Concrete blocks

Concrete is a building material made of sand, aggregate, cement and water used
for the construction of buildings and other structures.
Cement —a powder formed of clay, limestone, and other substances, must with water
and added to the mix to create concrete.

The Manufacturing process

In the production of concrete blocks there are four basic processes to follow;
mixing, molding, curing, and cubing. The following steps are commonly used to in
the manufacturing process.

1. Mixing: Here, the required amounts of sand, gravel, and cement are put
into a stationary mixer where they are blended together. There are two types of
mixers commonly used. One type, is called a planetary or pan mixer, while The other
type is called a horizontal drum mixer. After the dry materials are blended, a
small amount of water is added to the mixer. Admixture chemicals and coloring
pigments may also be added at this time.

2. Molding: The mixed aggregate will then be put In the block machine,
where the concrete is forced downward into molds. The molds consist of an outer
mold box containing several mold liners. The liners determine the outer shape of
the block and the inner shape of the block cavities. When the molds are full, the
concrete is pressed down until it gets the perfect shape required.

3. Curing: After the pallets of blocks are placed on the curing rack, it
is moved to a curing kiln. The most common type is a low-pressure steam kiln. In
this type, the blocks are held in the kiln for one to three hours at room
temperature to allow them to harden slightly. Steam is then gradually introduced to
raise the temperature at a controlled rate of not more than 16°C per hour. Standard
weight blocks are usually cured at a temperature of 66-74°C, while lightweight
blocks are cured at 77-85°C. When the curing temperature has been reached, the
steam is shut off, and the blocks are allowed to soak in the hot, moist air for 12-
18 hours. After soaking, the blocks are dried by exhausting the moist air and
further raising the temperature in the kiln. The whole curing cycle takes about 24
hours.

4. Cubing: Here, The cured blocks are rolled out of the kiln, and the
pallets of blocks are unstacked and placed on a chain conveyor. The blocks are
removed from the steel pallets. If available, The blocks pass through a cuber which
aligns each block and then stacks them into a cube three blocks across by six
blocks deep by three or four blocks high for storage.

Types of concrete blocks

There are two main types of concrete blocks used in the construction industry:
hollow and solid.

Solid blocks
Fully solid blocks are often used for projects like paving, where stability and
durability are important. They’re good for creating walls that provide protection
against the elements, such as strong winds. Below are some types of solid blocks.

•Fly ash block- Fly ash is a fine, powdery substance that forms a material similar
to Portland cement when mixed with water.Fly ash bricks tend to only come in small
sizes, since they become less durable the bigger they get, and are more prone to
fractures and cracking at larger sizes.

•Aerated Autoclaved Block- Aerated autoclaved block, is a lightweight material that

offers a high degree of sound and temperature insulation. Its fire resistance and
insulating

•Paving Block- Paving blocks are square or rectangular solid blocks used for
paving, on road shoulders (where they should be painted to improve visibility), and
in walkways.

•Expanded Clay Aggregate Block- Expanded clay aggregate blocks are made up of
lightweight aggregates of fly ash and cement. Waterproof and fire-resistant, their
lightweight nature allows them to reduce the overall structural load by up to 50%.
They also insulate well against sound and temperature.

Hollow blocks
Hollow blocks have holes that take up more than one-quarter (and usually more than
half) of their cross-sectional area. The holes make them lighter and can be useful
when running wiring or piping through them. They are manufactured from lightweight
aggregates and easy to install. Hollow concrete blocks come in three grades:

Grade A has a minimum density of 1,500 kg/m3.

Grade B has a density of less than 1,500 kg/m3.

Grade C has a density greater than 1,000 kg/m3.

Grades A and B are used for load-bearing concrete block walls, while grade C is
used for non-load-bearing walls. Types of hollow blocks include;

•Stretcher Block- Concrete stretcher blocks are used in construction to connect the
corner of masonry units. Their faces are laid parallel to the face of the wall.

•Pillar Block- This is most often used to build pillars or piers. They’re also
called double corner blocks and are designed so that both ends could be left
visible.

•Lintel Block- Also called channeled or beam blocks, are recognizable by their U
shape. The deep grooves created by the U shape, which run along the length of these
blocks, are filled with concrete and reinforcing bars. Used in preparation for
lintel beams, they’re typically placed on the top of doors and windows to transfer
the load pressing down from above.

