Arbolite blocks production technology. Complete set of line for the production of wood concrete blocks Making wood concrete proportions for the garage

Arbolit, as a building material, was known back in the days of the USSR, factories worked, and houses were built. After the collapse of the country, the technology was forgotten for some time, and a few years ago it was remembered again. The material turns out to be warm, lightweight, durable, conducts sounds poorly, and its cost is also low. Therefore, wood concrete and wood concrete blocks (wood blocks) are increasingly of interest to private developers.

Let's immediately determine that wood concrete and sawdust concrete are different materials with different characteristics. The wood concrete contains waste from the woodworking industry, but only of a strictly regulated size. There is no other placeholder anymore. Moreover, everything is spelled out in GOSTs and instructions. And the filler is not sawdust, but wood chips with dimensions recommended by the standard not exceeding 40 * 10 * 5 mm.

Properties, advantages and disadvantages

For a private developer, when choosing a building material, the technical characteristics of the material are important. Let's look at wood concrete blocks from this side. So, the characteristics and their short decoding:

The properties are very good. Another thing is that they will only be subject to exact observance of proportions and technology. This is why arblite blocks are dangerous: you don't know how well they are made.

Performance characteristics

As you can see, the characteristics of the arboblock are not bad. To the pluses, you still need to add light weight, large size and good ability to absorb sounds. A very big plus - the blocks are easy to cut, it is easy to give them the desired shape. Another positive point is that nails and screws hold well in the arbolite. On this side, too, no problems.

• Shrinkage - 0.5-0.6%. This parameter shows how much the geometric dimensions of the wall will change under load. The wood concrete has one of the lowest rates.
• Water absorption 40-85%. This figure is very large. If you put a wood concrete block in water, it can absorb a lot of water. For the developer, this means that it is necessary to take care of a good shut-off waterproofing between the foundation and the first row of blocks. Also, an arbolite house needs an exterior finish that will protect the material from moisture. Not so scary. It is much more important that the hygroscopicity of wood concrete is low (the ability to accumulate vaporous moisture). Even in very humid air, it does not get damp, but passes vapors through itself, regulating the humidity in the room.
• Fire resistance - class G1. Arbolite refers to materials that do not support combustion. This is their undoubted plus.

If we talk about technical characteristics, then there is essentially one serious minus - high water absorption. There is one more drawback, but it is from the field of exploitation. Arbolite is very fond of mice. The material is natural and warm. You can solve the problem by making a high base - at least 50 cm.

Arbolite blocks production technology

Arbolit refers to lightweight concrete, the technology is almost standard, with the exception of some nuances: the need for pressing and using not an ordinary gravity concrete mixer during mixing, but a forced one. It mixes chips better with the rest of the components.

Compound

The wood concrete contains four components:

• high quality cement (M 400 or M 500);
• wood chips;
• water;
• chemical additives.

The cement must be dry and fresh. Wood chips are of a certain size. The fewer the mixes, the stronger the block will be. Chemical additives are calcium nitrate and chloride (food additive E509), water glass, aluminum sulphate and some other substances. Please note that they are first diluted in water and only then added to the chips, mixed. Any drinking water is allowed, but not technical, without contamination. After the chips are evenly wet, add cement. Another sequence is not valid.

Types and sizes of blocks

Depending on the density, wood concrete blocks are divided into heat-insulating (up to 500 kg / m 3) and structural (from 500 kg / m 3 to 850 kg / m 3). For the construction of one-story houses, you can use the lightest of the structural ones with a density of 500 kg / m 3. For mansions with 1.5 and 2 floors, the minimum density is 600 kg / m 3 and above.

The sizes of wood concrete blocks can be different. The most common is 500 * 200 mm and different thicknesses - from 100 mm to 400-500 mm. But different factories and workshops produce blocks of different sizes. Molds for them can be welded from ordinary sheet iron, so this is not a problem. The photo shows an example of the assortment of one of the shops.

As you can see, blocks of 600 * 200 mm and 600 * 250 mm also have a thickness from 100 to 500 mm. You can choose suitable for both load-bearing walls and interior partitions. Also, for self-production of wood concrete blocks, it will be possible to make a suitable shape. This is if you decide to do them yourself.

