Do-it-yourself wood concrete blocks. How to make arbolite blocks at home Laying walls from arbolite blocks

Today the market for insulation materials is filled with a large number of different materials, ranging from mineral wool and ending with extruded polystyrene foam. However, even expensive materials do not guarantee complete heat retention. Most experts in this field have begun to return to long-known, but lost popularity, methods of thermal insulation of buildings. In this article we will talk about how sawdust insulation is carried out.

Types of sawdust

Sawdust is small particles of processed wood that are obtained from sawing. In appearance they look like small dust.

Sawdust can be purchased in different fractions from 5 mm to 3 cm. The length depends on the technological process of the woodworking enterprise, namely on what type of tools is used in each specific case.

This material is environmentally friendly. In addition to low cost, sawdust has many other advantages, for example, excellent thermal insulation and sound-absorbing qualities, as well as a low specific gravity of the material. Sawdust is mainly created from hardwood species such as spruce, pine or ash.

Ceiling insulation with sawdust

It is necessary to insulate the ceiling in a private house from any material, both brick and foam blocks. Because it is through the ceiling that significant heat loss occurs. Average heat loss through the ceiling is 20%. From an economic point of view, the most profitable is insulating the ceiling with sawdust.

Please note that laying wood products is a labor-intensive task. Before you begin installation, you need to do a lot preparatory work. First of all, such work is aimed at protecting against fire, because wood in any form is extremely flammable. It is highly flammable and has a long burning time.

What materials and tools may be needed:

• sawdust of small and large fractions
• sand, clay or slag
• lime and copper sulfate (you can take boric acid)
• substrate. For this purpose, you can use corrugated cardboard or any other breathable materials with good vapor permeability.
• sealant and foam
• fire retardant and antiseptic for wood. These compounds are necessary if the ceiling boards are not covered protective material from mold and mildew, fire
• construction stapler and staples for it.

Work should begin by protecting the ceiling beams and boards from possible unfavorable factors. Most often, high-quality buildings are already built from processed timber. However, if this procedure was missed for some reason, then it is imperative to carry it out now.

Wooden elements must be protected comprehensively, and the following sequence must be observed:

• An antiseptic is applied first, which prevents rot and protects against insects
• Next come fire-bioprotective agents that increase resistance to fire and high temperatures.
• Still others use water repellents to prevent moisture from entering the wood structure. In addition, such products protect the wood from leaching of previously applied solutions.

To achieve higher efficiency, it is worth purchasing all drugs from the same manufacturer.

After carrying out the protective work, you need to seal all seams and joints with foam and sealant. In addition to the cracks in ceiling Any other holes that may be present in the roof structure must also be sealed. This is necessary so that the insulating material does not come into contact with precipitation or strong winds, which can lift the insulating layer. Do not forget to trim the protruding parts of the foam at the same level as the ceiling beams, otherwise there will be voids in these places through which heat will escape.

Next, you can lay a backing, which is needed to prevent small dust from sawdust from falling off the ceiling. This dust can become a source of additional dust in the house. The substrate must have vapor-permeable qualities. If there are no such qualities, then warm air and steam, rising upward, will remain between the boards and materials, and will cause additional condensation. As a result, mold may form due to excessive humidity. As a backing, you can use any cardboard, for example, from old packaging boxes. The main thing is that it must be completely dry.

Clean the ceiling boards from dirt and dust and place cardboard sheets on them in several layers. Lay the underlay overlapping by 15-30 cm to prevent sawdust from getting into the seams. Now you will need a stapler, with which you need to fasten all the joints of the material.

Sawdust should be purchased dry, without foreign odors. They should be treated in advance with fire retardant and antiseptic compounds. After the mass has dried, you can add 10% lime (fluff) and a small amount of copper sulfate (or borax). All this needs to be mixed well.

There are several basic methods for installing thermal insulation from sawdust. They can be poured dry or mixed with cement and diluted with water. Sawdust can be poured either in pure dry form or mixed with cement and diluted with water.

With the dry method, sawdust is poured in two layers:

• large fraction or shavings. This layer should be 10-15 cm thick. It must be compacted well.
• the smallest fraction. The second layer should have the same thickness as the first. And it also needs to be compacted well.

In addition, slag, sand or clay can be placed on top of the sawdust. These materials will save your sawdust from rodents and mold development.

In order to insulate the ceiling using the wet method, you need to buy sawdust that was made at least a year ago. These sawdust will be a little damp. However, check that they are free of mold.

Ratio of chips, water and cement: 20:3:2. The mixture should be made in small volumes because it dries quickly. The resulting solution must be poured between the floor beams onto a substrate or a layer of sand and compacted. The layer thickness should be 5-10 cm. The solution hardens completely and you can move on it.

Sawdust, as insulation, is excellent for floor insulation. As in the case of the ceiling, sawdust for floor insulation must be pre-treated against rodents, insects and microorganisms. For this it is better to use special ready-made solutions.

The difference between floor insulation and ceiling insulation is that it is very difficult to add insulator that shrinks into the floor structure. Therefore, you need to choose a method in advance in which the mass will not dry out over time. In practice, this means that when insulating a floor, you should use not dry sawdust, but mixed with different components and subsequently hardening.

To prepare this mixture, you need to add gypsum or cement to the sawdust. Maintain the following proportions: 85% sawdust, 5% gypsum and 10% fluff lime or lime paste, which you need to take twice as much as dry lime. Don't forget that gypsum hardens very quickly, faster than cement.

