Sand-lime brick or aerated concrete is better. House walls

The question “What material should we build from?” - one of the fundamental ones in any construction. Surely, before you started building a cottage, you wondered: why, if you are building a house for yourself, choose brick, and if you are building a house for sale, choose concrete blocks? At least one of our visitors asked his question exactly this way (see article). In order to dot all the i’s in the question “What material should you use to build your own cottage: brick or concrete blocks?”, this article was written.

Terminology

House made of aerated concrete with finishing

In this article under brick we will understand ceramic hollow brick, obtained by firing clays and their mixtures in a kiln.

Hollow Ceramic Brick

Under aerated concrete- a type of cellular concrete, which is obtained from a mixture of binder sand and water with gas-forming additives.

Aerated concrete of various sizes

Brick and aerated concrete have specific indicators that characterize these materials according to the following parameters(see Table 1):

compressive strength;
weight;
thermal conductivity;
frost resistance;
water absorption;
fire resistance.

Knowing these indicators, we can say whether the selected material will correspond functional purpose, geographical location and building design.

Main indicators of brick and aerated concrete block

That is, is the material you have chosen suitable for the construction of your particular cottage, in the area in which you plan to live. Agree that there is a difference between a two-story permanent home on Far North and a summer bungalow on the Mediterranean coast.

Table 1. Characteristics ceramic bricks and aerated concrete

Let's look at each indicator separately: how it affects the strength, stability and durability of the “box” of the house.

Compressive strength shows how much load the material can withstand in kilograms per 1 cm2. The compressive strength directly affects the strength of the structure of the “box” of the house.

Let's look at an example. Let's say you plan to build a two-story cottage with basement. Floor height - 2.5 m. Interfloor and attic floors- from reinforced concrete slabs.

In this case, you need to use brick when constructing external (load-bearing) walls. Because it is this material that will be able to withstand the weight of load-bearing walls (which transfer their own weight and the weight of interfloor ceilings to the foundation). If in in this case If you use aerated concrete, you must be prepared for the fact that the walls will not withstand the load of floors and other structures. As a result, cracks may appear in the walls.

But self-supporting (transmitting only their own weight to the foundation) or non-load-bearing (partition) walls, in this case, can be made of either brick or aerated concrete.

So, the more floors and the heavier interfloor ceilings, the higher the compressive strength of the selected material should be.

It is important to emphasize here that “by eyeballing” the weight that will be carried outer wall(and accordingly, the material), you are unlikely to succeed. To be absolutely sure of the correct choice of material, contact your designer. His task is to give you calculated wall load data specifically for your home .

House made of aerated concrete blocks

Another important indicator is wall mass(kg). The type of foundation of your house depends on this indicator (the choice of foundation type largely depends on the weight that the walls and interfloor ceilings will transfer). As you can see (see Table 1), the mass of aerated concrete is almost 20 times less than that of brick. Therefore, the foundation for brick walls will be more complex and expensive (for example, a slab foundation or) than for aerated concrete walls (for example,).

Coefficient of thermal conductivity a material shows the ability to transfer (conduct) heat (calculated indicator of the amount of heat passing in 1 hour through 1 m3 of a material sample with a temperature difference on opposite surfaces of 1 ° C). The higher this indicator, the worse it is thermal insulation properties material.

As can be seen from Table 1, the thermal conductivity of brick is almost 4 times higher than that of aerated concrete. That is why it is recommended to build brick walls 1 m thick, and aerated concrete walls - 0.5 m (in accordance with SNiP II-3-79 * “Construction Heat Engineering”). However, in modern construction Few people erect meter-thick walls - it is expensive in terms of time, labor costs, and money. Therefore, in practice, when laying brick walls (usually 25 cm thick), more thermal insulation materials(inside and outside) than when constructing walls made of aerated concrete.

House with brick finishing

Water absorption coefficient shows the ability of a material to absorb and retain water. Water absorption worsens the properties of the material, increases thermal conductivity and average density, reduces strength.

From Table 1 it can be seen that aerated concrete absorbs moisture 1.5 times faster than brick. This means that aerated concrete walls require more additional protection- you will most likely have to cladding the facade of the house.

The next indicator is frost resistance material. It shows the ability of wet materials to maintain strength during repeated alternation of freezing and thawing. As you can see (see Table 1), this coefficient is higher for brick (on average), this indicates that brick is more frost-resistant durable material than aerated concrete. Therefore, aerated concrete requires additional insulation and insulation from temperature changes.

Under fire resistance understand the ability of a material (structure) to resist high temperatures in fire conditions.

The degree of fire resistance shows how long (in hours) the structure will withstand before collapse, through cracks or holes, or increased temperature.

Both brick and aerated concrete belong to the first class of fire resistance (in accordance with SNiP 2.01.02-85 * “Fire standards”). This means that external load-bearing walls that are made of these materials have a minimum fire resistance rating of 2.5 hours (for comparison, load-bearing walls of a building made of wood have a minimum fire resistance rating of 30 minutes).

House made of aerated concrete with finishing

Of course, a comparison of brick and aerated concrete will not be complete if we do not consider the cost of these materials and the time that will be spent on constructing the “box”.

