People have always cared about the safety of their home and usually one of the measures taken for this was the construction of a fence. These designs can be different, for example, made of metal, which is very expensive, and made of wood, which requires constant maintenance. Now there is a wonderful option - a fence made of decorative concrete blocks, from which you can build a truly reliable and impressive fence. A fence made from them is universal, and the construction time is very short, because these materials are very easy to work with. Besides, concrete blocks fences can have different textures and colors, so you can get an original fence that is unlike any other.
Advantages of block fences
Concrete blocks for fences can be hollow, clay, or made from artificial stone. The shape of the masonry and its pattern depend on the choice of the customer and the skillful hands of the installers. The surface can be smooth, torn, or with a certain pattern.
The decorative block has a very good quality– it is the same on both sides. That is, the fence both outside and inside will be attractive, beautiful view. These structures are not afraid of temperature changes, humidity, and are fire resistant. The area they fence off will be protected from noise and dust.
As for the disadvantages, perhaps this is the need to build a foundation when building a fence from blocks, as well as the rather labor-intensive process of constructing the fence itself.
Peculiarities
Concrete fence blocks are suitable for constructing a fence around a cottage or summer house. These modern materials are small concrete slabs, not monumental blocks. They can have notches, holes, or they can be smooth. Blocks can imitate cobblestone or brickwork. Although the thickness of the products may be quite small, they still have an excellent strength coefficient.
Installation
Before you start building the fence, you need to mark the area. First, mark the lines along which it will be laid strip foundation. It takes about a day to harden, but before this happens, reinforcement needs to be inserted into it. Concrete blocks for the fence will then be strung onto its vertical rods. They must be pressed firmly into the masonry mortar to ensure maximum structural strength. The cavities of the blocks also need to be filled with solution. There are seams between the blocks, the width of which is 10-12 millimeters; there should be no voids in them. Excess solution must be removed immediately with a trowel.
Fence design
The fence wall may not be straight, but to change the size of the block to the desired size, it is simply placed on soft ground and broken with a hammer. You can create interesting and original architectural forms from debris. 
Concrete fence blocks allow you to create fences different designs. For this you can use decorative plaster. It will allow you to create both a perfectly smooth surface and one reminiscent of natural stone.
How to make blocks yourself
You can make concrete blocks for the fence yourself rather than buy them, then the construction will cost much less. To do this, you need to assemble a shape from planed boards, consisting of walls and a bottom. The thickness of the board must be at least 25 millimeters. The walls should be connected with nails or screws. To secure the walls, you need to take screws with ears. The form is carefully checked for consistency in size, correctness of planes and angles. The blocks can be made with holes or shapes. To do this, you need to insert different liners into the mold: those that have the shape of corners are placed closer to the corners, and the square one is installed in the middle. In order for them to hold, you need to make holes in the bottom for the spikes.
Then a solution is prepared. For it, grade 250 cement is taken and sand and gravel aggregate is added to it. After pouring this composition into the mold, when it has partially hardened, the nail is removed from the ears, the liners are pulled out, and then the next block begins to be formed.
How
For construction, you can use not only purchased concrete blocks, but also those made independently. The most important thing when making blocks is to make collapsible forms or buy them, to have a concrete mixer and a room with a temperature of 60-70 degrees for drying.
How to make a concrete block
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You will need
Iron for molds 
- concrete mixer
Instructions
1To make a mold for blocks, you need to take a sheet of iron, cut it to the required size of the desired shape. Cut grooves on the sides and assemble. You can make the shape and size of concrete blocks at your discretion, but it is better not to make them large - this will simplify and facilitate the construction procedure. 2To make concrete, you will need high-grade cement, fine crushed stone, and clean river sand. Make the solution ratio at the rate of 1 part cement, 3 parts sand and 3 parts crushed stone. 3The solution must be thoroughly mixed in a concrete mixer. Hand mixing is not suitable for block production. Because their quality depends not only on the solution, but also on the thoroughness of its mixing. 4Pour the water gradually. The block mortar should not be liquid. 5Pour the solution into the molds in the drying room. Grease the molds with machine oil. 6For warmer concrete blocks, you can make blocks with voids, which will additionally help save mortar and make the finished block lighter. For voids can be installed in molds glass bottles. 7Blocks need to be dried at high temperatures. 8After two days, you can remove the blocks from the molds and lay them evenly on the platform to gain strength. 9The molds can be refilled with solution. 10To avoid downtime due to drying the blocks, make a sufficient number of molds.
