The step-by-step technology for manufacturing wood concrete involves preparing the base, determining the components and composition of the block material. In this article we will look at the features of do-it-yourself production using necessary equipment, calculating mass and filling.

Advantages and disadvantages of wood concrete

For many builders, wood concrete blocks are a valuable and high-quality material for building houses. The main feature of the thermal insulation properties allows the production of floor sheets from the solution. The manufacturing technology and principles of holding and drying blocks provide wood concrete with some advantages:

1. The strength of the material is 600-650 kg/m3, which in terms of its component structure is not inferior to other building materials. Main feature is plasticity, which is formed as a result of the use of wood, which qualitatively reinforces the blocks. Thus, wood concrete does not crack under the weight of other materials, but can only be slightly deformed while maintaining common system designs.

2. Resistance to low temperatures, which is very important in the process of building a house and its operation. The fact is that if the building heats up and freezes several times, this will not affect the quality of the material. In fact, a house made of wood concrete can last at least 50 years in any weather conditions. Foam block structures do not have such properties, because with constant freezing they will quickly lose their functionality.

3. Wood concrete is not susceptible to the effects of carbon dioxide, so there is no need to worry about carbonization of the blocks, because their structure will not allow the material to turn into chalk.

4. The thermal conductivity of the blocks indicates the popularity of the material. Comparing the indicators, it is worth noting that a 30 cm arbolite wall is equal to 1 meter in thickness brickwork. The structure of the material allows you to retain heat indoors even in the coldest winters, which is very economical during construction.

5. Soundproofing properties indicate a high absorption coefficient of wood concrete, which ranges from 0.7 to 0.6. For comparison, wood has indicators of 0.06 -0.1, and brick is slightly larger, about 0.04-0.06.

6. Lightweight material, which allows you to save money on pouring the foundation.

7. Wood concrete is an environmentally friendly and durable building material, which determines the component composition of the blocks. After the construction of the house, it does not form mold and mildew on the walls.

8. The material is safe, so it will not ignite.

9. Arbolite blocks are easy to use in construction work ah, because you can easily hammer nails into them, drill a hole, use screws, and so on. The external structure of the material allows it to be covered with plaster without the use of special meshes or additional insulation.

We looked at the advantages of wood concrete blocks, but to fully recreate the picture of this building material, we will give some disadvantages:

1. The wall panel may not have precise geometric parameters, so to restore the evenness of the wall, clapboard, siding or drywall are used, and everything is separated from above with plaster.

2. Blocks are not a cheap building material, because producing wood chips for wood concrete requires some costs. Making calculations in comparison with aerated concrete, this building material will cost only 10-15 percent more, which does not form a full advantage.

Wood concrete production technology

The production of wood concrete requires following production technologies with calculation of the composition and volume for one block. Arbolite blocks are a simple building material component composition, which includes wood, water, sawdust, cement and other items.

Wood chips are considered the main basis for production. The component part of the wood concrete block determines its strength and resistance to damage, which is calculated highest level than foam or gas blocks. Production at home is not difficult, but you must adhere to the distribution of the mass of the item and follow the instructions.

Preparing the base for work

The main component for the production of wood chips is the ratio of the proportions of shavings and sawdust - 1:2 or 1:1. All items are dried well, for which they are placed for 3 - 4 months. fresh air, occasionally treating with lime and turning over.

Approximately 1 cubic meter of product will require about 200 liters of 15 percent lime. All the wood chips are placed in them for four days and they are mixed 2 to 4 times a day. All work is carried out with the aim of removing sugar from the wood, which can cause the blocks to rot. Chips are purchased from finished form However, you can do it yourself using wood chippers.

Components and composition of wood concrete

The component composition of wood concrete is the most an important stage production technology and requires careful balance of all materials. When making blocks, it is important to monitor the quality and variety of materials purchased, which determine the finished building material. After the manufacturing process, they add following materials, such as:

• slaked lime;
• soluble liquid glass;
• Portland cement;
• potassium chloride;
• aluminum and calcium sulfate.

The production of wood concrete in proportions is presented in Table 1. It is worth considering that for all components the mass is calculated at a four percent share of cement. This arrangement helps preserve the fire resistance of the object and gives it plasticity.

Table 1. Wood concrete composition by volume

Manufacturing process and principles

The optimal block parameters for wood concrete production technology are 25x25x50 centimeters. Installed Dimensions convenient for laying walls of houses, as well as in industrial processes. Pouring the block consists of three rows of mixture and wood concrete; after each stage it is necessary to compact the solution with a hammer trimmed with tin.