Comparison of ceramic bricks and aerated concrete blocks according to their characteristics

Table 2. Characteristics of brick and gas parameters concrete block

Let's start with required quantity materials.

The size of one brick is 65x120x250 mm.

The size of one concrete block is 200 x 200 x 600 mm.

When calculating, it turns out that when laying 1 m3 of a brick wall, 380 blocks will be used, and 27 blocks of aerated concrete.

Average market price 1000 pieces of bricks - 1,200.00 UAH. (1.2 UAH/piece), and 1 package of aerated concrete (1 package contains 42 blocks) is 762.00 UAH (18.00 UAH/piece).

That is, 1m3 brick wall will cost you on average 456.00 UAH.(380 pieces x 1.2 UAH/piece), from aerated concrete - 486.00 UAH.(27 blocks x 18.00 UAH/piece).

Now calculate the cost of installation work. The cost of brickwork is 500-750.00 UAH. for 1 thousand pieces, and aerated concrete masonry - 150-250.00 UAH. for 1m3.

That is, 1 m3 of brickwork will cost you on average 320.00 UAH., A aerated concrete masonry - 200.00 UAH.

Having summed it up, we find that on average the cost 1 m3 of brick wall will cost 776.00 UAH, and aerated concrete - 686.00 UAH.

Attention! We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the price of materials and cost construction work varies not only within the country, but also within the city (maybe even the region). Therefore, you will first need to calculate the cost of erecting walls, taking into account your location. Drawing up estimates again lies with design organization, which you contacted.

Go ahead. You need to bring the selected and purchased material to the site. And this is where the question arises: where (in what region and place) do you plan to build? Check in advance whether there are sellers of the selected material in your region and how much money they charge for delivery. Because it may happen that, having chosen aerated concrete (it seems cheaper!), the cost of delivering this material to the site may cover all the savings on it.

Note: As a rule, depending on the region, the cost of materials and work for constructing the “box” of a house made of brick is 15-30% higher than that of aerated concrete.

A private house

As for the time factor, as can be seen from Table 2, walls made of aerated concrete are erected 20% faster than those made of brick. This speed of work is related to the volume and weight of the material. Brick is actually 13 times smaller than aerated concrete, and weighs 4 times more. Imagine that in order to lay 1 m3 of aerated concrete wall, a master needs to lift and lay 400 kg of material, and 1,800 kg of brick. In practice, this means that a “box” made of brick can be “kicked out” in 3-6 months, and a “box” made of aerated concrete - in 1-3 months.

Finally, I would like to dwell on the following point: the power of habit. In fact, we have formed a strong belief that a house can only be made of brick. And we find a lot of evidence of this, for example, some ancient fortresses stood for several hundred centuries and were perfectly preserved. Following traditions is a safe and proven path. However, do not forget that this is the 21st century - the development of technology does not stand still. Modern technologies allow you to save time, money, etc. The main thing is that their use is not a tribute to fashion, but a sober and balanced decision.

As you can see, it is impossible to say which is better: brick or aerated concrete. You probably understand that the concepts “better-worse”, “more expensive-cheaper” are quite relative. They are applicable when you already have finished project your house. In one case, it is possible to use only brick, in another, only aerated concrete, in the third, a combination of one and the other is possible.

A private house

We would like to remind you once again that before making a choice in favor of one material or another, your designer should certainly compare all technical and economic indicators materials regarding the design of your home. Only after this will it be possible to say with confidence that the selected material is suitable for the construction of your particular cottage.

Attention: Prices are current in Ukraine for 2008.

What better brick or aerated concrete? This is one of the most frequently asked questions questions that future developers ask themselves country houses when choosing wall material. Currently, countryside is the most popular house made of brick or aerated concrete: 1) aerated block - in a different way (the same thing) - aerated concrete, aerated concrete block, is produced using an industrial autoclave method (not to be confused with foam blocks, which are most often made in a handicraft way to create a competitive, attractive price, but with lower technical characteristics); 2) ceramic block - in another way (the same thing) - brick, ceramics, ceramic blocks, ceramic stone, warm ceramics, large-format brick, porous brick, porous stone, porous block.

Brick or gas block- 2 of the most popular materials fighting for leadership in the market of modern building materials. Being different materials in their composition and properties (gas block - sand, cement and lime; brick - clay), they have some similar qualities:

Used for the construction of single-layer walls for individual residential buildings in the Leningrad and Moscow regions without additional use insulation materials;
They have a high load-bearing capacity and a high reliability coefficient, therefore they are more than sufficient for the construction of 2-3-story country houses;
To one degree or another, they have the property of steam and air exchange, which is important for comfortable living in cottages built from these materials;
Safe for the health of residents and environment, because do not contain harmful, toxic compounds;
Both materials are 100% minerals, so they are durable, fire- and bio-resistant.

