At the moment, two types of bricks are used in construction. It is silicate and ceramic. Lime, quartz sand and water are used as raw materials for the first. Such a brick has long been known to mankind and has good sound insulation. Compared to ceramic, silicate has a higher density, but you need to understand that such a material has a number of disadvantages, so it is not used for the construction of furnaces and foundations. Ceramic is made from ordinary clay. It is fired in a drying chamber. However, the firing technology may be different. It is from this characteristic that the properties of this brick will depend. Ceramic material can be ordinary and facial.
Thus, both types of bricks can have good characteristics. But latelyaerated concrete began to be in great demand. It also has a number of advantages. Therefore, the question of which is better - brick or aerated concrete for the construction of a residential building, is always relevant. Well, let's compare these two materials in detail.
Features of aerated concrete
What is this? Aerated concrete is a type of cellular concrete. This is an artificial material with evenly mixed air pores. The gas block consists of aluminum powder, quartz sand, cement, lime and water. Sometimes waste is added to the composition - ash and slag. This reduces the cost of production, but it also negatively affects the quality of the building material.
The manufacturing technology of this material is quite simple. The composition is mixed with water and poured into a mold. In this case, aluminum powder reacts with lime. As a result, the mixture rises, and then acquires a solid form. This mass is cut into blocks, which are then processed under pressure in an autoclave. Aerated concrete first appeared 85 years ago. Due to the porous structure, this material has thermal insulation properties. In terms of physical properties, aerated concrete resembles wood. It is warm, breathable and environmentally friendly material. It is easy to cut and drill. At the same time, the material is fire resistant and does not rot.
Thus, the gas block is a durable building material that allows you to build various buildings. Wall thickness and thermal conductivity can be different. But it is not recommended to build from a gas blockbuildings above three floors.
Mass
On average, the gas block weighs 22 kilograms, while its dimensions are much larger than those of any brick. So, a brick of the same volume will weigh 64 kilograms. At the same time, cellular aerated concrete perfectly absorbs sound, so there is no need for additional sound insulation.
Comparative specifications
To understand which is better - brick or aerated concrete, let's compare their technical characteristics:
- Strength limit. For bricks, this parameter is from 110 to 120 kilograms per square centimeter. The gas block is less durable. This parameter does not exceed 50 kilograms per square centimeter.
- Weight. The mass of one cubic meter of brick is from 1.2 to 2 tons. The gas block will weigh from 200 to 900 kilograms.
- Thermal conductivity. For masonry from gas blocks, this parameter is 0.09-0.12 W / mk. For brick - 0.46 W/mk.
- Frost resistance. For gas block - 50 cycles, for brick - from 75 to 100.
- Water absorption. For aerated concrete, water absorption is 20 percent by weight, for brick - no more than 12. This means that the first material needs additional protection. But we will talk about this a little later.
- Fire resistance. Here is the description by class. Both are first class. What this means, we will consider a little later.
- Size. The gas block has the following dimensions: 20x30x60 centimeters. Brick - 6.5x12x25 centimeters.
- Quantity. There are 28 gas blocks or 380 bricks per cubic meter.
What is better - brick or aerated concrete for the construction of a residential building? Knowing these characteristics, everyone can accurately determine whether a particular material is suitable for building a house. But in order to better understand the answer to the question, then we will make a detailed comparison of aerated concrete and brick in terms of characteristics.
Compressive Strength Factor
Why is this parameter so important? The strength of the box at home will directly depend on this parameter. The more floors it has, the heavier the floors will be. Therefore, the safety factor must be high.
Example
For example, we need to build a two-story country house with a basement. The height of each house is 2.5 meters. At the same time, the floors between floors are made of reinforced concrete slabs. In this case, the load-bearing walls must be made of brick, as this material can withstand heavy loads. But aerated concrete will not withstand such loads. After construction, such a house will open at the seams (cracks are provided). It is also not recommended to make a foundation of aerated concrete. However, in this case, non-bearing walls made of aerated concrete can be erected. This will be a fairly economical solution and not at the expense of reliability.
