Arbolite blocks: description, pros and cons. Pros and cons of wood concrete What is the best way to cut wood concrete

Arbolite is a type of lightweight concrete. It has been known in construction since the 60s, and in the USSR there were about a hundred factories producing standardized wood concrete. It does not contain many components. For 90% it is wood chips, preferably selected, without the remains of knots, foliage and various debris. The remaining 10% is high-grade cement and chemical additives that hold the composition together.

There are many myths and misconceptions around the material itself and buildings based on it. That this is a very fragile material, that it is subject to shrinkage and it is impossible to normally build a three-four-story building from it. They also say that it is made exclusively from production waste and is completely unsuitable for laying the foundation. Is there any truth in this? What advantages of the wood concrete block make it an excellent building material and what disadvantages actually exist, we will consider in this article.

The composition and properties of wood concrete blocks

In terms of their structure, arbolite blocks are quite simple. O They are made up of four main components. Let's list them again and analyze each separately. It is also worth opening the veil of secrecy over the standardized production of wood concrete blocks. Let's start with the basics and composition of this miracle material.

Wood chip. The final density of the wood concrete block directly depends on its size and quality. The recommended chip size is 40×10×5 mm. It is highly not recommended to mix various sawdust, straw with wood chips. Only clean bark is good. But not all manufacturers adhere to this rule, so you need to buy this building material from trusted companies.
Chemical additives. To improve the quality of the blocks, it is necessary to reduce the content of sugars in their filler and reduce the water permeability. For this, the composition is mineralized in chemical reagents. The main substances are: calcium chloride, lime, alumina sulfate.
Water. In the process of preparing chips, water with the necessary solution is prepared in advance. Water, in which chemical components are dissolved, is mixed with wood chips in a special mixer. The mixing time is about 20 seconds. Then cement is added to the mixture.
Cement. Without it, it is impossible to achieve the desired strength of the blocks. Cement with a brand of at least 400 should be used. The most the best way- brand 500.

The next step in the production of wood concrete blocks is their formation. It must be done within 15 minutes of mixing. Forming is possible manually or using a special vibrating machine. Naturally, factory production, where all stages are automated, gives better material with blocks that are almost identical to each other. It is very important to observe the exact dosage of all components. It is regulated by a separate GOST.

A deviation of only a few percent is allowed. The humidity of the final composition should not be higher than 25%, and the temperature of the water with the chemical solution. reagents - not lower than 15 degrees. High-quality wood concrete material will be obtained only if all the described production rules are observed.

Advantages of the wood concrete block

Consider the main advantages of wood concrete as a building material. What does it give to designers and residents, what is the difference from other construction tools?

Ecologically pure material . All its components (including minor chemical reagents included in the composition) are completely safe for humans and do not emit harmful substances into the atmosphere.
Incombustibility of wood concrete. The material does not burn and does not contribute to the spread of fire. This greatly improves security.
Ease. Wood block weight standard size, much smaller than similar blocks of concrete and other building materials, which simplifies the process of transportation and masonry.
heat retention. Walls made of arbolite blocks perfectly retain heat, which allows you to save on insulation and space heating products based on it.
Low sound transmission. It will allow you to do without additional methods of soundproofing.
Strong fastening. Unlike blocks of their aerated concrete and foam concrete, wood concrete holds well driven, screwed objects on itself.
Easy handling. Arbolite is easily cut, divided into parts if necessary.

Now let's look at the negative aspects of the material. He also has them, but, as elsewhere, if you approach its use in construction wisely, then the negative aspects can be negated. So let's get started.

Disadvantages of wood concrete blocks and what they threaten

There are no ideal solutions. So the construction of wood concrete blocks has its drawbacks, which will be discussed later. Let's analyze the most obvious of them.

The market is full of artisanal fakes. This, of course, cannot be attributed to the lack of the material itself, but many people who decide to use arbolite blocks in construction have a chance to encounter this problem, the characteristics of which are completely dependent on compliance with the manufacturing rules. One-day firms do not seek to comply with any GOSTs. The composition of the filler can include not only homogeneous wood chips, but also construction garbage and even small pieces of glass. All this leads to extreme block heterogeneity, terrible quality and problems in further operation.
Need moisture protection. Arbolite blocks in construction residential buildings not applicable without protective finish. It is necessary to cover the wall with plaster.
Low accuracy in geometry. Compared to foam concrete and aerated concrete, there is a higher deviation, even in factory production.
Restriction in the choice of finishing materials. For outdoor decoration, only breathable materials are needed.
High price. An incomplete level of automation and increased requirements for the source material make arbolite blocks not the cheapest construction tool. So, the cost of an arbolite block is, on average, one and a half times more expensive than blocks of a similar size made of foam concrete and aerated concrete.