Proportions

Like any building material, wood concrete is divided into strength classes. For the construction of load-bearing walls of houses, the required strength class is B 2.5.

The amount of materials required per cubic meter of wood concrete solution is in the table (photo above).

Pressing technology

All these components are mixed, from which blocks are formed. There are several technologies:

• just by pressing:
  • manual on the floor (great effort is required);
  • manual rammer on a vibrating table.
• pressing with vibration on a vibrating machine.

The easiest way is manual pressing. But it is difficult to control the density and strength of the resulting blocks in this way.

Normal production conditions

For the normal process of cement hydration, a temperature of at least + 12 ° C is required. There are no other conditions. The peculiarity of production is that after the block is formed, at least 2-3 weeks must pass before the start of its use. During this time, the cement will gain about 50-60% strength (depending on the temperature) and you can already work with the blocks. That is, the blocks must be made long before the start of construction. If we consider that the chips must be aged for at least 4 months before using them, then you can start a year before construction.

Another practical point: if you are going to make wood concrete blocks with your own hands, in addition to a platform for kneading and storing components, you need a platform for settling the blocks. The place should be covered, protected from rain and sun. There should be no drafts.

Wood chips for wood concrete: how to get or where to buy

The best wood chips for wood concrete are obtained from pine and spruce. You can also use larch, but when mixing, you need to double the amount of chemical additives. From hardwoods GOST allows the use of aspen, beech, birch, poplar. The main requirements are:

The best wood chips are obtained from lumpy wood waste. It is first passed through chippers and then crushed in a hammer mill. The following mechanisms can be used for this:

• Disc chippers with adjustable knives. Not all of them can be adjusted to obtain the required chip size, but the dimensions will be close.
• Rotary knife crushers. Narrow and narrow chips come out of them, and the length is adjustable. So this is a good option. There is only one "but": there are a lot of knives and with prolonged use they need to be changed or welded (they do not sharpen). On the plus side, we add that this type of crusher can be used to re-crush the process chips obtained during the first crushing (after reconfiguration).
• Shredders or roller shredders. This is expensive equipment (about 1 million rubles), mostly imported, but it is excellent, as it is made for certain sizes of chips.

If you make wood chips yourself - not an option, you can buy it. If possible, you can agree at the plant where wood concrete is produced. Only check the parameters of the chips. If there is none nearby, you can take shavings from under the sizing machines. Some of them can be adjusted so that the chips are not thick.

Features of the manufacture of mortar for wood concrete blocks

Wood waste contains sugars. If fresh raw materials are used, the sugars can begin to ferment, which will destroy the integrity of the block. When mixing, chemical additives are added to the solution that neutralize their effect (water glass, calcium chloride, alumina sulfate, lime). They can be added in combinations: calcium chloride with water glass or sulphate alumina with lime. The total weight of the additives should not exceed 8%.

There are other ways to break down sugars. The simplest, but requiring a long period of time, is to keep the chips for at least 90 days in a heap in the air. If there is no way to wait, the chips are soaked for 3 days in lime milk, stirring occasionally. Then they strain it off, do not dry it, in this form it is used for kneading. Only in this case it is necessary to take into account that much less water is required. This method works well, but it is very troublesome. It is easier to find an opportunity to purchase chemical additives.

The procedure and features of mixing the solution

For mixing the solution, a forced-type concrete mixer is used. You can also use an ordinary gravitational or "pear", but you have to knead in it for a long time, although you can adapt - tilt the pear as low as possible during kneading (when raised, it hardly mixes).

First, sawdust is poured, a certain amount of water is added. While the sawdust gets wet, chemical additives are diluted in a small amount of water, then they are unloaded into a concrete mixer. When all the wood is evenly wet, cement is poured. It is loaded in portions, waiting for uniform distribution over the entire volume. The cement should wrap around every chip on all sides. This is possible only if the sawdust is well wet, therefore this stage is carefully monitored.

Block molding

The solution is spread into molds. Most often they are made of metal, they represent a box with handles without a bottom. The form is placed on a flat surface (a board, for example). With manual ramming, the molds are filled with wood concrete solution, layer by layer, each of which is pressed with a metal platform with a handle. In order for the air to escape better, the thickness of the material is pierced several times with a metal rod, after which it is pressed again. This procedure can be repeated several times, until you reach the desired layer density, after which you can fill in the next one. Layers are poured to the upper edge of the block, after the final ramming, the top is leveled, cutting off the excess with a metal bar.

