Many modern new buildings are monoliths. This suggests that during the construction of their frame was applied a new technology using reinforced concrete blocks.
Monolithic construction is appreciated by specialists for its high speed of operation and the ability to implement the most daring architectural and design solutions.
The history of the appearance of monolithic houses
Translated from Greek, "monoliths" are structures or large objects. The idea of building such houses arose after the invention of the most common principle of pouring the foundation, when concrete enters the previously prepared formwork. After the material reaches the desired level of strength, a monolith is obtained. The foundation created using this technology can last up to 100 years.
The first houses of this type appeared in Russia in the middle of the last century. However, they received their wide distribution only in the last 10 years. Now, most major developers every year increase the share of monolithic houses relative to panel and brick. This is due to economic benefits and a host of other benefits.
Recently, not only industrial, but also private houses began to be erected using monolith technology. Photos of such housing looks very attractive.
The technology of building a monolithic house
Regardless of its type, the house is a monolith. Concrete is poured into the formwork pre-mounted at the construction site, which accurately repeats all the contours of the future building.
A monolithic house can be of two types:
- brick monolithic;
- monolithic frame.
At the heart of the brick-monolithic house is a frame, the walls are made of insulation and facing material. When constructing a monolithic-frame house, the foundation is completely assembled at first, only after that the finishing work begins with light blocks.
The main competitor of monolith technology is brick. This traditional material has been used for the construction of residential buildings for more than one century. In an effort to please all buyers, construction companies are implementing projects of both monolithic and brick houses.
In order to understand which house is better, you need to conduct a comparative analysis and consider the advantages and disadvantages of both construction technologies.
The advantages of monolithic houses
- Monoliths are a one-piece construction that practically does not allow external noise to enter the building. In such an apartment, neighbors are always quiet and inaudible.
- The design of the house provides for the possibility of individual planning of each apartment, the creation of large spans and the desired ceiling height.
- If a pipe broke in one of the apartments, then the water will not penetrate the neighbors through the ceilings. The monolith provides isolation of each "compartment".
- High speed construction. Under favorable conditions, it can reach one floor per day. The speed of construction to a lesser extent depends on many suppliers, since only one main component is needed - concrete.
- The wall thickness is only 16 cm, which allows to increase the area of apartments.
- Due to the integral structure of the building, its possible settlement occurs evenly, therefore, the appearance of cracks during operation is excluded.
- All electrical communications are laid during the construction of walls, which eliminates their damage during decoration and other works.
- Material for the decoration of the facade can be anything: brick, artificial stone, decorative plaster, wood and siding.
- A monolithic house is several times stronger than a brick one. The compressive strength of the two materials is the same; the bending strength is 10 times different. This is due to the heterogeneity of the masonry of the individual elements. A reinforced concrete wall 10 cm thick withstands the load of a house of 30 floors, brickwork of 50 cm - only 15.
Along with the many advantages of monolithic houses, you can find some disadvantages in them.
The disadvantages of monolithic houses
- The heavy concrete used in construction has a low vapor transmission coefficient. The consequence of this is obstructed air exchange with the external environment. This requires builders and residents to carry out additional measures, including the installation of supply and exhaust ventilation to compensate for this drawback.
If polystyrene foam is used as a heater, then problems with impaired air exchange cannot be avoided. Developers always offer buyers a way out of the situation. Such recommendations should not be neglected.
- During the construction of the house, pre-ordered and brought modules are not used, since everything is assembled on site in a monolith. Concrete that was not delivered on time can cause the process to stop completely.
Breaks in construction can also occur due to severe winter cold, when concrete begins to freeze. Recently, builders have been actively using new technologies that almost eliminate this unpleasant phenomenon.
- Apartments in houses are monolith, this photo clearly demonstrates, they are rented out in the "bare walls" format. Residents themselves need to plan partitions, install plumbing and conduct electrics. For those who want to create a unique interior in an apartment, this will only work on hand.
- The noise from a working drill or hammer will be heard by all neighbors, as the whole house is a single structure.
For an objective comparative characteristic of the two materials, it is necessary to consider a brick.
The advantages of brick houses
- With low-rise buildings, piece material opens up great scope for the creativity of architects.
- The brick house has no problems with steam transmission, so it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
- Brick is a natural material resistant to mold and fungi.
- Audibility between neighbors is minimal.
- The manufacturability of the material allows for the implementation of ventilation ducts and other necessary elements during the construction of walls.
The disadvantages of brick houses
- The technology of building a house of brick requires a long time, which reduces the profit of developers.
- In brick houses there is no possibility of changing the layout of the apartment due to the demolition of the bearing walls.
- The high mass of material makes it possible to build from it houses with a height of no more than 10-12 floors.
The cost of apartments in monolithic and brick houses
The main issue that interests most buyers is the cost per 1 m 2 of housing. The price of apartments in monolithic houses is 20-30% lower than in brick houses. After all, installing the formwork and pouring it with concrete is cheaper than laying out thousands of individual bricks.
The area occupied by brick walls is 3 times larger, that is, with the same external dimensions, the monolithic house will have more spacious apartments.
It should be borne in mind that housing in brick houses, as a rule, is already rented with interior decoration and communications. In monolithic new buildings, all this must be done by the residents themselves. This adds to the value of the apartment is still a decent amount.
Which material is safer for health?
Concrete and brick are environmentally friendly materials. They consist of sand, water, clay and other natural ingredients.
The only danger that monoliths pose is insulation. You can always find out about the safety of its use from developers.