What is warmer gas block or brick. Houses made of brick or aerated concrete: what is better to build? Comparative characteristics of brick-aerated concrete
The question "What material to build from?" - one of the fundamental in any construction. Surely you, before starting to build a cottage, thought: why, if they are building a house for themselves, they choose bricks, and if they are for sale - concrete blocks? At least one of our visitors asked exactly this question (see article). In order to dot the “i” in the question “What material to build your own cottage from: brick or concrete blocks?”, This article was written.
Terminology
Aerated concrete house with decoration
In this article under brick we will understand ceramic hollow brick obtained by firing clays and their mixtures in a kiln.
Hollow ceramic brick
Under aerated concrete- a type of cellular concrete, which is obtained from a mixture of binder sand and water with gas-forming additives.
Aerated concrete of various sizes
Brick and aerated concrete have specific indicators that characterize these materials in terms of the following parameters(see Table 1):
- ultimate compressive strength;
- weight;
- thermal conductivity;
- frost resistance;
- water absorption;
- fire resistance.
Knowing these indicators, we can say whether the selected material will correspond to the functional purpose, geographical location and structural design of the building.
The main indicators of brick and aerated concrete block
That is, whether the material you have chosen is suitable for the construction of your cottage, in the area in which you plan to live. Agree that there is a difference between a two-story permanent home in the Far North and a summer bungalow on the Mediterranean coast.
Table 1. Characteristics ceramic brick and aerated concrete
Let's look at each indicator separately: how it affects the strength, stability and durability of the "box" of the house.
Compressive strength shows how much load the material can withstand in kilograms per 1 cm2. The compressive strength directly affects the structural strength of the "box" of the house.
Let's look at an example. Suppose you are planning to build two-storey cottage With basement. Floor height - 2.5m. Interfloor and attic floors- from reinforced concrete slabs.
In this case, you need to use bricks when building external (bearing) walls. Because it is this material that can withstand the weight of load-bearing walls (which transfer their own weight and the weight of interfloor floors to the foundation). If in this case you will use aerated concrete, then you must be prepared for the fact that the walls will not withstand the load of ceilings and other structures. As a result, cracks can go along the walls.
But self-supporting (transferring only their own weight to the foundation) or non-bearing (partitions) walls, in this case, can be made of both brick and aerated concrete.
So, the more floors and the heavier the floors, the higher the compressive strength of the selected material should be.
It is important to emphasize here that “estimate by eye” the weight that will be carried outer wall(and, accordingly, the material), you are unlikely to succeed. To be absolutely sure of the correct choice of material, contact your designer. Its mission is to give you calculated wall load data specific to your home .
Aerated concrete block house
Another important indicator is wall mass(kg). The type of foundation of your house depends on this indicator (the choice of the type of foundation largely depends on the weight that the walls and interfloor ceilings). As you can see (see Table 1), the mass of aerated concrete is almost 20 times less than brick. Therefore, the foundation for brick walls will be more complex and expensive (for example, a slab foundation or) than for aerated concrete walls (for example,).
Coefficient of thermal conductivity The material shows the ability to transfer (conduct) heat (calculated indicator of the amount of heat passing through 1 m3 of a material sample in 1 hour at a temperature difference of 1 °C on opposite surfaces). The higher this figure, the worse thermal insulation properties material.
As can be seen from Table 1, the thermal conductivity of brick is almost 4 times higher than that of aerated concrete. That is why it is recommended to build brick walls 1 m thick, and aerated concrete walls - 0.5 m (in accordance with SNiP II-3-79 * " Construction heat engineering"). However, in modern construction few people build walls of a meter thickness - it is expensive in terms of time, labor costs, and money. Therefore, in practice, when laying brick walls (usually 25 cm thick), more thermal insulation materials(inside and outside) than when building walls of aerated concrete.
Brick-lined house
Water absorption coefficient indicates the ability of a material to absorb and retain water. Water absorption worsens the properties of the material, increases thermal conductivity and average density, reduces strength.
Table 1 shows that aerated concrete absorbs moisture 1.5 times faster than brick. This means that aerated concrete walls require more protection - you will most likely have to clad the facade of the house.
The next indicator is frost resistance material. It shows the ability to maintain wet materials strength during repeated alternation of freezing and thawing. As you can see (see Table 1), this coefficient for brick is higher (on average), which indicates that, in terms of frost resistance, brick is a more durable material than aerated concrete. Therefore, aerated concrete requires additional insulation and insulation from temperature extremes.
Under fire resistance understand the ability of a material (structure) to resist impact high temperature under fire conditions.