You can use a lever - mechanical or with a drive. In this case, the effort develops significant and the entire volume can be loaded at once, if necessary, supplementing to the edge. To achieve a high density, you can press several times, then increasing, then weakening the pressure. Experience shows that with this principle of manufacturing arbolite blocks, they are more durable, unpressing (restoration of the shape due to the elastic force of the chips) appears much less.

Blocks of better strength and with less effort are obtained if vibration is added to the pressing process. In this case, the efforts required to obtain the required strength are reduced significantly. For these purposes, vibrating tables are made. And the process is called vibration with a load.

The formed block on a support is transferred to the drying place. If the solution allows and the block keeps its shape, the frame can be removed. But sometimes homemade wood concrete blocks sin by the fact that the solution turns out to be too liquid - it's easier to ram it this way. In this case, the blocks are left in the mold for a day. Use and transportation of blocks is possible no earlier than 2-3 weeks after molding.

Features of the construction of their wood concrete blocks

The blocks are laid according to the brick type - with bandaging of the seams, on a cement-sand mortar. Of the features - the thickness of the seam is about 8-10 mm. Between the foundation and the first row of blocks, it is necessary to make a very high-quality shut-off waterproofing. This is to exclude the suction of moisture through the foundation from the soil. We make combined waterproofing - first we impregnate with bitumen mastic or any other coating waterproofing, on top we lay roll waterproofing. Previously, roofing material was always used, but today it is of poor quality and will collapse in a couple of years. And it is important to exclude moisture leakage (due to the high water absorption of wood concrete), therefore use a waterproofing or something similar. It is possible, in two layers, also smeared with bituminous mastic.

The next nuance is masonry over window and doorways. It is best to use special U-shaped blocks, in which to lay the reinforcing frame and 4 bars of reinforcement with a diameter of 10-12 mm. It is better to tie it so that there is less chance of corrosion. First, blocks with grooves are installed above the opening. They can be supported from below with a board and spacers. Then the frame is laid, everything is poured with concrete. Leave the structure for a day, after which the props can be removed and masonry can be continued.

There are many nuances of building a house from wood concrete blocks in the video.

The production of building materials today is a fairly profitable industry. This is due to the high demand for everything related to the construction of buildings. All developers are trying to use proven materials and introduce new technologies that will be less costly in cost and more practical to use.

Despite the huge assortment of building blocks, wood concrete has become very popular. Its production technology depends on the conditions in which it is manufactured. The material itself has excellent operational properties and characteristics.

What is wood concrete?

It is a building material that comes in the form of blocks. They have a certain size and composition. Due to the fact that natural raw materials are used in its production, it has excellent technical characteristics.

Methods for the production of wood concrete blocks

Wood concrete manufacturing technology can be applied:

• in factory production;
• at home making.

Raw materials for the production of wood concrete

Wood concrete manufacturing technology is characterized by the use of certain materials:

• concrete grade 400 or 500;
• chemical additive;
• organic filler.

There are some guidelines for the selection of raw materials. For example, you need to buy concrete that is made on the basis of a binder. Higher strength concrete can also be used. Liquid glass, chloride or organic fillers are used as a chemical additive: crushed cotton stalks, crushed rice straws and much more.

Arbolite, which is distinguished by the use of certain means, may have different For example, blocks having a density of less than 500 kg / m 3 are classified as heat-insulating wood concrete. And those that have a density of more than 500 kg / m 3 already belong to the group of structural blocks.

Accordingly, the first version of wood concrete is most often used for construction, but load-bearing wood concrete structures are built from the second.

Material manufacturing stages

Wood concrete manufacturing technology consists of several stages:

• preparation of a certain amount of organic filler;
• work on soaking wood chips in a solution of calcium chloride;
• dosing of certain components of wood concrete;
• directly making blocks.

Preparing the organic placeholder

Any production of building materials is characterized by the preliminary preparation of all the necessary raw materials. The wood in the blocks is crushed and formed into certain heaps. They must be put under a canopy and kept at an optimal outside temperature of +15 ... + 25 degrees for about 1 month. After that, the wood is crushed into chips in special equipment.