Excess mass is rolled up with the assistance of a spatula. The block is kept at a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius in open air. After 24 hours, the wood concrete is tapped out of the mold onto flat surface, where it is held together for 10 days.

Equipment: practical application

Production requires different supplies, for example, machines for making wood concrete, which are selected in accordance with the volume of production and the amount of raw materials. The industrial process technology must meet the requirements and criteria of SN 549-82 and GOST 19222-84. The main material for production is coniferous trees. Wood crushing occurs with the help of chippers, such as RRM-5, DU-2, and more thorough crushing is carried out using DM-1 equipment.

The arbolite mixture is prepared with mixers and solvents of various cyclic effects on the material. Large volumes of the processed mixture are transported to the forms using devices such as concrete distributors or cubes. Raising or lowering the machine should be carried out at parameters of 15° for the upper lift and 10° for the lower, and the speed of the equipment is calculated at 1 m/s. The wood concrete mixture is poured into molds at a height of up to 1 meter.

Compaction of the solution is carried out with the assistance of a vibrating press or manual tamper. To produce a small number of blocks you need to use a mini-machine. Making wood concrete with your own hands does not present any particular difficulties, but industrial facilities use special equipment for mixing and making blocks. Some factories have thermal chambers with IR radiation or heating elements, which allows you to determine the desired temperature for drying the blocks.

Block molds for wood concrete

There are different block forms for processing wood concrete, and approximate sizes can be: 20x20x50 cm or 30x20x50 cm. Objects are also produced in other sizes, especially for construction ventilation systems, coatings and so on. Forms can be purchased at construction stores or you can prepare everything yourself. To do this, use boards 2 centimeters thick, which are fastened together until a certain structure is formed. Externally, the form is finished with plywood or film.

Depending on the class, wood concrete blocks are used in low-rise construction for the construction load-bearing walls, partitions, as well as for thermal insulation and sound insulation structural elements buildings.

DIY production process

Having considered the technology for manufacturing the wood concrete composition, you can begin to do the work yourself. To get started, you will need some materials and equipment:

• special tray for the mixture;
• falling and vibrating table;
• table with shock-shaking effect;
• detachable forms and stands;
• metal tray for molds.

It is very difficult to produce wood concrete with your own hands without using necessary tools, machines and equipment. As a rule, some equipment will be required in production:

1. To obtain a high-quality solution, you must use a concrete mixer. Of course, you can do everything in the process yourself, but you will have to spend a lot of time getting a solution of the required consistency.

2. To form the structure of the blocks, it is important to purchase molds of appropriate sizes. As a rule, wood concrete has rectangular shape, and plastic molds are used in production.

3. Using the machine you will professionally chop wood chips.

4. Using a press, you can obtain a good density of the material when tamping, but it is important to remove air from the consistency. A vibrating table is used as a device.

5. It is mandatory to have a chamber for drying wood concrete, which will allow it to be turned into a solid one-component structure.

6. At home, you will need a shovel to load the mixture into molds, and a reinforcing mesh is used to hold the blocks together.

If you have the above devices, you can produce about 350 - 450 m3 per day mortar per month. Installation space will require about 500 square meters, and electricity costs will be 15-45 kW/h. For an independent process, organic products are filled with water and cement until a homogeneous mixture is formed. All proportions and calculations are shown in Table 1, the main thing is that the resulting mixture is free-flowing.

Before pouring the solution into molds, they are coated with inside lime milk. After this, the product is carefully and carefully laid and compacted special devices. Upper part The block is leveled using a spatula or ruler and filled with plaster solution to a layer of 2 centimeters.

After the wood concrete has formed, it will need to be carefully compacted using wooden structure, covered with iron. Blocks that have stood and set for ten days at a temperature of 15° are considered strong and reliable. To prevent the wood concrete from drying out, it is recommended to periodically water it with water.

The technology for making wood concrete with your own hands is not particularly difficult, and therefore all work is easy to carry out if you have the necessary tools and devices. Subject to compliance with production rules and criteria, correct calculation components, the building material will be of high quality and durable for use.

Recommendations from specialists in the production of arbolite blocks are based on the practice of their use and application. To reach high quality products need to follow certain factors. In production, it is recommended to use not only large wood chips, but also sawdust and wood shavings. Processing the consistency and squeezing sugar out of it allows you to avoid further swelling of the building material, which is not lowered when building a house.