Aerated concrete or ceramics- What then is the difference between them? To answer this question, let's look at the following table:

Material properties	Build a house from aerated concrete D400 375x625x250mm	Build a brick house format 14.3NF 510x250x219mm
Material properties
Comparative estimates for the construction of a 2-story cottage with a total area of 165.8 m2
Exterior view of the cottage taken for comparison and its layout (visualizations belong to the Alfaplan architectural studio)
Total cost of building a “box” house	RUB 3,729,168	RUB 4,201,422
Difference in construction costs	RUB 472,254 That. building a house made of aerated concrete is cheaper than a house made of large-format bricks by an average of 10-15%
Sufficient thickness of the “warm” wall(R norm =3.08(m2*C)/W - heat transfer resistance coefficient)	375mm R=3.36 (dry) - the wall is warm and does not require additional insulation (according to the manufacturer)	630mm R=3.34 (including facing brick finishing 12025065) - the wall is warm and does not require additional insulation (according to the manufacturer)
Material weight	400kg/m 3	800kg/m 3
Block geometry	The error in the geometry of aerated concrete blocks is +/- 1 mm (the best geometry). The laying is carried out using thin-seam glue. Seam 2-3mm. The minimum shrinkage along the masonry seam is 0.3 mm/m and the absence of “cold bridges”.	The geometry error of large-format porous blocks is +/-2-3mm. The masonry is carried out using warm (perlite) masonry mortar (the joint is 4 times warmer cement-sand mortar) using fiberglass mesh (prevents the solution from falling into the crack). Seam 8-10mm. The minimum shrinkage along a masonry seam is 2-3mm/m.
Cutting and gating of blocks	Cutting with a hacksaw on aerated concrete, gating with a manual wall chaser	Diamond blades
Longitudinal reinforcement of walls (reduces the risk of formation of temperature-shrinkage cracks under tensile loads)	It is performed with AIII 8mm rod reinforcement on the 1st row, then on every 4th row, in the window sill rows.	It is recommended to use AIII reinforcement bars with a diameter of 6-8 mm. We do not recommend using reinforcing mesh- because it becomes an ideal bridge of cold along the entire perimeter of the walls, and the use of warm masonry mortar becomes meaningless. It is recommended to use composite mesh as an alternative material.
Features of the material	High vapor permeability walls creates a comfortable microclimate in the house due to the best steam and air exchange. High capillary water saturation. Finishing is carried out only with vapor-permeable materials and mineral insulation. The optimal type of exterior finishing for a house made of aerated concrete is a ventilated facade using facing bricks or decorative panels.	Low capillary water saturation. Usually, exterior decoration houses are made with facing bricks.
Composition of blocks and health safety	Does not contain harmful, toxic compounds. Composition: sand, cement, lime, water. When pores form, aluminum powder turns into aluminum oxide, a bound and stable chemical compound.	Does not contain harmful, toxic compounds. Composition: clay. Sawdust added to the raw material burns out during the firing process, forming micropores.
Radiation background (permissible radiation rate 25-30 µR/h)	Does not increase background radiation in the house.	May increase background radiation in the home. You need to purchase bricks only for industrial production, where products undergo radiation control and have appropriate certificates.
	For that category of customers who are concerned about the background radiation in the house, we recommend purchasing a household dosimeter (radiometer) - the cost on the Internet starts from 3,000 rubles and measure the value of the purchased batch of bricks.
Wall nailability	Requires special fasteners. This property of the material currently has no practical significance, because Using modern fasteners, you can install and fasten structures and equipment to any walls.

This is important to know!

The differences are the most important for the consumer (aerated concretevs . brick)

A house made of brick sells better and more expensive than one made of aerated concrete (aerated concrete< brick)
When during a conversation they ask the question: “What is your house built from?”, then in response we hear: “from brick”, “from aerated concrete”, “from timber”, “from expanded clay concrete”, etc. No one will ask at the beginning about the type of foundation or type roofing covering. Those. For all consumers, the material of the walls of a country house is of predominant importance, because It is the walls that protect and create a private space for all family members, protect us from the aggressive influence of the environment (wind, precipitation, cold, heat, etc.) and retain heat.

This psychological moment often determines our choice of material for walls between aerated concrete and brick. In our minds, brick is primarily associated with reliability, durability and respectability, as the main building material for castles, fortresses, palaces and mansions since ancient times. This rule clearly demonstrates consumer demand for ready-made country houses. In the countryside real estate market, houses built of brick have higher liquidity than houses made of aerated concrete. Those. a house made of brick will be bought more willingly, faster and more expensive than the same house made of aerated concrete.
The walls of the house are warmer, and the cost of construction from aerated concrete is cheaper than from brick (aerated concrete> brick)
With the same values for thermal insulation of walls for individual residential buildings for permanent residence(when walls made of both materials are equally warm):
- the thickness of a single-layer brick wall should be from 440mm (Porotherm ceramic block with external and/or interior plaster) up to 640mm (ceramic blocks RAUF format 14.3NF 510mm + facing brick 120mm);
- The thickness of a single-layer aerated concrete wall should be from 375mm to 400mm (with external and/or internal plaster) depending on the brand and density of the blocks.
With the same thickness = the walls of a house made of aerated concrete are warmer than brick ones.

