Concrete blocks, also known as foundation blocks or CMUs, are made from Portland cement, aggregate, and water. They come in standard sizes and can be made with aerated concrete or industrial waste as aggregate. Hollow chambers allow for greater strength and thermal properties, and speed blocks make the process quicker. Concrete block construction is environmentally friendly and produced locally.
A concrete block may also be called a concrete block, foundation block, or concrete masonry unit (CMU). It is also known as a breeze block, cinder block or clinker block. These blocks are made from a blend of Portland cement, aggregate, and water. The standard size is shown as 8in x 8in x 16in (20cm x 20cm x 41cm) in the US and 44cm x 21.5cm x 10cm (17.3in x 8.5in x 3.9in) in the UK, although the blocks are actually a bit smaller to make room for the mortar joints. Some cinder block companies make other sizes upon request.
The most common aggregate for concrete blocks is a sand-gravel mix. This is mixed as a fairly dry, low-fall mix resulting in a hard and durable concrete block. Aerated concrete can be used to make blocks that are lighter in weight but still very strong.
Industrial waste is sometimes used as aggregate, but concrete blocks will be of lower density and therefore less durable. Cinder blocks, called breeze blocks in the UK, have ash in the aggregate and clinker blocks have clinkers. These blocks have lower compressive strength and are not suitable for foundation work.
The first concrete block was produced in 1882. Concrete blocks are now produced with a machine that shapes the wet concrete mix into standard shapes. The blocks are cured inside a special chamber at high temperatures. They are then stored to dry completely.
Most concrete blocks are made with hollow chambers. This makes the block a bit lighter and easier to handle. More importantly, hollow chambers allow rebars to be driven vertically through the wall, giving it greater strength. The chambers are then filled with wet concrete, which dries to create a strong wall with great thermal properties.
Since threading the open chambers of a concrete block over rebar that has already been inserted into place is a slow process, a special type of concrete block was developed to make the procedure quicker. These open blocks are often called speed blocks and are shaped like the letter H. Instead of being lowered onto the wall from above, these blocks can be edged between reinforcing bars and slid into place. This makes the job much less time consuming.
Concrete block construction is often considered an environmentally friendly building material. Cinder blocks are strong, but they aren’t very portable. Most of the concrete blocks are produced within 50 miles (80.5 km) of the construction site and most are made from local materials.
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