There is no point in drying sawdust before mixing. On the contrary, if the sawdust is dry, it is worth adding a little water. The degree of readiness of the mixture is checked in your hands - if the lump does not crumble or spread, then the composition is ready.

If insulation is carried out in a building that has already been in use, then the existing floor covering will have to be dismantled, the ceilings will have to be re-treated with an antiseptic with moisture-resistant mastic, and then a backing made of vapor barrier material or films.

The created mixture of sawdust is placed on the substrate and compacted well. The thickness of the layer should be approximately 10 cm. After compacting, the mass should be left to harden for about 2-3 weeks.

When using dry sawdust, you need to create a raised floor. All wooden parts must be covered with protective agents. Next, a subfloor made of boards is installed on the base, on which waterproofing is spread. Sawdust is poured on top of the hydraulic barrier. The layer should be 10 cm or more. Note that insulation with sawdust is not suitable if you are going to make a screed. Sawdust has low strength and causes serious shrinkage. Before installation finishing coating, you need to leave the floor for 2-4 days. Over these few days, the sawdust will shrink by 2-3 cm and additional amounts will need to be added.

Be sure to keep in mind that if the sawdust is not given good waterproofing and ventilation (the gap between the finished floor and the layer of insulating material), then it may lose its heat-shielding qualities.

The most difficult task can be called insulating the walls, because this will require creating a frame. The frame must be filled with sawdust and compacted by hand. Coarse sawdust is suitable for laying in a frame wall. When using a dry laying option, you should take care to thoroughly dry the sawdust so that there is no moisture left in them.

In the wet method, the mixture is prepared from wood shavings, lime, gypsum or cement, with the obligatory addition of antiseptics. The thoroughly mixed mass is moistened, poured into the prepared frame and compacted tightly so that the material does not sag. Gypsum, like cement, over time draws out all the available moisture and makes the mass monolithic.

Between the wall and the insulating material it is necessary to lay waterproofing material, having vapor-permeable qualities. The effectiveness of insulation and the level of shrinkage depend on the quality of the compaction and the density of the filling. If you do not tamp tightly, voids will appear and heat loss will begin.

The mixture is placed in layers 20-30 cm high and compacted. After this, a second similar layer is poured. And so they repeat the actions at all heights. The thickness of the insulation depends on climatic conditions. For example, in a house for seasonal residence a thickness of 15 cm is enough, but in a permanent building a thickness of 25-30 cm is needed. The frame is created from wooden planks section 100x50 mm.

The mass hardens in about 1-2 weeks, and finally sets in about a month. All this time it is worth monitoring so that the air humidity does not exceed 60-70%, and the temperature does not rise above 20-25 degrees. In addition, you need to regularly ventilate the room. After this, you can begin finishing work.

Houses insulated with sawdust are an excellent option. They combine high heat retention rates with low operating costs.

House made of sawdust

In addition to insulation, sawdust is used for the full construction of buildings. However, buildings made of sawdust concrete are rare today. However, experts assure that sawdust concrete is a very promising material that allows you to build economical housing with decent performance indicators.

The manufacturing technology of such material involves the addition of binding components, for example, clay, lime, liquid glass. These additives reduce shrinkage phenomena and reduce the cost of modules. By adjusting the proportions of individual components in relation to the total weight, it is possible to change the density, porosity and strength of the final product.

Practice shows that optimal protection is achieved after lining, however, for example, a sawdust bath can be used without finishing.

The advantages of sawdust concrete include:

• thermal conductivity 0.20-0.30 W/m°C. A wall 40.00 cm thick is similar in warmth to a 90 cm brick wall
• strength 20.0-50.0 kg/cm². This material perfectly resists deformation and shock loads, therefore it can be used for construction in areas with probable seismic activity
• easy processing. Modules can be milled, nailed, drilled, processed with a hacksaw and saw. Consequently, material consumption is reduced and there is almost no waste
• shrinkage 0.50 - 1.00%mm/m
• frost resistance - 25 cycles
• density 300-1200 kg/m³.

Among the shortcomings we note:

• moisture absorption. This disadvantage can be combated by treating the blocks with special compounds.
• impossibility of constructing multi-storey buildings
• not very attractive appearance without finishing.

Material calculation

Let's look at an example to find out the average number of blocks required to construct a building. For example, you need to build a house measuring 15x10 m, with a wall height of 3.00 m. The perimeter of the building will be the sum of the lengths of all sides = 15+15+10+10 = 50 m. The area of ​​the building is the perimeter multiplied by the height = 50*3 = 150 m². It is worth considering both the thickness of the masonry and the number of blocks per 1 m2.

Concrete when using sawdust as a filler on line of concretes closer to the classics than wood concrete.

It's all about the presence of sand in the composition of sawdust concrete.

No matter how similar in composition wood concrete and sawdust concrete are to each other - there is a difference, and sometimes it is significant.

We will not analyze the differences; we will consider in detail only the sawdust concrete itself.

There are types of sawdust concrete:

• thermal insulation (average density from 400 to 800 kg/m3);
• structural(average density from 800 to 1200 kg/m3).

Like any other concrete, sawdust concrete gains strength best in heat and humidity, since moisture does not evaporate quickly and goes into the formation of cement stone.

pros

The main advantages of sawdust concrete are:

1. Cheapness of the main components.
2. Ease of manufacture.
3. Durability of buildings.
4. Environmental friendliness.
5. Excellent thermal protection.
6. A manufacturing and application technique developed over decades of use.