That. if we compare 2 houses - made of brick and aerated concrete with the same layout and area of the rooms, then for construction brick house you will need a foundation with a larger area than for a similar house made of aerated concrete. In addition, for a brick house all other construction volumes increase - the areas and volumes of all walls, ceilings, rafter system, roofing. In general, building a brick house more expensive than a house from aerated concrete by an average of 10-15%.
There are more negative reviews on the Internet about aerated concrete houses than about brick (aerated concrete< brick)
As a rule, the main complaints of residents when using houses are related to the fact that the inner surface aerated concrete walls damp not only in wet areas (bathrooms, bathrooms), but also in residential areas. Damp walls retain heat less well, and in addition, they contribute to the formation of mold and fungi. Is there an explanation for these negative reviews? Of course, there is and this is due to the fact that the construction of the walls was carried out in violation of technology due to the lack of necessary knowledge during unauthorized construction or a negligent attitude towards production installation work hired teams.

Any material, both brick and aerated concrete, has its own area of application and features that are regulated constructive solutions and requirements. If we know and comply with these requirements, then we get the desired result, but if we violate the technology or expect something unusual from the material, then we are deceived in our expectations and begin to talk about its “shortcomings”, as in the cases of negative reviews on the Internet . For high-quality construction of aerated concrete walls, it is necessary to take into account many nuances, the knowledge of which only experienced and professional builders have.
Walls made of ceramic blocks are brittle and have poor nailability (aerated concrete> brick)
Some developers, when considering ceramic block as a wall material, are afraid that “later” they won’t be able to hang anything on the walls, because A hammer drill and ordinary fasteners are not enough. This is true - for hanging heavy objects and structures (ladders, shelves, wall cabinets, wall bars, horizontal bar, etc.) on the walls, after their construction is completed, special fasteners will be required. But currently this property is not a big drawback, because Almost any hardware store or construction hypermarket offers special anchors (plastic, chemical) for walls made of ceramic blocks. In addition, during new construction, even at the design stage, concrete or metal embedded elements are provided for future suspended structures. Professional builders know all this and will take it into account when building walls.

Ceramic block or aerated concrete, expert opinion.

Over 11 years of work, the Full House company has built more than 80 houses made of large-format bricks and more than 130 houses made of aerated concrete. Ceramic block or aerated concrete? Both materials have proven themselves in practice as reliable wall materials. Ceramic blocks or aerated concrete, which is better?? Both materials are good, however, each of them has features that must be taken into account during masonry work, anchoring, finishing and insulation. Compliance special technology in working with both ceramic blocks and gas blocks - the main component in the construction of a reliable and comfortable residential building.

We told you about the main properties of ceramic block and aerated concrete, now the choice is yours. There will always be clients who choose a house made of aerated concrete and those who will always remain staunch supporters of brick house construction.

Estimates for building a house made of brick and/or aerated concrete (including comparative estimates) are prepared by our specialists free of charge and in just 1 day. To receive an estimate, simply fill out the form at the bottom of the page.

One of the issues with which construction begins is the choice of material for constructing walls. The modern construction market can offer a large variety of building materials with the most different characteristics, and it often happens that their consumer cost is clearly overstated.

Before you start building a cottage, you need to form an idea of what the expected operating conditions are, and choose a building material that has a certain set of properties suitable for these conditions.

By the way, this is not so simple due to the vast number of offers on the market, accompanied by advertising that may turn out to be false or contain inaccurate information. The most popular materials in this area are traditional brick and cellular concrete, of which many consider aerated concrete to be the best. Which of them will be better - aerated concrete or brick - should be decided after first familiarizing yourself with the main characteristics.

Features of brick

Burnt bricks have been used in construction for quite a long time. It was known more than four hundred years ago. Of course, it did not immediately acquire all the properties modern product, but it should be noted that during this time its characteristics have improved significantly.

Today, brick is a material with great strength and a long service life. It is used by builders all over the world. This product is made of clay. In the production of bricks different types clay is used different composition and different dispersion.

Clay mixed with water and properly dried can hold its shape well. During subsequent firing, a whole complex is formed in the product mechanical characteristics. The firing process takes quite a long time - a dynamic temperature change and a certain atmosphere are used in drying chamber.

Firing is carried out in accordance with individual technologies - they are developed for a specific clay composition. Level of frost resistance and strength finished products depends on the temperature and duration of firing.

Depending on the production technology and the composition of the initial mixture, brick is divided into silicate and ceramic types. Sand-lime brick has qualities such as frost resistance and increased strength, but significant moisture absorption and fairly high thermal conductivity have caused the wider distribution of another type, that is, ceramic brick. It is more resistant to washing out due to precipitation and has excellent sound insulation properties.

It also has higher thermal insulation characteristics than sand-lime brick. Ceramic brick has a strength of 25 MPa, making it suitable for use as a structural material for load-bearing walls in multi-story buildings.

Definition of aerated concrete

The main characteristic of aerated concrete can be considered its high thermal insulation ability, which is due to the porous structure of the material, while the structural strength will remain at a level that allows the construction of buildings three floors high from it.