We make cinder blocks with our own hands
What are the benefits of cinder blocks?
Concrete blocks are an incredibly popular building material for the construction of residential buildings, as well as auxiliary buildings - garages, sheds, bathhouses, etc. Their hollow variety, in which waste from various “hot” industries or simply slag is used as filler, has excellent heat-insulating characteristics. Therefore, cinder blocks have found the widest use in domestic construction, as a reliable, time-tested insulation material.
What are the benefits of cinder blocks?
We make cinder blocks with our own hands. When using similar heat-insulating masonry elements, the walls of structures and buildings under construction are significantly warmer, with the same thickness parameters. The blocks are much larger than traditional bricks. This circumstance speeds up and facilitates the process construction work and provides an opportunity to save masonry mixture.
The recent adoption of new SNiPs ( building codes and rules) relating to thermal conservation in newly constructed buildings now does not allow the design and construction of buildings without the use of insulating materials. And cinder blocks are “two in one” - both the main structural element and insulation at the same time. At the same time, it is also lightweight and does not unnecessarily weigh down the building.
With all its advantages, this material is also quite cheap. Its cost (1 piece, this includes workers’ salaries) is only 10-15 rubles, depending on the region.
If you wish, it is quite possible to make cinder blocks with your own hands - you do not need to have deep engineering skills to do this. The main components of any blocks are cement, water and various aggregates. If you do not have enough slag, you can mix sand, crushed stone, expanded clay, sawdust, and crushed brick. In short, everything that is at hand and for which you don’t have to pay money or that costs mere pennies. To produce enough material for your needs, you don't need complex equipment and high-tech tools. At the same time, you have the opportunity to fill structural elements exactly the sizes that suit you best. To do this, you just need to make the necessary forms.
How to make cinder blocks to suit your needs manually
To produce materials in not very large quantities, only for the construction of buildings on your site, you will only need a container for mixing concrete and molds for blocks. make a cinder block Think about how many cinder blocks you can make with your own hands. If you manage to make 30 pieces in a day, then you need 30 molds, if 50 pieces, then there should be 50 molds. In this case, you can dry the products directly in them, and you will not need to take out half-dried preparations and risk spoiling them. Forms can be made of wood or metal. It is worth noting that standard sizes blocks 400mm/200mm/200mm. But, if for some reason these dimensions do not suit you, it’s your choice, make any size. The shapes must be knocked down, consisting of a bottom and side walls. It is best to make them modular to save materials and time. That is, in one form, in several cells, several blocks will be filled in at once. Before making such modules, decide what shape the cavities in the blocks will be. The economics of production depend on this.
It can be noted that although the most traditional cavities are round in shape - two or three per block, the most advantageous configuration is with two squares. With such a volume of voids, by making molds for cinder blocks with your own hands, you will save up to 60% of concrete.
IMPORTANT!
If you decide to make forms from wood, then keep in mind that you only need planed lumber, preferably sanded, without cracks, knots or other defects. Otherwise, you will have problems when removing the finished product.
When manufactured using this method, the process of tamping by vibration is not provided, so the concrete must be made liquid enough so that the mixture is homogeneous and completely fills the entire form.
Champagne bottles work best for rounded cavities. Therefore, stock up on them in sufficient quantities. They must be inserted into the mold with the neck of the block already poured down, and the squeezed out concrete must be removed, and the raw block should then be well leveled. After the solution has set - after 4/5 hours, the bottles must be removed. It takes about 24 hours to dry the products in the molds. The blocks are then carefully pulled out and stacked on top of each other.
The storage area must be level, clean and protected from rain and sun, otherwise the blocks may become deformed.
The building material can be used for its intended purpose after 28 days. During this period of time, the full strength of the blocks occurs. A little about consumables. Cement, in principle, can be taken of any brand - from m400 and above. As for the variety, take general construction cement - Portland cement. But do not forget that the higher the brand binder, the more expensive it is. The highest quality is blast furnace slag. But if you can’t get one, you can use shale or coal. Take the ratio of cement to aggregate 1/5 - the blocks will have the required strength and will not crack from internal tension arising from too large quantity astringent.