When building a residential building from wood concrete blocks, all the advantages and disadvantages of wood concrete should be taken into account. Choose a reliable manufacturer, take care of the plaster, choose suitable materials finishes. Then you can almost completely get rid of the minuses and the house will stand idle without the need to repair walls and ceilings for many years.

Building a house is one of the main duties of a man (after that, plant a tree and give birth to a child). Everyone dreams of living in their own home. But, for this you will have to make a lot of effort, spend a certain amount of money and time, especially if you perform construction works on one's own. Another problem is the choice of material for construction. On the this moment there are so many raw materials for work that you can break your head. You have to choose, analyzing the pros and cons of the material, the purpose of building the building, the climate, the available funds, etc. As practice has shown, one of the best materials for the construction of a residential building is wood concrete. This is a practical, lightweight, durable, strong and environmentally friendly material, which is made on the basis of sawdust and Portland cement. Houses made of wood concrete blocks are distinguished by their energy intensity, because the heat conductivity of wood concrete is 0.07-0.16, depending on the density. Living in such a house is warm and comfortable.

In this article, we will look at how the construction of a house from arbolite blocks is going on, the stages of doing the work with our own hands and some recommendations for building a foundation and laying walls. The article contains supporting videos.

Tools to get the job done

You cannot complete the construction of a house without the right tools and materials. They must be prepared in advance and be in good condition. The list is as follows:

shovel, stone saw.
level, tape measure, plumb;
stakes and a long rope;
reinforcement bars Ø14 mm;
solution container;
trowel, notched trowel or trowel for laying blocks;
rubber mallet;
fishing line, for aligning blocks.

Now you can start building a house from wood concrete blocks.

1 stage of construction - design

Every developer knows that the construction of any building begins with a project. However, this procedure is the first in any kind of work. Projects are needed for orientation, so that construction proceeds quickly and according to plan. Such a plan must be drawn up in advance and approved by the district administration. It should contain the details of the entire construction of the house. It can be said that this is a map by which you will know what to do.

The plan should contain drawings of the house, its size, number of storeys, material, layout, communications, etc. House projects from arbolite sides can be obtained in several ways:

Order a specialist designer (the most expensive option).
Buy a project on special sites.
Free download.

As for point 3, be careful, because free projects may not always be of high quality. And this, in turn, will affect all construction. A well-designed plan may include the approximate cost of each material, its quantity, and the approximate cost of building a house.

When your project is ready, you can buy everything necessary materials and start building!

Stage 2 of construction - foundation

The foundation of any building is the foundation. It is he who is the guarantor of the reliability and durability of the building. Due to the fact that wood concrete blocks are quite light material, the construction of a reinforced foundation is not required. This allows you to save some money. The type of foundation can be different:

pile;
tiled;
tape shallow;
columnar.

The most common type of foundation for an arbolite house is a strip foundation that repeats the design of all walls.

Let's look at the sequence of work on its construction:

Site preparation and marking. The site must be freed from everything superfluous: garbage, old things, bushes, etc. Based on the project, markings are made on the ground with a rope and stakes and the upper fertile layer soil.
Pit dig. Recommended trench width - 30 - 40 cm, depth - 60 cm (depending on the soil). These dimensions must be taken into account when marking and make it right.
Leveling the walls and bottom of the trench.
Sand cushion device. Packed with 5-10 soi of sand and 5 cm of gravel.
Formwork erection. Its height can be 30 cm, but if you live in an area with a harsh climate, we recommend making a 50 cm base.
At this stage, communications can be laid while the concrete has not yet been poured.
Reinforcing cage manufacturing. To make the foundation strong, you need to make a reinforcing mesh (rebar Ø14 mm) and place it in the pit.
Pouring concrete. There are 2 options for the development of events: prepare concrete yourself or order a ready-mix. The pit is filled with concrete. After that, the finished foundation is leveled with a trowel.