The degree of fire resistance shows how long (in hours) the structure will withstand before the occurrence of collapses, the appearance of through cracks or holes, and elevated temperatures.
Both brick and aerated concrete belong to the first class of fire resistance (in accordance with SNiP 2.01.02-85 * "Fire safety standards"). This means that external load-bearing walls that are made of these materials have a minimum fire resistance of 2.5 hours (for comparison: the load-bearing walls of a building made of wood have a minimum fire resistance of 30 minutes).
Aerated concrete house with decoration
Of course, the comparison of brick and aerated concrete will not be complete if we do not consider the cost of these materials and the time that will be spent on the construction of the "box".
Comparison of ceramic bricks and aerated concrete block according to their characteristics
Table 2. Characteristics of brick and gas parameters concrete block
Let's start with required amount materials.
The size of one brick is 65x120x250 mm.
The size of one concrete block is 200x200x600 mm.
When calculating, it turns out that when laying 1 m3 of a brick wall, 380 pieces will be used up, from aerated concrete - 27 blocks.
The average market value of 1,000 pieces of bricks is UAH 1,200.00. (1.2 UAH/piece), and 1 package of aerated concrete (1 package contains 42 blocks) is 762.00 UAH (18.00 UAH/piece).
That is, 1m3 brick wall will cost you on average UAH 456.00(380 pieces x 1.2 UAH / piece), from aerated concrete - 486.00 UAH.(27 blocks x UAH 18.00/piece).
Now calculate the cost of installation work. The cost of brickwork is 500-750.00 UAH. for 1 thousand pieces, and aerated concrete masonry - UAH 150-250.00. for 1m3.
That is, 1 m3 brickwork will cost you on average UAH 320.00, A aerated concrete masonry - 200.00 UAH.
Summing up, we get that the average cost 1 m3 of brick wall masonry will cost UAH 776.00, and aerated concrete - UAH 686.00.
Attention! We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the price of materials and the cost construction works varies not only within the country, but also within the city (maybe even the district). Therefore, it will first be necessary to calculate the cost of building walls, taking into account your location. Budgeting again lies on design organization to which you applied.
Go ahead. You need to bring the selected and purchased material to the object. And this is where the question arises: where (in what region and place) do you plan to build? Check in advance if there are sellers of the selected material in your area and how much money they charge for delivery. Because it may happen that by choosing aerated concrete (it seems to be cheaper!), The cost of delivering this material to the facility can cover all the savings on it.
Note: As a rule, depending on the region, the cost of materials and work for the construction of a "box" of a brick house is 15-30% higher than that of aerated concrete.
A private house
As for the time factor, as can be seen from Table 2, aerated concrete walls are erected 20% faster than brick walls. This speed of work is related to the volume and weight of the material. Brick is actually 13 times smaller than aerated concrete, and weighs 4 times more. Imagine that in order to lay 1 m3 of an aerated concrete wall, the master needs to lift and put 400 kg of material, and 1,800 kg of brick. In practice, this means that a “box” of brick can be “expelled” in 3-6 months, and a “box” of aerated concrete - in 1-3 months.
Finally, I would like to focus on next moment: force of habit. In fact, we have formed a strong belief that a house can only be made of brick. And we find a lot of evidence for this, for example, some ancient fortresses stood for several hundred centuries and are perfectly preserved. Tradition is a safe and proven path. However, do not forget that the 21st century is in the yard - the development of technology does not stand still. Modern technologies allow you to save time, money, etc. The main thing is that their use should not be a tribute to fashion, but be a sober and balanced decision.
As you can see, it is impossible to say which is better: brick or aerated concrete. You probably understand that the concepts of “better-worse”, “more expensive - cheaper” are quite relative. They are applicable when you already have finished project your house. In one case, it is possible to use only bricks, in the other - only aerated concrete, in the third - a combination of one and the other is possible.
A private house
I would like to remind you once again that before making a choice in favor of one or another material, your designer should certainly compare all the technical and economic indicators of materials with respect to the project of your house. Only after that, it will be possible to say with confidence that the selected material is suitable for the construction of your cottage.
Attention: Prices are valid for Ukraine for 2008.
Starting construction capital house, each developer is trying to determine for himself the economic component of the construction and choose the most suitable building material for this. After all, I want the house to stand, and at the same time fairly new building materials were used. Today, most often choose aerated concrete or brick for construction. Materials of block type, but having different technical characteristics in most parameters. Therefore, in the material we will try to figure out what is better and more profitable to build - houses made of brick or aerated concrete. We will evaluate the properties of materials and consider all the nuances of building from one type of block or another.
