For construction country houses Most often, blocks made of autoclaved concrete are used, which are familiar to everyone as foam-gas-silicate blocks or AGS. Lovers over natural materials use brick or wooden beam. Only advanced builders know or have at least heard about wood concrete blocks.
For a general comparison of materials, timber beams and bricks could be used. But two very significant disadvantages eliminate these materials from the fight. Timber, because wood rots and burns well. Brick, as a material for building walls, is the most expensive, and its small size increases construction time several times.
Therefore, we will compare the most common material - gas silicate block and its lesser-known relative, the wood concrete block. Despite their low popularity among builders, wood concrete blocks have their pros and cons and compare favorably with other materials in many respects.
Arbolite blocks or aerated concrete - which is better?
We will compare not only the properties of each block, but also how they interact with others building materials, difficulty with preparatory and finishing works, service life and other important parameters.
In order to objectively choose which blocks to use for building walls and building a house, let’s compare the main characteristics and properties.
Comparison of structural arbolite and ASG blocks
Characteristic | Arbolit | Autoclaved concrete(AGC) |
---|---|---|
Concrete grade by compressive strength | thermal insulation: M-5; 10; 15 |
thermal insulation: M-15 structural: M-25; 35; 50 |
Concrete class by compressive strength | thermal insulation: B-0.35; 0.75; 1 structural: B-1.5; 2; 2.5; 3 |
thermal insulation: V-1 structural: B-1.5; 2; 2.5; 3; 3.5 |
Thermal conductivity | Kt=0.08-0.16 W/(m*K); Ktsr=0.12 | Kt=0.18-0.28 W/(m*K); Ktsr=0.23 |
Environmental friendliness of the composition | pine chips + cement + food additive E 520 + liquid glass | sand + calcium oxides (lime and cement) + aluminum oxide |
Frost resistance | F25 - F50 (25-50 cycles) | F15; 25; 35; 50; 75; 100 (15; 25; 35; 50; 75; 100 cycles) |
Shrinkage coefficient | 0,4 | 0,5 |
Soundproofing | 60 dB (wash during spin cycle) | 47 dB (flowing tap water) |
Vapor permeability coefficient (the ability of the material to “breathe”) | 0,3 | 0,23 | stable, restores its shape after removing the load | not stable, cracks upon impact and bending |
Density | 400-850 kg/m3 | 350-1100 kg/m3 |
Modulus of elasticity | 250-2300 mPa | 0 |
Resistance to rotting (resistance factor) | 99% | 99% |
Fire safety | doesn't light up | doesn't light up |
Construction time | quick construction of walls, finishing immediately after construction | slow construction of walls due to the fragility of the material, finishing only after the walls are insulated (after 2-3 weeks) |
Type of foundation for a low-rise building | lightweight, shallow, pile type | powerful, reinforced, rigid, deep foundation |
The need for reinforcement of masonry and devices monolithic belts | required | required |
Additional wall insulation | not required | required |
Type of fastening of structures to the wall | easy fastening to the wall with any nails and screws (nails and screws are screwed into the wall like into wood) | reinforced expensive fasteners for cellular blocks |
Smell/aroma | faint smell of wood and fresh ventilated air | fine cement dust |
Hygroscopicity (the ability of a material to absorb moisture from the surrounding air) | does not absorb | absorbs |
How much does a wood concrete house actually cost? Or why people don’t save up to 30% of money when building a house
After comparing all the properties, parameters and features of concrete wall blocks, even without an exact calculation, we can confidently say that a house made of arbolite blocks will cost less than one made from ASG blocks. Even despite the higher cost per cubic meter.
Savings on materials consist of a lighter foundation, lack of insulation and simple fasteners.
We add to the savings on materials more than high sound insulation and the ability of wood concrete to “breathe” and we get a wall concrete block not inferior in its consumer properties to the ASG block. The ability of wood concrete to “breathe” guarantees that your home will be warm in severe winter frosts, and in sultry hot weather summer days chilly.
We continue to add the obvious advantages of wood concrete compared to ASG:
- Shrinkage cracks will not appear along the walls over time, thanks to the lower shrinkage coefficient
- Arbolite block will not crack or split upon impact, thanks to the high modulus of elasticity. The ASG block falls apart at the slightest impact
- A house made of wood concrete will be warmer than a house made of PGS, due to its lower thermal conductivity coefficient. The cost of heating such a house is 15-20% less than for a house made of PGS, due to the fact that arbolite walls retain heat inside the house better. It will not be possible to calculate the exact figure in rubles in advance, because many factors need to be taken into account (the thickness of the walls, the thickness of the finishing layer, the material of the floor and roof, the number of glasses in the window package, the type of heating, etc.). But you will receive these savings every heating season annually!