Minuses

There is only one main drawback: not all sawdust will do for this material. If in the case of sugars from the wood chips were removed during storage, and according to the ratio of the volume of wood chips and specific area chips, the decomposition of sugars did not greatly affect the cement, but in the case of sawdust concrete, the process of decomposition of sugars greatly affects the cement itself inside the block.

Manufacturing

In the process of producing sawdust concrete, it is important to take only the most suitable sawdust from those wood species that have sugar content is minimal. Optimal candidates for a second life of waste in sawdust concrete:

• pine;
• birch;
• poplar.

Larch, despite its high density and strength characteristics is in the very last place, with the highest sugar content.

If spruce begins to gain strength two weeks after setting, then the end occurs somewhere on the fortieth day after production. But for larch this period is much longer: from thirty days at the beginning of strength gain to one hundred and forty at the end.

All works on monolithic sawdust concrete needs to be done in the spring so that everything will be finished by the fall. Due to the released sugars, it is better to condition sawdust in the fresh air, including watering the sawdust with water in order to wash away the remaining sugar decay.

A couple of washes with water will already provide the sawdust with an acceptable condition for use in the process of manufacturing sawdust concrete. Sawdust structure when stored in bulk, it will prevent the processes of rotting and burning from starting. Since they are not compressed, there is no need to be afraid of moisture.

Compound

Any brand of sawdust concrete contains:

• cement;
• sand;
• slaked lime;
• sawdust.

Differences in proportions observed only in the ratio of mixture components.

Each brand of sawdust concrete has its own proportions.

Components

We prepare sawdust concrete with our own hands. Proportions of components per 1m3 ready mixture display in table form:

As we see, with an increase in the amount of cement, the purpose of the blocks is more limited to the construction of non-residential buildings. This is explained by the change in the coefficient thermal conductivity of blocks, nullifying all efforts to heat the building. When using M10 brand blocks, the coefficient is 0.21, which is a very good indicator.

For grade M15, this coefficient is 0.24, which is caused only by a slight increase in strength requirements, respectively, and an increase in the amount of cement to obtain a strong block for the construction of a two-story house. For the M25 block, the coefficient is already almost 0.39, which is two times higher than for the M10 block. This means that the M25 block is twice as cold, but from it you can build large rooms.

The golden mean for sawdust concrete is one-story buildings.

Proportions

The proportions of sawdust concrete are shown in the table:

In volume units this means the following. When producing sawdust concrete:

1. M10 grades:
   • cement 0.5 buckets;
   • a little more than 1 bucket of sand (a bucket with a slide);
   • sawdust a little more than 3 buckets.
2. M15 grades:
   • a little more than 0.5 buckets of cement;
   • sand 1.5 buckets;
   • almost 4 buckets of sawdust.
3. M25 grades:
   • cement 0.5 buckets;
   • sand a little less than 1.5 buckets;
   • sawdust 3 buckets with two slides.

It is important to follow exactly this recipe, because it was worked for decades, much earlier than wood concrete. The lack of progression in quantity and proportions should not be confusing. In each individual case, the components work differently.

Slaked lime as a component is used both as a means of desugaring sawdust, and bypassing this stage, by introducing the required amount of fluff into the mixture.

Preparing the mixture

Surprisingly, the most easy way preparing the mixture is manual. When preparing sawdust concrete with your own hands, ordinary concrete mixers will not work. Due to the lightness of some components, they risk remaining on the walls of the concrete mixer, or simply floating on top of the water. Any loading order.

You can first:

1. dilute cement in water;
2. add sand, sawdust and lime.

Another variant:

1. mix sawdust with lime;
2. add sand and cement;
3. dilute with water.

No matter what other people say, it makes absolutely no difference which option you choose.

As a result of the work, a homogeneous mixture is formed, the structure of which contains sand and cement. It is these two components that form cement stone. The lime neutralizes the sugars as they are released from the sawdust, and the sawdust itself is a filler. Classic lightweight concrete.

Machine mixing of sawdust concrete functionally possible if a stirrer is available forced type, as in the production of polystyrene concrete. But even in that case, the order does not matter, since if the sawdust has already been treated with lime during preparation, then it is no longer afraid of water.

Sawdust concrete based on gypsum binder

It is worth mentioning a little about a mixture where building gypsum is used instead of cement.

And let people not be afraid of the speed of setting of gypsum in combination with water, since these issues have already found a popular solution.

The problem is solved by adding ordinary detergent, and as is known, it gradually releases water to gypsum molecules that are in an unhydrated state.

Explanation: building gypsum in the form in which it is sold in stores has ability to connect with water, forming a formula already with it, and which is already a solid formation that is not particularly afraid of water.

There is still no end to the debate as to whether it is possible to build external walls from gypsum-based blocks.

According to some data, with proven technology (on hand) and when protecting the blocks from atmospheric influences, it is quite possible to use these blocks for building external walls. Internal ones can definitely be built.

The only question is the price for the binder, but in terms of the volume of sawdust and the setting force, we can say that the costs will be slightly higher, and the rate of strength gain will be four to five times higher.

About the size of sawdust

The size of sawdust does not matter if there is enough binder.

As a rule, sawdust is taken from a sawmill, and the differences in sawdust from strip and disk sawmill so insignificant that they are not taken into account at all.