Now it takes time, as the concrete needs to dry completely. This takes about a month. Formwork can be removed on the 10th day. The foundation surface must be protected from external factors. So that it does not collapse, cover it with polyethylene.

note! To prevent the foundation from cracking, periodically spray the surface with water, moistening it.

Now your foundation is ready. You can start building the walls of the wood concrete house. You can buy blocks or make your own.

Stage 3 of construction - masonry walls

Before proceeding with laying, it is required to provide waterproofing of the foundation. For this it is covered bituminous mastic or 1-2 layers of roofing material spread on the surface. So the foundation and walls will be protected from the effects of destructive moisture, and the construction will not be in vain.

Advice ! To correctly calculate the number of wood concrete blocks for masonry at home, use a special calculator.

All that is required is to enter the dimensions of the block, the thickness and height of the walls, the perimeter and the thickness of the mortar during masonry into the form. Then you will know the amount of material required.

Wall laying is a responsible business. They must be perfectly even and strong. It will be easier for those who have already done brickwork or other material. Working with wood concrete is even easier. First you need to prepare cement mortar. Everything is simple here: achieve a ratio of 1:3 (cement, sand) and add water to bring everything to the desired consistency. Make sure to prepare as much mortar as you need for masonry. Having made a lot of the solution, you may not have time to use it while it is liquid.

Note! For masonry, you can also use special glue for a gas block. It dries faster and is easier to work with.

It's time for laying wood concrete blocks. The order of work is as follows:

Masonry starts from the corners of the building. Expose the corner blocks to the solution. They should be perfectly even, because the blocks in the corner are fundamental. Use the level. If the wall is long, install an additional block in the middle.
Pull the line between the products. It should slightly touch the top of the block and serve as a guide for even masonry.
Now lay the rest of the blocks, forming 1 row. Apply mortar or adhesive to the foundation and line up the blocks. Please note that the seam between them should not exceed 10 mm. With a rubber mallet, tap on the block, adjusting it to the fishing line.
It is clear that the length of the wall will not always be equal to the exact number of blocks, so one of them will have to be cut. The question arises: how to saw wood concrete blocks? You can use a stone saw. Arbolit is easy to process, so it is easy to saw. At the same time, use a metal corner so that the block comes out even.
When the first row of masonry around the entire perimeter is completed, you can proceed to the next one. The procedure is exactly the same, only now you need to make a dressing.
During the construction process, do not forget to right places make openings for windows and doors.

Watch the video, which clearly shows the laying of wood concrete blocks.

It's all technology. It remains to build walls, make lintels over windows and doorways, perform the overlap and arrange the roof, according to the selected technology. The construction of the building box of wood concrete blocks has been completed. But, this is far from the end, because you still have a lot of work to do.

If this is your first time doing wood concrete block laying, then these tips will help you get it right.

Keep in mind that wood concrete blocks must be protected from external factors. Therefore, it is better to do the decoration inside and outside faster.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the video, which describes in detail the construction of a house from wood concrete blocks.

The earlier a mistake is made in the construction process, the more serious its consequences. In a sense, this is the so-called "butterfly effect" from chaos theory: a small action in the past - devastating consequences in future.

Therefore, small oversights in design and masonry turn into such big problems. Let's look at the example of a house made of wood concrete, what mistakes can be made and (this interests us much more) how to avoid them. But first, a brief background.

Arbolit - lightweight concrete based on coniferous chips and high-strength cement. At "correct", GOST wood concrete has all the characteristics of a good wall material.

Does not rot, does not allow mold and fungus to spread, does not light up for 1.5 - 3 hours.
Eco-friendly and vapor-permeable - "breathes" like wood, and regulates the humidity in the room.
Has excellent thermal insulation properties: only a tree can boast of such.
Installs quickly and saves mortar: one block replaces 15 to 19 bricks.
It is easy to process: it can be sawn, nails driven into it and screws can be screwed in.
It has impressive bending and impact strength.

Features of construction from wood concrete blocks

The laying process, in its principle, does not differ from that familiar to us from working with bricks or other wall materials: the same scheme, the same dressing. However, a couple of special points are worth highlighting.