The following composition is typical for aerated concrete: water, lime, cement, quartz sand and aluminum powder. Sometimes manufacturers add slag, ash and other production waste to the original composition. The overall cost is somewhat cheaper, but the quality of the finished product is greatly reduced.

Has the best performance characteristics. At elevated temperatures and pressures in an autoclave, aerated concrete blocks acquire a fairly uniform macrostructure, which significantly affects the strength of the building material. This reduces the influence of humidity and temperature shrinkage on stability geometric shape blocks.

It is hardly possible to unambiguously answer the question of which material is better for building walls. Both aerated concrete blocks and bricks have a set of performance characteristics unique to this material. But when low-rise construction gas silicate blocks are ahead of brick in several respects. The dimensions of aerated concrete blocks are equal to the dimensions of 7 or 8 bricks, so construction is faster, and the fastening solution will be needed in much smaller quantities.

Thanks to the wide range of aerated concrete grades, it can be used for both thermal insulation and structural purposes. But it should be borne in mind that a building built of brick will need additional insulation. It can also be mentioned that the price for aerated concrete blocks will be lower than for the same volume of bricks. And at the cost of 1 sq.m. masonry aerated concrete is the leader. Its use helps reduce construction costs.

Before choosing any building material, you should familiarize yourself with its performance characteristics.

Comparative characteristics

One of the most important indicators when choosing a material is the mass of the future building. Thus, a foundation for brick will be more expensive and complex than for aerated concrete due to its greater weight.

The ability of a material to transfer heat, that is, thermal conductivity. To provide for a house with brick walls good quality thermal insulation, the wall thickness should be 50 cm, and this increases the amount of material needed for construction. Or you'll have to use insulation materials, which is also not always convenient. with the same thermal conductivity can be made 40 cm thick.

You can compare brick with concrete in terms of frost resistance - this is the ability of the material to maintain strength both in a wet state and with repeated repetitions of thawing and freezing. For aerated concrete this is 25-35 cycles, for fireclay brick - approximately 50 cycles. If necessary so that the building can last long years, it is better to choose brick.

The main limitation in the use of aerated concrete: buildings should not be built from it with a height higher than three floors due to the lower strength of the masonry than that of brick. Perfect option- a cottage, the construction of which thanks to the choice gas silicate material will cost less.

The service life of the house will depend to a greater extent on such characteristics as water absorption. As it increases, the service life decreases. This figure for gas silicate material is 100%, for brick - only 6-16%. Increased hygroscopicity leads to the formation of mold and mildew, which is why construction should be carried out in sunny and dry weather.

But environmental friendliness and fire safety both in a brick building and in a house made of aerated concrete blocks meet modern requirements equally.

Humidity shrinkage is one of the indicators in favor of brick masonry. A house whose walls are made from gas silicate blocks gradually decreases in size, which is why cracks may form on individual blocks or walls. Where the material comes into contact with dry heat, such as near chimneys, shrinkage will be even greater. This does not happen with brick walls.

Gas silicate blocks are somewhat easier to handle machining, however, you should be as careful as possible when installing windows and doors - for this, a brick wall will be more reliable. The façade finishing options for brick are also much more varied.

The fire resistance of a material is its ability to resist the effects of elevated temperatures in the event of a fire. The degree of fire resistance is an indicator of how many hours a structure can withstand before the temperature rises and collapses, through cracks, and holes occur.

Both gas silicate building materials and bricks are classified as fire resistance class 1.

This means that load-bearing walls made from these materials have a minimum fire resistance limit of 2.5 hours. As an example, we can make a comparison with walls made of wood. Their minimum fire resistance rating is 30 minutes.

If it is not so difficult to understand all the other parameters, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to compare the cost of materials with high accuracy. The fact is that prices for the same building materials can differ significantly even within the same city. Therefore, it is imperative to calculate the costs of brick or aerated concrete taking into account the location of construction.

It is also necessary to take into account that the purchased material will need to be transported to the site. It is unlikely that anyone will be satisfied with this option when the selected gas silicate blocks, which are cheaper than bricks, will cost many times more upon delivery. But, as a rule, depending on the location of construction, the cost of purchased bricks will be 15-30% more than a material such as gas silicate blocks.

As for the construction time, aerated concrete blocks allow you to build walls much faster than when the structural elements are made of bricks. This is due to the volume of the material and its weight. The brick is 13 times smaller than an aerated block, and its weight is four times greater. In practice, it turns out like this: a box is made from bricks after 3-6 months of work, if aerated concrete blocks are chosen, then everything can be erected in 1-3 months.

Conclusion

For some, force of habit may be the determining factor when choosing a material. Society has formed a fairly strong belief that a good-quality house should only be made of brick. There is a lot of evidence of this. For example, many ancient fortresses are perfectly preserved, despite their considerable age.

Of course, you can also follow a safe and proven path, that is, follow traditions. But when choosing a material, you should not ignore modern technologies. This will allow you to save and cash, and time . The main thing here is that their use is a balanced and sober decision, and not a tribute to fashion. Brick or aerated concrete? The choice should be made using common sense.