Mechanized method of producing material
The second method of producing cinder blocks is much more productive, but it requires some, although not very sophisticated, equipment. DIY blocks
Well, and of course, some investments. The minimum is a small concrete mixer and a vibrating table. Then you will only need 1-2 molds; be sure to make them from metal. Handles will need to be welded to the molds, and 2 or 3 pipes to the bottom. Their diameter should be 5/8 cm, as you guessed - they are needed to form voids. With this method of making blocks, the concrete must be made thick or, as builders say, with slight shrinkage. After pouring it into the mold, immediately place it on a vibrating table, where the concrete will be compacted within 30/40 seconds. Bring the block to the storage location, turning it over and tapping the mold, carefully remove the product. If the block begins to float or fall apart, it means that the thickness is either insufficient or excessive. You will quickly understand what degree of thickness is needed - experience is everything.
If you have enough skill, you can make a vibration table yourself. To make a machine for cinder blocks with your own hands, you will need sheet metal measuring 80cm/80cm/0.5cm, a 2/3 kW electric motor and springs. The latter can be taken from an old car or motorcycle. Weld springs to the steel sheet at the corners and attach the motor to the center of the structure. Place a pulley on the shaft, always with a shifted center of gravity. Turn the machine over, place it on a secure base and secure it. Attention: pay attention special attention cable - it must be connected securely and be well insulated. Be sure to ground the metal of the machine.
Industrial equipment for the production of cinder blocks
If you are facing a large construction project on your site, but you are not able to make a machine yourself, then it makes sense to purchase a ready-made one – an industrial one. There are two types of such equipment: stationary and mobile, popularly nicknamed “laying hen”.
It should be noted that stationary machines are very expensive and it makes no sense to buy them only for your own needs; in addition, you will have to transport the blocks to the drying site manually. Therefore, the option remains with a compact vibrating machine “laying hen”. It has one mold per one or two blocks and produces them in one cycle.
The advantages of a mini-vibration machine include the following:
Relatively low cost
Very small mass
But, before placing the block on the machine, it must be prepared. Following the logic of saving time and reducing labor costs, you should not do this manually. To do this, you can purchase a concrete mixer. With its help, you can quickly, and most importantly – efficiently, prepare a concrete solution of the required consistency in just five minutes. Naturally, you should buy a very small mortar mixer. Such equipment operates from a network with a voltage of 220 volts and there is no need to supply it with an industrial voltage of 380 volts.
Depending on the desired result, the shape for making the block will differ. Construction market is full of foreign/domestic manufacturers of concrete blocks. They produce material of any complexity category. In case self-repair, the option of creating a block from at home is quite realistic.
Please note: installation of blocks will take much less time compared to other materials due to their size.
Scope of application
More often, concrete blocks are used as the basic element of buildings: garages, multi-storey residential buildings, offices, private houses, summer cottages and so on. The scope of application is not limited to large-scale construction projects. It is possible to independently produce/use concrete blocks at home. The only difficulty: it is necessary to use additional construction equipment (dryer, concrete mixer). A closed room (utility room) with a heater can be used as a dryer. The required temperature for a DIY dryer is 70 degrees. Concrete forms are used for the following products:
- building concrete material;
- decorative architectural elements (vases,);
- paving slabs(type may vary);
- fencing (including decorative ones);
- reinforced concrete building slabs.
Feature: Depending on the product we need, the quality, parts, mold casting will be different. To create a form and then a product with your own hands, you must make accurate calculations, carefully monitor the process, follow the rules of creation, and know the features of the material/future product.
Material for production
The variety of concrete blocks and the features of their application have brought many new materials to the market. The source material that will give the mold quality characteristics may vary depending on the requirements for the final product. Each material is designed for the price category, quality, processing methods, and technical indicators.
Silicone molds for volumetric products. Production of products with small details, creating the most accurate copies requires the use of elastomeric molds. Scope of application:
- complex volumetric products;
- high-precision bas-reliefs;
- architectural constructions.
The production of these products is impossible without the following components:
- rubber (synthetic rubber);
- formoplast;
- compounds (polyurethane/silicone).
Approximate material consumption: 10-40 kg/m2.
Disadvantage: making such a product at home is extremely difficult. Specialized cooking and crushing equipment should be used. In addition, before you start working on the substance, you should consult a specialist. Due to the intricacies of working with the material, such consultation is mandatory.