Only such an action must be approached responsibly. Chips have their own specific faction. The quality of the wood concrete mixture depends on it. A sliver of 10-20 mm in size characterizes the fractional composition of 70%, 5-10 mm is already referred to as 30% of the fraction.

Soaking wood and preparing calcium chloride solution

The chips obtained during crushing must be soaked in water. In this case, the temperature of the liquid should be at least +20 degrees. The entire soaking process lasts up to 6 hours. All these actions help to increase the strength of wood concrete blocks. It is necessary to constantly monitor the filling of wood with water. The moisture content of the resulting raw materials should be no more than 30%.

After this time, a previously prepared solution of calcium chloride is poured into the liquid tank. The foaming agent is also sent to the same container.

Dosing of the constituents of the future building material

An important stage, which the wood concrete manufacturing technology possesses, is the correct dosage of all components. It is on this that the quality of wood concrete blocks and its strength indicator depend. The dosage of crushed soaked chips should take into account the moisture content of the raw material. All ingredients are weighed and dosed according to certain established parameters (GOST). You can use special equipment for this process. It should be borne in mind that it is quite expensive, and in the conditions of non-commercial production, it is impractical to buy it.

Block making process

It is necessary to prepare specialized equipment for wood concrete. At the stage of mixing the ingredients, it includes concrete mixers and other devices that can qualitatively mix high-density mixtures and bring them to a certain consistency.

The order in which the components are laid down plays an important role. Prepared wood chips are initially filled up. Then - cement. After that, water and chemical fillers are poured. They can be swapped in production. Whom it will be convenient. Only the supply of all liquids should be passed through a special flow meter.

It is necessary to make the molds for the blocks in advance. As a rule, they are wooden, and can be of any size. Inside it, linoleum is laid out along the entire perimeter. It will make it possible, after the mixture has hardened, to freely pull the block out of the mold. Also, its surface is coated with a special agent.

Quite often, a vibrating table is used at home for the manufacture of wood concrete blocks. It distributes the mixture evenly. After that, the forms filled with the composition are exposed under a canopy and are there until they completely solidify. In some cases, certain additives are used to help shorten the curing time of the cement composition.

Made at home, it can only be carried out after a certain period, usually after 14-20 days. During this time, the blocks will completely harden, dry and be ready for laying.

As technological progress moves forward, new materials appear for building houses with your own hands. If earlier the business was limited to wood, stone or brick, today there are various types of concrete that are superior to other materials in terms of their characteristics. One of these materials is wood concrete. It is a unique material that combines the advantages of both concrete and wood. Its composition is quite simple, and you can prepare the solution yourself. It is noteworthy that it can be used like ordinary concrete, by pouring the mixture into the formwork, or it can be made in the form of blocks for ordinary masonry. Arbolite blocks can be bought in a specialized store, or you can prepare a solution with your own hands by making blocks from a ready-made mixture.

All you need is to know the exact composition of wood concrete, the proportions for mixing the mixture and the technology for its preparation. Let's take a closer look at everything.

Arbolite block - what does it consist of

Arbolite, from which arbolite blocks for masonry are formed, consists of 3 main components:

• aggregate;
• mineral binder;
• chemical additives and water.

By combining all these elements, an arbolite solution is obtained, which is subsequently used to form blocks. The composition is quite simple and everyone can make material for their own purposes. The material itself is lightweight, so the blocks are ideal for the tub. Their advantage, in comparison with gas blocks and foam blocks, is a large border of strength. They are resistant to cracks and impacts.

Despite the fact that the main component is sawdust (chips), wood concrete is highly valued and is not inferior in characteristics to traditional materials. On the contrary, wood concrete blocks retain heat well and create a good indoor climate.

Organic placeholder

Wood chips take the lion's share in the composition of wood-concrete blocks. This is the main material that is included in its composition. Such organic filler can be easily purchased for little money. It is worth contacting the local sawmill, where there is woodworking waste and agreeing with the workers. Conifers and hardwoods are predominantly used. Fir, pine, spruce, aspen, beech, birch and poplar are ideal for making wood concrete mortar out of them. You can also use a flax campfire.