It is hardly possible to determine with accuracy what will happen the best material specifically for your building. The concepts of “more expensive or cheaper”, as well as “better or worse”, are quite relative - they can only be used in cases where you already have a project for your future home in front of you. In some cases, it is better to use only gas silicate blocks as a building material, in others - only brick. There is also the possibility of combining both.

It is very difficult or even impossible to answer the question of which is better - brick or aerated concrete, because these are completely different materials in structure. They can only be compared in terms of frost resistance, density, moisture permeability, thermal conductivity and cost. Below we will try to understand the structures and qualities of these elements, and also watch the video in this article.

Technical features of aerated concrete

Aerated concrete is an artificial structural and thermal insulation material that belongs to cellular concrete with spherical pores 1-3 mm in diameter. These products are produced for construction needs in the form of slabs, panels and blocks (see photo above) from quartz sand, cement and gasifier (sometimes lime or gypsum is added); various slags and ash can also be added as fillers.

The manufacturing process occurs as follows: the raw materials are placed in a mold, filled with water, and then a process similar to manufacturing occurs yeast dough– the mass rises or foams (reaction of water with a gas-forming agent). After this, the frozen material is cut into the required pieces (blocks, panels, slabs) and subjected to further processing. The product can be subjected to steam treatment in an autoclave, which acquires additional rigidity, or dried by electric heating.

Due to the processing process, such material is divided into two types - autoclaved and non-autoclaved aerated concrete. It cuts very well with a hacksaw, it is easy to hammer a nail into it or screw a self-tapping screw into it. Aerated concrete, unlike foam concrete, absorbs moisture, but this can rather be called an advantage rather than a disadvantage, because plaster can easily be applied to it, and the walls become able to “breathe” (any housing construction instruction will approve of this factor), which is no longer possible say about foam concrete structures.

Density (grade)	D 300	D 400	D 500	D 600
Bulk density normalized (kg/m 3)	300	400	500	600
Strength class (compression)	B 1.0; B 1.5	B 2.0; B 2.5	B 2.5	V 3.5
Thermal conductivity in dry state (coefficient λ 0 W/m ºС)	0,072	0,096	0,12	0,14
Thermal conductivity at 4% humidity (coefficient λ 0 W/m ºС)	0,084	0,112	0,147	0,183
Thermal conductivity at 5% humidity (coefficient λ 0 W/m ºС)	0,88	0,117	0,147	0,183
Maximum drying shrinkage (mm/m)	0,3	0,3	0,3	0,3
Frost resistance (grade)	F 35	F 50	F 50	F 50
Vapor permeability coefficient μ [mg/m h Pa]	0,26	0,23	0,20	0,16
The largest deviation from geometric parameters along the length (mm)	2	2	2	2
The largest deviation from geometric parameters in width (mm)	2	2	2	2
The largest deviation from geometric parameters in height (mm)	1	1	1	1

Physical and technical parameters for aerated concrete blocks

The dimensions of aerated concrete blocks mainly depend on the strength and thermal insulation characteristics. Feasibility also matters, so they can be produced with different types of grooves, as well as in the shape of the letter U.

The main parameter that is most often taken into account during the construction of buildings is the width of the block and most often it is 300 mm. But here, too, many nuances are taken into account, for example, aerated concrete can be used for the main wall or partition, in colder or warmer climatic zones.

Advice. Despite the apparent speed of laying larger blocks, the pace of work actually decreases. This is due to the inconvenience that arises for the mason when working with bulk material.

Brick

The above modular tables are taken from the book by A. M. Moroz “modular tables for the design of structures and brickwork.”

Ceramic brick

Ceramic bricks of various subtypes are used for the construction and cladding of load-bearing and self-supporting walls, partitions, chimneys, stoves and fences, foundation laying, sealing niches and openings. A wall made of aerated concrete and brick can also be combined, with the latter serving as the base of the structure.
Such bricks can be divided into two more subtypes - front (facing) and ordinary (construction). Ordinary brick has a number of advantages in terms of strength characteristics, and this has been proven by many years of construction practice. The dimensions of ordinary bricks may vary in thickness:

single– 250x120x65 mm;
one and a half– 250x120x88 mm;
double– 250x120x103 mm.

For ease of production of masonry and cladding, bricks have proper names sides, so its end is called a poke, its edge is called a spoon, and its lower and upper plane is called a bed.
Ceramic brick of any type has excellent frost resistance, and walls built from such material, as a rule, comply with SNiP 03/23/2003 “Noise Protection”. A wall made of brick and aerated concrete will differ in these parameters, and the first material will win over the second. For ordinary bricks, water absorption is up to 14%, and for clinker bricks - no more than 3%, moreover, both dry very quickly and plaster and putty from various mixtures adhere perfectly to it.
Red brick is made by firing clay, which has been used by people for thousands of years and is absolutely harmless. The density of such material is 1950 kg/m 3 , and if manual molding is done, then generally up to 2000 kg/m 3 .
If we compare aerated concrete and brick, we can highlight at least three advantages that brick has: frost resistance, strength and stability, as well as different textures and colors. The disadvantages include such points as high price(compared to silicate), the possibility of formation of heaps (salts of different origins), the need to select material from one batch (for facing bricks).

