Gas blocks - an excellent option for use in the construction of cottages and private houses. It is suitable for creating one-story and multi-story residential and non-residential premises.
In house building, especially in private, the most popular porous materials. They are strong enough, but at the same time lightweight, which allows not to use mechanized means in the construction process. Unloading a pallet with aerated concrete blocks is quite possible for several workers, without the use of a truck crane or manipulator. The specifics of production provides aerated concrete blocks with high characteristics.
Characteristics of gas blocks
Aerated concrete blocks consist of DSP - a mixture of cement and sand with the addition of a gas-forming substance. If the blocks need to be given any special properties, lime, gypsum, soot, slag and other components are added to the blocks during production. In addition, aerated concrete blocks undergo heat treatment.
Gas blocks perfectly retain heat, because they have low thermal conductivity. Of these, interior partitions are erected, used to create an additional insulation layer. The density of aerated concrete blocks varies from D200 to D500.
In addition to gas blocks, there are also foam blocks. This material is similar to aerated concrete, but less durable, but more affordable. The dimensions of the foam block and gas block are the same, the choice of one or another of them depends on the construction budget and the tasks that the builders face.
Foam concrete blocks or foam blocks also belong to the group of cellular concrete. They are obtained by polarization with foam and other foaming components, based on cement, lime, slag or mixed binders.
Since the process of producing foam concrete outside the factory today has become quite possible, a lot of handicraft products appear on the market, which makes the use of this material very dangerous. Even the water used in the production of foam blocks is of great importance. And ordinary tap water used by handicrafts negatively affects the final product, reducing the technical characteristics of the material.
Scope of aerated concrete blocks
Gas blocks are used in various fields of construction.
- Single layer walls. Gas blocks are great for this purpose. Use blocks 300-480 mm thick. These are the sizes of the standard gas block.
- External two- and three-layer walls. The thickness of the blocks used for these purposes is 200-365 mm.
- Fences and partitions. Actually, since the weight of the gas block is much less than the weight of the brick, which is very important when such structures are installed. Aerated concrete block weighs 19.9-25 kg.
- Tray blocks. Later they are reinforced or filled with concrete, which is often used to create foundations. In this case, the gas blocks play the role of formwork. Therefore, the walls of such blocks are more uniform, which greatly facilitates the plastering process.
Dimensions of aerated concrete blocks
The size of the building material is of key importance when carrying out work, including the size of the gas block. Usually, all materials - wood, brick, stone and others - have different sizes, which is due to the scope of their application. Aerated concrete blocks are no exception. In addition to the shape of the blocks, their technical characteristics can vary quite a lot.
Among the manufacturers of gas blocks, the gas block sizes are standard, which are followed during their production. Therefore, before buying, you should definitely clarify their sizes, characteristics and shape at the factory. Choosing the size of the gas block for building a house is necessary precisely for the plan of your future home.
Characteristics of different materials for comparison
| Indicator | Tree | Slit Brick | Porous block | Expanded clay | Foam concrete | Aerated concrete |
| Density (kg / m³) | 450 | 1350-1650 | 350-950 | 800-1750 | 550-950 | 250-550 |
| Thermal Conductivity (W / m ° C) | 0.15 | 0.6 | 0.19-0.29 | 0.35-0.75 | 0.14-0.22 | 0.09-0.14 |
| Strength (kgf / cm²) | | 100-250 | 150-200 | 40-80 | 15-30 | 25-55 |
| Water absorption (% by weight) | | 11-19 | 12-18 | | 12-18 | 24 |
| Frost resistance (cycles) | | 150 | 150 | from 55 | from 40 | from 55 |
Recommended Wall Thickness (m)
(for the middle band) | from 0.45 | from 1.25 | from 0,55 | from 0.9 | from 0,55 | from 0.35 |
Types of gas blocks
Each gas block has individual dimensions, weight and characteristics in each case, depending on what it is planned to be used for.
By the shape of the faces, the blocks are divided:
- Flat aerated concrete. It looks like a big brick. It has special recesses to facilitate styling. It has a standard gas block size.
- "Groove-comb", U and HH-shaped are used to create a variety of surfaces with a complex shape. For example, when creating columns, openings, arches, lintels, hidden monoliths and other things.
Gas blocks on pallets are delivered. Sizes of pallets vary by manufacturer. The sellers represented in the modern Russian construction market are different.
The most common size of the gas block pallet :
- 1x1.25 m - height 1.5–1.6 volume - 1.875–2 cubic meters m;
- 1.5x1.25 m - height 1.2 m volume - 2.25 cubic meters m;
- 0.75x1 m - height 1.5 m volume - 1.41 cubic meters m
By size, gas blocks are divided into:
Dimensions of wall aerated concrete blocks
The most common are full-sized wall gas blocks. They are used to create supporting structures. Since their main task is to withstand heavy loads, the density of such blocks corresponds to the middle class - D400 and D500.
The length of standard gas blocks for load-bearing walls is usually about 60 cm, height - about 25 cm (sometimes height is 30 cm). As for the width of the blocks - in most cases this value varies greatly, but the standard parameters are 20, 30, 37.5 and 40 cm. Wall aerated concrete blocks are often used in the construction of houses, outbuildings, garages, summer buildings, etc. They are flat or with recesses for hands, or grooved. The latter are especially convenient to use, since they are much easier to attach to each other.
Dimensions of partition aerated concrete blocks
This is the second type of gas blocks. The size of the septum aerator is much smaller than the standard. Partition blocks usually have a length of about 62.5 cm, a height of 25 cm and a width of 10 cm or 15 cm. The specific size depends on the manufacturer and the model of the product. Typically, partition blocks do not carry a significant load, and therefore their dimensions are taken to be minimal, in order to save the internal volume of the room. However, at the same time, partition aerated concrete blocks retain heat very well and have high sound insulation indicators.
Dimensions of U-shaped aerated concrete blocks
When carrying out construction work, materials are needed that meet special requirements and have a certain shape. What size of the gas block is needed in each case depends on its purpose. Such materials are U-shaped aerated concrete blocks. They are used to create reinforced concrete pillars, lintels, columns.
The dimensions of the U-shaped blocks are usually:
- length - 60 cm;
- height - 25 cm;
- width - 20, 25, 30, 27.5 or 40 cm.
When choosing, the main attention should be paid not only to the size of the gas block, but also to the quality, technical and operational characteristics and the manufacturer. In this case, the main indicator is the density of the block. It is precisely its size that determines the behavior of the gas block in the future when the load falls on it, or it will be exposed to the environment.
Density of aerated concrete blocks
The lightest are gas blocks with a density of D350 kg / m 3 . It is used in partitions, not bearing walls. Blocks with a density of D400-D450 are average in terms of strength indicators of autoclaved concrete and are used in low-rise construction.
The most commonly used blocks are D500 brand. They are also used in high-rise construction.
It is very important that concretes created by the autoclave method have high fire resistance. According to environmental indicators, they belong to the second class, that is, they follow directly after the wood.
Prospects for gas blocks
Interest in gas blocks is growing every day. Already on the market you can find aerated concrete blocks with a density of D600 and D700, also autoclaved. Since autoclaved concrete with a cellular structure is increasingly used in high-rise construction, it is obvious that the density of aerated concrete blocks will increase.
The cost of this building material is low, but even it fully pays off by increasing strength, frost resistance, excellent soundproof and heat-insulating properties.