Most often, wood filler is used: crushed chips, shavings with sawdust, in a 1: 1 or 1: 2 ratio, chips, shavings and sawdust, in a 1: 1: 1 ratio. All proportions are measured in volume. For example, if you need to achieve a ratio of 1: 2, then take 1 bucket of sawdust and 2 buckets of shavings. Sawdust is easily replaced by flax fire or hemp stalks, this will not affect the composition.

What are the requirements for a placeholder? First of all, it is important to choose the right size for them. It is not recommended to use large sawdust, because when the products come into contact with water, they can increase in volume. As a result, the block may collapse. If too small particles are used, then the consumption of the cement mixture increases. The recommended particle size is 15 or 25 mm long and no more than 2-5 mm wide. Raw materials should not have leaves and other impurities.

A warning ! Larch and freshly cut wood of any species are not added to the composition of wood concrete solutions. It is forbidden!

Bonfire flax

Flax fire is a full-fledged filler added to the solution. Since it contains sugar, chemical additives are necessarily used. To improve the quality of the ready-made mixture for blocks, the fire is pre-processed with limestone milk, in the proportion: 200 kg of fire to 50 kg of lime. Then everything is aged for several days in a heap, after which everything is ready for the production of wood concrete. Thanks to this technology, cement consumption is significantly reduced. 1 m 3 of wood concrete requires 50-100 kg of cement.

Important ! If the flax is used in its usual form, then the hemp stems require some processing. They must first be crushed.

Due to the fact that organic waste contains substances that are soluble in water, including resin acids and sugar, this prevents good adhesion between particles. To remove sugar, wood chips need to be exposed to air for 3 months or more, or treated with limestone. In the second case, the mixture is kept for 3-4 days. The contents are mixed 2 times a day.

Mineral astringent

There is no way you can make a solution with your own hands without an astringent component. It makes wood concrete blocks durable and suitable for masonry. Portland cement grade M400, M500 or even higher is used as a binder.

Its consumption depends on the type of aggregate, particle size, cement grade, characteristics, etc. To get a little orientation, you can determine the consumption in this way: coefficient 17 must be multiplied by the required grade of wood concrete. For example, you need to prepare a grade 15 (B1) solution. In this case, 255 kg of cement will be required for 1 m 3 of wood concrete.

Chemical additives

The properties that wood concrete blocks have are directly dependent on chemical additives. Their use is mandatory in any case, no matter what climate the work is done in. Thanks to additives, the aggregate can be used without aging, because they neutralize sugar and other substances, which improves the quality of the finished blocks.

As such additives can be used:

• liquid glass (sodium silicate). Closes all the pores in the wood, so moisture does not get inside. Used after removing sugar;
• slaked lime. It breaks down sugar and kills microorganisms in sawdust;
• sulfuric acid aluminum. Perfectly breaks down sugar. Thanks to the component, the composition gains strength faster;
• calcium chloride. Kills all microorganisms and gives wood anti-rotting properties.

Sulfuric aluminum and calcium chloride are considered the best additives. The proportions of additives are 2-4% by weight of cement, or from 6 to 12 kg per 1 m 3. Supplements can be combined with each other.

Proportions for wood concrete blocks

To make wood concrete blocks with your own hands, it is important to know not only the composition, but also the proportions. The ratio of all components to each other is as follows: 4: 3: 3 (water, wood chips, cement). Chemical additives - 2-4% of the total weight.

To make 1 m 3 of wood concrete with your own hands, from which blocks for masonry will be made, you will need:

• 300 kg of wood waste;
• 300 kg of Portland cement;
• 400 liters of water.

Calcium chloride or other chemical is added to the solution. This is a classic composition that can be easily made by hand. All you need is a concrete mixer or a large mixing container, buckets, shovels, a pitchfork (for manual mixing) and all the wood concrete components. The work process is as follows:

1. The filler (chips) is poured into a container and moistened with water. Then the adhesion to the cement will be better.
2. Then, cement with additives is gradually added. The contents are thoroughly mixed in a concrete mixer or with your own hands, using a pitchfork.
3. Now is the time to add water in which chemical additives have already been dissolved. Everything is mixed again.
4. Both cement and water do not need to be added immediately, but gradually, in small portions. This will make the mixture easier to mix and the components will better combine with each other.
5. After the solution is made, it must be placed in prepared molds so that they take the form of blocks for masonry.

