Own house should be durable, beautiful and comfortable, so as not to freeze in winter and not to bathe in summer. The fulfillment of these conditions depends not only on compliance with the technology of work, but also on the correct choice of wall material.
Features
Traditional materials for building walls are wood, clay bricks and gas silicate blocks. The modern construction industry offers developers new options to speed up construction time, while maintaining the load-bearing capacity and thermal insulation qualities of the outer walls of residential buildings.
We are talking about porous ceramic blocks or aerated concrete, and not everyone knows what is better to buy. To make the right choice, you should familiarize yourself with their properties, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages.
Aerated concrete block. Production Methods and Performance
To understand the advantages and disadvantages of aerated concrete, you need to find out what it is.
For its production, binders and silica components, water and aluminum powder are used. The following are used as binders:
- lime;
- cement;
- ash;
- slag;
- a mixture of the listed binders.
Silica filler is chosen from quartz sand, ash and other recyclable industrial waste. Simplified, the manufacturing process looks like this: binders and silica components are mixed with water to a certain consistency, aluminum powder is added and the mixture is poured into molds.
Aluminum powder reacts with the binder, releasing hydrogen. In the process of gas formation, hydrogen bubbles fill the material in large quantities, from which it acquires excellent performance properties: lightness, low thermal conductivity and environmental friendliness.
Production nuances
Aerated concrete is produced by autoclave and hydration methods. Already by the name it is clear that in order to obtain the final product, in the first case, the molded blocks are subjected to high pressure and temperature treatment in special apparatuses - autoclaves. At the same time, the product itself acquires increased strength, differs in the correct geometric dimensions, and the processing process is significantly accelerated.
Hydration, or natural curing, has a longer duration. In some cases, to accelerate it, an increase in temperature up to 100degrees. In terms of strength, such aerated concrete is inferior to autoclaved.
Indicators
When purchasing aerated concrete, the properties and characteristics of the material must be taken into account. In terms of strength and density, the material can be:
- thermal insulation;
- structural and heat-insulating;
- structural.
The least dense is heat-insulating aerated concrete. It cannot be used for laying external walls and partitions. But it has the lowest thermal conductivity and has proven itself as a heater. Its density is 300-400 kg/m3.
The density of structural heat-insulating concrete varies from 500 to 800 kg/m3. It is most popular among builders, having a fairly low thermal conductivity and at the same time high bearing capacity. This allows you to use it for the construction of external walls and not spend additional money on their insulation.
Structural aerated concrete has the highest density, from 900 to 1200 kg/m3, making it an excellent wall material. However, due to its increased density, it has less porosity and, accordingly, high thermal conductivity. When constructing structural elements from structural aerated concrete, additional insulation or an increase in the thickness of the outer walls is required.
Dimensional accuracy
The difference in manufacturing methods affects the accuracy of the geometric dimensions of aerated concrete blocks. According to this product parameterof this material are divided into three categories:
- The first category includes blocks whose deviations from the specified dimensions do not exceed 1.5 mm.
- In the second category, deviations of no more than 2 mm and broken corners are allowed.
- In the third category, damage to the corners can reach 10 mm, with an allowable deviation of the outer dimensions of no more than 4 mm.
Blocks of the first and second categories are stacked on a special glue. Products classified in the third category are placed only on the solution. At the same time, cold bridges are formed in greater numbers than when laying blocks of the first two categories.
Savings on the cost of materials will lead to a deterioration in the thermal insulation capacity of the outer walls or to additional costs for their insulation. Therefore, it is recommended to build outbuildings from blocks of this category: garages, workshops, sheds.
Pluses of aerated concrete
Like any building material, aerated concrete has its pros and cons. By comparing them, a balance can be drawn, allowing the developer to make his choice.
The absolute advantages of aerated concrete include:
- Light weight. The load on the foundation from aerated concrete walls is much lower than from brick or ceramic walls.
- One aerated concrete block when laying in a wall will replace two ceramic ones. This will allow you to complete the construction of the elements in a shorter time.
- Precise geometry of autoclaved blocks contributes to better masonry. Don't waste time on themalignment during construction.
- The environmental performance is slightly inferior to wood. We can say that after wooden walls, aerated concrete ones are the most environmentally friendly.
- The fire resistance is not inferior to brick and ceramic blocks.
- The material is easy to process, takes any shape, with virtually no waste.
- Frost resistance is quite high, up to 100 freeze and thaw cycles.
- Vapor permeability. Aerated concrete absorbs moisture well and gives it just as well to a dry room, which helps maintain a comfortable microclimate.
- The strength of aerated concrete is sufficient for the construction of two-story buildings.
- The material can be made by hand with the availability of raw materials, some equipment and familiarization with the relevant instructions. In this case, a hydration hardening material will be obtained, which has a reduced density and is unsuitable for a multi-storey building.
- Excellent thermal conductivity. Costs for insulation and heating are reduced.
- The price of aerated concrete can be considered low (from 2900 to 3100 rubles/m3), when compared with the cost of bricks and ceramic blocks.
- Manufacturers enough to choose the right size material at a reasonable price. For example, aerated concrete blocks 600x300x200 cm are popular.
Total, the reviewed material has at least 13 advantages.
Cons of aerated concrete
But there are also disadvantages, and quite serious ones:
- Vapor permeability, which is taken into account in the pros, isalso a minus. At low temperatures, the moisture accumulated in the pores of the blocks freezes and can cause their destruction.