Sand-lime brick

Of such kind fake diamond made from quartz sand (9 parts) and air lime (1 part). Pressing into shape occurs in a semi-dry form and is processed in an autoclave at a temperature of 170⁰C-200⁰C and a pressure of 8 to 12 atmospheres. Sometimes precipitation- and alkali-resistant pigments are added to such a mixture, and then colored samples for finishing are obtained.
Sand-lime brick of various subtypes is used for the construction and cladding of load-bearing and self-supporting walls, partitions, chimneys and stoves (for the outside), fences, masonry, sealing niches and openings. In size, standard silicate samples are very similar to red brick, so a single one has 250x120x65 mm, a one-and-a-half - 250x120x88 mm, and a double sand-lime brick M 150 – 250x120x138 mm.

Depending on the brand, the frost resistance of silicate can range from F 15 to F 50; thermal conductivity from 0.39 to 0.60 W/m C; density from 1330 to 1890 kg/m3.

Advice. Silicate is not plastered, and in this sense, the comparison of brick and aerated concrete tips the scales in favor of the latter. But different situations arise in life, and it happens that silicate masonry requires plastering. In this case, tile adhesive is applied to the wall using a comb (notched trowel) and after it dries, you can successfully plaster it.

If speak about positive qualities sand-lime brick, then, first of all, we can note its environmental friendliness (quartz sand and lime), as well as good soundproofing qualities. Due to its low water permeability, silicate has very high frost resistance ( guarantee period The service life of facades made of such material usually reaches 50 years). Compared to construction bricks, sand-lime bricks have a much larger selection of colors and textures, which allows them to be used most widely as finishing material(in this sense, aerated concrete cannot be compared with brick).
Significant disadvantages of sand-lime brick include its low heat resistance and water resistance (not to be confused with water absorption). Because of this, silicate is never used for internal (not facing) masonry of furnaces, chimneys and foundations.
Despite the disadvantages, ceramic and sand-lime bricks are widely used in industrial, civil and military construction. Many craftsmen who have built more than one house with their own hands will give preference to brick rather than aerated concrete, but conservative views on many things, including construction, have been and will be present among all generations.

Walling

Installation of aerated concrete wall

As already mentioned above (information in the table), aerated concrete blocks are manufactured with an error in geometric parameters of no more than 2 mm, which allows them to be laid quite accurately. This means that the blocks are mounted on adhesive solution, and the thickness of the vertical or horizontal seam will be no more than 3-5 mm. As you can see in the photo above, the installation order is staggered, just like for brickwork - the block of the top row overlaps each vertical joint of the bottom row.

In any case, the first row of blocks is placed on a concrete or brick base; most likely, this will be the foundation, since we are talking about walls. A mandatory requirement for such a base is its strict horizontality, and if this is not the case, then the blocks will have to be leveled with mortar. One more prerequisite for masonry of the first row, it is cut off with waterproofing, which is done either with roofing felt, as in the photo, or with some of the waterproofing solutions.
The first row of blocks is laid on a cement-sand mortar made in proportions corresponding to the brand of cement. Aerated concrete should be laid with maximum precision, and leveling the first row will affect the evenness of the seams of the entire wall.

Advice. If the blocks are thin and you want to avoid the cold pulling from below, then lay them not on a continuous cement path, but on an intermittent one, lining it with tubercles. This way you will reduce the area of cold bridges.

Cleaning out uneven surfaces with a diamond mesh float

Before you start laying the second row, you need to thoroughly level the horizontal of the first. For removing small bumps and irregularities various kinds use a diamond float or a regular wood plane. After this, thoroughly clean the surface with a broom or brush.

The glue solution is applied with a trowel and then leveled with a special spatula with a comb. Before laying the next row, remove the mixture spreading around the edges with a trowel so as not to stain the aerated concrete.

Bricklaying

We will not consider everything, because this would require a large separate article, but we will simply pay attention to some features. The brick is placed on a cement-sand mortar, using various dressings (it all depends on the thickness of the wall).

Most often for brick walls They use the well masonry method, which allows you to pour insulation in the form of slag into the gap or blow out this cavity with foam insulation. To insulate a building outer side Such masonry can be made in two or even two and a half bricks. For the masonry itself, ordinary ceramic single bricks are most often used, and for external and interior decoration– the same ceramic or silicate, but only special – facing.

Conclusion

When building a house, you need to determine what material the walls will be built from. At the same time, the building must be durable, reliable, and construction must be inexpensive. Most often, brick and aerated concrete are used for these purposes. Before deciding whether to choose brick or aerated concrete, let’s consider the features of each building material.

Brick features and varieties

Brick is highly environmentally friendly, durable, and durable. For its production are used natural materials, such as water, lime and quartz sand (for silicate) or clay (for ceramic products). For the manufacture of varieties, materials with different dispersion are used, on which the strength of the finished product depends.

Brick is characterized by high strength and maximum service life. It is more expensive than aerated concrete.