•Jamb Concrete Blocks- Jamb blocks are used when there is an elaborated window
opening in the wall. They are connected to stretcher and corner blocks. For the
provision of double hung windows, jamb blocks are very useful to provide space for
the casing members of window.

•Corner Block- Corner blocks are placed at corners, or at the ends of windows and
door openings. The plain side is exposed to the exterior, while the stretcher side
runs parallel to the wall. Bullnose blocks are the same as corner blocks in their
use and structure, except that they have rounded edges.

•Partition Block- Partition blocks are similar to concrete pillar blocks except
that they are taller than they are wide.

SIZES OF CONCRETE BLOCKS

The concrete blocks are available in different sizes and shapes. The standard
sizes of concrete blocks 

80cm x 40cm x 10cm 

80cm x 20cm x 10cm 

40cm x 20cm x 10cm

The cement-aggregate ratio in concrete blocks is 1:6. Aggregate used is of 60%

fine aggregate and 40% coarse aggregate. Their Minimum strength should be about
3N/mm2 and it should be too strong either. Mixes of cement : sand 1 : 3 are
unsuitable because they will not accommodate movement in the blockwork.
Below ground a slightly stronger mortar can be used, such as 1 : 0.5 : 4
cement : lime : sand.

USES OF CONCRETE BLOCKS

-Compound Wall
Solid wall block is defined as those blocks which have a core wide area greater
than 25% of gross area having one or more holes open at both sides. Concrete blocks
can be used to build compound walls in houses and other commercial structures.

-External wall
The external surface of buildings can be enhanced with concrete blocks,
forming a beautiful texture surface in the gray finish to stands out from the
surrounding elements.

Different blocks are selected for different purposes. Below are some types of
block and what its application depends on.

-Dense blocks
Dense blocks are usually made from cement, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.
They can be produced in a range of crushing strengths and tend to be used for
structural purposes, such as foundations and load-bearing walls.
They generally have poor thermal insulation and readily absorb water, but have
good thermal mass.

-Lightweight blocks
The advantage of lightweight blocks include their thermal insulation
characteristics and ease of handling. They may be slightly more expensive than
dense blocks.

-Autoclaved aerated concrete

These ACC blocks are manufactured by adding a foaming agent to concrete and then
hardening the blocks(autoclaving) with steam.

Properties of Concrete blocks

1. Density and strength: The majority of concrete blocks fall in the range from
2.8 to 30 MPa, with associated densities of 420–2200 kg/m3.

2. Durability: Dense concrete blocks and certain aerated lightweight

blocks are resistant to freeze/thaw conditions below damp-proof course (DPC) level.

3. Fixability: Concrete blocks offer a good background for fixings. Nails

are used for light loads and wall plugs and fixings are used for heavier loads.

4. Thermal Insulation: Solid walls with high-performance lightweight

blocks, Cavity walls with partially/fully filled insulation achieve these U values
within the range of 0.27–0.30 W/m2k.

5. Fire resistance: Concrete block construction offers good fire

resistance. Fire protection can vary from 60min-360min fire protection depending on
the type of concrete block.

6. Sound Insulation and sound absorption: The Building Regulations of

2000, require minimum airborne sound insulation of 45Rw dB for separating walls and
40Rw dB for internal bedroom or WC walls. The passage of sound depends on the
density and porosity of a material.

Advantages of concrete blocks

1. They can be used for everything from foundations to walls to floors,
and they come in various shapes and sizes. 
2. Concrete blocks are good for construction because they are strong and
durable. 

3. Concrete blocks are inexpensive yet durable.

4. Blocks can be stacked without the risk of collapse.

5. Concrete blocks are lightweight, so they don't take up much space in

the house.

6. They're also very easy to work with.

7. Better thermal insulation is provided.
8. It effectively absorbs sound and protects the interiors from noise
pollution. Using concrete blocks provides additional fire protection.

Disadvantages of Concrete Blocks:

1. The expense of constructing a residence out of concrete blocks is
significantly higher.

2. Some of the blocks may need to be cut to reach critical systems.

3. Concrete block homes aren’t usually attractive from the outside.

4. Over time, concrete blocks may be subject to water seepage.

5. Some regional preferences may not be compatible with this material.

6. Windows and doors can easily detract from the environmental benefits.