Plastic
Large-sized constructions that do not require precise geometric calculations are best made from plastic molds. Basic materials:
- fiberglass (low compatibility with the cement matrix, which is why cracks and breaks are possible);
- hard plastic (prone to warping, so the main area of application is paving slabs, curbs, concrete paving stones);
- ABS sheet plastic (prone to delamination, additional silicone lubricant should be used. Small-sized material can be made from it);
- sheet/film polystyrene (represents texture and outlines of objects well, is a fragile material);
- PVC plastic (the most durable, high quality. Adhesion is as low as possible, does not require cleaning or lubrication).
If you decide to use plastic to make a block, be sure to ensure that you have rigid formwork. It is the formwork that will give the material the necessary relief, rigidity, and ensure easy removal. If this rule is not followed, the product will either fall apart during drying, or the result will be of poor quality and short-lived.
Creating a form yourself
Please note that final processing of the product should be carried out after complete hardening. If the product is raw, further actions (for example, cutting) are illogical and ineffective. Creating a form:
- Start production with available materials. For example, you can use polystyrene foam. Cut out the stamp, fill it with a pre-prepared mixture (sand and cement). You will receive one copy of the concrete decoration mold. You can use plastic containers different sizes instead of stamps.
- Assemble the product from scraps of chipboard and wood. The basic rule is that the surface should be smooth. If it is rough, cracks will form between the blocks and the surface or the concrete will be unevenly distributed, which will make it difficult to remove the product.
- Fill the mold with the concrete mixture and leave it for several days until it dries completely (depending on the type of mixture and material of the product. Check the instructions for the material for the required indicators).
- After complete drying, carefully remove (for example, with a spatula or similar object) the finished product.
- Carry out (if necessary) the required decorative work.
If you do not have the time/desire to carry out the process yourself, use the services of construction companies. By contacting the company you need, you can place an order for the form you need. Explain the purpose of construction, the desired material, and specify the timing. For a set price (must be agreed upon in person, by phone), you will be advised and your order accepted. Thus, you can be confident in the quality of the resulting product, its durability, and the correctness of its creation.
Evgeniy Stepanovich, Perm asks a question:
Hello! I bought a plot on which I plan to build a house. After looking at how much a brick cost, I just gasped and decided that I would make the blocks myself. Even if I purchase all the components for building walls and a concrete mixer, I will spend less money than buying bricks. True, I have never been involved in making blocks, although I have general idea about how to make them. Please tell us how. What proportions of components must be observed during their manufacture? What dimensions should the blocks be? How can you make a mold for casting them? Thanks in advance for the advice.
The expert answers:
Hello! Owners suburban areas Those who decide to build a house on their own are often interested in how to make concrete blocks with their own hands. Their choice in favor of this building material is easy to understand. Although it is difficult to produce the number of blocks required for construction, in material terms, amateur builders find themselves in a significant gain. It must be said that the construction of the walls of a house with blocks will be carried out much faster, since they are significantly more bricks by size.
You can determine the dimensions of the blocks yourself, but it will be difficult for you to lay out products that are too large. But it is impractical to produce building materials the size of a brick yourself. Optimal sizes products are shown in Fig. 1. From the same diagram you can see how the most simple form for its casting. The box is assembled from steel 2.5-3 mm thick. It has no bottom. When pouring, the mold is placed on a flat surface and filled with solution. To ensure that the concrete block is free of cavities that reduce its strength, the solution is compacted with a special device. Once compacted, the mold can be lifted and placed side by side to make the next block.
It must be said that a solid product will weigh a lot, so it is better to make it hollow. Such a block will be both less heavy and warmer (Fig. 2). To make it, the mold must be equipped with voids made from pipes plugged at both ends. Vertical plates are welded between the pipes in the upper part. In the same way, the voids are connected to the ends of the form. To make it easier to remove the mold after making the block, the seams at the ends of the pipes need to be processed, slightly rounding them. It is no longer possible to compact products in a mold with voids using a manual tamper. You can make the block stronger using a clamping cover and a hammer drill, which, after turning on in jackhammer mode, should be rested against it. The lid should fit freely into the mold. To prevent it from falling through, limiting corners are welded along its edges.
A more productive device for casting blocks is obtained if an electric motor is connected to it (Fig. 3).
In this capacity, you can even use the engine from washing machine. The motor is attached to the corners welded on one of the external walls forms. For it to work as a vibrator, an eccentric must be attached to the shaft. Once the motor is turned on, it will cause the entire structure to vibrate. When pouring a block, it is better to place the mold on thick rubber, like a conveyor rubber. Rubber shock absorbers need to be attached to the bottom of the mold. When compacting, the concrete is covered with a clamping lid.
