Lego brick is an effective building material with an unusual appearance. Building Lego brick: how is it different from ordinary brick and is it worth building houses from it? What is Lego brick
Original thinking always leads to unexpected results, such as the question, how can a brick be improved? A Dane named Ole Kirk came up with his idea. He came up with a design that made laying bricks much easier. Everyone knows the Lego set, in which the parts are rigidly connected to each other thanks to round recesses. So the inventor decided to give a similar shape to an ordinary brick block. As a result, this idea took root and spread widely; Lego bricks are widely used in construction today. What are its advantages and features we will look at today in the article.
Lego brick photo
Lego brick: design and technical characteristics
As you already understood, Lego bricks have round protrusions, usually two of them. Thanks to them, such a brick is laid immediately as needed. With this design there is no need to adjust the bricks in any direction. This brick is suitable for both the construction of partitions and the construction of load-bearing walls.
The dimensions of the brick are 250 x 125 x 45-80 mm, weight varies in the range of 3.5-4 kg. It’s worth saying that a Lego brick doesn’t just have bulges, it has two round holes, each with a diameter of 65 mm.
This material is frost-resistant and can withstand more than 200 freezing and thawing cycles.
Structure density 1550 kg/m3
Thermal conductivity 0.4-0.45 W/(m K);
Lego brick photo
Advantages and disadvantages of Lego bricks
As we have already found out, a clear advantage of Lego bricks is simplified installation. It lays down on its own, as required by wall construction technology. This reduces installation time and requires less effort. All this affects the quality of the walls; they turn out smooth, more stable during seismological soil movement, since each individual brick is connected to the entire wall not only with mortar, but also with a special connection.
The undeniable advantages include the possibility of unhindered installation of communications inside such a wall due to the presence of holes.
The aesthetic smooth surface and variety of colors allows you not to use finishing materials for the walls of a house built from Lego bricks.
The only disadvantages include the fact that it appeared relatively recently and there is no accurate data on how it behaves over long-term use, moreover, on this moment There are no certified Lego brick manufacturers.
Machine for the production of Lego bricks photo
Lego brick photo
Mix for lego bricks
Such a brick can be made by anyone with their own hands who purchases a machine for its production. In this case, three types of mixtures can be used:
- Sand-clay-cement is made in proportions 35%/55%/8%
- Clay-cement composition: 90%/8%/
- Based on dropouts: 90%/8%
All of them are diluted with water to the required consistency.
Two detailed recipe mixtures:
- 70% - limestone - elimination
- 10 – fine limestone
- 11% - cement “pts 500”
- 4% - coloring pigment
- 5% - microsilica - performance enhancer
Second recipe:
- 85% - limestone
- 12% - cement PC 500
- 3% - coloring pigment
Such bricks are made using special machine. If you have the appropriate raw materials and with the help of such equipment, you can easily make Lego bricks with your own hands, since many machines operate automatically.
Mix for lego bricks
Application area
As mentioned above, Lego bricks are suitable for constructing any type of wall. Therefore, the range of its application is quite wide. It can be used to build not only a house, but also personal buildings: a garage, a utility block, a gazebo. It is also suitable for the construction of entire fences and its parts - pillars. Excellent appearance allows it to be used as facing material, both outside the house and in the interior. In addition, brick in the interior is very popular today, so it is not uncommon for Lego bricks to be used for redevelopment. It makes partitions more reliable than plasterboard and, moreover, such a wall does not require additional decoration.
Lego brick construction
How to lay Lego bricks?
Installing Lego bricks will not cause any difficulties even for a beginner, because they are assembled like a construction set; no special skills are required when laying them. Since each brick is strictly profiled, it will not be possible to lay it incorrectly. The installation of such bricks differs from the usual ones in that a special adhesive composition is used for its installation instead of cement mortar. Although, for greater reliability, some craftsmen recommend concreting and reinforcing the cavities of brick rows.
Laying Lego bricks
When using glue, its consumption is 25 kg per 500 bricks
The only difficulty may arise when laying the first row; installation is carried out using a level and strictly along without deviations to the sides.
Thanks to original profile Installation of Lego bricks is carried out 2-3 times faster than traditional ones.
Lego brick installation
Lego brick buildings photo
When discussing a building material such as Lego bricks, it is extremely difficult to isolate the grain of truth from the multiple conversations about this product and find out its truly true characteristics. The very name of this type of brick, borrowed from a popular company, carries a simplifying task, which is often not beneficial. This especially affects professionals in this activity and more experienced amateurs.
