Choosing best option building material, the question arises: gas silicate or aerated concrete, which is better? So porous concrete blocks often used to construct building walls and ceilings. They have many general properties, due to which they compete with each other. For this reason, people wonder when choosing aerated concrete or gas silicate, what is the difference? Their differences are due to the method of preparation.
Features of aerated concrete and gas silicate
It's worth taking a closer look distinctive qualities each of the materials:
- Aerated concrete is composite material, which is done according to classical schemes, when the process of hardening occurs in natural conditions. The products are characterized by the presence of a porous structure, when air sections with a spherical shape and a diameter of 3 mm are evenly located in them. The binding element is Portland cement, the amount of which in aerated concrete blocks exceeds 50%. Based on its concentration, the color of the product and the basic properties of the material are determined;
- Gas silicate products also have air cells. The main elements used to create them are quartz sand and lime. Typically the ratio of components is 3:1. For the gas formation process, aluminum powder is added to the composition, as well as water to bring the solution to the desired consistency. Next, the mixture is filled into a special form, which should be received as a finished building material. Production is carried out using autoclave technology, when products are subjected to heat treatment, placed in special chambers where high pressure. At the end, the massif is cut to the required silicate dimensions aerated concrete block.
Considering that both types of building materials are porous concrete, each of them has its own characteristics, which determine how aerated concrete differs from gas silicate.
External difference
An unprepared person, seeing similar building materials nearby for the first time, will not be able to give an exact answer as to where the gas silicate block is and where the aerated concrete block is. But they have their own visual differences, which are determined by their composition and production technology. For example, Portland cement is not used in the manufacturing process of silicate products. But in the creation of aerated concrete it is needed, since it is its binding element. This factor affects the color of the products, which represents external difference gas silicate blocks from aerated concrete:
- Thus, the first ones are created using the autoclave method and contain a large number of lime, thanks to which they have White color;
- In the second products, the acquisition of characteristics occurs under conditions of natural hardening using Portland cement, which gives them a gray tint.
Due to changes in the amount of binder in materials, their color deviates from other similar products. Thus, with an increase/decrease in the cement content in aerated concrete, its color can vary, ranging from dark gray to light gray. But for silicate options, the color scheme starts with bright white and ends with a grayish-white color. In addition, the difference between similar building materials is at different levels hygroscopicity:
- Gas silicate at high humidity absorbs it faster, because when a sharp temperature change occurs, this leads to a violation of the integrity of the blocks;
- It is more difficult for liquids to get into aerated concrete products, which is due to the closed air pores. Thanks to this, such materials have good strength and moisture resistance.
Such blocks require finishing due to their porous outer surface. To create with their help comfortable conditions in premises, it is required to carry out proper external and internal finishing.
Advantages of gas silicate
This type of building blocks is popular. It is produced by using lime as the main binding element and is processed using the autoclave method. Its advantages include the following properties
- Strength. Thanks to the technology of creating blocks, they are evenly distributed throughout the entire volume. air bubbles, which allows gas silicate to have high strength properties. It is less prone to cracks and shrinkage.
Given the same density indicators, aerated silicate products have a strength level 1.5 times greater than aerated concrete.
- Noise insulation. Due to the presence of an increased number of pores inside the materials, it has good noise insulation properties;
- Specific gravity. Due to the smaller mass of such blocks, their use requires less requirements for the bearing capacity of the foundation. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of construction when using them;
- Block shape. Due to the fact that after autoclave processing the material is cut to obtain the required dimensions, permissible deviations do not exceed 3 mm;
- Aesthetics. Buildings constructed from white gas silicate have a more attractive appearance.
Advantages of aerated concrete
Even taking into account the lower strength and thermal insulation parameters, there are differences between aerated concrete and gas silicate that speak in favor of the first material:
- Moisture absorption. Such products have a low level of moisture absorption, which is due to the smaller volume of pores in the structure of the products. But when using them, it is necessary to create a special protective coating;
- Price. The most significant factor influencing the choice of material is its cost. In this regard, aerated concrete is more accessible;
- Frost resistance. Aerated concrete has increased stability to negative temperatures, which is necessary for the use of building materials in regions with harsh climates. This is due to its ability to withstand repeated freezing followed by thawing without losing its integrity;
- Fire resistance. Considering that aerated silicate also has good fire resistance, aerated concrete has the best resistance to fire. elevated temperature, as well as open fire.
Considering the difference between gas silicate blocks and aerated concrete blocks, it is worth noting that both types of materials, when used correctly, provide a long period operation of the building.
Which block to choose for construction
When determining what is best for building a house, experts recommend choosing gas silicate, which is superior to aerated concrete in many respects. This is due to the fact that silicate materials are made at special enterprises where the quality of the products is closely monitored. For this purpose, special equipment is used, and laboratory tests are also carried out. But this affects the price, which makes the material more expensive.
Many multi-apartment developers, due to greater availability and low hygroscopicity, prefer aerated concrete. It is used for the construction of walls in monolithic frame structures. Each material can be used for the same purposes, subject to technological requirements. In total, such products are used in the following areas:
- Low-rise housing construction;
- Construction of industrial or commercial facilities;
- Construction of sports facilities;
- Construction of public buildings.