Gas block and brick: definition and production technology
Brick is a block building material made from clay with the addition of plasticizers. As a result, the resulting clay mass goes through the firing stage, which enhances finished brick hundreds of times. brick blocks have been used in construction for more than 3 hundred years and therefore the result of durability, resistance and bearing capacity can be determined today by buildings built of brick more than 100 years ago. That is, brick is a fairly predictable building material.
Important: while aerated concrete was first used in construction a little over 80 years ago. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately determine the durability of the material. No one knows how he will behave in 100-150 years.
Aerated concrete is produced from a mixture of cement, sand, lime and gas-forming substances with the addition of water. As a result of the reaction cement mixture foams and pours into molds. Then the blanks are dried at a certain temperature. As a result, the formed pores of the gas are preserved, which makes the blocks of aerated concrete relatively light.
Having understood the production technology of both types of materials, one can have an idea about the formation of the technical characteristics of the blocks. And understanding them, you can determine for yourself what is better in construction.
Comparative characteristics of both types of blocks
It is possible to compare building material in the form of brick and aerated concrete according to numerous parameters, such as moisture resistance, strength to mechanical stress, frost resistance and thermal insulation, mass, etc. Let's try to take everything apart in order to form our attitude to aerated concrete and brick as building materials.
Mass of blocks
First of all, the weight of the building material is of great importance. After all, laid out in a box, it will form a sufficient mass, and that, in turn, will put pressure on the foundation. From here it is necessary to lay the bearing capacity of the basis at the design stage of the house. So, aerated concrete is lighter, since it has a porous structure. It is worth noting that 1m3 of a laid aerated concrete wall will weigh 400-900 kg, depending on the thickness of the masonry. Thus, when building a house, it is possible to arrange a lightweight type of foundation - a shallowly buried strip or columnar one, which will save the construction budget. Yes, and labor costs for distillation of walls from aerated concrete will be less. Here, a box at home can be driven out within a month.
Brick has a large mass, unlike aerated concrete, due to its dense structure. So, the mass of 1 m3 of a brick wall is 1300-2000 kg, also depending on the thickness of the masonry. Thus, it becomes clear that under a brick house it is required to mount a strong recessed strip foundation or slab monolithic. Since light bases will not withstand the load of such a house. Hence the construction costs.
Important: the volume of the material also matters. So, in 1 m3 of aerated concrete - 28 pieces, while bricks with the same volume - already 513 pieces. Accordingly, the labor costs for laying a brick wall will be large. Such a box is built within 3-4 months.
Thermal conductivity of blocks
An important factor that affects the role of the choice of the developer. After all, I want to build not just a house, but warm house at lower cost. Therefore, when choosing, keep in mind that the thermal conductivity of aerated concrete is much lower than that of bricks. That is, aerated concrete blocks perfectly retain heat in the house and do not conduct it outside. brick more cold material and therefore for construction it is enough warm walls you will need to make masonry at least 50 cm thick, which increases material consumption. An aerated concrete wall with the same thermal conductivity as a brick wall of 50 cm can have a thickness of 35-40 cm. That is, there is an economical consumption of building material in the form of aerated concrete.
Water permeability of the material
But here we also pay attention to the water absorption of the blocks. So, the brick is over moisture resistant material due to the absence of a porous structure. Note that brick absorbs moisture only by 6-16%, while aerated concrete absorbs water by 100%. That is, blocks of aerated concrete must be additionally protected from the outside. facade decoration, and this is an additional cost for construction. Brickwork does not need outer cladding because brick blocks are not afraid of water. By the way, the feature of aerated concrete to absorb water makes its own adjustments to the construction. So, work can be done only in dry and relatively warm weather, or it can be reliably protected construction site rain canopy.
Important: if aerated concrete is not protected from moisture, then mold and fungus will grow in the blocks over time, which will lead to the destruction of the house in the future.
Frost resistance of blocks
Based on the water absorption of the blocks, one can also talk about their frost resistance, that is, the number of freezing / freezing cycles. This factor also affects the durability of the building. Note that a brick is able to survive up to 50 cycles without loss for the structure, while aerated concrete blocks survive only 25-35 cycles without any problems. Therefore, if your goal is to build a house for several generations, then you should choose brick as a building material. Or it is reliable to insulate the walls of aerated concrete from the outside, which again will require additional investments in construction.