The chips from rounding and calibrating machines will no longer work.

A homogeneous mixture will not work if in one volume there are fractions that differ from each other in volume by several hundred times.

Among the features of the process - it's important to knead so that when you pick up a lump of mixture and squeeze it with your hands, water does not flow out of it in a stream. Although everyone’s strength is different, and you need to approach this issue logically. And after the lump has formed - so that it does not crumble in your hands.

Also for these nuances, lime is present in the solution. She provides mutual adhesion both between sand and cement, and between them and sawdust.

Manual mixing of sawdust concrete using a shovel:

Application of sawdust concrete

Truly a folk building material, as it is the most affordable of materials according to the complexity of production. Perhaps people notice a wave-like interest in such materials. If before there was sawdust concrete good option for the whole country, then with the wave of Western marketing, people, in pursuit of fashion, moved away from a reasonable framework of choice.

Only now many have begun to pay attention to environmental friendliness and practicality building materials, and not something that was designed for completely different climatic conditions. The following are successfully built from sawdust concrete:

• houses with up to three storeys;
• garages;
• sheds;
• outbuildings;
• technological buildings.

Like any moderately hygroscopic material, sawdust concrete needs exterior finishing, just like aerated concrete and foam concrete.

If we consider sawdust concrete in comparison with autoclaved aerated concrete, then the water absorption of the latter is generally 200% of the mass of the block. Therefore, there is no need to be embarrassed by the presence of sawdust in the blocks. Popular insulation, which was produced in Germany at the beginning of the last century - ecowool - is generally made from what is collected from landfills.

Therefore, it is still worth figuring out what is more environmentally friendly - sawdust concrete with natural ingredients , or ecowool with a hypercontent of bromine salts.

Cement-sawdust materials are a practical alternative for foam and aerated concrete, as well as brick, wood and other materials in construction low-rise buildings and baths. The material is different good properties and at the same time pleasantly pleases with its accessibility.

In addition, you can not only purchase it, but also make it yourself at home without purchasing expensive equipment, and if the main component is present - sawdust or chips, then this makes wood-cement products even more profitable.

Advantages and disadvantages

Arbolite blocks– the material is not new, but until recently it was not widely used, which is more than surprising, given its excellent performance characteristics.

Positive features include the following properties:

• Excellent thermal insulation performance. Houses made of sawdust concrete, like a thermos, keep warm in winter and cool in summer. The use of wood concrete eliminates the need for thermal insulation of walls, which, accordingly, saves money on construction.
• Absolute naturalness. All components of building materials are of natural origin. They are non-toxic and do not emit harmful microparticles that cause allergies and diseases.
• Strength. In the segment of porous materials, wood concrete has good structural strength, which allows it to be used as a material for load-bearing structures of buildings not exceeding three floors in height.

• Non-flammability. In the manufacture of concrete particle blocks, synthetic additives are used to ensure good fire resistance of the material. It can withstand temperatures of approximately 1200° C for 2 hours without igniting.
• High vapor permeability. Porous structure ensures free penetration fresh air inside the house, which creates a comfortable, unstuffy atmosphere. In addition, vapor permeability allows moisture trapped in the wall to evaporate, thereby preventing its accumulation and dampening of the walls.
• Temperature resistance. The material is resistant to freezing and thawing cycles and does not collapse during changes in season, when the frozen wall begins to heat up.
• Acceptable price. Arbolite blocks are somewhat more expensive than aerated concrete, but they can be used as a material for load-bearing structures of low-rise buildings and without resorting to bricks and similar materials, which reduces the cost of the structure as a whole.

• High noise insulation. The porosity of the material provides significant sound absorption, reducing the level of both incoming and outgoing noise.
• Easy processing. The material can easily be cut, drilled and other processing methods without cracking or chipping, and maintains structural integrity under mechanical stress.
• Use of recycled materials. The main part of the mass of wood-cement materials is shavings or chips, which are waste from the woodworking industry. Even if you do not have your own source of raw materials, it can be purchased at a low price and used to create building materials, which will reduce its already low price.
• Easy to use. The blocks are quite voluminous and at the same time light; walls are created quickly and without significant expenditure of physical strength.
• Durability. Provided that wood concrete blocks are protected from moisture, they will serve for many decades without destruction from drying out, corrosion and other sluggish processes.

In addition to the positive aspects, wood concrete blocks have some disadvantages:

• Long production. After pouring into the mold, the material must harden for three months before being used in construction.
• Weak moisture resistance, high moisture absorption. Most wood-cement blocks are afraid of moisture and at the same time actively absorb it. Water protection is the main task for those who want to use cement bonded bonding materials during construction.
• Limited wood species as raw materials.

Application technology

During construction outer wall buildings using wood concrete, to prevent moisture penetration, a base made of brick or concrete is installed with a height of at least half a meter from the blind area. For the same purpose, the projection of cornices beyond the façade walls should be at least half a meter, with the obligatory installation of a storm and melt water drainage system.

• The seams between the blocks should have a thickness of 10-15 mm.
• Arbolite blocks are often used for laying only the inner layer for the purpose of insulation.

• When using cement-bonded particle blocks as a material for door and window lintels, mandatory reinforcement is required.
• Density and class of blocks by brand:
  • M5– 400-500 kg/cu.m. m, B0.35;
  • M10– 450-500 kg/cubic. m, B0.75;
  • M15– 500 kg/cu.m. m, B1;
  • M25– 500-700 kg/cubic. m, B2;
  • M50– 700-800 kg/cubic. m, B3.5.