During the manufacturing process, the solution should be thoroughly mixed so that all parts are in the cement. This is important for high-quality and durable bonding of wood and other materials in the block. In production, the addition of the following components, such as aluminum, slaked lime, and so on, remains equally important. The entire composition forms additional properties wood concrete, for example liquid glass, does not allow the blocks to absorb moisture, and lime serves as an antiseptic.

Potassium chloride helps destroy microorganisms and other substances that do not have a beneficial effect on the structure. When adding all components, it is worth following the proportionality table so that the finished solution meets the requirements for the production of wood concrete blocks.

Wood concrete, otherwise known as arbolite blocks, are so attractive in their characteristics that the desire craftsmen making them yourself is quite understandable. But is this building material as good as the advertising advertises, and is it possible to set up its production at home? To clarify the situation, we propose to consider in detail what wood concrete is, study its properties, manufacturing technology and reviews from developers.

What is wood concrete

This building material belongs to lightweight concrete with a coarse cell structure and wood filler. It is produced in the form of blocks (standard size - 50 x 30 x 20 cm), slabs with a reinforcement frame and liquid mixtures, poured into formwork during the construction process. According to GOST, the composition of wood concrete should be as follows:

• wood chips of strictly standardized sizes;
• chemicals - alumina sulfate, lime, liquid glass, calcium chloride;
• cement M400-500;
• water.

Note. Chemically active additives are designed to neutralize the effects organic matter(sugars) contained in wood, on the adhesion of cement with filler.

To obtain wood concrete of standard strength, the length of the chips in the solution should not exceed 25 mm, and the width should be in the range from 5 to 10 mm with a thickness of up to 5 mm. To prepare wood concrete, you cannot use sawdust, shavings and other organic matter - straw or reeds. By the way, sawdust concrete is also a radically different material with excellent properties.

Specifications

The wood concrete blocks and reinforced panels produced at the plant are divided into 2 groups - structural and thermal insulation. The former have a density of 550-850 kg/m³ and are used for the construction of load-bearing walls. The second, with a density of 300-500 kg/m³, are suitable only for insulation ready-made structures, because they do not have the required load-bearing capacity. An essential parameter of wood concrete - thermal conductivity - also increases with specific gravity, which is reflected in the diagram:

The remaining characteristics of wood concrete look like this:

1. Compressive strength depends on density and corresponds to concrete grades from M5 to M50. The elastic modulus is about 2000 MPa, and the bending strength is up to 1 MPa. This means that monolithic blocks do not crack under heavy loads and, after compression, tend to return to their original shape.
2. Water absorption of building materials is up to 85%. In practice, a stream of water can saturate wall panel through, but then drains quite quickly, after which the wood concrete dries successfully.
3. In terms of resistance to fire, the material belongs to group G1 - low-flammability. It also ignites very reluctantly.
4. Monolithic and hollow wood concrete products transmit steam equally well, which helps remove excess moisture from the building through the outer walls.

As for soundproofing properties, wood concrete absorbs noise much better than traditional materials - brick, wood and aerated concrete.

Production technology

Under factory conditions, the technological process for manufacturing wood concrete products proceeds as follows:

1. Wood processing waste is crushed to the right size in a crusher and cleared of bark and leaves, whose content in the raw material should not exceed 10%.
2. Water is mixed with chemical components in the required proportions, depending on the type of wood. For example, larch requires twice the amount of mineralizers per cubic volume than spruce and pine.
3. The wood chips are sent to a forced-action concrete mixer, where they are mixed with prepared water heated to a temperature of 15 °C.
4. M400 cement is added to the mixture and mixed for 20 minutes, after which it is poured into molds. Laying is done manually or using a vibropress.
5. The formwork is removed from the products immediately after molding, and then they are sent for drying.

Reference. Some manufacturers practice cutting blocks at special machine, in order to give them a clear geometric shape.

Note that when molding arbolite products, the raw material is not subjected to pressing, but only vibration. Different densities of blocks and slabs are achieved by changing the concentration and size of chips in the primary solution.

Production line for the production of wood concrete

Pros and cons of the material

By thermal insulation properties wood concrete is comparable to other modern building materials, as shown in the following diagram:

In addition to low thermal conductivity, wood concrete has other advantages. They are as follows:

• light weight, facilitating the reloading and installation of products;
• thanks to good sound insulation properties, arbolite structures effectively protect premises from the penetration of external noise;
• environmental friendliness;
• high strength and elasticity, preventing cracking from static and impact loads;
• the cellular structure allows water vapor to penetrate freely, that is, the material “breathes”;
• The porous surface of the blocks and the composition of the mixture make it possible to use any types of external and internal cladding.