Block masonry strength
Even a novice master understands and knows that the strength of porous aerated concrete blocks is much lower than that of brick ones. So, brickwork has a strength of 50-150 kg / cm2, and the strength for foam concrete is only 5-20 kg / cm2. That is why building high houses from concrete blocks is prohibited by the SNiP regulations. Such a building material simply cannot withstand the load of the walls of a house above two or three floors during cottage construction, although the regulations say a maximum of 14 floors. A brick house can be built at least 30 floors, this will not affect the strength of the building in any way. By the way, even during construction two-story house with a basement, with a wall height of each floor of 2.5 meters and in the presence of slab reinforced concrete floors walls made of aerated concrete most likely will not withstand such a load and will crack. In this case, it is better to choose a brick.
Tip: if you want to save on construction, you can drive the lower floor out of bricks, and the second one out of blocks.
Fire safety of brick and foam concrete
Here, both types of building materials have a high degree of fire safety and comply with building codes and requirements. The same non-combustible will be a house made of both brick and aerated concrete. Both types of blocks can easily withstand direct flame within 2-2.5 hours.
Shrinkage of building material
An important factor is the percentage of shrinkage of the house after construction. Thus, porous foam concrete tends to shrink within two years after the end of construction by about 0.3 mm / for every meter of height. Such an indicator can lead to the formation of cracks on the walls. Particularly susceptible to shrinkage is foam concrete located in dry and warm places, such as chimneys, etc. Brick does not shrink at all, even during long years of house operation.
Mechanical resistance of the material
It is also worth paying attention to the susceptibility of blocks to mechanical stress. Here, brick is a more complex and unyielding material, while aerated concrete is similar to wood (easily cut and sawn). But at the same time, it should be borne in mind that to mount shelves, cabinets or brackets under the foam concrete wall household appliances it will be more difficult. In an aerated concrete wall, you will have to additionally arrange fixation. Brick in this regard is much more reliable and convenient.
Environmental friendliness of the material
If you want the walls of the house to breathe and provide microcirculation of air, then both types of building materials are equally good. AND clay brick, and porous concrete equally pass air, preventing rotting of the walls inside and outside the house. At the same time, neither one nor the other type of material evaporates harmful compounds into the air.
Material cost
In order to finally have an idea about the economic component of the construction, it is necessary to check the price of the material. So, in the Moscow region, the prices for brick and aerated concrete will be approximately as follows:
- Ceramic brick - about 80 USD/m3.
- Foam concrete - 45-50 c.u./m3.
That is, given the volume of material in 1m3 and its cost, we can safely say that a box of foam concrete blocks will cost less. But in any case, you will have to additionally clad the house to protect the blocks from water. And in general, to determine which is better - a house made of aerated concrete or brick, you can only fully calculate all the parameters of the construction and the features of the operation of the house in the future. After all, not always good house is an expensive house. You can successfully use new generation building materials, but at the same time competently approach the choice of finishes and construction calculations. Remember building technology do not stand still and once a brick was a newcomer among the materials.
Ceramic blocks or warm ceramics are essentially large-sized bricks with similar characteristics, so when choosing wall material you can be guided by the qualities of any of these materials. The difference will be only in the speed of masonry and in the fact that less masonry mortar will be required for walls made of warm ceramics.
Ten years ago, the question of what to choose porous brick or aerated concrete was not relevant. Aerated concrete and expanded clay concrete were the only representatives on the Russian market. But today, warm ceramics are as widely represented on the market as the above materials. Therefore, there is a choice and to make it right, you can only take a closer look at the characteristics of each of the materials.
We compare characteristics that are important for Russian conditions
- Heat loss. Of course, none of the homeowners wants to heat the street, so the task of reducing heating costs during long seasons with negative temperatures is more than relevant. Air is a unique heat insulator and with an increase in the percentage of porosity of the material, its heat-shielding properties increase. It is precisely due to the high porosity and the presence of voids in the body of the block that warm ceramics have a minimum coefficient of thermal conductivity, only 0.16 W / (M × ° C). The value of the coefficient for aerated concrete is slightly lower, about 0.12 W / (M × ° C), which allows you to make the walls thinner. But today already some Porotherm ceramic blocks have a coefficient equal to 0.12. Therefore, regarding the preservation of heat in your home, the chances are almost equal.
- Frost resistance. Warm ceramics have an F50 value, which means that ceramic blocks suitable for construction in the northern regions. Aerated concrete has the same high rate of frost resistance.
- Durability . Warm ceramics is the same well-known baked clay brick, only with improved characteristics. The surviving centuries-old red brick buildings speak for themselves. It is still too early to judge the durability of aerated concrete, since the time of its birth has not yet crossed the century mark. The oldest buildings are no more than 70 years old.