Blocks can be prepared from various materials. Suitable for this:
- coal slag;
- expanded clay;
- sand and gravel mixture;
- crushed stone screening;
- crushed bricks, etc.
Coal slag makes the blocks noticeably lighter. The filling solution is prepared:
Each of us needs a family and our own comfortable place to permanent residence. Some people want to have an apartment in a big city, while others dream of living in a place where they can grow vegetables and fruits, keep pets, have a house suitable for habitation, and all the necessary outbuildings. But build all the necessary premises from purchased ones building materials Not everyone can afford it. In this case, we think about whether it is possible to build a house from self-made material.
Aerated concrete blocks are a lightweight building material, so when building a house there is no need to strengthen the foundation.
All generations before us have asked this question, so a sufficient number of ways to obtain building materials from improvised means have long been known.
The most optimal solution in this case, it is building housing on your own from what can be obtained directly on the spot.
Elements load-bearing frame: 1 – first row of blocks based on mortar; 2 – additional cellular blocks; 3 – ring reinforced belt; 4 – reinforced concrete floor slabs; 5 – heat-insulating gasket; 6 – monolithic reinforced concrete distribution belt; 7 – concrete reinforced lintel; 8 – concrete lintel; 9 – waterproofing; 10 – base.
The most accessible material that can be found everywhere is earth, or rather, the soil that is located under the fertile layer. Since ancient times, residential buildings and other buildings were built from soil, but more often in areas where there was little forest. Blocks were made from this material using plastic molding or compaction, as well as using formwork (soil was simply packed into it very tightly).
For example, if work on building a house with your own hands is planned without a basement, then the soil that was removed for the construction of the future foundation will be enough to build the walls of a one-story house. If you make a basement, then the house can already be made two-story. The soil that was removed during the construction of a pool, drainage or well is also suitable for walls.
Previously, it was not possible to mechanize at least some part of the process of manufacturing such building materials, but in our time, of course, you no longer have to mix the necessary ingredients with your feet, because special mechanized devices have been invented for this.
With the advent of special mechanisms, the situation with construction using scrap materials has changed significantly for the better. Using an electrified tool, you can produce material - mix it and compact it. And the result is no worse than in ancient times, but it takes much less time and physical effort.
The authors of the equipment in question managed to create a tool suitable for compacting concrete and other low-moisture construction mixtures and materials, as well as soil masses. And this invention, affordable for many, will make it possible to produce most of the building materials and parts directly at the construction site.
Soil manufacturing technology
Using such a machine, you can form wall blocks from local raw materials, incl. from soil using the “zone injection” technology.
The production process of this device is based on the reproduction of a natural effect called “flowing wedge”. Home technological feature consists in the fact that the mold, the molding powder mass and the supercharger simultaneously move in it. And all this without any vibrations or noise. At the same time, such traditional processes as mass dosing, control of product size and pressure that is applied to the punch in similar molding factory installations are not needed.
In the molding apparatus called “Mini-supercharger” MH-05, a dense and uniform structure is formed throughout the entire volume of the mold, and the dimensions of the product always correspond to the shape in all respects. When switching to another material, no equipment readjustment is required. And in the process, the effects of elastic aftereffects, air entrapment and over-pressing are eliminated.
Sequence of laying blocks: a – single-row ligation system; b – multi-row dressing system; c, d – multi-row ligation system using a mixed method (numbers indicate the sequence of masonry).
MH-05, which has no analogues in the world, is intended not only for the production of single-format blocks for construction needs, with its help it is possible to independently produce bricks, and various racks, blocks, slabs for window sills and much more necessary when building a house with your own hands. The raw materials for MH-05 can also be various types soils, and industrial waste, and other materials.
This molding kit is indispensable for owners of garden and dacha plots, cottages, farmers, landscape designers and architects, as there are endless possibilities for individual creativity both when building a house and when landscaping any areas, be it personal plot or a park.
Everyone has the opportunity to work with this device. There is no need to do anything complicated. And at the same time, the cost of building a house turns out to be several times lower than usual. Here are some parameters of products that can be made on the MN-05 (name, size in millimeters and one-time quantity):
- raw brick from soil block – 65x120x250 – 4 pcs;
- concrete block for paving – 65x120x250 – 4 pcs;
- paving slabs 250x250 – 2 pcs;
- concrete gas stone – 65x120x1000 – 2 pcs;
- flat tiles -120x250 – 4 pcs;
- window sill plate – 50x250x1500 – 1 piece;
- window lintel – 50x250x1500 – 1 piece;
- concrete facing tiles– 250x250x15 – 2 pcs;
- reinforced concrete pillar rack – 65x65x100 – 3 pcs;
- concrete tray – 65x250x100 – 1 pc.