In addition, it is worth noting the ease of processing wood concrete with hand and mechanical saws, which is important when building walls and trimming elements. And the last positive feature: wood concrete products without voids (in the form of a monolith) hold nails, ordinary dowels and self-tapping screws perfectly, and this reduces the cost of fastening various interior items and installing shelves compared to foam blocks and aerated concrete.

Now about the disadvantages, of which wood concrete also has many:

1. Wood concrete structures need protection from moisture from outside, therefore they must be plastered or sheathed with waterproof materials with a ventilated gap.
2. Due to the unclear geometry of the blocks, the consumption of plaster during finishing work increases;
3. The retail chain sells many low-quality products that do not comply with GOST. Unscrupulous manufacturers often do not comply with the requirements for chip sizes and pour everything into the solution because they do not have calibration equipment.

The listed disadvantages are not too significant and are quite surmountable. Main negative point– price of wood concrete. If you ask how much the same aerated concrete costs, you will find a difference of 40-60% in favor of the latter.

Self-production of wood concrete

If you have carefully studied the production technology described above, you probably understand that at home it will be possible to produce only low-density thermal insulation blocks. The maximum that can be built from them is a small one-story building with wooden floor. The reason is clear: it will not be possible to prepare a large amount of calibrated wood chips due to the lack of equipment, and sorting through the waste manually is pointless.

Advice. In order for wood concrete made by yourself to have the properties of factory products, the raw materials must be freed from fine fractions (sawdust), dust and bark.

To work, you will definitely need a casting mold and a concrete mixer, preferably an auger type. Conventional gravity mixers are not very good at creating a homogeneous mixture of wood and cement. The forms are long boxes made of metal or OSB plywood with partitions for casting several elements at once. Ideal option For home production– collapsible form shown in the drawing.

Another useful unit, indispensable in the manufacture of wood concrete products - a homemade wood chip cutter for processing branches and other waste. An example of such an installation is shown in the video:

Now let’s give a simple recipe on how to make low-density wood concrete, suitable for use for country and garden buildings:

1. Mineralize the wood chips by soaking them in slaked lime for at least 3 hours (proportions – 1 volume of lime is diluted in 10 parts of water). Then pour the raw materials onto a sieve to drain the water.
2. Transfer the wood chips into a concrete mixer and fill with water. The ratio is: 3 mass fractions of wood waste per 4 volumes of water. Turn on stirring and add liquid glass in an amount of 1% of total mass solution in this batch.
3. Lastly, add 4 mass fractions of M500 cement and mix until the mass becomes homogeneous and begins to mold in your hand.
4. Lubricate the sides of the molds with waste oil and fill to the top with the raw material solution. Lightly compact the contents and let the wood concrete set for 1 day, and then remove the blocks from the formwork and dry for at least 7 days in an open area, as was done in the photo.

Removing formwork after setting

Note. The proportions of cement and wood chips are indicated by weight (in kilograms), not by volume. For water this does not matter, since 1 liter weighs 1 kg.

After a successful trial batch, wood concrete products can be improved by giving them cladding directly during the manufacturing process. The scheme is simple: the mass is placed in molds so that 3-5 cm remains to the top, and the free volume is filled plaster mortar(preferably tinted) or cut gypsum tiles imitating artificial stone.

With the growing popularity of wood concrete as a building material, many developers are thinking about making their premises from wood concrete blocks. It can be called one of the best, among other “brothers”. Arbolite blocks, used for masonry, have a number of positive qualities: low thermal conductivity, high frost resistance, low weight, strength and flexibility, fire resistance, environmental friendliness and durability. Laying walls from arbolite blocks is easy, because it is easy to work with. But, buying ready-made products may not be affordable for someone. The price for wood concrete blocks is 1.5 times higher than for foam/aerated concrete. Still, there is a way out - to make wood concrete blocks with your own hands.

The process is quite long and labor-intensive, but in order to save money, any means are good. We will look at the technology for making wood concrete blocks and how they can be made at home. As visual aid Some videos will be shown.

Components for arbolite blocks

First you need to know what is included in the wood concrete. Then you can purchase everything you need and start working on forming blocks. The material is two-component, based on filler ( sawdust, wood chips) and mineral binder - Portland cement. In addition, during manufacturing, chemical additives and active substances are added to the composition, giving the material the necessary technological characteristics. All these components, mixed together in the correct proportions, ultimately form an arbolite solution. It is from this that the wood concrete blocks will be formed.