- Environmental friendliness. Warm ceramics is clay, the most environmentally friendly natural material and nothing more. Aerated concrete is a material created artificially, but based on natural materials. For its manufacture, sand, water, cement and aluminum powder are used. Therefore, a big plus for this indicator is in favor of porous bricks and ceramic blocks.
Why, nevertheless, with many almost equal indicators, to the question of what to choose porous brick or aerated concrete, experts give an answer in favor of the first material?
Under equal operating conditions under the influence of high temperatures, high humidity etc. there will be no harmful emissions from ceramics. Aerated concrete adsorbs moisture well, so there is a risk of reducing it thermal characteristics additional moisture protection is required. With increased humidity, deformation may occur, in which the restoration of the internal and exterior finish you will have to pay an additional, sometimes considerable amount. That is why we also recommend and offer you warm ceramics.
The construction of any building requires the selection of high-quality and reliable materials. Most builders are concerned about the dilemma: brick or aerated concrete? Each material has its own pros and cons that you should be aware of.
The process of erecting walls is a complex and painstaking task, because the service life of the building depends on the choice of material and the quality of its installation. Among many builders, the question of choice often arises. wall stone. The main types of stone will be brick or aerated concrete blocks.
Brick properties and types
The building materials market is ready today to offer the consumer several options for bricks. Each product is suitable for different needs. Eg, silicate brick enjoys great popularity among summer residents and amateur builders. Its low price makes it suitable option for building walls country houses and garages. The use of silicate bricks is unacceptable in the construction of stoves, foundations and fireplaces. This type of product is only suitable for arranging external as well as internal interior walls.
Ceramic bricks should also be highlighted. It is suitable for the construction of any objects. It is produced by firing various types of clay, which allows it to be quite fire resistant. Ceramic, like silicate brick, is full-bodied and hollow. The second type is much cheaper due to the presence of voids, but is characterized by low heat-saving performance.
Attention! When building brick walls, it is imperative to think about laying thermal insulation. It is better to use special plates with heat-insulating material.
Facing brick, although intended for decorating objects, can often be used to build walls. In addition to the described types of bricks, double, clinker and fireclay stone can be distinguished. The latter is considered refractory and is excellent for building furnaces. A stove made of such a stone heats up rather slowly, but is able to give off heat for a long time, which allows the air in the room to remain comfortable.
Features and benefits of aerated concrete
The block from is one of types of cellular concrete. Aerated concrete block is obtained by curing under pressure in an autoclave. It consists of a mixture of cement, quartz sand, ordinary lime, aluminum powder and water. All components are pre-mixed and loaded into the autoclave. In the autoclave, foaming and curing takes place. The main advantage of aerated concrete over foam concrete is the possibility of obtaining a product with a predetermined set of properties and quality characteristics. Aerated concrete today produces wall blocks, floor slabs, steps for stairs.
Advantages of aerated concrete:
The naturalness of the material (only natural components are used in the manufacture of the block);
incombustibility;
High thermal insulation performance saves on additional insulation;
Easy to process;
Has a low weight;
It is characterized by high bearing capacity and vapor permeability;
Resistant to negative air temperature;
It is characterized by different density;
Inexpensive building material.
Aerated concrete is divided into structural (grades D 700), heat-insulating (grades D 500 - D 600) and structural and heat-insulating (D 400). The numbers indicate the density indicators. For building a house, it is worth choosing blocks with good load-bearing and thermal insulation capacity. Such requirements are met by blocks of cellular concrete obtained in an autoclave, grade D 500. From such a block, you can build a house up to three floors high. Load bearing capacity this brand of concrete is able to withstand the load of the whole house and some floor slabs.
To conventional stove ceilings could not cut the wall from the aerated concrete block, it is worth additionally creating reinforced belt or lay a reinforced concrete support pad.
Due to the ability of the blocks to absorb moisture open use without additional protection is not recommended. If you need a frost-resistant block, then you should choose a material with high rates density. The presence of lime in the composition of the block contributes to the development of corrosion processes in metal elements, therefore, it is better to use fiberglass as reinforcement, and choose polyethylene or polypropylene pipes.
Comparative characteristics of brick-aerated concrete
Comparison of various indicators will determine why aerated concrete is better than brick, or whether it is worth giving preference to the traditional ceramic or gas silicate option. The following indicators will be checked:
ultimate compressive strength;
mass of the wall;
water absorption coefficient;
coefficient of thermal conductivity;
frost resistance;
fire resistance.