Let’s break the fairy-tale image of such a beautiful building material as “Lego brick” and call the thing by its proper name. Translated from in English, “interlocking brick” means an interlocking element or a brick with interlocking.
Ease of use and low cost
What are the positive characteristics of a building erected from such elements? The most obvious thing is the simplicity of the process of laying this type of brick.
Another benefit that comes from this is that it takes less time to build a wall with Lego bricks. And this leads to the very great advantage– saving money that will be spent on wages for workers. After all, the less time spent on work, the less money will be paid! In addition, you don’t need to call professionals for help.
But the above does not mean that completely newbies will need to be involved in the work. In any case, an experienced mason will be required. But such routine activities as carrying building materials or preparing glue and using it can be handled by adequate laborers. After all, in any case, the quality of the masonry will be excellent, and a large amount of personal funds will be spent on professionals.
In the case where there is not a lot of work and the time limit is not limited, you can experience the production process yourself. This adds to the reduction in costs for workers and the pleasure of doing the work with your own hands.
When you turn to the methods for making such Lego bricks, you can discover a fairly easy diagram.
Pre-purchased items available:
- sand;
- dropout;
- cement.
All these elements are thoroughly mixed, after which water is added and the mixing process continues again. Afterwards you can add a plasticizer and various chemicals. As a result, the resulting substance is molded using a matrix and a press to the desired size.
How are Lego bricks laid? Features of masonry
This type of brick is suitable for laying even by the most inexperienced worker, since laying it in the wrong way will require a lot of effort. You just need to learn a little theory and try to work carefully and diligently. Everything else will not require your direct intervention.
Looking at the work of laying this type of brick, you can see a short, confident work, during which quite a lot of Lego bricks were mastered.
Most important stage in masonry work, this is the laying of the very first row, where it is necessary to maintain the exact level of each brick. It is better for an inexperienced person to give this work to a professional. But later you will only need to follow the masonry scheme and that’s all.
Of course, master all the construction techniques brick walls will not be possible, but with a strong desire it will become a reality.
Lego brick versus classic masonry
There are many enemies of this technology on the Internet who leave negative stories about the use of Lego bricks. But looking closely, it becomes clear that all their disadvantages do not carry the truth and have nothing to do with practice. All this is written by professionals who are dissatisfied with the decline in demand for their services.
- With similar strength, the weight of the Lego brick is lower and the cost of lifting the brick to the place of masonry will be less, and the building itself will also be lighter. All this will have a positive impact on total cost the entire project.
- The water absorption of Lego bricks is quite low compared to ordinary brick. Therefore, their service life will be much longer. Especially in places with unstable climate.
In other parameters, everything is quite the same and there are no special comments about the use of Lego bricks. Also, such a brick has one big advantage - it can be made directly at the construction site. This will reduce shipping costs.
Is it possible to make Lego bricks yourself?
Before starting the cultivation of Lego bricks, it is necessary to adequately assess all the disadvantages and advantages of this method, as well as study all the expenses and costs. It is necessary to realize the full scale of future production, since this industry requires large areas for production. But this is the case when the conversation is about business.
If you make it yourself, you will need to calculate the profitability and decide what will be easier - make it yourself or order it from production.
According to the classical scheme, the ratio of elements in the contents of a brick is as follows:
- Sand – 10%
- Dropout – 70%
- Cement (M500) – 20%
From 1 ton of this mixture you will get approximately 290 Lego bricks. Costs will depend on the price of materials in your locality. Equipment for the production of Lego bricks is available in large quantities on the Russian construction market.
The simplest and cheap way– acquisition hand press and a small concrete mixer. During active production with the help of a partner, no more than 800 of these bricks can be produced in one shift.
The main advantage of such equipment is low price, mobility and versatility. For example, this unit can be used to form sawdust briquettes for heating a stove or fire.
More professional equipment, which produces bricks automatically at 10 thousand pieces per shift, will cost several million rubles, which is not suitable for self-production, not aimed at their further sale.
Technology of laying walls from Lego bricks
Lego bricks were invented quite recently, but quickly became popular among builders. The reason for this is that it is very convenient and easy to use and has excellent smooth masonry can be done even without experience in this matter.
Thanks to the special brick shape that resembles bricks children's construction set“Lego” (which is where the name comes from), it’s very easy to lay out a wall or other structure out of it. For example, to make a fence post you don't even need glue, just stack five or six rows high. Into the tunnel that will emerge from internal holes brick, place a reinforcement rod and fill it with a thick concrete solution. It takes 5-7 minutes to install one such pole.