In particularly humid regions or lowlands, wood concrete requires a special approach: raising the foundation, reinforced waterproofing, plinth and / or blind areas - only a specialist can suggest the best solution.
Arbolit can be trimmed both by plastering and by sheathing with the most different materials. At the same time, it is important to arrange the cladding so that it does not “kill” the breathing properties of the wood concrete - otherwise, freezing of the walls and the appearance of wet spots on them will await you.

For the most part, all the nuances of working with wood concrete only play into the hands of the developer - they either make work easier or save money. But, again, the approach must be skillful.

What to do if you have never worked with other materials

If you and your team have never had to deal with wood concrete, but you have experience working with other materials, you can try to handle it yourself (although here the supervision of a specialist will not hurt). And if there is not much experience in the construction business, but you want everything to be completely under control, a technologist will be needed at the facility.

A good option is to contact construction company. Even better - in the one that specializes specifically in wood concrete: it produces equipment for the production of blocks and the blocks themselves.

What if we tell you that service of departure of the technologist the company "Russian Arbolit" provides free of charge? In this case, there will be not one exit, but two whole:

at the start of construction the specialist will give recommendations on the choice of mortar, laying the block and mesh for reinforcement, and will also answer all the questions that have arisen;
after the construction of the first floor box the technologist will check the correctness of the masonry, show how to lay the armored belt and lintels / floor beams, and advise on the best way to finish the house in these climatic conditions.

The service is free for everyone who orders a batch of blocks from Russian Arbolit sufficient to build a house. At the same time, the specialist travels in any direction, to any region and locality. Moreover, if the object is located at a distance from settlements, the technologist will arrive there too.

"Russian Arbolit" for good work: good blocks and good styling.

The pros and cons of wood concrete is an important issue when considering this material for building a house. Arbolit successfully passes the test of time. Houses built of arbolite have retained their quality and durability for more than 50 years. But this material is still not widely used, despite the pros and cons of wood concrete, as well as its unique properties, allowing to build houses in both the southern and northern regions.

Wood concrete is lightweight concrete on natural organic filler, it belongs to wall materials and is produced in the form of blocks, slabs and panels. It is possible to use wood concrete in the form of a solution, this allows you to create monolithic surface. Not so long ago, wood concrete appeared, which has a colorful textured facing surface.

Types of wood concrete blocks

Arbolite blocks are produced in two main types

hollow, used for thermal insulation of non-load-bearing partitions and internal walls
solid, for load-bearing walls

Arbolite composition

Arbolit consists of:

binder. Portlandement M400 and M500, sulfate-resistant cement is also used, which increases the chemical resistance of blocks
filler is shredded, cleaned and processed by a special method of woodworking waste. Wood chips, veneer, wood bark, sawdust, flax fire, cotton stalks, rice straw up to 90% finished product give wood concrete a lot of valuable and unique qualities, one of the main ones is high heat-shielding properties.
additives. Plasticizers and hardening accelerators. Antiseptics and herbicides. Lime - as a bactericidal agent. Aluminum sulfate and sodium silicate - to break down sugars contained in wood and reduce hydrophilicity. Potassium and sodium liquid glass - to strengthen and prevent fermentation reactions. Corrosion inhibitors if metal reinforcement is expected. And that is not all.

A lot of chemicals and various additives are introduced into the arbolite mixture, in different combinations. And there are also many recipes, to create blocks with a certain compressive strength, the selection of a composition with the exact amount of cement is calculated.

And with certain nuances - first of all, they neutralize the sugars contained in the tree, and then they introduce additives that close the pores so that the wood does not absorb water.

It is necessary to neutralize sugar, this is required by the chemistry of concrete. The binder reacts poorly with hydration, adhesion slows down, the cement stone is formed too slowly and is not strong enough if the processes take place in the presence of "sweet" molecules. Sugar is present only in fresh chips, if you keep it up to six months under open sky, this sugar will decompose spontaneously, but waiting six months ... is not always possible.