The first point will be the determination of the compressive strength of the building material. This value will show how much weight a brick or aerated concrete can withstand. The indicator affects the strength of the entire structure of the "box". For ceramic bricks, this value is 110-220 kg / cm2, for aerated concrete - 25-50 kg / cm2. The difference in values is quite large. For one-story buildings, you can use a wall block, for two-storey houses with floor slabs, it is still worth building walls from ordinary ceramic bricks. Of course, it is possible to build load-bearing walls from aerated concrete blocks, but then you need to additionally reinforce the blocks in the corners, places of door and window openings.
Advice! To be sure of the choice of material for the "box", you should contact the designer to calculate the approximate load on the wall of your house.
Making a comparison on such a parameter as the mass of the wall, even without testing it is noticeable that aerated concrete is several times lighter than brick. The weight of the wall affects the choice of foundation type. How less weight walls, the less load the foundation will experience. For brick walls, a monolithic or ordinary strip foundation is suitable. For aerated concrete walls, it is possible to erect a columnar or shallow strip foundation, provided that the building under construction is small and one-story.
When comparing the thermal conductivity of two materials, aerated concrete wins. Its value of the coefficient of thermal conductivity is almost 4 times less than that of a brick. This allows you to save on thermal insulation materials. Due to the high thermal conductivity of bricks, it is recommended to build brick walls with a thickness of one meter, and aerated concrete walls with a thickness of 0.5 meters.
The value of the water absorption coefficient will show how the material is able to absorb and also retain water. The indicator for aerated concrete is one and a half times greater, which makes it possible to determine that aerated concrete walls should be faced.
The frost resistance of a building material shows how many freeze-thaw cycles a stone can withstand. For brick, the value is 50-100 cycles, for aerated concrete - 50. Despite the values, walls made of both materials need additional thermal insulation.
The degree of resistance to fire under fire conditions for bricks, aerated concrete blocks is the same. They belong to the first class of fire resistance. This indicator indicates the ability of the walls to resist fire for 2.5 hours.
What is better aerated concrete or brick?
After bringing the comparative characteristics, many builders still have the same question. or brick? If you are building a house with several floors using floor slabs, then you should stop at brick walls. In the case of building a bath, country house, a two-storey house with wooden floor or garage, then you can use aerated concrete block. Both materials need thermal insulation, as well as facade cladding. According to the norms, brick walls should be thicker than aerated concrete ones, but in practice no one builds meter-long brick walls. The question arises about the cost of building materials, then a cubic meter wall block from aerated concrete will be much cheaper than a "cube" of bricks. When choosing between brick and aerated concrete, the time spent on laying walls should also be taken into account. Blocks are larger and are placed much faster.
The above material will help determine why aerated concrete is better than any type of brick and in which cases it is still worth using a time-tested brick.
To date, two types of bricks are used in construction:. The raw materials for the production of silicate bricks are quartz sand, lime and water. Brick molds are loaded into an autoclave and exposed to heat treatment- impact under high pressure saturated water vapor at a temperature of about 200 degrees.
The choice of material must be approached seriously, the final appearance of the structure depends on the material.
Made from lime and sand using a technology long known to mankind, silicate brick is an environmentally friendly building material that has good sound insulation. Silicate brick, in comparison with ceramic, has a higher density, and in terms of strength and frost resistance, it left the existing brands of lightweight concrete far behind. Suffice it to say that builders give a guarantee of 50 years or more for the walls erected from it.
At the same time, buildings made of silicate brick are unpretentious and resistant to the vagaries of nature. The walls laid out of it retain their color for a long time, except when they are exposed to long-term exposure to high humidity.
It should be noted that for all its advantages, silicate brick has low water and heat resistance, so it cannot be used in the construction of foundations, sewer wells, as well as stoves and chimneys.
One of the most durable and frost-resistant building materials today.
Fired (ceramic) bricks were used in housing construction by mankind as early as the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. In Rus', burnt bricks have been used since the end of the 15th century. During this time, he has come a long way from an exotic stranger to a trusted and reliable assistant. It is clear that at the beginning of its journey it was significantly different from the brick we are familiar with today. The technology of its manufacture was updated in accordance with the requirements of the time, and it is not without reason that today builders all over the world value brick for its great strength and durability.
The raw material for the production of ceramic bricks is ordinary clay. Depending on its composition - natural or artificially saturated - they make different kinds ceramic bricks. The clay is fired in a kiln. Firing technologies (fluctuations in the moisture content of raw materials, fluctuations in temperature, firing duration) are developed for each clay individually. It is from the firing temperature and its duration that the strength and frost resistance of the finished brick directly depend.