- The material is very fragile, which must be taken into account when loading and transporting.
- At the end of construction, the material shrinks. Its value is relatively small, no more than 0.3 mm per square meter, but given the fragility of the walls, cracks are sure to appear during shrinkage.
- After the completion of the construction of walls from aerated concrete blocks, a reinforced belt is a prerequisite. This adds to the complexity of the entire process and requires the participation of qualified specialists.
- To protect walls from moisture absorption, high-quality and properly executed finishing work is required.
- One of the disadvantages is the insufficient mechanical strength of aerated concrete walls, when attaching radiators and heating pipelines to them. This cannot be done without special tools. The walls cannot support the weight of the appliances. For the same reason, flooring is made only of wood and wooden beams. This reduces sound transmission and makes it difficult to finish ceilings.
Properties of ceramic blocks
Ceramic blocks also have advantages and disadvantages. It would be more correct to call them porous ceramic blocks.
The starting material for their production is clay. When molding stones, sawdust is mixed into clay, which burns out during firing, forming pores. Due to the microporous structure, thermal insulation propertiesceramic blocks are significantly superior to ordinary bricks and are not much different from aerated concrete.
Available in various sizes, front and back, with smooth and grooved surfaces.
Dignity of ceramics
Not everyone knows what is better - a ceramic block or aerated concrete. Of the positive qualities of the first, the following are noted:
- The volume of one block corresponds to 14 ordinary bricks, but it is much lighter than them, which helps to speed up the laying process.
- Relatively light weight does not transfer significant loads to the foundation.
- The bonded surfaces of the blocks form a ridge/groove joint, which allows them to be positioned in a row with high accuracy and reduces the consumption of masonry composition, since joint filling is not required.
- The material is highly durable. Manufacturers guarantee a minimum of 50 years.
- Ceramic blocks are characterized by increased sound insulation due to their cellular structure.
- Eco-friendly is not inferior to aerated concrete, as it is made without the use of poisonous and toxic materials.
- Highly fire resistant.
- Low thermal conductivity. Holds heat well.
- The ability to saturate with moisture does not exceed 10 percent.
Disadvantages of pottery
Among the disadvantages in the construction of houses from ceramic blocks, the most important is the high cost of products. A house built from a similar material will cost the owner 15% more than a similar one.aerated concrete buildings.
In addition, when building houses from ceramic blocks, the following are noted among the minuses:
- According to GOST, deviations from dimensions in width and height from +1 to -5 mm are allowed. This negatively affects the quality of masonry.
- Due to its special strength, the material is difficult to process. Cut only with a grinder with a diamond wheel.
- Internal partitions that form the cellular structure of the block are quite fragile, which should be taken into account during their transportation and handling operations.
Comparative characteristics of aerated concrete and ceramic blocks
To determine the choice of the best material for construction, you should resort to comparing aerated concrete and ceramic blocks, the dimensions for which are different for construction. Technical and operational characteristics are presented in tabular form:
| Name of characteristics | Differences and similarities of characteristics. Choosing the best option. |
| Time spent on construction | The dimensions of both materials are large enough, which can significantly speed up the process of building walls, compared with laying ordinary bricks. The ceramic block is more difficult to process, this difference is not decisive. |
| Thermal conductivity | Both materials perform well. But ceramic blocks are denser. Aerated concrete is slightly inferior in this respect. |
| Strength characteristics | Aerated concrete is significantly inferior to ceramic blocks in this parameter. |
| Wall thickness recommendations | To balance this, ceramic block walls need to be 200mm thicker. |
| Do the walls need to be finished | Aerated concrete walls clearly require subsequent finishing, both in terms of technological requirements and in terms of aesthetics. Facing ceramic blocks do not require finishing. |
| Absorbency | Because of its porosity, aerated concrete absorbs much more moisture than ceramic blocks. This is a serious minus. |
| Shrinkability | Aerated concrete is most susceptible to it. Shrinkage contributes to the appearance of cracks in aerated concrete walls, which cannot be said about ceramics. |
| Differences in application | Walls and partitions are built from both materials. However, unlike ceramic material, there are no facing blocks in the aerated concrete product line. |
| Price difference | A one-story house made of ceramic blocks will cost its owner at least 15% more than the cost reflected in the estimate of a house made of aerated concrete. Two- and three-story mansions of their ceramic blocks are far from affordable for everyone. That is, the price of aerated concrete is lower. |
| OpportunityDIY making | Ceramic blocks are uniquely made only by industrial means. Aerated concrete, without autoclave, can be made by yourself. |
| Differences when laying walls | There are no special differences. Aerated concrete blocks are supposed to be reinforced every four rows. After the completion of masonry work, the products must be reinforced with a reinforced frame. This is not required when building walls with ceramic blocks. |
Conclusion
As can be seen from the table above, it is difficult to answer the question: what material is better - aerated concrete or ceramic block, what to choose from them - is difficult. Each has its positive and negative sides. The choice is up to the developer.
Conclusion
Those who are more concerned about the strength and moisture resistance of the future home can opt for ceramic blocks. Those who consider this material too expensive for themselves will choose aerated concrete. Additionally, wondering which is better - a ceramic block or aerated concrete, it is recommended to consult with a specialist.