Wood sawdust

The requirements for raw materials are also important. It is important that the sawdust be made from coniferous wood, pine, spruce, fir. Can be used firmly hardwood such as poplar, aspen, beech or birch. You can also use hemp stems or flax stems as a filler. To get strong blocks correct form that will not quickly deteriorate under the influence of the environment, you need to stock up on sawdust ranging in size from 30 mm to 150 mm long and from 5 mm to 20 mm wide.

Please note! The smaller the raw material, the more cement needed to make the correct solution.

Freshly cut wood should not be used. Due to the fact that it contains sucrose, the sawdust must be cleared of it. The component has a bad effect on the composition of arbolite blocks. We'll look at how to do this next.

Portland cement

To ensure proper strength to the blocks, it is important to choose the right grade of cement. It must be no less than M400 or M500. The consumption of the binder depends on the brand of wood concrete, its characteristics and particle size. Below is a table to guide you when purchasing required quantity cement.

Now, let's look at how you can make wood concrete blocks with your own hands.

Tools and materials

To complete the work you will need:

• a large container for mixing the mixture or a concrete mixer;
• metal tray;
• split mold of the desired size for forming a block;
• mold separator, in case you need to make several blocks in one mold or make them with voids;
• vibrating sieve;
• vibrator or hammer;
• buckets, shovel, fork (they are convenient for mixing the composition with your own hands);
• small ladle or trowel.

Having everything you need, you can start preparing sawdust.

Preparation of sawdust for production

The first thing you need to do is get some sawdust, a lot of it. You can find them at the sawmill, where workers will sell it to you for a reasonable price. These are waste from turning works, so getting them will not be a problem. Another option is to put the wood through a chipper and prepare the raw material yourself. This is only possible if you have a special device. You can see exactly how the process of harvesting wood chips occurs from this video.

The second stage is cleaning the sawdust from foreign substances by keeping them outside. Since sucrose has a negative effect on wood concrete, aging the raw material for outdoors within 40-80 days will help get rid of harmful substances. During this time, the pile needs to be shaken and turned over so that air gets into the lower layers of the raw material. For better effect sawdust is generously watered with calcium oxide

Advice ! If you don't want to wait that long, the sawdust can be treated with limestone.

Sawdust is poured into the prepared limestone solution. Keep in mind that 1 m 3 will require 200 liters of 1.5% lime solution. In this case, it will take 3-4 days to eliminate sucrose. The mixture needs to be turned 2 times a day.

After aging the sawdust for blocks, they must be additionally sifted through a coarse sieve. This will help remove the remaining soil, organic materials and other impurities that will worsen the performance of wood concrete blocks.

Now that the sawdust is ready for work, you can begin mixing the wood concrete solution.

Preparation of solution for blocks

Your task is to make a solution according to the proportions that will be poured into the molds. The stages of work are as follows:

1. 1-1.5 buckets of water are added to a concrete mixer or other mixing tank.
2. Liquid glass is also poured there, in the proportion of 1 bucket of water to 1 glass of glass.
3. After which sawdust is poured - 6-7 bags. Let the contents mix for 5 minutes so that the sawdust is saturated with water and liquid glass. When you don't have a concrete mixer, you can use another container. It should be shallow, like a trough. In this case, the contents will have to be mixed manually. It is inconvenient to use a shovel; it is better to use a pitchfork.
4. It's time to add cement. 1 bucket is enough. Everything is thoroughly mixed again until the required consistency is obtained.

As you understand, the proportions for the solution are as follows: water, sawdust, cement - 1:6:1. If the mixture is a little dry, you can add a little more water. Everything is ready to form wood concrete blocks.

Making blocks with your own hands

To make a block, you need to have a collapsible mold. It is made based on the required size of the product. Standard size block for masonry walls is 500×300×200 mm. They are easy and convenient to work with. The laying is done quite quickly. In 1 m 3 33.3 pieces are charged. blocks.

Molds can be made of wood or metal. It is important to cover their walls with linoleum or film. Then the solution will not stick to them. It is important that they are collapsible. Otherwise, you won’t be able to remove the block from the mold without damaging it.

Now it's a matter of small things. The block molds must be placed on a flat surface. Here you will need a metal pallet. Next, the prepared solution is poured into the mold and distributed over the surface. Use a ladle or mat.

To give the block the necessary strength and density, the contents are compacted. For this purpose, it is ideal to use a special vibrator that will expel air from the solution and compact it. If you don’t have such a tool, use a hammer and a rebar rod. Tap the sides of the mold to compact the wood concrete. Use a reinforcement bar to force the air out of it.