Arbolite blocks are eaten by rodents, so you need to reinforce the wall with mesh in the area where pests are accessible or combine the masonry with another material.

Compound

The main component of the building material is sand, as well as cement and shavings (chips). Cement affects strength, workability and some others performance. The grade of cement used to create the blocks must be at least M400.

The increased sawdust content enhances the noise-absorbing and heat-insulating properties of wood concrete blocks. Wood chips must be thoroughly dried before use..

As the proportion of sand increases, strength increases, but the thermal insulation of the material decreases. Also during production, chemical additives are used to enhance various qualities.

For example, it is almost mandatory to use a component that increases the fire resistance of the material. In addition, a substance that repels rodents and other pests can be used.

Types of wood-cement materials

Depending on the added wood filler, wood-cement materials of various sizes and structures are obtained. The type of binder also influences the result.

Among the many options, the following widely used types can be identified:

• wood concrete;
• fiberboard;
• sawdust concrete;
• cement bonded particle board;
• xylolite.

Arbolit

This is a material with a high content of wood chips, water, a binder component - mainly Portland cement - and chemical additives for various purposes. Wood industry waste from deciduous and coniferous trees is used for production.. An alternative can be flax or hemp brome, chaffed straw, chopped cotton stalks and similar raw materials.

It is divided into two main classes: construction and thermal insulation. In the second, the percentage of wood component is increased, but the strength is reduced.

Wood concrete is used to create products for any purpose:

• blocks for forcing outer and inner walls;
• floor slabs;
• floors and coatings;
• large wall panels.

Fibrolite

This building material is produced in the form of slabs based on waste chips and a binder. According to the parameters, the raw material for wood filler is shavings 35 cm or more long and 5 to 10 cm wide, ground into wool.

At the next stage, the wood filler is mineralized with potassium chloride, it is moistened with water in a certain proportion and mixed with cement mortar, and then pressed into slabs under a pressure of 0.4 MPa. Then heat treatment and drying of the finished products occurs.

The material comes in two types: heat-insulating and insulating-structural.

The characteristic properties of this material are:

• strong roughness– determines its high adhesive properties with finishing materials;
• fire safety– the material does not burn with an open flame;
• high thermal insulation performance– thermal conductivity is only 0.08-0.1 W/sq. m;
• ease of processing– cutting, drilling, driving in dowels and nails is carried out without any problems;
• moisture absorption in the range from 35 to 45%;
• vulnerable to fungal mold at humidity above 35%.

Sawdust concrete

This material is similar to wood concrete, but it does not have such strict criteria for wood filler. The material is so called due to its composition - it consists of sand, concrete and sawdust of different fractions. In addition, this material may contain lime and clay, and the percentage of sand may exceed that of wood concrete. Thus, at the same density, the strength of sawdust concrete is less.

As a result, the weight of the supporting structure made of sawdust concrete will be greater than that of wood concrete with the same structural strength class - M. The thermal insulating properties of sawdust concrete are also inferior to wood concrete.

The main advantage is the price of the material - consumer reviews also speak about this, which, in the absence of special requirements, makes its use more profitable.

In addition, the strength of sawdust concrete is inferior to wood concrete, but significantly exceeds the strength of other porous block materials of non-wood origin.

Cement particle boards

This material is a widespread type, made from a wood-shaving mixture mixed with water, cement and mineral additives, followed by dosing, molding, pressing and heat treatment.

TO characteristic features materials include:

• frost resistance;
• non-flammability;
• biological inertia.

This material is used in prefabricated housing construction. Area of ​​application: façade and interior work.

What makes the boards unique from other wood-based materials is their high moisture resistance. The disadvantages of this material include its relatively large weight - 1.4 t/cubic meter. m, which makes it difficult to work with them above the first floor. The second disadvantage is weak elasticity, which is why when the slab is slightly bent, it breaks. On the other hand, the boards are resistant to longitudinal deformation and are used to strengthen the frame.

Xylolite

Refers to sand materials based on magnesium binder and wood waste: sawdust and flour. Contains finely dispersed minerals: talc, marble flour and other ingredients, as well as alkaline pigments. During the production process it is used high pressure(10 MPa) and a temperature of about 90 ° C, which provides special strength during hardening.

Such slabs are used mainly for making floors.

The characteristic features of xylolite include:

• high compressive strength depending on the specific type (from 5 to 50 MPa);
• excellent resistance to impact loads - the material does not chip, but is dented;
• high noise and thermal insulation properties;
• incombustible;
• frost-resistant;
• moisture resistant.

To learn how to make blocks from cement and sawdust with your own hands, see the following video.

Building wall blocks made from cement and wood shavings, according to GOST 19222-84, are called “arbolite products” and, if necessary, can be made at home on their own.

Wall blocks made of shavings and cement

The technology for making building blocks from wood concrete was developed in the USSR back in the 60s of the last century. A number of factories were built and launched. However, due to the “victory” of technology panel construction, they forgot about wood concrete and returned to it quite recently. This is a unique building material that combines excellent thermal insulation properties, low cost and ease of manufacture.