Lego brick has excellent strength and frost resistance characteristics, and it is also aesthetically pleasing - all structures made from it acquire a noble appearance.
Preparation before starting wall laying.
The first thing you should pay attention to before starting construction with Lego bricks is proper preparation glue. If you make it too fat, it will be difficult to squeeze it out of the syringe, and too liquid will spread over the brick. When preparing the glue, you can experiment with its thickness by making a test solution from a small amount of powder. It is advisable to achieve the consistency of thin sour cream, and remember the ratio of water and powder glue.
The only exception is the first row; it requires slightly thicker glue. In this case, you should not be afraid that it will be very thick; on the contrary, by making the glue thicker, you can avoid the fact that the bricks in the first row will float.
Also try to ensure that everything necessary tools were on hand during laying, since the glue dries quite quickly and you will not have time to search. Therefore, immediately prepare:
level and string (for leveling the first row of bricks);
construction syringe (for mounting adhesive);
a knife and an iron brush (for cleaning off excess glue);
grinder (for processing bricks);
The process of laying walls from Lego bricks.
The main thing you need to know when starting construction with Lego bricks is that the entire result of your work will depend on how well the first row is laid out!
To do this, spare no effort to do good screed on the foundation, which could make it possible to lay the first bricks perfectly evenly. Use a lanyard. Be sure to double-check the result of your work with a level. If everything is done accurately, the further laying process will not be difficult, and the result will be impressive.
Laying the second row should begin by forming a corner of two bricks. Lay them so that the joints of the bricks of the bottom row fall exactly in the middle of the top. Then tie the string so that it lines up with the top edge of the corner brick of the second row. Manufacturers promise that when laying all rows except the first, you can do without a lace, but for an ideal result it is better to use it.
The glue is applied to the surface of the brick using a construction syringe, in an even, uninterrupted layer on both sides near the rim of the hole in the brick. There is no need to squeeze out a lot of glue. But even if this happens and the glue comes out of the seam, when it dries, it can be cleaned off with a knife, and if it stains the brick, a metal brush will help. You should not coat too many bricks in a row with glue at once, since it dries quickly, and it is better to lay the bricks on fresh mortar.
The side surface of the brick, which will be joined to the next one in the row, must also be coated vertically with glue. You can make one layer, but for reliability it is better to make two parallel layers. Having coated everything carefully, we lay the next brick in this row on top and right next to the corner brick. It lays quite easily and evenly, as its design facilitates this. Next, having coated the wall with a layer of glue vertically, we lay the next brick. And so on until the end of the row. There is no need to tap or press the brick hard; thanks to its design, it lays correctly on its own.
Subsequent rows of masonry technology are no different from the second row. To improve the strength of a wall made of Lego bricks, it should be additionally fixed. If a separate building is planned from this brick, then it is necessary to take care of its reinforcement. And if used as decorative finishing Once a house has already been built, it is enough to tie the masonry to the wall of the house.
Reinforcement of a structure made of Lego bricks.
Reinforcement of a wall made of Lego bricks must be carried out both vertically and horizontally. Vertical reinforcement must be done in the corners of the building, and if you are not constrained by building materials, then, for greater strength, you can do it along the rest of the wall. The design of Lego bricks is designed in such a way that when laid inside the wall in a vertical direction, tunnels with a diameter of 5 cm are formed. Vertical reinforcement is laid in them. Let's look at how to do this.
Having laid the first row of bricks and allowed it to dry, you can begin installing the reinforcement. To do this, drill through the holes corner bricks We make holes in the foundation 10-20 cm deep and insert reinforcement rods into them. Mount the rod no higher than 1-1.5 meters, then it will not be an obstacle when laying, since you will lay the next row by threading the brick through the reinforcement. When the wall has risen to two-thirds the height of the reinforcement, the next one can be attached. To do this use plastic clamps or wire.
The next stage of strengthening the walls will be pouring concrete into the vertical tunnels where the reinforcement is laid. This requires a medium liquid concrete solution. When pouring, use a watering can that fits the diameter of the hole in the Lego brick. You need to insert it into the hole, threading it through the reinforcement. Concrete is poured after about 5-6 rows of masonry, most importantly, no more, since there is a risk of its integrity being damaged under the pressure of concrete. Before pouring, be sure to let the glue holding the masonry dry.