You can compact the mixture using improvised means: a large hammer, a block with handles, a log - whatever you have at hand. After tamping, the solution will decrease by about half. Then add a second layer and repeat the procedure. Its surface is leveled with a lid using pressure. Your wood concrete block is ready. Other products are produced in the same way.

Now they need to be placed in a warm room (at least 15 C˚) for 3 weeks to dry. After this time, the blocks can be used. We invite you to watch a video on how to prepare wood concrete blocks with your own hands.

Wood concrete is light and fairly strong blocks of sawdust and cement, which are used as building material, garages and agricultural buildings. The technology for their production was invented in Holland in the 30s of the 20th century (Durisol - original title). In our country, this material spread after the 60s.

If you are guided by patented Dutch technology and domestic GOST, then it is possible to produce high-quality wood concrete blocks only in industrial conditions. However, this feature does not stop those who want to save their money. cash. For several years now, this inexpensive, lightweight and durable building material has been successfully reproduced at home. To make high-quality wood concrete with your own hands, you just need to take into account some nuances that significantly affect the final result.

Wood concrete components

First important information required to make usable sawdust blocks concerns their composition. The main material is wood chips. Where to get it and what it should be like is briefly described below. The second component is the binder. Its role is usually played by cement, and the grade is selected no lower than 400. Well, the third component– water or lime mortar.

In industrial conditions, in addition to the above components, various additives are also used that have a positive effect on the strength and other characteristics of wood concrete blocks. To make the material at home, it will be enough to stock up on lime.

In some cases, adding liquid glass is practiced. However, this is not necessary. This component makes the blocks more durable, but at the same time fragile.

Where to get wood chips for making wood concrete blocks

Usually the main raw materials are taken from large sawmills. It is also now possible to purchase a special machine for crushing wood. In this case, you must adhere to certain conditions. Firstly, the length of the chips should be predominantly 25 millimeters. It is at this size that the wood will serve not only as a filler, but also as a reinforcing base.

Secondly, it is advisable to sift out various types of debris from the chips - earth, bark, large and ungrinded pieces of wood. In production, this procedure is performed using special vibrating sieves. At home, if the wood chips are very dirty, you can wash them in water. This will also get rid of dusty sawdust.

How to neutralize sugar in wood

The cellulose present in the wood chips will negatively affect the quality of wood concrete blocks in the future. To get rid of sugar at home, there are two completely available methods. The simplest of them is to keep the wood chips under open air with periodic turning. This procedure usually takes at least 3 months.

To speed up the process of neutralizing the sugar contained in wood, you can use lime mortar. The wood chips are kept in it for several hours. Upon completion of the procedure, the solution is not drained, but serves to prepare the mixture immediately before forming the blocks.

Preparation of wood concrete mixture

According to the same Dutch technology, it is impossible to mix high-quality raw materials from wood chips and cement in a regular concrete mixer. It takes a lot of time to achieve a uniform consistency without lumps. In production they are used for this forced mixing machines. However, as experience shows, the wood concrete mixture can be prepared even manually with an ordinary shovel, and this does not significantly affect the quality.

The order of work should be approximately as follows. About 5–7 portions of wood chips soaked in lime mortar. 3-4 portions of cement are also loaded there. If you plan to add any chemical components, then they are also added at this stage, taking into account the proportions. After loading, everything is thoroughly mixed.

You can check the correct preparation of the wood concrete mixture by touch. If it is slightly crumbly and holds its shape after being squeezed in a fist, then everything is done correctly.

Molding of arbolite blocks

How to produce without defects? There are two ways to do the job. If you buy a special molding machine, then no problems should arise. More budget option is the piece production of blocks. For this, wooden boxes with a removable bottom are assembled. The inside of the form is upholstered with linoleum or thick polyethylene. To make the loaded mass easier to remove after drying, the finish is pre-coated with a soap solution.

After loading the wood concrete mixture into the molds, the products are allowed to brew for 10 days at a temperature not lower than 15 °C. If the weather is colder, then the time should increase. At the same time negative temperature air is unacceptable.

In addition, to achieve maximum strength, it is recommended to cover sawdust concrete blocks plastic film. This will make the hydration process more efficient.

More about production tools

Engage in production quality material impossible without:

1. Wood chip cutter. Also called a hammer crusher. Approximate price a new machine – 45-50 thousand rubles. The wood chip cutter produces wood chips that are easy to produce (length no more than 25 mm). It is for production in a subsidiary farm that it is enough to install a rotary-hammer type machine. Drawings:
   
2. Machine for arbolite blocks. Again, the work will require a device not industrial scale, and its mini version. Since small-scale production of wood concrete is gaining momentum, the price of equipment for garages, sheds and small industrial areas is correspondingly increasing. The equipment will cost the private owner the same 50-60 thousand. One block can be produced in one minute, which gives up to 6.5 cubic meters of material per working day (approximately up to 450 blocks)
3. Concrete mixers. Gravity-type devices common in construction will not work. Their cycle is not enough for a high-quality mixture. Because even your own small-scale production requires a forced-type apparatus (mortar mixer). Usually they are also made with their own hands.
   