The “flowing wedge” phenomenon makes it possible to obtain unique properties of the material: its density reaches 99%, which prevents elastic stress, transverse delamination and expansion of compacts from occurring, since air is not pinched.
Production in block form
It is better to make a mold for making blocks with a removable bottom, this will make it easier to remove the finished blocks.
There are other technologies for making blocks for construction and other building materials for the house with your own hands from scrap materials (clay, sand, lime, sawdust, earthen) and from cement.
The technology that we will now discuss is similar to the technology called “tise” (technology + individual construction + ecology), but this one is modified and universal, since with its help you can do building blocks both with voids (sand and cement mortar), and without them (clay, sand, sawdust, cement, lime, earthen).
The durability of structures made from blocks using this technology is greater than that of those made traditional ways, – up to 100 years or more. With the help of such blocks it is possible to construct buildings up to 4 floors.
The process of making a block with your own hands:
- preparing a solution (sand-cement or other);
- placing the block mold in an exactly horizontal position;
- pouring the solution into the mold (and, if necessary, compacting it);
- after 5-10 minutes the pins are removed and internal structures for the formation of voids;
- removing the mold from the manufactured structure, further drying the block.
In this way, you can make up to 40 blocks per day with your own hands. And building blocks made in block form receive significant advantages over panel or brick blocks:
- very significant reduction in construction costs;
- use of economical equipment;
- no need for heavy lifting and transport equipment;
- availability of building materials;
- minimal waste;
- ensuring high strength of the structure;
- high thermal insulation of the house;
- environmental safety and high level comfort;
- There are no high maintenance and repair costs during operation.
Wood concrete building blocks
The main composition of wall blocks includes wood chips and concrete.
Wood concrete blocks are lightweight building wall blocks that are made from wood chips (usually from coniferous trees), water, sawdust, chemicals and cement. In the sixties of the last century, the production of such blocks was carried out by more than 100 factories throughout the country. But after panel construction was approved, production was discontinued.
Nowadays, it is possible to make wood concrete blocks for building a house with your own hands, subject to strict adherence to all technological requirements. The requirements of GOST, according to which wood concrete was previously manufactured, require the use of wood particles whose size is strictly 40x10x5 mm. The amount of leaves and needles cannot exceed 5% and there should be no more than 10% bark.
Manufacturing requires a considerable amount of cement, which worsens thermal insulation properties material. It is because of this ideal option Wood chips are considered the main raw material.
Wood concrete is an ideal material for making walls of a bathhouse or sauna.
Experts recommend using sawdust and shavings, because wood shavings can serve both for heat and for reinforcement. The ratio of sawdust and shavings can be either 1:1 or 1:2. Before use, in order to avoid rotting, sugar must be removed from shavings and sawdust, and this requires keeping the material outside for 3-4 months. Without this procedure, the blocks may swell in the future.
During aging, it is necessary to periodically shovel the shavings and sawdust, but if this is not possible, then the mixture must be treated with calcium oxide. A solution is prepared at the rate of 150-200 liters of 1.5% solution per 1 m² of raw material. The treated mixture is left for 3-4 days with stirring several times a day.
For the manufacture of wood concrete it is necessary. Experts recommend using Portland cement 400 grade, and as additives - liquid glass, slaked lime, aluminum sulfate and calcium sulfate.
Additives are prepared in an amount of 2-4% of the cement mass. The best combination of additives is considered to be a mixture of 50% calcium sulfate and 50% aluminum sulfate or in the same ratio liquid glass and calcium oxide.
Process Features
If possible, you can prepare both shavings and sawdust with your own hands using special machines and processes, but you can also purchase these raw materials in finished form and already processed.
This material is soaked in water with the addition of liquid glass. And to speed up the process of hardening and mineralization of the material, calcium chloride is added to the mass. In order to carry out disinfection, you need to introduce slaked lime.
And only after all these preparations is the mass mixed in a concrete mixer along with cement and other necessary ingredients. Next comes the filling of special forms with the resulting material, and it is necessary to compact the mixture using a manual tamper, a vibrating press, or pneumatic or electric tampers.