The last and one of the most important arguments in favor of wood concrete is its environmental friendliness. A mixture of wood chips with cement and a food additive is more environmentally friendly and safer for you than a mixture of cement with lime, sand and aluminum oxide.
The simplest and reliable way To see savings of up to 30% when building a house from wood concrete means to make a detailed calculation of all the costs that can be taken into account in advance when building a house. We deliberately did not make an average calculation of savings, because in general view it only gives the order of the numbers. The economic effect, taking into account the specifics of your project, can be either 5% or 30%, and this is a significant difference for total cost Houses. Yes, and you will trust the calculations offered by the wood concrete manufacturer himself less than you will trust the figures yourself and carefully calculated.
This technology is very common in Krasnoyarsk. The only disadvantage of this technology is that the house must be insulated with insulation and then covered with siding or other facade solutions.
Cement-sand-crushed stone blocks have a number of advantages. Let's characterize the properties:
- Long service life of buildings. The walls are characterized by reduced weight compared to the use of brick, and, therefore, create less force on the base.
- Environmental friendliness. In production, environmentally friendly raw materials are used, there is no negative impact on people.
- Thermal insulation. The room provides a comfortable temperature regime, since the material retains heat in winter and provides cool air in summer.
- Frost resistance. Integrity is maintained during sudden temperature fluctuations.
- Low shrinkage rate.
- Combination with other building materials, including cladding.
- Fire safety.
- Reasonable price. The material is available to a wide range of developers.
- Ease of masonry. Not using professional builders, you can build the building yourself.
- Reducing work time. The increased dimensions allow you to save construction time.
We will build a turnkey house from aerated concrete in Moscow and the Moscow region from 14,000 rubles per meter. This price includes a gas silicate block, foundation, walls, roofing, screed. Turnkey construction of aerated concrete house - ideal option for people dreaming of their own home, who do not want to find a hole in their wallet after construction. Construction technology from this material makes it possible to erect a reliable structure in a relatively short period of time. The SVS construction company has been building turnkey houses from aerated concrete in Moscow and the region for over a decade. We have successfully implemented hundreds of projects, as evidenced by positive customer reviews.
Advantages of building a house from gas silicate
- Durability and structural strength
- Light weight, reduced load on the foundation
- High degree of fire protection
- Environmental safety of the material
- Wide architectural possibilities
- Immunity to rotting and microorganisms
- good thermal insulation properties
Disadvantages of building a house from gas silicate
- Large quantity poor quality material, risk of getting defective
- The need for exterior decoration facade
- Tendency to saturate with moisture (hygroscopicity), the need to constantly heat the house
If you decide to build a house from aerated concrete with us, you can be sure of 100% quality. SVS specialists pay especially close attention to compliance with technology, SNPs and GOSTs. We:
- We thoroughly study the soils in order to correctly calculate the foundation for a house made of aerated concrete;
- We accurately calculate the load on the foundation of the house, which allows you to choose optimal technology foundation pouring and construction;
- We use our own professional formwork for the foundation;
- be sure to fill the armored belt in a house made of aerated concrete;
- we place the blocks on special glue, which increases the heat capacity and makes it more aesthetically pleasing appearance, regarding use ordinary solution;
- We use autoclaved aerated concrete. The soundproofing properties of the material made using this technology are ten times superior to brick.
It is worth noting that during the construction of housing the cost of work does not change. Risks associated.
The cost of building houses from aerated concrete is from 15,000 rubles m²
The cost of a house made of aerated concrete - price in Moscow and the region
The cost of building a house from aerated concrete in Moscow and the region varies greatly among different construction companies. It depends not only on the quality of the work performed, but also on the image of the construction team, the availability of appropriate licenses, permits, and their own machinery and equipment. The SVS company offers to build a turnkey aerated concrete house inexpensively. We achieved a reduction in cost relative to our competitors due to the complete refusal of subcontracting and rent.
The cost of individual design is 250 rubles per 1 sq. m. meter.
When building a house with our company, the design is free of charge
At the SVS company, the price of building a turnkey aerated concrete house varies. It starts from 14 thousand rubles and reaches 23 thousand. This indicator is influenced by the complexity of the work and the materials used. By deciding to entrust the construction of a turnkey aerated concrete house in Moscow and the region to the construction company SVS, you will receive unsurpassed quality, an officially concluded contract, total control over the construction site, including online monitoring.