4. Press. For small volumes, it is possible to compact the mixture manually, but a private flow line requires a vibrating press. The Rifey company has proven itself to be excellent.

   

   Rifey devices.

   

   But the most common device on production line– this is “Condor 1”, costing from 265 thousand rubles.

However, private subsidiary farming accepts any aids, therefore, it is also customary to use mini-machines “Builder-1” or “Hephaestus-1” in work.

1. Special forms. There is nothing complicated here; you can stamp ordinary boxes for convenience. But there are some tricks. For example, it is customary to cover internal areas with oilcloth. This is simply ideal for drying mortar. Sometimes oil waste is simply poured into the bottom of the mold. There are many innovations, but the most important thing is the process of compacting into the mold itself. It is impossible to arrange the composition evenly right away, so make 3 or 4 bookmarks with periodic tamping.

Do-it-yourself wood concrete from reeds

In fact, the composition of such material includes crushed wood and cement. Such a mass of mixture can harden under the influence of electrical force.

More popularly, this material is called wood concrete. Its difference is that you can choose any tree species as sawdust. It is not forbidden to add even straw to the composition. In appearance, this wood concrete is similar to ordinary chipboard sheets:

Peculiarities:

• Low thermal conductivity;
• Excellent sound insulation;
• Fireproof material (fire does not spread throughout the blocks, but goes out in the inside);
• Lighter than brick or wood;
• With the proper composition, the strength coefficient is not inferior to foam concrete.

The production technology is simple and not complicated. How to do it right:

1. Wood and reeds must be chopped. There is a chipping machine for this.
2. Then the natural ingredients are simply soaked in water.
3. Next, the crushed material is placed in a forced-type mixer, where cement and additives are added. The latter are needed for better strength and speed of hardening.
4. Sometimes dyes are added.
5. The mixture is compacted into a steel form (formwork) manually.
6. Next comes the turn of electric current.
7. Voltage must be applied to a steel form (this is a kind of electrode).

Thus, it is possible to produce both blocks for sale and monolithic type of partitions directly at the construction site.

The final stage of production on video

Narrated by VLADIMIR SHVYLEV.

For the construction of cottages, country houses, cottages, garages, you can use inexpensive wood concrete. Its production technology differs depending on the conditions in which the material is located. Wood concrete is made both at the factory and with your own hands. At self-production Certain proportions of raw materials must be observed in order to achieve its high strength. Arbolite has a number of advantages, among which it is worth highlighting low cost, minimal thermal conductivity, ease of production, natural ingredients. From such building material it will be possible to construct a block, panels and slabs of the required shapes. By pouring the mixture into the formwork, you will get monolithic wood concrete, which is used for the construction of external load-bearing walls of low houses of two or three floors and partitions, as well as as a heat and sound insulating building material.

In this short review we will look at the nuances of the production and use of wood concrete blocks at home.

Sawdust concrete is made from three main components:

1. Portland cement or sulfate-resistant mixture (its pozzolanic type cannot be added);

2. modifying additives and organic filler, which is supplied by the forest processing industry. This can be sawdust, small shavings, pine needles, wood chips, crushed bark and hard stems of agricultural crops;

3. chemical additives that regulate the porosity of wood concrete, accelerate hardening, increase bactericidal properties and make the material more durable.

Advantages

It’s easy to make wood concrete with your own hands at home, just fill the mold with a pre-made mixture. The technology is simple; it is enough to know the proportions of the components. This procedure can be performed independently at the site, saving money on transportation of building materials. Among the disadvantages that characterize wood concrete, only high moisture absorption in the range of 50-80% is mentioned. Due to low moisture resistance in areas with high humidity you will need waterproofing and high concrete foundation. But the wood concrete block has a lot of advantages:

1. multifunctionality - suitable for various construction works; you can give it the required shape yourself by sawing.

2. economical - this building material is made from waste, and high thermal insulation allows you to spend less on heating;

3. heat resistance, despite the content of wood waste;

4. if properly processed, it is not susceptible to microorganisms;

5. provides sound insulation;

6. homogeneous lightweight material, irreplaceable on problematic soils and in seismically active zones;

7. Perfectly holds fasteners and light fittings for finishing.

It should be noted that not all types of wood are suitable for adding to wood concrete: waste from coniferous and deciduous trees, except beech, is suitable for these purposes. The use of the latter is not allowed.