Advantages of wood concrete

The advantages of arbolite are as follows:

- high thermal insulation properties, as a result - an increase in the energy efficiency of the building
- excellent soundproofing
- strength, excellent work in compression and bending, high crack resistance. Wood concrete does not chip in all directions, the material is completely isotropic
- very light, the building does not require a strong foundation. This is with significant strength indicators of wood concrete for compression and flexibility. For one-story light structures, the laying of walls from wood concrete is carried out without inter-row reinforcement.
- ease of processing. Blocks can be drilled, sawn, cut and ditched. And also without problems to make holes for engineering communications
- resistant to erosion, corrosion, do not rot, do not form mold and plaque on the surface, especially when pre-treating wood aggregates
- high speed masonry, compared with brick. Installation work simplified due to light weight which saves labor and construction time
- durability. Have been in operation for over 50 years.
- fireproof
- eco-friendly. The wood concrete house "breathes", it has a good microclimate, and the production of blocks does not harm the environment. Chemical additives introduced into the batch are safe.

Cons of wood concrete

We list the main disadvantages of wood concrete:

when buying, it is difficult to check and choose high-quality blocks. The market is flooded with handicrafts. Some manufacturers focus not on quality, but on PR and marketing tricks, unfortunately, this is our reality. BUT wood concrete block very difficult to assess purely visually, without laboratory tests. It is necessary to check certificates from suppliers, personally measure the geometry of blocks, and avoid fakes. The popularity, ease and benefit of production, as well as the rare qualities of wood concrete ... give such a minus.

wood concrete in natural form does not look very presentable ... it looks like an adobe hut. And it needs a nice finish. In addition, arbolite needs protection from environment- rain and humidity. Not so long ago, blocks with a spectacular and colorful finish appeared, but their cost is still high.

the cost of wood concrete is still higher than other lightweight concretes - gas and foam concrete. Although the arbolite filler is natural and inexpensive, its processing requires an investment of time and money.

Wood concrete masonry technology

Some simple nuances and tricks of wood concrete masonry technology:

outdoor and bearing walls laid out in one or one and a half blocks. Block sizes allow this. Self-supporting walls and partitions are usually made of blocks of 20 * 25 * 50 cm, and external walls - 25 * 30 * 50 cm. The mortar is ordinary cement-sand, as for brickwork, the addition of lime is possible. The thickness of the seams should not exceed 15 mm.
dressing and fitting is carried out according to the type of brickwork, with shifting rows, in order to avoid a decrease in strength and the appearance of cracks in the masonry. Also, as with any masonry, it is obligatory to check the horizon, using building level or laser level.
they begin to lay the walls from the corners, the solution is applied both to the horizontal surface and to the end of the block. Waterproofing under the first row is a must.

wood concrete material is light, so you have to take breaks to dry the masonry. After about 3-4 rows, erected in one shift. This, of course, is a loss of working time. The problem of time is partially solved by adding a hardening accelerator to the solution. You need to know that not all setting accelerators favorably affect the strength of the solution.

about masonry reinforcement. Small light buildings do not reinforce at all, since the compressive and bending strength of the wood concrete is sufficient with a margin. But if the house has two floors, then it is necessary to reinforce the masonry with longitudinal rods, at least in every fourth row. The diameter of the rods and rows are determined by calculation.

the device of armored belts under the Mauerlat, as well as interfloor and basement (if the foundation is not a slab, which is unrealistic) for wood concrete masonry is a severe necessity. Same as for all lightweight concretes. Although the strength of wood concrete makes it possible to arrange a roof of any kind and type of coating, without restrictions. All you need is an armored belt to compensate for point stresses from the rafter system.

lining and protection from rain and direct sun is necessary for a long service life of wood concrete without compromising its qualities. In addition, the roof overhang should be at least 35-50 cm.
cut-off from capillary moisture, or in other words, horizontal waterproofing of the foundation surface for the first wood concrete row is strictly required. Bitumen and bituminous mastics are used.
wood concrete has a very low thermal conductivity, and thermal breaks from the joints are partially compensated, but the seams still give cold "bridges". Bookmark in the inner wasteland dried wooden slats or Styrofoam tapes will prevent heat loss.
and another plus. Arbolite practically does not shrink, experts call the figure 0.4% linear shrinkage, which is very small. You can conduct internal and exterior finish with facing immediately after the end of the masonry.

All building materials have drawbacks, and wood concrete is no exception, and it is still far from the final test of time for the safety of operation. And this material is not so cheap and easy to work with. But its special, unique properties have already attracted the attention of builders to it, and the massive use of building materials based on natural raw materials is only a matter of time.