Every 1-1.5 m of the wall it is also necessary to carry out horizontal reinforcement. For this, reinforcement and concrete are also used. To lay reinforcement in a horizontal row, all the bricks of this row must be prepared in advance. On top of each brick, use a grinder to make two parallel grooves to fit the size of the reinforcement. The main thing is to carefully mark the places for the grooves on each brick so that they coincide when laying. Then lay the prepared bricks into the structure and place the reinforcement in the furrows. At the corners where the reinforcement crosses, it can be fastened with clamps crosswise for better fixation.
For areas that require more stability (above windows, doorways), use the same reinforcement, supplemented with concrete. To do this, you will need special groove-shaped Lego bricks. Thanks to the shape, there is no need to prepare them additionally. First, lay the bricks in a row as usual, and place two reinforcement bars along the edges into the resulting trench and fill with concrete. In order not to interrupt the vertical tunnels with concrete that gets into them, the holes in the brick are covered with ordinary plastic cups before pouring.
Tying Lego brick masonry to the wall of the house.
Lego bricks, having a beautiful and neat appearance, are also suitable for decorative cladding walls The masonry technology is no different from masonry load-bearing structures, but there is no longer a need to strengthen it with reinforcement. It is quite simple, after a distance of 1-1.5 m in height, to tie the brickwork to the wall of the house using aluminum hangers, which are used for profiles in interior decoration. To do this, using a screwdriver, attach the short part of the suspension to the wall with a dowel, and attach the long part next to the next row of bricks. And everything is ready.
Using Lego bricks in construction, you will not only get excellent results from your work, but also the pleasure of having done everything yourself and without much effort.
Reading time ≈ 3 minutes
Modern building material called "Lego Brick" is visually similar to the parts of a children's LEGO construction set. The presence of protrusions on one side of the product and rounded recesses and recesses on the other ensures quick laying and high quality connections. We will use the material for the construction of load-bearing walls, partitions, cladding, laying support pillars and decorative columns.
Design and manufacturing features
Building materials are produced using a special machine. The composition of Lego bricks includes screenings of limestone rocks, binding material (usually Portland cement), water, and dyes. Standard sizes Lego bricks can be 250x125x65 mm or 300x150x100 mm. Manufactured using hyperpressing method. The quality and reliability of building materials is affected by the limestone fractions or sand used: what smaller size components, the higher the strength finished product. The approximate weight of a Lego brick is 3-3.5 kg.
Technical characteristics of Lego bricks
Widespread use of building materials is justified high density and wear resistance of products. Lego bricks are suitable for holding finishing works, as well as for the construction of load-bearing walls. This group of bricks has the following characteristics, depending on the manufacturer:
- frost resistance: at least 200 cycles;
- water absorption: about 5-6% (suitable for use in regions with high humidity air and big amount precipitation);
- density: 1550 kg/m3;
- thermal conductivity 0.4-0.45 W/(m K);
- strength grade: M100-200 (suitable for the construction of multi-storey private houses or commercial buildings).
Lego bricks are 1.5 times more durable than their ceramic counterparts. The resulting structure is minimally susceptible to mechanical influences and is reliable during periods of seismological influences.
Advantages
The positive properties of the material are not its only advantage. The unique shape ensures ease of laying walls or partitions and high-quality connection of elements. The most important advantages of using a new type of brick include:
- Possibility of simple installation of communications inside voids.
- Low cost of products.
- Wide range of colors (from light gray to rich red, dark blue, pink or yellow).
- There is no need for subsequent finishing of walls and structures made of Lego bricks (has smooth surface or has edges with slight texture).
- The low weight of the bricks does not require the preparation of a buried foundation (for buildings of 1-3 floors).
The material is also attractive due to its versatility of use. Suitable for both finishing buildings and laying out decorative indentations and stoves. Can be used for the construction of gazebos and fences.
Flaws
The disadvantages of Lego bricks include the fact that at the moment there are no branded manufacturers of this building material, unlike aerated concrete and others wall materials. Those. These are mainly garage manufacturers, most of which cannot provide quality certificates. Perhaps the most important drawback is that due to its relative novelty, this building material has not stood the test of time and it is not clear how it will last in 30-50 years.
Would you take seriously a building material whose appearance resembles the bricks of a well-known designer? Many of you will probably answer no. However, in fact, we are talking about a fairly effective material that can be used for the construction of critical structures that must withstand heavy loads. Today we will tell you in more detail about the brands and parameters of these building elements.
