Arbolite blocks are one of many types of composite building materials. They were once widely used in residential construction, experimental facilities were built in the Arctic Circle, and then they were undeservedly forgotten. And now wood concrete is gradually returning, in some places with a scandal.
The closest relative of sawdust concrete and fiberboard is produced by pouring dry wood chips with high-strength M500 cement. The finished mixture contains about 80-90%. A small amount of completely peaceful additives only increases the biostability of wood and does not in any way affect the environmental friendliness of housing. This combination of organic aggregate with cement produces lighter concrete. It has less strength, but retains heat well.
But despite the clearly advantageous combination of characteristics, reviews of wood concrete are very ambiguous. Perhaps the reason for this is the growing competition between manufacturers of lightweight concrete. After all, both gas and foam concrete have similar properties, although they do not contain organic impurities.
Technical characteristics of wood concrete
- The density of the wood concrete material varies in the range of 300-850 kg/m?. Therefore, they divide it into two categories: structural (550 kg/m? and above), thermal insulation (up to 550 kg/m?). But there is one subtle point here - the denser the wood concrete, the higher its load-bearing capacity, but the lower its thermal insulation qualities, because in such solutions the percentage of wood chips decreases. For comparison, we can show the density of some building materials: wood - 600, ceramic brick - 1700, aerated concrete - 800 kg/m?.
- Strength. This indicator is marked with the letter “B” and a numerical definition. The higher the latter, the greater the strength. Moreover, strength directly depends on density. For example, with a density of 400-500, the strength of wood concrete corresponds to B 0.35. From 600-750 – B 2.5. From 700-850 – B 3.5.
- Thermal conductivity. Here the same dependence on density. The higher one is, the higher the other. At 400 kg/m? the thermal conductivity of the blocks will be equal to 0.06 W/m K, and at 850 it will be 0.17, respectively.
- Water absorption. For structural ones this parameter is 75%, for thermal insulation 85%.
These are the main technical characteristics, on the basis of which we can specifically say about the advantages of wood concrete and its disadvantages.
Advantages and disadvantages
Let's start with the positive aspects that have made wood concrete a popular material in private housing construction.
The main advantage of wood concrete is that it combines two very important indicators: good strength, and therefore load-bearing capacity, and fairly low thermal conductivity (when compared with traditional wall materials). As for strength, according to expert reviews (their recommendations), for the construction of houses of two or three floors it is better to use wood concrete grade B 2.0 - no less. Smaller buildings such as a garage, boiler room, shed, etc., can use grade B 1.0. And this already reduces the cost of construction, associated with the low price of building materials of this brand.
But here it is necessary to add high bending strength equal to 0.7-1.0 MPa. This suggests that under sufficiently severe bending loads, wood concrete is practically not susceptible to cracking. And even after several years of intensive use of the building, cracks will not appear on the walls. Of course, wood concrete cannot be compared with brick; it has a bending strength of 2-3 MPa, but compared to cellular concrete it is better.
Positive characteristics include the porous surface of the material. This is convenient in terms of applying plaster or putty solutions. The surfaces of walls built from wood concrete do not need to be further treated, increasing the adhesion of the planes. There is no need to attach reinforcing mesh or fill the sheathing. Of course, this also has its downside. For example, plastering arbolite walls requires more mortar because they have to fill the pores.
And other positive aspects of wood concrete:
- The material belongs to category G1 - low flammability. This is a serious indicator, because fire resistance of building materials today is subject to serious requirements.
- Low specific gravity due to light filler. For example, it weighs three times less than a brick. And this is ease of use.
- When building a house, it is not necessary to use blocks. It is possible to pour concrete into the formwork with its displacement upward, which guarantees monolithic construction.
- Wood concrete does not rot and is not affected by mold and fungi.
- It is easy to cut with a regular saw or level one of the sides with a plane.
- This is a vapor-permeable material, so building structures built from it “breathe,” which increases the comfort of staying indoors.