What will you need for work?

Manufacturing technology involves choosing between two options: with large financial investments and budget ones. The first involves the purchase or rental of special equipment, including a wood chipper for making wood concrete, mixers, rammers, molds and ovens for drying finished products.

The second option will be useful for those who are interested in making wood concrete at home for a private household. The only equipment you will need is a concrete mixer. The technological scheme according to which wood concrete is created involves the preparation of the filler at the first stage. To do this, you need to take only dry wood waste, because wet wood takes on water and swells, and this can cause uneven drying, during which the wood block can be deformed and destroyed.

To protect yourself from rotting processes, clean the filler from microorganisms. The first stage at which wood concrete blocks are produced will be the treatment of the mixture with a lime solution. Each cubic meter requires 2.5 kg of cement and 150-200 liters of water. After that wood waste stand for three days, stirring regularly.

As chemical additives, you can use slaked lime, calcium chloride or aluminum sulfate in a ratio of 2-4% of the amount of cement. For such purposes, liquid glass is also used in the proportion of 9-10 kg per cubic meter of wood concrete.

The second stage involves making a mold where the wood concrete block will be stored. Of the necessary tools and raw materials we will need:

• boards and bars;
• hacksaw;
• to choose from: plywood, steel or linoleum;
• nails and hammer;
• pencil and ruler.

The mold for sawdust concrete consists of a bottom and side walls, which we make from boards of the required size. It is better to make collapsible containers to facilitate removal of formwork. It is convenient to make a long mold with jumpers, where wood blocks can be produced in large quantities at the same time. Finished goods to store the material, it is necessary to line the inside with plywood, thin sheet iron or steel. There are also factory adaptations that will allow you to build an arbolite block complex design, but if you are making building materials only for yourself, this is an extra expense.

Proportions and manufacturing technology

The instructions according to which wood concrete is produced in 1 cubic meter assume the following proportions of materials: 250-300 kg of filler, the same amount of Portland cement and 400 liters of water. The ratio of components is adjusted depending on specific tasks: for example, for insulation and partitions in houses, you can use less cement. If you add more of it, the wood concrete will become stronger, but heavier. When liquid glass is introduced, the block will be harder, but also more fragile. The proportions of chemical additives are discussed above.

When preparatory work finished, we proceed directly to the process of mixing wood concrete. According to the technology, first we pour the filler, cleared of soil, leaves and other impurities, into a concrete mixer, and then fill it with a solution of water with chemical additives. The arbolite mixture must be pre-mixed, and only after that can Portland cement be poured in a small amount. The instructions will help you follow technological process. It is better to mix the ingredients gradually, rather than all at once, to avoid the appearance of lumps.

The form where the wood concrete will be stored must first be lubricated with a lime solution. Next, you need to put the mixture there, thoroughly compacting the layers. To make a lightweight block, you can insert a block of wood into the mold to create voids. If necessary, it is easy to make a weighted version of it for load-bearing walls with your own hands, adding reinforcement.

If desired, you can make your own decorated block from wood concrete. To do this, you need to place stones at the bottom of the mold and fill them concrete mortar about 2 cm thick. Then the wood concrete mixture is made in the classic way. In this process, it is important that the wood concrete block remains in the mold for at least 24 hours, and then is stored under a canopy for drying, which, depending on the temperature, can last about two weeks. In order for the block to gain maximum strength, it is recommended to place it under a film while still wet for final hydration at a temperature of 15°C for 10 days. To ensure long service life, try not to allow the fresh unit to cool below 0°C. Sawdust concrete in the summer heat will not dry out and crack during drying if it is periodically sprayed with water.

If time permits, it is better to make the first run small in order to check the ratio of ingredients, the properties of the wood concrete block and determine its suitability for specific purposes. The finished block of the trial batch is checked for reliability. For this purpose, a testing scheme is being developed, during which it is tested for the possibility of sawing different instruments, perforating, gluing, bearing heavy loads. If you observe some discrepancy between the blocks and the assigned tasks, it is necessary to adjust the proportions of the composition.

Having prepared a sufficient number of forms, you can organize the production of wood concrete at home in a volume of about a hundred blocks per day. This will be enough for you to ensure a smooth construction process. The manual will help you maintain the proportions of the components if the wood concrete mixture is made by yourself for the implementation of private construction plans.