To obtain the material, lime and sand or clay are mixed with water. After preliminary drying of the production, firing is carried out. The process is quite complicated and lengthy. The firing temperature in the drying chamber will depend on how correctly the firing temperature is selected and maintained. mechanical properties(strength and frost resistance) of the resulting product.

Classification into silicate and ceramic is made according to the main component of the mixture used for manufacturing. Both of these types can be either regular or porous, that is, with slits.

Porous brick is as close as possible to aerated concrete in some respects. It is used for laying internal and external walls, load-bearing frames of buildings and partitions, as a finishing or intermediate building material. Features of the hollow ceramic product are light weight, environmental friendliness and high strength characteristics.

Silicate

Silicate material is characterized by greater density, sound insulation, strength, frost resistance, and wear resistance. According to these parameters, the product is superior to ceramic and block building materials.

To make silicate stone, a mixture of 9 volumes of quartz sand per volume of airborne lime is used. The semi-dry composition is pressed into a mold and fired in an autoclave at 170-200 ⁰C and 8-12 atmospheric pressure. To increase resistance to external influences, for coloring or alkali resistance of the finished product, special impurities are added to the mixture.

Scope of application:

construction and finishing of load-bearing walls and self-supporting partitions;
lining the outer parts of chimneys and stoves;
laying fences;
sealing niches and openings.

Dimensional classification of standard bricks:

single - 25 x 12 x 6.5 cm;
double (M150) - 25 x 12 x 13.8 cm.

Brick of different brands is characterized by frost resistance F15-F50, thermal conductivity - 0.39-0.60 W/m C, density - 1330-1890 kg/m3. Silicate cannot be plastered. If for any reason this is necessary, silicate masonry A special compound is applied with a comb, after which it dries, a layer of plaster is applied.

Benefits of silicate:

environmental friendliness;
good soundproofing qualities;
high frost resistance;
durability (facades made from it can last up to 50 years);
a large assortment color range and texture, which expands the scope of use as a finishing material.

The disadvantages of silicate are low moisture resistance and instability to exposure high temperatures. Therefore, such material is not used as a base material for stoves, fireplaces, wells, chimneys and underground foundations.

Ceramic

Scope of application of ceramic products:

masonry and cladding of load-bearing walls and self-supporting partitions;
construction of chimneys, furnaces;
laying fences;
construction of foundations;
sealing openings, niches.

When combined with aerated concrete, ceramic stone serves as the base of the structure. The color saturation, shape and texture, strength, fire resistance, weather resistance and durability of a ceramic product depend on its type and method of production. The required degree of sintering of the mold is achieved with 8-15 hours of firing under constant temperatures in the range of 900-1150 0C. The temperature is selected depending on the type of clay used. After firing, the ceramic product cools slowly. Density finished material- 1950kg/m3. When using manual molding, this value reaches 2000 kg/m3.

Types of ceramic bricks:

front or facing;
private or construction worker.

The dimensions of an ordinary product differ in the thickness of the product:

single - 25 x 12 x 6.5 cm;
one and a half - 25 x 12 x 8.8 cm;
double - 25 x 12 x 10.3 cm.

Advantages:

high frost resistance;
increased sound insulation;
low degree of water absorption (regular - 14%, ceramic - no more than 3%);
good adhesion to plaster and putty;
varied texture and color scheme;
high strength and resistance to external influences.

Flaws:

high cost compared to block materials and sand-lime bricks;
efflorescence formation;
the need to use products from the same batch for cladding.

Features of aerated concrete

Aerated concrete has a cellular structure, so it is characterized by high thermal conductivity, sound insulation and low weight. Despite the hollow structure, the material is strong enough for the construction of three-story buildings. Aerated concrete is supplied in the form.

To make products, you need a mixture of cement, lime, sand, aluminum powder and water. If necessary, slag, ash or other industrial waste is added. However, although these materials reduce the cost of blocks, they have a bad effect on strength indicators. The resulting mixture is fired in an autoclave at elevated pressure and temperature. This allows you to obtain a homogeneous, strong macrostructure.

Aerated concrete blocks are larger in size than brick ones. For example, 1 foam block is equal to 7-8 units of silicate. Hence, goes faster, less masonry mortar and itself are required building material. Aerated concrete blocks can be used as a structural material and thermal insulation at the same time.

To determine which is better, aerated concrete or brick, you need to carefully compare their main characteristics.

Compressive strength coefficient

This parameter determines the strength of the building being constructed and characterizes the maximum load that it can withstand. wall material without tangible external influences. The compressive strength coefficient of brick is 110-220 kg/cm², and aerated concrete - 25-50 kg/cm². Consequently, foam blocks are unsuitable for laying load-bearing walls and constructing multi-story structures, since they will not withstand their own weight or the weight of the floor slabs.

Thermal conductivity

Comparison of the characteristics of aerated concrete, brick and ceramic block.

When constructing brick walls, the thickness of the masonry is 50 cm. This value is sufficient to ensure normal thermal insulation. In order to increase the parameter, finishing with a layer of insulation is allowed. Block walls with a similar thermal insulation effect as 50 cm brickwork, they have a thickness of 40 cm. Therefore, aerated concrete products are recommended for the construction of buildings that are intensively used in cold weather.