Aerated concrete and its features
Aerated concrete is a porous material. It consists of quartz sand, cement and gypsum. It is made in special factories, but there are also handicraft blocks. You can insure yourself against counterfeiting by asking the seller for a quality certificate for the product.
Weather conditions do not affect the properties of aerated concrete
Aerated concrete has a number of advantages and disadvantages. When choosing a particular material, strengths and weaknesses are taken into account. Advantages of aerated concrete:
- low mass of blocks. 1 m3 weighs from 800 to 900 kg (the same volume of brick weighs 2 times more - 1.5 tons);
- porous material creates minimal load on the foundation;
- the blocks are large in size, which simplifies and speeds up construction;
- aerated concrete is easy to process. It can be carefully adjusted to its shape, a piece of the desired size and shape can be sawed off, drilled, and a section can be cut out;
- blocks are made from environmentally friendly and safe materials for humans;
- It is possible to produce material of various shapes, textures and colors. Such options are already offered in European countries;
- frost-resistant material that can withstand up to 100 freeze-thaw cycles;
- the blocks have the correct geometry. This makes them easy to install.
The main advantages of aerated concrete are environmental friendliness and thermal insulation
Construction from aerated concrete is progressing at a rapid pace thanks to its clear shape, correct geometry and large volume of blocks. It is easy to work with them even for a beginner in the construction business. Disadvantages of aerated concrete:
- additional reinforcement of the foundation is required, since when the building shrinks, the walls crack;
- low level of fracture and tear strength;
- does not allow air to pass through, so forced ventilation must be installed in the rooms;
- crumbles easily;
- additional heat and sound insulation work is required.
To ensure a sufficient level of masonry strength and thermal insulation, it is advisable to build the walls of the house in 2 layers. Thus, “light blocks” have a more porous structure. Their density is lower. Due to this, the ability of the walls to withstand cold increases. But they also need additional insulation.
A large number of advantages and an affordable price (compared to many other porous building materials) make aerated concrete one of the most popular materials.
Aerated concrete blocks have been on the market for a long time and have stood the test of time. Therefore, professional and novice builders give preference to material that is already familiar to them.
Flaws
The most significant negative side of wood concrete is moisture absorption. And the more chips in the material, the higher the indicator. This negatively affects the material itself, especially under wet operating conditions. The way out is protective methods of finishing wood concrete walls: plastering, ventilated facades, facing with brick, stone and other materials.
The second most important disadvantage of wood concrete is frost resistance. Unfortunately, the maximum value of this characteristic is only 50 cycles. And many manufacturers who supply this material to the Russian market do not always adhere to this particular parameter. Today, blocks of Russian wood concrete with frost resistance within 25-30 cycles are becoming increasingly common. Therefore, finishing the outside of a house is an important component of wood concrete construction. If this is not done, then hidden problems will appear in the form of small cracks, chips and other troubles.
The third drawback is the geometric dimensions of the blocks, or rather, deviations from them. The thing is that in the production of wood concrete there is a lot of manual labor, which often reduces the quality characteristics of the material. After all, the human factor is a serious drawback in the production of any type of product. Especially if the business is handled by low-skilled workers. And since the production of wood concrete is associated with hard work, accordingly, those same specialists with low qualifications are employed in it.
What do inaccurate dimensions lead to? This affects the masonry materials. To fit the blocks to each other, you have to use more masonry mortar, that is, make thicker seams, which become cold bridges in the masonry wall.
And the last drawback, according to reviews of residents in houses made of wood concrete, who have already lived in these houses for many years, is the appearance of rodents that gnaw through the walls, making passages in them. This is not possible with all blocks, but with those that were produced without complying with the standards and requirements.
Projects of houses made of arbolite blocks
Number of projects 99
Available at the exhibition
- 2 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
Project Goodeno
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- 140² Total area
- 7 x 10m Building area
from 1,290,000 rub.
Construction period 90 days
- 5 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project K-150, Optima
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- 150² Total area
- 10 x 8m Construction area
from 2,022,800 rub.