A significant disadvantage of brick is its small size which increases construction time.
Ceramic brick is divided into ordinary (its production technology is described above) and front, which is made according to special technology, thanks to which it acquires additional strength and amazing resistance to adverse environmental influences.
Both types of ceramic bricks have significant frost resistance, high strength and stability. Ceramic brick made of clay is an environmentally friendly building material, it absorbs little moisture, and in cases where this happens, it dries quickly and does not lend itself to deformation. And also he has high density, which allows it to withstand significant loads, and is a fairly good sound insulator.
Specificity of aerated concrete
Aerated block (or aerated concrete) in last years has become one of the most popular building materials. It has a number of advantages, but before talking about its advantages, let's figure out what a gas block is.
The light weight of aerated concrete will save on the construction of the foundation.
Aerated concrete is a type of cellular concrete, artificial material with air pores evenly distributed throughout the body. A conventional gas block consists of quartz sand, aluminum powder, lime, cement and water. Some manufacturers add production waste to this composition: ash, slag, etc., which significantly reduces the cost of production, but ultimately adversely affects the quality.
The technology for the production of aerated concrete is simple: the composition is kneaded with water and poured into a mold. In this case, the blowing agent (aluminum powder) reacts with lime with the help of water. The consequence of this reaction is the release of hydrogen, which forms pores. Due to this, the mixture rises like a yeast dough, after which it hardens. The resulting mass is cut into blocks, which then “reach” under pressure in an autoclave.
As a building material, the aerated concrete block is quite young - the first successful experience in the production of aerated concrete was carried out 85 years ago. Due to its porous structure, the gas block has high thermal insulation qualities. These properties are several times higher than those of brick and heavy concrete. By their own physical properties the gas block is similar to wood: environmentally friendly, breathable and warm material. It, like wood, is quite easy to saw, drill, etc. At the same time, aerated concrete (unlike wood) is resistant to decay and fire resistant.
The finely porous structure of aerated concrete creates good sound insulation of the walls.
The gas block is a fairly durable building material that allows you to build buildings and structures. From gas blocks, you can build a building with different wall thicknesses and with different thermal conductivity. But at the same time, it must be borne in mind that it is not recommended to build buildings above three floors entirely from gas blocks.
The average gas block weighs about 22 kg, while its size is several times larger than. For comparison: a similar gas block will weigh about 64 kg. At the same time, cellular aerated concrete absorbs sound 10 times better than brick, and therefore there is no need for additional sound insulation. Aerated concrete (like brick) is a non-combustible material that does not emit toxic elements during a fire.
Comparative technical characteristics of brick and aerated concrete
The compressive strength for ceramic bricks is 110-120 kg / cm2; for gas blocks - 25-50 kg / cm2;.
Weight 1 m3; brick walls - 1200-2000 kg, gas-block - 200-900 kg.
Familiarization with the table presented in the photo will allow you to navigate the choice of material.
Thermal conductivity for brickwork - 0.32-0.46 W / mk, for masonry from gas blocks - 0.09-0.12 W / mk.
Frost resistance: brick - 75-100 cycles, gas-block - 50 cycles.
Water absorption for brickwork - 8-12% by weight, for aerated concrete - 20% by weight.
Fire resistance: brickwork - 1 (lowest) class, gas block masonry - 1 class.
Product size: brick - 65x120x250 mm, gas block - 200x300x600 mm.
Weight: for brick - 1800 kg/m3; for aerated concrete - 400 kg/m3;.
Quantity: brick - 380 pcs/m3; gas block - 28 pcs/m3;.
Knowing these characteristics, you can more accurately determine whether the material you have chosen is suitable for building your home.
It is logical that there is a big difference between a two-story residential mansion in the north and a summer cottage in the south.
To finally clarify this issue, consider each indicator and how it will affect the strength, stability and durability of the built house.
Compressive strength factor
A wide selection of shapes and sizes of aerated concrete will make it easy to choose the option needed for the construction of any part of the building.
The strength of the house box directly depends on the compressive strength. The more floors in a house under construction and the heavier the floors, the higher the compressive strength should be.
Let's say you want to build a two-story cottage with a basement. The height of each floor is 2.5 m. Interfloor ceilings are made of reinforced concrete slabs. In this case, the outer (bearing) walls must be made only of brick, because it can easily withstand the weight of the load-bearing walls and the intermediate floors laid on them. But the walls of aerated concrete are unlikely to withstand the same load, cracks can go along the walls. But self-supporting (those that transfer only their own weight to the foundation) and non-bearing (for example, interior partitions) the walls in this example can be built from both brick and gas block.