This is the composition and proportions of a mixture of wood concrete blocks, which can be made by hand. All that is required is to be careful and strictly adhere to the instructions for its preparation. Below is a table that will help you figure out what brands of wood concrete are and what are the proportions of the components for its preparation.

What solution is used for masonry

This is a logical question. After all, if wood concrete is a specific material, then maybe a specific solution will be required for laying wood concrete blocks? No. Arbolite blocks are placed on ordinary cement mortar, which anyone can make. It is composed of cement, sand and water. The ratio of the components is 3: 1. Water is added until the solution reaches the desired consistency. This mixture is ideal for DIY blocks.

So, knowing the composition, proportions and technology of mixing wood concrete mortar, you can make blocks for your purposes.

Several types of consumables are used in construction. But along with the traditional silicate bricks and cinder blocks, a new type has become widespread - arbolite. For its manufacture, wood industry waste is used.

Properties of wood concrete blocks

Before considering the properties, advantages and disadvantages of wood concrete, it is necessary to determine its composition and the specifics of the equipment. Wood chips are used as a base, which is added to a solution with water, cement and other chemical additives.

There are regulatory documents that describe in detail the requirements for the properties and characteristics of wood concrete - GOST 19222-84 and SN 49-82. They must be studied in detail before designing a mini-machine for the production of wood concrete.

For the production of building material, it will be necessary to form chips with certain geometric parameters. The optimal dimensions should be 40 * 10 * 5 mm. Otherwise, the required properties of hand-made wood concrete blocks will not be achieved.

Features of production and equipment parameters:

• compound. Approximate ratio of components: cement - 200 kg; sawdust - 125 kg; sand - 450 kg; calcium chloride - 4% of the total mass; water - 220 l.;
• optimal sizes. The length is 25 cm, the width is 5-10 cm; height - 3-5 cm;
• the minimum amount of moisture in the chips. An integrated approach is needed to address this problem. First, pre-drying is performed, and then chemical components are added to mineralize the composition.

Do-it-yourself equipment for the manufacture of wood concrete blocks can be configured for the production of building materials of two types: heat-insulating or structural. In the first case, the density must be at least 400 kg / m³. For thermal insulation of walls, you can use products whose specific gravity is lower than this indicator.

Despite the presence of wood chips in the composition, moisture is practically not absorbed due to preliminary mineralization. That is why do-it-yourself wood concrete blocks are used for the construction of baths and private houses.

Complete set of line for the production of wood concrete blocks

An important stage is the preliminary preparation of raw materials for the production of wood concrete blocks with your own hands. Chips of the appropriate shape can be harvested manually or the simplest chip cutter can be built. To do this, you need to make a shaft on the surface of which cutting edges are made. The chip catcher is a casing that is installed on the cutting element.

After the preparation of raw materials, it goes through a preliminary drying stage. Additionally, sawdust can be added to the composition in a 1: 1 ratio to shavings. The humidity level should not be higher than 5%. Then the process of forming finished products is carried out. To make them at home, you will need the following minimum set of equipment:

• wood chip cutter;
• concrete mixer. With its help, the solution is kneaded;
• forms. Its dimensions must correspond to the dimensions described above;
• vibrating table. It is necessary for uniform distribution of material in the volume of the mold;
• pressing machine. Building material is formed under pressure;
• device for carrying workpieces. After pressing, the wood concrete will still be quite fragile. Therefore, special portable devices are required for transportation to the drying place.

The greatest difficulty is the production of a homemade vibrating table and pressing machine. They are the main equipment for the production of wood concrete blocks with their own hands.

The closest analogue of the machine for wood concrete is a device for the formation of cinder blocks. Its design can be taken as the basis for the production of a homemade line.

Wood concrete block production line

The best option is the production of a homemade vibrating table, as well as a small hand press for the final shaping of the building material. In the future, they can be used in equipment for the production of cinder block, paving slabs, etc.

For the production of a vibrating table, you will need a support frame and a steel table top. The latter will be mounted on support springs. Vibration occurs due to the movement of the eccentric located in the center of the tabletop.

The mold must have a removable bottom. After the final formation of the product, it is placed on a wooden support and transferred to the drying area. Any homemade design can be used as a press. The lever arrangement is optimal.

Do-it-yourself mass production of blocks requires a professional line. Its cost depends on performance and configuration.