Material Formation
Experts recommend making molds for blocks from boards and covering their walls with linoleum to make it easier to remove the building blocks. At manual tamping it is done in layers using a tamper made of wood and covered with iron. Afterwards the block is kept for a day and then removed. Then it is left under a canopy to be fully refined to the required strength. In this case, it should be covered while still wet to allow hydration to occur.
The optimal temperature and period for this is 15 degrees and 10 days. Lower temperatures will require longer soaking time. It is important not to allow the level to fall below zero and do not forget to periodically water the blocks with water.
Expanded clay blocks
You can do it yourself. First of all, to make expanded clay blocks you need to prepare a special mold. You can do it from a regular board. The form is made from a pallet and two halves resembling the letter “G”. Boards are needed with inside either treat it with machine oil or beat it with tin. Special closures must be installed at the ends to prevent the mold from falling apart or changing size.
It will be a little more difficult to make a mold with void formers for an expanded clay block with voids, but this is compensated by the economical consumption of the expanded clay mixture. If desired, diagrams for them correct production can be found in articles on this topic.
The size of the form can be arbitrary and depend on the assigned construction tasks, but the following sizes are more often used:
- 39x19x14 cm;
- 19x19x14 cm.
In addition to the form, you will need the following tools:
- trowel;
- shovel;
- buckets;
- container for primary mixing of components with water;
- metal plate for final mixing of expanded clay concrete mass;
- water, sand, expanded clay.
Component ratio
To make a high-quality mixture, you need to take:
- 1 part of the binding material – cement grade not lower than M400;
- 8 parts of expanded clay (approximately 300-500 kg/m³). It should be added that about 5 kg of expanded clay of a fraction from 5 to 20 mm can be placed in a 10 liter bucket;
- sand - 3 parts without admixture of clay and other components;
- 0-8 – 1 part water.
Experts advise adding a teaspoon of any washing powder for greater plasticity of the solution.
Correct casting of the mixture
Using a trowel or shovel, you need to carefully pour all the components into a container of water and let this mass sit for some time. Next it is transferred to metal sheet and brought to the desired state by thorough mixing.
Afterwards, the finished mixture is placed in a mold and subjected to vibration using a special device that creates vibration impulses. You can also get by by tapping the sides of the mold with a shovel.
After two days, the compacted block must be carefully released from the mold by unhooking the closures on it, and in this form it must be left to harden for another 26 days.
A standard block of expanded clay weighs from 16 to 17 kg and requires about 1.5 kg of cement, 4 kg of sand and 10.5 kg of expanded clay. Having made some simple calculations, we find that each block costs about 25 rubles, with the average cost of finished expanded clay being 30 rubles without delivery.
Aerated concrete blocks
To prepare aerated concrete blocks, you need the following components:
- Portland cement;
- quicklime;
- sand;
- water;
- a small amount of aluminum powder.
You will also need:
- concrete mixer;
- block molds;
- metal strings to cut off excess mixture from the top of the molds;
- shovel;
- measuring utensils;
- buckets;
- personal protective equipment.
The components are taken in the required proportion: quicklime and Portland cement - 20% each; quartz sand – 60%; aluminum powder - less than 1% and a little more than 9% - water. All this is mixed in a mixer until it reaches the consistency of sour cream.
Experts advise purchasing molds for casting aerated concrete ready-made, giving preference to metal and plastic forms. And the finished mixture is poured into such forms, filling it halfway, since gas formation will raise the mixture to the rest of the part over some time. And if the mixture rises above the edges, then the excess is cut off with strings.
The mixture is kept in the molds for 6 hours. In this state, the blocks will be ready to be cut into smaller pieces after the formwork is removed from the precast forms. When cutting, it is necessary to form grip pockets and grooves for the fingers.
Then, in industrial conditions, the blocks are placed in an autoclave to gain strength, but these installations are very expensive, so if you make them yourself, the blocks will gain strength under natural conditions.
The extracted and cut blocks are kept indoors for another day before they can begin to be stacked on top of each other. Such material can be used to build a house only after 28-30 days, when the blocks have reached their final strength.
Whatever method you choose to prepare the material for building a house with your own hands, in any case, the construction of buildings from it will be cheaper, and in some cases also much more environmentally friendly, stronger and more comfortable than using industrially produced material.
One of the most common materials for construction load-bearing walls and partitions of residential buildings, as well as small industrial buildings, are made of concrete blocks. Their popularity is due to their low cost, excellent performance characteristics and a large number of varieties, which allows you to choose the right block for almost any task.