Like the parts of a familiar designer set, which have protruding parts and recesses, this construction material works on the same principle. In fact, using it, we assemble the same construction set, only we build from it not toy houses, but real houses. At the same time, the technical characteristics of the material allow it to withstand heavy loads, which makes it possible to create from it both internal and load-bearing walls. This material is also widely used in finishing and decoration.
Material composition
Lego bricks are based on limestone screenings or sand. Moreover, the smaller the fragments of these rocks, the better strength characteristics. Portland cement is used as a binding element. The blocks also contain water and dyes (the latter give the material an impressive appearance). All this is fastened together using special equipment using the hyper-pressing method.
Specifications
- Standard block sizes are 250x165x65 and 300x150x100 millimeters;
- Density – 1550 kilograms per cubic meter;
- Strength grade – M100-M200;
- Thermal conductivity - 0.4-0.45 W/(m K).
Advantages of building material
- Strength allows Lego bricks to be successfully used in the construction of multi-story buildings;
- Water absorption is only 5-6 percent, which makes this material suitable for use in regions with a humid climate;
- Due to the low level of water absorption, the latter does not accumulate in the structure of the brick and does not destroy it when the temperature drops and ice forms. The material can withstand two hundred freeze-thaw cycles;
- Machines for the production of these building materials are very compact, therefore, as in the case of foam concrete, this type bricks can be placed directly at the work site;
- The weight of the material is very insignificant, so its use does not require a buried massive foundation;
- The cavities inside the material allow for simple wiring;
- The brick has an attractive appearance and a large number of colors. After installation, a wall made from it can be used without further finishing;
- Laying speed of this building block several times higher than that of ordinary brick;
- Since these building materials fit together very tightly, the glue consumption is extremely small (Manufacturers say that it will take less than a quarter of a hundredweight of adhesive mass to process 500 bricks);
- Quite a cheap building material.
Important! In numerous videos, the process of laying this brick is shown very simply and it is repeatedly stated that to successfully build walls in this way, you do not need the knowledge of masons and, in general, anyone can do this. However, many authors of such videos pursue their own commercial interests, exploiting the theme of ease of installation. In fact, it is advisable to study the instructions in advance and practice masonry.
Flaws
In general on topics technical specifications of this material, which are already known today, it has almost no disadvantages. The only downside is the fact that the material is still new, which means there is no experience working with it, as well as long-term operation the latter simply does not exist at the moment. At the same time, an important disadvantage may also be the fact that such bricks are not produced large companies, but small “garage” manufacturers. Consequently, there is no streamlined production or certificates guaranteeing quality yet. And the buyer can with equal probability either purchase a truly high-quality product or spend money on something that will disappoint him later.
It should also be noted that this technology was initially used in South America- a part of the world that is radically different from our country in its climate. Therefore, in the future there is a non-zero probability that this method During the construction, problems may arise that will greatly reduce its popularity among our compatriots.
Features of working with Lego bricks
- When laying these blocks, the space is not filled cement-sand mixture, but with a special adhesive composition. This is another advantage, since there is a minimum distance between the blocks, and the cold bridge is not so pronounced;
- This material is often used for arranging fence posts. In this case, as the manufacturers assure, you don’t even need glue. All that is enough for this is to lay out 5-6 rows, and pour concrete into the space formed in the center, having previously inserted strong reinforcement there. The process is somewhat reminiscent of creating stone fence, but without formwork and happening much faster;
- Holes in this material can either be used for reinforcement or simply reduce thermal conductivity due to the presence of air pockets. Therefore, with the same masonry thickness, a wall made of light bricks will be warmer;
- This type of brick can also be used as permanent formwork at monolithic construction. To do this, it is necessary to lay two layers of masonry at a distance from each other. Metal reinforcement is placed at this distance, after which pouring occurs concrete mixture. As a result, we get a wall with high strength and visual characteristics. After all, it does not require additional finishing, since the brick itself looks very beautiful;
- Apply glue solution on the surface of the brick is best done with a special gun.
Conclusion
It should be understood that the increased growth in popularity of this type of brick is a consequence of the active work of equipment manufacturers to create it and finished bricks. First of all, brick is promoted in the information space as a fashionable business idea from which you can earn a lot of money. And judging by the growth in the number of “garage” productions, such promotion works quite well. However, this does not negate the advantages that this material really has, and it is definitely worth considering it as an option for use. As a last resort, you can try it out not during the construction of a house, but during the construction of courtyard buildings.