Blocks from shavings and cement on your own - recommendations from specialists:

• A mixture of wood shavings and wood chips should be used as raw materials. At the same time, the content of harmful impurities is regulated: needles and leaves no more than 5%, bark no more than 10%. It is allowed to use shavings and wood chips with a particle fraction of 40x10x5 millimeters and a “shavings: wood chips” ratio of 1:1 to 2:1;
• Fresh shavings and wood chips contain sugar, therefore, in order to avoid rotting and destruction of the block, they require special preparation before use. There are two options - exposure in the open air for 4 months with regular shoveling, or treatment with a special solution: 200 liters of 1.5% lime solution per 1 m3 of sawdust. Process the sawdust and leave for several days with regular shoveling;
• High-quality blocks can be obtained using a mechanical concrete mixer;
• Ordinary Portland cement of a grade not lower than M400 should be used as a binder, and the following additives should be used: liquid glass, fluff lime, calcium sulfate and aluminum sulfate. In this case, the total amount of additives should not exceed 4% of the weight of cement;
• A proven and best combination of additives for the production of wood concrete blocks: a mixture of aluminum sulfate and potassium sulfate in a ratio of 50:50, or a mixture of calcium oxide and liquid glass in a 50:50% ratio.

Features of the production of blocks from shavings and cement

• Before use, shavings and chips must be passed through a chipper and hammer crusher, and also sorted on a vibrating screen or through a hand sieve;
• The finished mass with additives should be thoroughly mixed with cement in a mechanical concrete mixer and only then fed into prepared forms. The proportions of the components are different. In general, the recommended recipe is: 1 part Portland cement, 6 parts mixture of shavings and wood chips, 2 parts sand + additives;
• Technology for manufacturing a mold or several molds. A frame measuring 600x300x240 millimeters is knocked down or twisted (with self-tapping screws) from edged boards and wooden blocks. Handles are nailed on the opposite sides of the frame (bars 250x50x50 mm). For each form, a pallet is knocked down or twisted from boards and bars. To make it easier to remove the block, the inner surface of the frame and pallet is covered with galvanized steel or linoleum.

Product forming technology

Before pouring, the internal surfaces of the mold are lubricated with grease, machine oil or a special release solution. Next, a mixture of cement with sawdust and additives is loaded into the mold layer by layer. Each successive layer is compacted with a piece of timber covered with galvanized steel or a mechanical vibratory rammer.

The filled and compacted forms are left for a day, after which the blocks are carefully removed, placed in a cool place and covered. plastic film. On hot days, to avoid drying out, the blocks are sprayed with water. After 14-20 days (subject to temperature environment 20 or more degrees Celsius) the blocks are ready for use.

Features of application

• When constructing the external walls of buildings from arbolite blocks, to prevent moisture from entering, it is recommended to equip a brick or concrete plinth, with a height of at least 0.5 meters from the level of the blind area. For this reason, the roof eaves extend beyond outer surface the walls must also be at least 0.5-0.6 meters with the mandatory installation of a rain and melt water drainage system;
• Used for laying blocks cement mortar brand no less than 10;
• Interblock seams should be 10-15 mm;
• Blocks made from shavings and cement can be used as an internal insulating layer, similar to adobe (blocks made from a mixture of clay, straw and sawdust);
• Arbolite blocks or wood concrete mass can be used as filler for well brickwork. Laying over the entire height of the floor is allowed without bricking or reinforcement;
• If necessary, you can build lintels for window and door openings from wood concrete. Mandatory reinforcement is required.

Energy prices, alas, do not show a downward trend, so when building housing, issues of truly effective thermal insulation of houses always come to the fore. There are a lot various technologies insulation of buildings using façade or interior materials, the use of special hanging structures, etc. However, many issues are resolved already at the construction stage, if building materials that have their own high thermal insulation qualities are used for the construction of walls. One of these materials is wood concrete, or, as it is more often called, wood concrete.

Once widely used in construction, it has been undeservedly forgotten over time, and many potential developers sometimes don’t even know anything about it. However, wood concrete began to regain its position in demand and began to appear on sale. But if you can’t purchase it, you shouldn’t despair - there is always the opportunity to make wood concrete blocks with your own hands.

What is wood concrete and what are its main advantages?

The material, which is commonly called wood concrete, consists of two main ingredients. Its bulk is a filler made of wood chips and sawdust, which are interconnected by the second fraction - Portland cement. The total mass may include special chemical additives that improve the quality of wood or increase the plasticity of the resulting mixture, but their specific amount is very low.

There is no need to assume that such wood concrete is some kind of new product in the family of building materials. On the contrary, the use of plant components with mineral binders has centuries-old history- how can one not remember here ancient technology adobe construction, where the main ingredients are straw and clay. With the development of silicate production, when the production of cement began on a mass scale, the first experiments began with wood concrete.

In the 50s and 60s of the twentieth century, wood concrete began to be produced on an industrial scale. The material has undergone extensive testing and received the appropriate GOST, was constantly modified - several scientific teams worked on this issue. A clear proof of the quality of the building materials produced is the fact that several buildings at Antarctic stations were erected from wood concrete, including the canteen and kitchen building. The calculation paid off - delivering such a lightweight material over a huge distance was not very difficult, and the walls, only 30 cm thick, maintained a comfortable mode in these extreme conditions.

Unfortunately, in the future the main emphasis is on industrial production building materials were made from reinforced concrete, few people cared about energy saving and environmental problems at that time, and wood concrete was undeservedly simply forgotten. A fairly wide network of enterprises producing it ceased to exist, and no developments were carried out in this direction.