Thermal conductivity
This parameter is no less important. The coefficient of thermal conductivity will determine the ability of the wall to pass heat through itself. The higher this parameter, the better the properties. Previously, we gave comparative characteristics. Which is better - brick or aerated concrete? In this caseaerated concrete is clearly in the lead. Its thermal conductivity is four times higher than that of a brick. That is why, according to the requirements, it is necessary to build brick walls with a thickness of at least one meter. For a gas block, a thickness of 50 centimeters is sufficient. Reviews say that the cost of building a brick house will be higher, since the issue of thermal insulation will additionally have to be addressed. If you use a gas block for walls, additional thermal insulation is not necessary. The coefficient of thermal conductivity of such walls is minimal. Inside such a house, warm air will linger as long as possible. And with brick walls, the house "freezes" very quickly.
Water absorption coefficient
How is this parameter determined? It is determined by the ability of a building material to absorb water and retain it inside itself. Due to water absorption, the properties of the material deteriorate. First of all, this design becomes less durable. Which is better - brick or aerated concrete? In this case, the brick wins. The gas block absorbs one and a half times more moisture. Therefore, aerated concrete walls need additional waterproofing. Without fail, it is necessary to clad the facade of the house. Usually plaster is used for this. As for the brick house, it does not need additional cladding. Although today very often some kind of cladding is used for such walls. This is siding or the same plaster.
Fire retardant
This is the ability of a material to resist high temperatures. In other words,This coefficient shows how long the structure will collapse in a fire. According to the technical requirements, both materials here correspond to the first class. What does this mean? First class materials have a fire fighting time margin of at least 2.5 hours.
How much does aerated concrete block and brick cost?
This question interests many. How much does an aerated concrete block cost? The price of one cubic meter is about 4 thousand rubles. Yellow brick will cost about 7 thousand rubles per cubic meter. The number of blocks and bricks per cube will be different. The speed of work is also different. Building a house using yellow brick takes a long time. According to reviews, a good brick must correspond to a class of at least M200. And he's expensive. In addition to the price of the material itself, you need to consider the cost of laying work. The cost of building a brick house will definitely be higher. This is even though such a house will not be lined with plaster. It must also be said that the soundproofing properties of aerated concrete are higher.
Summing up
In fact, a brick is 13 times smaller than a gas block, but weighs four times more. The weight of aerated concrete masonry is 400 kilograms, and of brick - 1800. In practice, this means that it will take at least twice as long to lay bricks. The cost of a house made of aerated concrete will be lower. But still, which is better to choose? To summarize the above:
- A high-quality gas block will always be cheaper thanquality brick. In addition, it is difficult to find good bricks today. Many are trying to save on production. The cost of a house made of aerated concrete will be lower.
- Ceramic brick as a building material has been used for more than five centuries. Many people know how such houses behave. They are really strong. But how a gas-block building, which appeared relatively recently, will behave is a big question.
- The gas block is superior to the brick in terms of technical characteristics. No need to make a thick wall and perform thermal insulation. But since the material is able to absorb moisture, waterproofing aerated concrete is indispensable. Therefore, external finishing is mandatory. A brick wall can stand "bare" for quite a few years.
- Brick has a high bearing capacity. Therefore, load-bearing walls are always made from it.
As you can see, these materials have several differences. To say unequivocally which is better - a gas block or a brick, will not work. Both have their positive and negative qualities. But still, many people prefer to use the gas block. Some have formed a strong belief in their minds that a solid house should only be made of bricks. This is not true. If you need to build a structure in a short time and at the same time it must be reliable, you can do the following. Brick is used for load-bearing walls, and a gas block is used for all others. This is the best option for building a private house. Although some make load-bearing walls from a gas block. Experts say it isyou can do it, but only if it is a one-story house with an attic.