Recently, foam-gas-silicate blocks as a material for construction have become very common. They allow construction to be completed much faster than with brick. Foam blocks are reliable and, due to their structure, have heat-retaining properties equal to, or even greater than, brick. The dimensions of the ASG block can be selected for any type of construction.
Foam-gas-silicate blocks are made from sand, cement, lime and aluminum powder.
Foam-gas-silicate block is a mixture of cellular or lightweight concrete. It is made from sand, lime, cement and some aluminum powder or other pore-forming substance, sometimes a gravel base is added. This depends on the required density of the product. Thanks to the powder, bubbles are created in the concrete, which give it its quality. The walls are warm and create a microclimate in the room, like a wooden house.
Gas silicates, foam silicates, aerated concrete and foam concrete belong to cellular concrete. We are talking about the first two types. The presence of the word “silicate” in the name means autoclave treatment. Where it is absent, this means that the block hardens in street, ordinary, artisanal conditions.
PGS blocks are used:
- light blocks with a density of up to 360 kg/m³ - for insulation (as they are the most heat-retaining);
- density 400 kg/m³ for the construction of load-bearing and non-load-bearing structures in low-rise buildings;
- 500 kg/m³ for houses up to 3 floors;
- 700 kg/m³ for high-rise buildings with lightweight concrete floors, using reinforcement.
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Dimensions, parameters of blocks, their features and differences
Manufacture wall blocks, the dimensions of which are 600x300x200 mm, partition ones - with dimensions of 600x300x100 mm. They have very decent levels thermal conductivity (up to 0.15) and frost resistance (> F 35). Density - from 350 to 700 kg/m³.
Residential buildings, outbuildings and warehouses, that is, almost all types of structures can be erected from them.
Differences between PGS blocks and others:
- Compound. In addition to the usual ingredients, AGS also contains a foaming agent.
- Production, they are poured, formed, hardened under compression and temperatures. They are produced industrially (and simply foam concrete is produced by handicraft). It’s just possible to make foam aerated concrete manually(no quality guarantee), silicate blocks are made only by industrial production.
- Characteristics: they have greater frost resistance, strength, less water absorption, and better thermal conductivity.
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Differences between foam and gas silicate blocks
The eternal dispute among builders, which is better - the first or second, must be resolved based on the needs during construction.
Here is a comparison of silicates:
- Gas silicates consist of cement, lime, gypsum, quartz sand, water, aluminum powder, emulsol. Foam silicates: cement, lime elements, quartz sand, liquid, foam former. The presence of gypsum for the former makes them more moisture-absorbing, but they are stronger.
- In gas silicates, pores are formed by the release of gas from chemical reaction. In foam silicate - by input technical foam. It is persistent, it is created from foaming agents (they are also found in detergents).
- Gas silicates have open pores, foam silicates have closed pores. It depends on how they are made. In the latter, moisture absorption and thermal conductivity are less, frost resistance is greater, they are better in this regard. Gas silicates are more durable. Their only difference is in the method of pore formation.
- Gas silicates - dark white(limestone), foam silicates - gray (cement color). You need to know that the former sometimes require additional treatment, since lime absorbs moisture and is less moisture resistant.
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Main characterizing parameters
You need to pay attention not only to the size of the block, but also to its geometry, that is, curvature. The size may be suitable, but due to poor geometry the result will be a shortage of blocks and poor masonry.
The dimensions of the block and its parameters are indicated in GOSTs, there is their description and classification. Before construction, it is recommended to further familiarize yourself with them.
The blocks look like bricks various shapes: square, rectangular, trapezoidal. They are much larger than bricks, as there is no need to make them small, they are light in weight and low in density.
The standard sizes that are included in the required range of the block production plant are 20x30x60 cm (wall), 10x30x60 mm (partition), since they are most in demand in construction. The block replaces up to 15 classic bricks.
Fewer joints when laying blocks saves mortar.
The material has its own marking, the standard marking is the letter D, followed by a digital designation of density in kilograms per cubic meter. If you need blocks non-standard sizes, they can be found, they are made by small manufacturers with their own sizing chart. When purchasing, the documents indicate the number of them on one pallet.
Wall blocks and partitions have different sizes. For the former, the standard is 200x300x600 mm, for the latter - 10x30x60 mm.
There are thermal insulation, structural and thermal insulation, structural blocks. The grade of concrete is designated, as mentioned above, by the letter D, there are such grades: from D400 to D1200, the former are more heat-resistant, but less durable, the latter - vice versa. Weight increases from D300 to D1200 within the range of 11.7-47.5 kg per cubic meter for standard wall and 5.8-23.8 kg for partition. Weight can vary greatly depending on the production technology and the humidity of the environment in which the material is used.