It must be emphasized that determine the weight to be carried bearing wall, "by eye" can only be very approximately. In order to have absolute confidence in the correct choice of material, when designing a house, ask your designer to make the necessary calculations.
Wall mass factor
The peculiarity of the foam block is an easy cut, which will allow you to adjust its size to any need.
An indicator such as the mass of the wall determines the weight that the walls and interfloor floors transfer to the foundation. From correct definition This indicator directly depends on the type of foundation of the house under construction. From the above comparative characteristics, it can be seen that the mass of a brick exceeds the mass of aerated concrete by almost 20 times. Hence the logical conclusion: the foundation for brick walls must be made stronger, and therefore more expensive, than for walls made of gas blocks.
Coefficient of thermal conductivity
Unlike brick, aerated concrete absorbs moisture, so it should be plastered.
The thermal conductivity coefficient determines the ability of a material to pass heat through itself. The higher it is, the worse the thermal insulation properties of the material. From the above comparative characteristics it can be seen that the thermal conductivity coefficient of a brick is almost four times higher than that of a gas block. Exactly because of this reason sanitary norms it is recommended to build brick walls with a thickness of 1 m, and from aerated concrete - 0.5 m. In practice, in modern construction, masonry of a brick wall is rarely more than 25 cm, and in order to lower the thermal conductivity of bricks, more internal and external heat-insulating materials are used than when building walls from gas blocks.
Water absorption coefficient
The absorption coefficient is determined by the ability of the material to absorb water and keep it inside. Water absorption worsens the properties of the material, reduces its strength. From the comparative characteristics it can be seen that the gas block absorbs 1.5 times more moisture than a brick. In practice, this means that the outer walls of the gas block need additional protection, and it is necessary to clad the facade of the house without fail.
Frost resistance coefficient
The frost resistance of a material indicates the ability of a wet material to maintain strength during alternating cycles of freezing and thawing. From the comparative characteristics, it can be seen that the frost resistance coefficient of a brick is higher than that of aerated concrete, therefore, buildings built from aerated concrete require additional insulation and insulation from temperature changes.
Fire resistance coefficient
Both brick and aerated concrete have a high fire resistance class and are able to withstand open fire for at least 2.5 hours.
The fire resistance coefficient is the ability of a material to resist exposure to high temperatures. Simply put, this indicator shows how long a structure made of a given material will collapse in a fire. In accordance with the current fire safety standards, both the brick and the gas-block belong to the first class of fire resistance and have a margin of time to fight the fire of at least 2.5 hours.
Finally one more important point. A strong belief has been formed in our minds that a good house can only be built from bricks. And the buildings that have stood for several centuries and perfectly preserved to this day serve as confirmation of this. Of course, traditions, including those in construction, are wonderful, but at the same time, we must not forget that time does not stand still, and that once a brick was also a novice in construction. Modern technologies make it possible to build houses faster, easier, cheaper. The main thing is that the use of new building materials should not be a tribute to fashion, but a thoughtful and balanced decision.
Brick or aerated concrete: which is better?
In fact, one brick is 13 times smaller than one gas block, and weighs 3-4 times more. 1 m³ weighs 400 kg, and the same volume of brickwork - 1800 kg. In practice, this means that it will take half the time to distill a box of a house from gas blocks than to distill a box of bricks.
What is the best way to build your house? This is your choice and no one else will make it for you. But it can be facilitated by carefully considering all the advantages and disadvantages of both materials. Here is a summary of our research:
- A good gas block is cheaper than a good brick. Besides find today good brick- a daunting task.
- ceramic brick as building material about 500 years; the gas-block in construction is used no more than 80 years. How are stored brick buildings, built 100-200 years ago, is well known. No one knows yet how buildings made of aerated concrete will behave after the same time.
- By technical specifications gas block is warmer than brick. 40 cm masonry from a gas block lined with brick does not need additional insulation, 60 cm brickwork requires such insulation.
- Although the gas block is much better in terms of thermal conductivity than brick, brick is much better in terms of heat capacity. In other words, insulated brick house heat will stay longer in the walls, slowly coming out.
- The bearing capacity of a brick is higher than that of a gas block. But time for brickwork much more is required. Yes, and plaster on brick wall will go much more than on the same wall from the gas block.
What is the conclusion from all that has been said? It is almost impossible to give an unambiguous answer, which is better - brick or aerated concrete. In one case, only brick can be used, in the other - only a gas block, in the third - both a brick and a gas block. But no matter what material your house is built from, it is important that it gives its warmth and comfort to you and your loved ones.