The video material shows an example of production with a minimum line configuration:

Arbolite blocks are lightweight building material for walls of low-rise buildings. It is made from wood chips, sawdust, water, chemicals and cement.

Industrial crossbow blocks are in the form of parallelepipeds of the correct configuration. They are made by pressing a mixture of chips and mortar using special equipment. This type of building material is also known as wood concrete. Building material of this type is easily made at home with the necessary ingredients, equipment and technological requirements.

Scope and classification of wood concrete bricks

Arbolite products belong to the group of lightweight concrete. The scope of their application is determined by the density characteristic of the given building material:

1. For thermal insulation protection of premises.
2. For non-structural walls.
3. For the construction of auxiliary buildings, outbuildings.

Arbolite is classified according to the density of dry material:

1. For thermal insulation - with a density of less than 500 kg / m 3.
2. On a structural one - with a density of 500-800 kg / m 3.

On the basis used for filling the mixtures, arbolite is isolated from wood chips, straw from rice, hemp bast, waste cotton, flax fiber.

Arbolite blocks, technical characteristics

Technical indicators of wood concrete blocks made in accordance with GOST and their dependence on other factors:

• Hardness - 0.35-3.5 MPa. This characteristic depends on the composition of the mixture, the brand of cement, and the quality of sugar neutralization. It is decisive for creating a block of a given density and strength.
• Density - average value 400-850 kg / m 3. The manufacture of wood concrete blocks assumes that this characteristic is regulated by changing the proportions of cement and organic filler. The higher the average density, the stronger the product.
• Thermal conductivity - 0.07-0.17 W / (mC). The greater the proportion of binders used in the manufacture of the mixture, the higher this indicator. A low thermal conductivity indicates that the product has high thermal insulation properties, and indicates a low strength of the blocks.
• Frost resistance - 25-50 cycles. This characteristic determines the maximum allowable indication of seasonal sequential freezing and thawing, which the building material can withstand without being completely destroyed. Wall treatment with plaster or other protective materials increases the indicator.

• Shrinkage - 4-5 mm / m or 0.4-0.5%. The indicator is in direct proportion to the average density of the material - the lower the density, the higher the shrinkage.
• Water absorption - 45-80%. In comparison with the popular building material - foam block, this figure is higher, that is, the water-repellent property of wood concrete is 3-4 times lower. Arbolite blocks need additional protective measures and treatment with water-insulating preparations.
• Water vapor permeability - 0.19 mg / (m h Pa). High value of the indicator, similar to the vapor permeability of natural wood.
• Sound transmission - 126-2000 Hz. A high value of the indicator, wood concrete blocks practically do not need forced sound insulation.
• The maximum number of storeys of a building made of wood concrete blocks is 2-3 floors with the corresponding weight of the floors.
• The cost of this material is about 90 EUR per 1 m 3.

Arbolite blocks, construction: advantages and disadvantages

Arbolite blocks are a unique material that optimally combines a wide range of positive, useful characteristics with a small number of disadvantages. The advantages of this building material are as follows:

• High resistance to bending loads due to the fillers used in the manufacture. The main quality of the building material is the protection of surfaces from cracking during vibrations and shrinkage.
• High aerobic and anaerobic properties. The material is not subject to decay, does not create conditions for the development of fungi and mold in the volume.
• The manufacturing process of wood concrete blocks is environmentally friendly. The composition does not contain carcinogenic organic ingredients. The finished brick does not emit harmful substances, does not generate dust, does not cause allergic reactions during its service life.
• Fireproof material, does not support combustion, has high resistance to high temperatures.
• Resistant to mechanical stress, impact force, abrasion.
• High variability. Arbolite blocks, the size and shape of which are determined solely by imagination, allow the production of building bricks according to individual parameters and specified dimensions for an exclusive structure.
• The material handles well and holds the fasteners securely.
• Wood concrete blocks have a low specific weight. Possibility to build buildings with light foundations. Any kind of finishing materials are suitable for decorating internal and external surfaces made of wood concrete.
• The plasticity of the block remains even after it has completely dried out. By damping additional loads, the block compresses up to 10% without damaging its internal structure.
• The low thermal conductivity of the material allows you to save on heating the building.