The instructions given in this article will help you learn how to make concrete blocks yourself, and will also introduce you to their existing types.
Concrete blocks for walls
Types of artificial stones made of concrete
Let's look at the main types + characteristics of concrete building blocks, which are most common in modern construction.
cinder block
These wall stones are made using the vibration pressing method concrete mortar on special platforms.
The composition of the mixture from which the cinder block is made may include:
- crushed stone for concrete products;
- brick fight;
- sawdust;
- expanded clay
Specifications Concrete blocks with slag leave much to be desired, but due to the fact that their price is one of the lowest on the market, cinder blocks are widely used in private construction.
But cost is almost the only advantage, since they lag far behind other materials in the following parameters:
- durability;
- heat-saving parameters;
- strength.
The main area of application for blocks is small buildings that will not be subject to heavy loads:
- sheds;
- garages;
- summer kitchens;
- workshops and so on.
Photo of cinder block
A less common material that is made from the following components:
- organic matter (mainly wood);
- binding element (powder);
- hardener.
Essentially, this artificial stone consists of sawdust encased in a concrete shell.
The advantages of the material are obvious:
- light weight of the concrete block;
- high thermal insulation properties;
- good sound insulation;
- efficient air exchange.
To protect blocks from negative impact environment, the stones are treated with a special solution. This prevents mold from forming and prevents rotting.
Wood concrete is perfect for construction small houses, which are suitable for year-round use without the use of additional thermal insulation.
Arbolite block
Gas blocks and foam blocks
Cellular concrete blocks, according to GOST, which determines their technical characteristics, must consist of 70-85% artificially created pores (cells) filled with air. The most common are foam and gas blocks.
These materials have the following advantages:
- They are light in weight, as a result of which transportation of concrete blocks and their installation in private construction does not require the use of special equipment;
- easy to process - you can give the cellular block the required shape using an ordinary hacksaw for wood;
- walls made of cellular concrete blocks retain heat well and have excellent sound insulation properties.
Cellular concrete blocks are made from a solution containing sand, cement and aggregate. To form foam, lime, aluminum powder or another foaming agent are added to it.
Pay attention!
Unlike foam concrete, aerated concrete undergoes additional processing in an autoclave oven, where it is exposed to high temperature under high pressure (10-12 MPa).
As a result, this material acquires increased strength: it is almost impossible to crumble or break it.
Cellular concrete block
Self-production of blocks
Technology for the production of artificial stone from cement mortar with filler is relatively simple, which allows you to make concrete blocks yourself.
Preparatory work
At the initial stage, the dimensions of the future block should be determined. In case self-made the parameters of each individual element are taken based on the required wall width.
The thickness of the bottom of the block should not be less than 2 cm, and the walls of the voids should not be less than 4 cm. In this case, a standard stone measuring 20x20x40 cm with voids inside weighs about 40 kg, which makes it convenient for laying walls.
For production you will need any flat area covered with plastic film and special forms without bottom.
The materials for the forms will be:
- boards;
- plywood.
To protect the tree from damage, inner part the forms are sheathed with sheet metal. Inserts are made in a similar way, thanks to which voids are formed in the finished block. They improve the thermal insulation properties of the material and make it lighter.
Molds for making concrete blocks
You can produce concrete blocks with your own hands faster if you make several forms in one block at once. To do this, you need plywood or a board with a width equal to the height of the future block. The material is sawn into pieces and fastened with self-tapping screws. Next, internal partitions are made.
Advice!
In order for the frozen block to be easily separated from the mold, all its parts must be lubricated with kerosene, machine oil or antifreeze.
Manufacturing process
For casting blocks from concrete mixture you will need the following materials:
- fine gravel;
- cement;
- sand;
- water;
- lime;
- wire for reinforcement.
The quantity of each component is determined based on your needs for artificial stone. The proportions of cement, sand and gravel are taken in the ratio 1:3:5.
It is better to use a concrete mixer to mix the concrete solution.
For ease of presentation, we will divide the entire subsequent process into several stages.
Self-made concrete block
The technology described above allows, without using special effort, make concrete blocks with your own hands. Specifications finished products They will be practically in no way inferior to analogues sold in construction supermarkets, and the size will ideally suit your needs. In addition, this can significantly reduce the cost of purchasing building materials and their delivery.
The video in this article will help you get acquainted with the material in more detail.