Nowadays, there is a “reanimation” of this direction in the production of wall materials. Arbolite began to be used again in construction, and the demand for it increased. Many private entrepreneurs are engaged in the production of wood concrete - machine-building enterprises have even launched the production of special mini-lines. Adhering to certain technologies, it is quite possible to make wood concrete blocks with your own hands and at home.

What remarkable qualities does this material have, and what benefits does it provide from its use:

• The first thing people always pay attention to is the excellent thermal insulation characteristics. Wood is “warm” in itself, plus the “airiness” of wood concrete plays a big role. Let's compare - only 300 - 400 mm of wood-concrete masonry resists the cold as effectively as Brick wall about 2 meters thick!

• Wood concrete is an excellent sound insulator. Street noise will not penetrate into the house built from it.

• The material is lightweight - its density is from 400 to 850 kg/m³. And this also reduces the cost of transportation and construction (no special lifting equipment is needed), reduces the load on the base of the building, and it is possible to use a simpler and cheaper foundation.
• The lightness of wood concrete does not mean its fragility. On the contrary, it has enviable ductility and shock-absorbing qualities (compression - up to 10% of volume) with good bending strength. Under load, it will not crack or crumble, and after removing the force it tries to restore its previous shape - the reinforcing effect of wood chips is felt. Strong accented blows that destroy others wall materials, it is limited to only the dented surface, but without disturbing the overall structure of the block.

This is especially important when constructing buildings on problematic soils or in regions with increased seismic activity - the walls of the house will not crack.

• Wood concrete is an environmentally friendly material. With proper pre-treatment of raw materials, it will not become a breeding ground for microorganisms, mold, insects or rodents. There are no processes of debate and decay of the material with the release of substances harmful to human health. At the same time, it has excellent vapor permeability, the walls are able to “breathe”, and condensation does not accumulate in them.
• The material is practically non-flammable, despite the high wood component content. When critical high temperatures holds its given shape much longer than other polymer-based insulation blocks.
• Arbolite walls easily lend themselves to any type of exterior finishing, showing excellent adhesion with most used mortars and mixtures, even without the use of additional reinforcing mesh.
• Plastic source material allows you to mold building blocks of almost any, even the most bizarre, configuration, which opens up wide scope for architectural design.

• One of the important advantages is the ease of processing of wood concrete blocks. They are easy to cut even regular saw, they can be precisely adjusted to the required size during construction. In addition, it is easy to drill a hole of any diameter in the walls of this material; self-tapping screws are screwed into them perfectly and nails are held in place.

Video: positive qualities of wood concrete

“Basics” of wood concrete production technology

First of all, it is necessary to make a reservation that everything said above and what will be discussed in the future relate specifically to wood concrete, that is, wood concrete. The fact is that sawdust concrete is often presented under the same term (made from fine sawdust with the addition of sand), but there are more differences than similarities between these materials.

• To produce wood concrete, wood chips are used, obtained by crushing wood. At the exit from the crushing machine, fragments with a length of 15 ÷ 20 mm, a width of about 10 and a thickness of 2 ÷ 3 mm are obtained. In industrial conditions, this is carried out by special installations that quickly process non-commercial wood - branches, slabs, tops of cut trees, waste from wood processing enterprises.

By the way, not all types of wood are suitable for the production of wood concrete. Basically this is, of course, conifers- pine, fir, spruce, but larch is not used for these purposes. Good material obtained from individual hardwood– poplar, aspen, birch. Beech waste cannot be used for wood concrete.

• The resulting wood pulp is necessarily subjected to special chemical treatment. The structure of wood contains many water-soluble substances of the sugar group, which not only reduce the performance qualities of the material itself and significantly extend the time for complete setting of cement, but can also cause fermentation processes in the thickness of ready-made blocks. This can result in the formation of voids, swelling of the surface and other negative consequences.

Neutralization of these substances is carried out with solutions calcium chloride, aluminum sulfate or “liquid glass” in a certain proportion. In addition, to prevent the development various forms biological life in the thickness of the material, wood chips are processed.

• Next stage production - mixing the chipping mass with a binder component - Portland cement. Its specific gravity is approximately 10 to 15%. Plasticizers can be added, but not more than 1% of the mass.
• The resulting plastic mass is supplied to the molding section. The technology can be different - pressing or compaction on a vibration stand, depending on the intended purpose of the resulting products.

• After full filling forms, they are transferred to the drying area, where a certain temperature and humidity regime is maintained. Then the forms are removed (stripping), and the resulting blocks are dried while still in the flowingno 2 days at a temperature of about 60 ºС.
• If necessary, finished products undergo mechanical modification and then enter the warehouse for packaging and shipment to consumers.

The percentage composition of the components is not a clearly defined value - it can vary certain limits depending on specific products and their intended purpose.

When producing large-sized parts, additional reinforcement can be used, including the installation of embedded technological plates and rigging loops.

Industrially produced wood concrete (you can find the names “urmalit”, “timfort”, “woodstone”, “durizol” - they differ slightly in the percentage of additional polymer components) is divided into structural and thermal insulating:

• The density of structural wood concrete reaches 850 kg/m³, surface strength is about M-50, thermal insulation properties are not too high - thermal conductivity 0.14 - 0.17 W/(m×° WITH).
• Thermal insulating wood concrete has a different picture - density up to 500 kg/m³, strength indicator in the range M-5 ÷ M-15, but thermal conductivity is very low - 0.08 ÷0.1 W/(m×° WITH).