There is only one drawback of wood concrete blocks - a high level of water absorption. The only drawback is easily removed by applying a special protective coating.

Equipment for the production of wood concrete blocks

The technology of manufacturing wood concrete blocks requires the organization of a small factory with specific devices. Production of wood concrete blocks, equipment of paramount importance:

1. Wood chips catcher.
2. Container for the mixture.
3. Vibrating sieve.
4. Falling table.
5. Shock-shaking table.
6. Form inserts.
7. Detachable form.
8. Metal tray form.
9. Vibration shaping unit.

At home, wood concrete is prepared from a specific mixture. The required size is obtained in special home-made flasks. The form is made from ordinary wooden boxes, upholstered from the inside with linoleum. The wood concrete is laid in the mold in layers, in 2-3 passes, each layer is carefully tamped. The last layer is not smoothed, but left uneven, the distance to the edge of the sides is kept about 2 cm, it is filled with plaster mortar. The recommended holding time of the block in the mold is at least 24 hours.

For mass production, a machine for wood concrete blocks is used. The productivity of such equipment reaches 50 blocks per hour, the cost is from 120 EUR.

Arbolite blocks production technology and required materials

The composition of wood concrete contains cement M400 / M500. To give the products high strength, it is possible to use a different brand. Small wood shavings, homogeneous chips, sawdust serve as a filler for concrete. The deficiency of any of the listed filling ingredients is replaced with improvised materials: needles, foliage, bark. The required percentage of the added substitute is maintained, it should not exceed 5% of the total mass of the main filling material.

The fractional size of the fillers is monitored. Restriction in thickness up to 5 mm, in length no more than 25 mm. Organics are preliminarily passed through a grinder, crushed to a specified size. The prepared mixture is mixed with cement mortar.

In the factory, organic sugar neutralizers must be added to organic matter and organic waste. A measure necessary for binding and removing sugar, which has a detrimental effect on the strength of the finished wood concrete. Common inhibitors are aluminum sulfate and calcium chloride.

The production of wood concrete at home excludes the use of chemical reagents due to their shortage in free sale. Without the reaction of decomposition of sugars, the prepared mixture begins to "ferment", gases swell the surface, forming voids and defects in the volume.

There is a possibility to exclude a negative process. Wood waste is dried in a ventilated room or in an open space for 3.5-4 months. Under the influence of heat and convection, natural drying and evaporation of substances dissolved in water, including sucrose and their derivatives, occurs. Only fibers with a low acceptable cellulose content remain in dry wood.

Mortar mixing process:

• Wood pulp and organic filler are loaded into a crusher and crushed to an acceptable consistency.
• To completely neutralize sugar, fine wood pulp is mixed with dry cement and immersed in a 5% -10% lime solution. Withstand up to 3 hours.
• Throw away the mass on a roar. Allow the liquid to drain.
• If necessary, water is poured into the viscous mass, mixed until homogeneous, so that a pasty thick gruel is obtained.
• A mixture is made taking into account the proportions of the main materials: 4 parts of water, 3 parts of cement, 3 parts of filler.
• The finished mixture is centrifuged in a concrete mixer until the lumps and clots are completely broken.
• Check the mass for readiness. Quality mixture, crumbly. When squeezed in the hand, it retains its shape, does not blur or deform.
• The mixture is loaded into the molds until solidification.
• Ready-made wood concrete blocks are taken out.

Construction from the available material is carried out as the homemade brick substitute arrives. A properly organized and streamlined process allows you to get up to 100 pieces per day with manual mixing.

Useful information about the process of making wood concrete blocks

• A solution of wood and concrete is mixed in a concrete mixer for high-quality breaking of lumps.
• If the finished mass turned out to be viscous, and not crumbly, it is dried in a natural way, a quarter of the cement rate and a quarter of the filler rate are added.
• When the sawdust and shavings are kept outdoors, they need to be stirred from time to time with a shovel. If this is not possible, the mass is treated with calcium oxide. For 1 m 3 of raw materials, in this case, 200 liters of a 1.5% solution are needed. The shavings and sawdust treated with the solution are left for 96 hours, stirring every 6-8 hours.
• To speed up the hardening process of the mixture, dry calcium chloride is added to it.

How to make wood concrete blocks on your own, the video will tell you in detail and intelligibly.