Properties and composition of silicate brick

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Given the speed of construction of new buildings, as well as the need to create a new housing stock, it should be noted that sand-lime brick is most often used in construction as a material for walls. This is a practical and reliable material. We will consider the features, properties and composition of silicate brick in our today's article.

Composition and characteristics

This brick is widespread in Russia. Despite the ease of execution of this building material, it has always been interesting what silicate brick is made of. The composition of this material is as follows:

• A special mixture made from slag and ash.
• Slurry.
• Lime used in construction.
• Sand, which is used in the manufacture of silicate products.
• Slag sand.
• Water is included as a diluent in silicate brick.
• Chromium oxide is used to make the material resistant to alkalis.

Ash-slag mixture is used to increase the thermal insulation properties of the finished product. Also, this mixture reduces the density, but increases the strength of the brick. Moreover, this mixture often completely eliminates the use of such material as quartz sand. A special role in the production is played by the fact that water is used in small quantities, that is, not a watery mixture is obtained, but rather solid, only slightly moistened in order to shape the finished product. This technology allows:

• Make the production of bricks cheaper, respectively, the cost of the finished product decreases, which makes it more affordable.
• The production time for this product is reduced by 15%.

The composition of silicate brick is initially regulated by law and certain standards. They will be listed below.

Silicate brick and GOST

The composition and characteristics of silicate brick are regulated by the following documents:

1. SNiP 3.03.01-87 "Bearing and enclosing structures".
2. GOST 379-95 "Brick and silicate stones".
3. GOST 23421-79 "Device for batch transportation of sand-lime bricks".

Varieties

Despite the fact that there are certain standards for the production of this building material, the composition of silicate brick according to GOST provides for several varieties:

• First in the list by the number of products producedis a lime-ash brick. It mostly consists of ash, which is 80% of the total mass and lime, the content of which is 20% of the mass.
• In second place in terms of production is slag-lime brick, by the name of which you can understand that the main part consists of slag, and this is about 90%, and lime, which makes up the remaining 10%. In this case, as mentioned earlier, the composition of silicate brick excludes the use of quartz sand as a component, which favorably affects the properties of the product.
• Third place for lime-sand brick. Unlike the previous type, quartz sand is used as the main component. Only 10% of the total composition is lime.

Sizes and shapes

Each production strives to satisfy the desires of the consumer as much as possible, therefore, over time, various modifications have appeared that have acquired the markings "U" and "O". What does it mean:

• Marking "O" indicates that this is a standard, single brick, measuring 250 × 120 × 65 millimeters. The mass of the finished product according to the standard should not exceed 3.8 kilograms.
• If the finished product is marked "U", this indicates that this type is thickened. The dimensions differ only in terms of thickness, namely 250×120×88 millimeters, with a mass of 4.3 kilograms.

Modifications

It is also possible to break silicate brick into subspecies, depending on its modification. According to these parametersdistinguish between hollow brick and solid. It is not possible to fully consider all possible modifications. An important factor is that they have different thermal conductivity and strength. But despite this, the manufacturer can fulfill the individual orders of the buyer, that is, the percentage of hollowness varies up to 40%, but at the same time, the manufacturer cannot guarantee strength, since changes to the parameters specified by GOST are not subject to warranty cases and everything is done on fear and risk of the customer. When using hollow bricks, the thermal conductivity of the building material is noticeably improved. This increases the cost of installation, as well as the amount of the binder mixture.

Structure of sand-lime brick

Another parameter is the scope of the product. Brick is usually a rough brick, which is used in the main masonry of the building and will subsequently be hidden under decorative materials. The functions of such a brick are to create the integrity of the structure, to provide the necessary strength, sound insulation, and thermal conductivity of the building. This type allows some chips and minor damage, which is not critical. Facing silicate brick is also produced, the purpose of which is to give the appearance of the finished structure. Outwardly, it has a relief structure, as well as a different color, which changes both at the production stage (by adding pigment) and after the creation of finished products, by surface staining.

Main advantages

Given the weight, dimensions, shapes, modifications, applications, as well as the composition of sand-lime bricks, there are several main advantages that make it in demand in construction for a long time:

• Over time, silicate brick acquires additional rigidity due to standing, which also positively affects its frost resistance.
• Possibility of a wide choice of finished products. Hollow brick plays an especially important role. The fact is that this modification allows you to use a less solid foundation, and when building a large room, this factor is very significant.
• No possibility of s alt extraction. As has been repeatedly observed in various buildings, white spots form on some sections of the walls. This phenomenon is due to the fact that over time, the brick loses moisture, and at the same time releases s alts, which often adversely affects the decorative finish.
• Versatility of use. Often, design solutions have unexpected shapes and designs, which is simply impossible to realize when using large-sized building material. The brick has a small size, thanks to which it is more suitable for the implementation of even the most sophisticated solutions.
• 100% sustainable production.
• Excellent sound insulation is important. Subject to all norms and rules for the construction of household and industrial premises, silicate brick allowsachieve the highest level of sound insulation compared to other building materials. It is much more comfortable to live in such houses than in panel ones. At the same time, the walls do not need to be additionally insulated and insulated in any way.

Brick applications

Sand-lime brick is a very popular material, the composition of which fully complies with accepted norms and standards. It is used in almost all areas of construction. So, you can see large apartment buildings and private buildings built using it. The material is also used in the construction of internal walls and partitions, fences near houses in the private sector, and even ventilation ducts.