How to make wood concrete blocks yourself

The number of mini-enterprises producing arbolite blocks is growing (for some master entrepreneurs this is becoming quite profitable business), and the material is increasingly found on the open market. But there will never be a shortage of home craftsmen who always try to do everything on their own.

What is needed for the manufacture of wood concrete building parts:

• First of all, you need the most important material - wood chips. It is clear that you need a lot of it - starting a process over several blocks simply does not make sense. It’s good if there are woodworking workshops nearby where you can negotiate inexpensive acquisition similar waste. Making wood chips yourself on a large scale is a very difficult task, unless, of course, you have a special crusher on your farm. Craftsmen find original solutions, constructing such installations on their own.

Video: homemade wood crushing machine

• Definitely required - manually prepare significant amount A high-quality wood-cement mixture will not work.
• The required number of forms is prepared in advance. They can be made from wood (boards, thick plywood or OSB), and it is better if they are collapsible - the process of stripping will be much simpler. Usually they make a long mold with jumpers so that several blocks can be made in it at once. To prevent the solution from sticking to wooden surface, the inner walls can be lined with old linoleum.

Another approach is a welded or also collapsible structure made of sheet metal with cells of blocks of a certain configuration and size. If desired, you can purchase or order factory molds, often even with devices for molding and pressing - they will allow you to produce blocks of complex configurations, including hollow ones.

• To compact the wet mass in the molds, it is necessary to prepare a tamper. You can also use the vibrocompression technique. The easiest way is to use a hammer drill for this purpose and transfer its vibration to a stand with a spring-loaded surface. Another method is to make a stand with an electric motor installed on it, on the rotor of which an eccentric flywheel is installed.

• To process wood, certain chemicals may be needed - we will talk about them a little later.
• It is necessary to prepare an area under a canopy to place filled forms and manufactured blocks for the drying cycle.

In what sequence is the work of making wood concrete blocks performed:

1. Cooking wood pulp. It must be cleaned of dirt, earth, and debris. The total volume content of by-products (bark, pine needles or leaves) should not exceed 5%.

An excellent tool for pre-treating wood chips is calcium chloride.

Wood chips must be freed from dissolved sugars. The easiest way is to endure her outdoors, stirring occasionally. However, this will take a lot of time - about 3 months. To speed up the process, it is better to treat it with a 1.5% solution of technical calcium chloride at the rate of 200 liters of solution per 1 m³ of wood. Maintain the mass in this state for up to 3 days with regular daily stirring. However, it should be remembered that this method is only suitable for coniferous species.

Another method is “liquid glass” treatment, but it should be carried out already when mixing the solution, since silicate components can lead to sintering of the chip mass. And here there is a nuance - “liquid glass” can be used with any type of wood, but it will significantly reduce the ductility of the resulting blocks and increase their fragility.

“Liquid glass” - accelerates the hardening of the solution, but increases the fragility of products

2. Before you start further work wood chips should be processed lime mortar. It must completely neutralize all the chemical components of the tree, plus give it antiseptic properties.

The shavings are soaked in a solution of slaked lime (5÷10%) for 3 hours. Then it is laid out on a mesh to allow the water to drain. The raw wood is no longer dried, but is immediately used for further preparation of the working molding mass.

3. The mixture for molding is prepared. To do this, wood chips are first mixed in a concrete mixer with water, with added“liquid glass” (no more than 1% of the total mass of the planned amount of solution). When a semi-liquid slurry is obtained, they begin to add cement (not lower than M-400) and gradually increase the amount of water. The general proportion should be maintained within the following limits: 4 parts water to 3 parts wood and 3 parts cement.

Here we should immediately warn against widespread mistakes made by novice craftsmen who begin to measure components in volumetric ratio. The given proportions relate exclusively to the mass of materials introduced into the mixture.

The solution is mixed until completely homogeneous and all possible lumps are broken. As a result, the resulting mass should be plastic, but quite crumbly. When you squeeze the lump in your palm, it should retain its shape without crumbling after the force is removed.

4. The next stage is molding. When the mixture is completely ready, the molds must be lightly coated with liquid cement laitance or oil waste. The wood-cement mass is laid out in them in stages, in 3-4 passes, with careful compaction of each layer. If you have a vibration stand, this will greatly simplify the task. When tamping, it makes sense to pierce the mixture several times with sharpened reinforcement to make it easier for air bubbles to escape.

You can leave a free space at the top, about 20 mm, and fill it plaster mortar, smoothing the surface with a spatula. This will allow you to get blocks with a smooth side already plastered.

One of the sides can be immediately made “plastered”

There is another way to decorate blocks. Pebbles are placed at the bottom of the forms, tiles are placed whole or in fragments, then they are filled with ordinary dense concrete mortar to a thickness of about 20 mm, and only then the final molding of the block is carried out.

If reinforcement of the block is required, then first a layer of wood concrete is laid, then the reinforcement mesh and a layer of concrete is poured, completely covering it, and again there is a layer of wood concrete on top.

Forms filled with mass are sent to the pre-drying place.

5. After a day, you can remove the formwork or remove the set blocks from the molds. They are placed under a canopy for further drying and strengthening. This usually takes two to three weeks, depending on air temperature and humidity.

Video - An example of wood concrete production at home

A well-organized process, with a sufficient number of molds and means of “small mechanization,” will make it possible to produce up to 80–100 blocks per day using such manual molding. This should completely ensure the uninterrupted construction of a house built from wood concrete.

Return