Speed blocks are mortarless butt joint or H-block concrete masonry units (CMUs) with an open “H” configuration. They are lighter and more versatile than standard CMUs and require less mortar. Speed blocks are commonly used in upper joints and wall cladding. They can be made of various aggregates, including plastic and rubber, and can be aerated for increased strength and lightness, but at a higher cost.
When referring to a concrete speed block, a mason usually means a mortarless butt joint or an H-block. A speed block is a rectangular concrete masonry unit (CMU), or concrete block , which is built in an open “H” configuration. These blocks differ from the standard CMU, which is usually closed and will have two or three central holes.
CMUs are manufactured in a wide variety of sizes and configurations to suit the various convolutions of building construction. These quirks include door and window jambs, corner braces, columns, etc. Typically, speed blocks are used in the upper joints of a structure due to their lighter weight and more versatile configuration.
The common speed block is nominally 8 inches (20.32 cm) wide by 8 inches (20.32 cm) high by 16 inches long (40.64 cm). Standard concrete blocks are the same size and all are actually 3/8 inch (1.02 cm) less all the way around to allow for a mortar joint between the blocks. The common speed block, however, is manufactured to a tongue and groove specification, so it requires little or no grout to secure these particular blocks.
Although speed block is recognized as a butt joint, for smaller projects, it is most often used in the construction of an entire wall cladding. Thanks to their versatile, open construction and lighter weight, the speed blocks are placed quickly. This saves time and labor costs when constructing a concrete masonry building. Also, due to its tongue and groove configuration, less mortar is required to join speed blocks, resulting in significant material cost savings. The use of speed blocks is encouraged by most architects today for this very reason.
All concrete blocks, including speed blocks, are usually made with Portland cement and a sand or gravel aggregate. An ash velocity block uses fly ash or boiler plates, each the result of a combustion or sintering process, as the primary aggregate. CMUs, including speed blocks, are also built using plastic and rubber aggregates to reduce weight and make the blocks more environmentally friendly.
Also, concrete speed blocks, as well as standard CMUs, can be made of aerated concrete. This manufacturing process uses proportionally less concrete than that of standard CMU, replacing much of the concrete with ammonium powder aggregate. This type of concrete block is a stronger and lighter unit, but is considerably more expensive than the typically manufactured concrete block. Because a speed block is lighter simply by the nature of its construction, it is occasionally used as a less expensive alternative to aerated concrete block.
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