turn, try not to choose it. Barotechnology is much more profitable for them and does not require large investments.

foam concrete- it is cellular concrete, which has a porous structure due to bubbles distributed throughout the volume, obtained as a result of hardening of a solution consisting of cement, sand, water and a foaming agent.

In the 19th century, builders mixed bovine blood into a cement-lime mortar, and the blood protein, reacting with the solution, formed foam. Due to the difficulty of obtaining a large amount of foaming agent, then foam concrete was not widely used. Anew foam concrete was "discovered" in the thirties of the last century. At that time, the Soviet scientist, experimental builder Bryushkov, added to cement mortar soap root. Years later, specialists in the production process began to try to mix cement with various chemical additives - foam and gas-forming substances, namely: with aluminum powder, with glue-rosin solution.

Foam concrete production technology

general information

The technology of its manufacture is based on mixing pre-prepared foam with a mortar mixture. As for the foam concentrate and water, they are dosed by volume when foam is obtained. After that, the finished solution is mixed and, thus, a foaming agent for foam concrete is obtained. Further, the production of foam concrete occurs as follows: the foaming agent is fed into the foam generator, in which foam is formed. After that, foam from the foam generator is transferred to the concrete mixer and this mixture is mixed for about three to five minutes. Then, the ready-made foam concrete is transported through a flexible hose to the place where it is laid in a mold or formwork.

Consumption of components during production

The preparation of 1 cubic meter of foam concrete requires 500 kilograms of cement. For the preparation of foam concrete with a density of 300 kilograms per cubic meter 270 kilograms of cement are needed. Let's look at what materials are needed for the preparation of foam concrete mix. First, cement. Second, placeholders. Large aggregates are:, but gravel is not needed for production. Sometimes it is possible to add a light aggregate, such as expanded clay. In this case, the strength of porous concrete increases by about 100-200%. Fine aggregates are: natural or crushed sands. And river sand is considered the most preferable for production. This filler must be clean, not containing various inclusions.

For laying, fine sands of approximately 0.2 mm are used. As for clay inclusions, they should not exceed more than 3 percent. Third, water. The production of foam concrete requires the use of water without any verification. The water content in porous concrete consists of the calculated amount. So, before adding foam, the water-cement ratio of the mortar should be at least 0.38. If the water/cement ratio is too low, the foam will have a higher bulk density. This can happen as a result of the fact that the concrete during the production process will begin to take water from the foam required for chemical and physical interactions, while the foam will partially collapse, and this will lead to a decrease in its volume in the foam concrete mixture. The most optimal ratio is in the range from 0.4 to 0.45. In this case, the water temperature should not exceed 25 degrees.

Experts advise using protein foam concentrate as a foaming agent for production. This substance must be stored in hermetically sealed wooden or plastic drums. Such barrels must be hidden from direct contact with them. sun rays. And also they should be stored at a temperature not higher than +30 degrees. Foam concentrate from the moment of preparation can be stored for 15 to 30 days.

Obtaining a foam concrete mix + video how to do it

When preparing the mixture, first of all, sand is poured, then cement is added and everything is thoroughly mixed until a uniform color of the mixture is formed. It is important enough to distribute the cement well in the sand. Then water is added to the mixture, in the amount indicated in the selected production recipe. The mixture is stirred until a homogeneous plastic mass is obtained.

Special attention in the production of foam concrete, one should pay attention to the quality of mixing of the components. Only a uniform distribution of cement in the sand will allow you to obtain the optimal quality of foam concrete. After all of the above, using a foam generator, a certain portion of the foam is fed through the hose into the mixer, where it is mixed with the previously prepared cement-sand mixture for 120-180 seconds. If the specified density is controlled in production, then it is quite easy to obtain the required compressive strength of foam concrete. Cast foam concrete, like any other cement-bonded concrete, needs to create a temperature and humidity regime. This is done, on the one hand, to maintain the process of cement hydration, strength development, on the other hand, it reduces the exotherm temperature and prevents cracks in the concrete from forming. Because of this, it is recommended to cover immediately after laying the mixture. concrete surface plastic wrap.

Video how to do it:

Areas where foam concrete is used

This material used on roofs and floors as heat and sound insulation. By itself, foam concrete is not a structural material. In addition, it is used for tennis courts and filling voids in brickwork underground walls, insulation in empty hollow blocks and any other filling where high insulating properties are required. The area of application of foam concrete is: the production of building blocks for low-rise construction of houses and partitions, monolithic housing construction, heat and sound insulation of walls, floors, slabs, ceilings, filling void spaces.