Construction time individually
- 3 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project K-101, Shchelpino
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- 101² Total area
- 10 x 6m Construction area
from 1,673,200 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 46-247
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- 247² Total area
from 3,334,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 4 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project K-88, Valdai
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- 87.4² Total area
- 8 x 8m Construction area
from RUB 1,257,350
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project 15-130
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- 130² Total area
from 1,755,000 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 19-278
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- 278² Total area
from 3,753,000 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project 32-189
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- 189² Total area
from 2,551,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 6 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 3-197
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- 197² Total area
from 2,659,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 3 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
Bogachevo House Project
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- 100² Total area
from 1,350,000 rub.
Construction time individually
- 4 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
Project of a House with a bath complex K-185
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- 187² Total area
- 8 x 12m Construction area
from 2,057,450 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 33-177
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- 177² Total area
from 2,389,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project 44-235
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- 235² Total area
from 3,172,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 13-303
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- 303² Total area
from 4,090,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 6 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project 2-204
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- 204² Total area
from 2,754,000 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 27-212
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- 212² Total area
from 2,862,000 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 3 bathrooms
House Project 49-267
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- 267² Total area
from 3,604,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 5 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project 38-190
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- 190² Total area
from 2,565,000 rub.
Construction time individually
- 3 rooms
- 2 bathrooms
House Project 50-273
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- 273² Total area
from 3,685,500 rub.
Construction time individually
- 6 rooms
- 5 bathrooms
House Project 53-450
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- 450² Total area
from 6,075,000 rub.
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People living in cement urban jungles often want to build their own home without the disadvantages of urban dwellings. The task is not easy, but there is a solution. This is the construction of a house made of wood concrete. The name of the material is unfamiliar to many, although it was developed and standardized back in the 1960s. At that time, 100 factories producing wood concrete were built in the USSR, and the material was quite popular. Wood concrete is a type of lightweight concrete, which consists of 90% wood chips, as well as high-grade cement and a hardener - calcium chloride.
In terms of composition, wood concrete is one of the most environmentally friendly materials Source zentavrstroy.by
Let's consider the questions that most often arise among people who are in the process of choosing a technology for building a house from wood concrete, as well as the answers that the owners of houses built from wood concrete have already received.
Reviews
So, having dealt with the advantages and disadvantages of wood concrete, let’s move on to reviews of wood concrete blocks.
Sergey, Samara : Two years ago I bought a summer cottage and built a small house on it from wood concrete blocks. What can I say - in principle, the material is not bad if it is properly sheathed on the outside. And this must be done. I personally used facing bricks. I did everything myself, because this type of finishing is simple. The inside of the house is gypsum plastered and painted with water-based emulsion. Nothing else is needed for the dacha.
Pert Petrovich, Solnechnogorsk : I read a lot about reviews from owners of houses made of wood concrete (pros and cons of the house), looked for houses built from this material in the area and talked with the owners. Everyone agreed that for small buildings this is an excellent choice. They are easy to build, wood concrete is not capricious, can be erected from blocks, and can be poured with mortar directly into the formwork. In general, I decided to build a summer house from wood concrete.
What problems may arise during construction?
- Strong, durable structures can be erected using only high-quality material produced according to GOST standards, in compliance with all production instructions. Unfortunately, the market is overflowing with low-quality goods, among which it is quite difficult to choose the right one.
- Shortage of highly qualified specialists. An illiterate approach to construction and ignorance of the characteristics of the material negates all its positive characteristics. Using such blocks in construction, a mason must observe many nuances that determine the quality of his work. For example: wetting the surface before applying the solution, a perfectly thin and even seam. Finding such a master is difficult. The demand for high-quality professionals is great, and sometimes it is necessary to delay construction deadlines just to wait for the right person or team.
- It is impossible to erect a building from wood concrete slabs in conditions of high humidity without constructing a basement floor or a pile foundation.
When starting construction in a lowland or on marshy soils, wood concrete houses must be raised above the soil level.