- The scope of application of such blocks is determined by weight and strength:
- Heavy options with high density can be used for the purpose of erecting main walls or partitions in low-rise construction;
- Average in terms of performance, the product is structural and thermal insulating. Therefore, they are used for the construction of private small houses or cottages;
- Products with low strength are preferably used to create thermal insulation, and their use for the construction of loaded structures is prohibited.
The difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate is the technology for creating such blocks and their main characteristics. Everyone determines for themselves which building material is more preferable for the construction of a particular building. It is important to build on technical specifications materials and financial possibilities.
Currently under construction low-rise buildings blocks of light cellular types of concrete are used - aerated concrete and gas silicate. These blocks are identical in composition: lime, cement, aluminum powder and quartz sand. The difference between them lies in the quantitative content of raw materials and at what stage it enters the manufacturing process. Let's figure out how these blocks differ, as well as what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Definition
Aerated concrete- one of the types of cellular concrete, which is an artificially created stone having spherical pores (cells) with a diameter of 1–3 mm, which are evenly distributed throughout the material. The quality of the final product depends on the degree of uniformity of their distribution. Aerated concrete is made from cement by natural hardening (sometimes by autoclave hardening).
Gas silicate- a type of cellular concrete. The basis of gas silicate is lime; in addition, the material contains water, sand and gas-forming additives (usually aluminum powder). Gas silicate blocks are obtained as a result of autoclave (furnace thermal) treatment. That is, the mixture is poured into a mold and sent to an autoclave, then the block resulting from the heat treatment process is cut into blocks using a string required sizes.
Comparison
The main difference between them is that the basis of the composition of aerated concrete is cement, and the basis of gas silicate is lime. Aerated silicate contains 24% lime and 62% quartz sand, and aerated concrete contains 50-60% cement. Visually, they differ from each other in color - gas silicate is white, and aerated concrete is gray.
Gas silicate
In addition, these materials differ in the method of hardening: gas silicate is produced during heat treatment in an autoclave, but aerated concrete is often obtained during the process of natural hardening and only sometimes after processing in an oven. Aerated concrete has lower noise insulation compared to gas silicate.
Aerated concrete You should also pay attention to the fact that, due to its structure, gas silicate is very hygroscopic: the material actively absorbs moisture, as a result of which it can be destroyed. Due to its composition, aerated concrete does not absorb moisture, it allows it to pass through. And this is its advantage over gas silicate. A building built from such material always creates a comfortable microclimate.
Gas silicate materials, in comparison with aerated concrete, have greater strength, since the air bubbles in them are distributed more evenly. By the way, these materials differ significantly in cost. Gas silicate materials obtained by autoclave are significantly more expensive than aerated concrete.
Conclusions website
- The basis of the composition of aerated concrete is cement, and aerated silicate is lime.
- Gas silicate hardens in an autoclave, aerated concrete - naturally.
- Aerated concrete has lower noise insulation compared to gas silicate.
- Aerated concrete has a lower thermal conductivity compared to gas silicate, that is, it is warmer.
- For aerated concrete - grey colour, for gas silicate it is white.
- Gas silicate is more expensive than aerated concrete.
- The strength (compressive) index of aerated silicate is slightly higher than that of aerated concrete.
Use in low-rise construction gas silicate blocks or aerated concrete - everyone decides for himself. However, for this decision to be balanced, it is worth carefully studying both materials and analyzing both their advantages and disadvantages.
Choosing porous concrete for construction is not an easy task
Technology overview
Gas and foam concrete in construction
In recent decades, concrete-based porous materials have been widely used in the construction of private houses. They are produced using similar technologies, and only a few manufacturing nuances distinguish them from each other ().
That is why, before determining which is better - gas silicate or foam concrete - you need to understand the details.
- Foam and gas blocks are produced according to the same scheme. High-quality cement is used as raw material, into which special foaming reagents are introduced.
- During the “ripening” process, the reagents release a significant amount of gas bubbles, which are evenly distributed throughout the thickness of the building block.
Note! Expanded clay concrete stands apart, into which ready-made porous granules from baked clay are introduced - expanded clay.
- Then the nuances that we talked about above begin. The foam block hardens at a temperature of about 15-25 0 C and atmospheric pressure, therefore it is very sensitive to both the composition of the filler and the drying regime.
- There's often a catch here: low price material may indicate problems with hardening, and as a result, low strength of foam concrete. That’s why you shouldn’t save money by purchasing blocks made using “handicraft” technologies.
- Unlike the previous variety, aerated concrete is cured in special autoclaves or drying chambers with significant heating. That is why the material is more expensive, but its strength is much higher.
And although the advantages of aerated block in this case are obvious, both materials are actively used in construction. They have good thermal insulation qualities, relatively low weight and low density. The last factor greatly facilitates installation: if cutting reinforced concrete diamond wheels is very labor-intensive, then porous modules can be sawed with a special hacksaw with your own hands.
Production and characteristics of silicate blocks
The difference between gas silicate and foam concrete is easy to see if you analyze the manufacturing technology:
- The raw material used is a mixture of cement, sifted sand and lime.
- During the mixing process, pore formers are added to the composition, which are responsible for the formation of microscopic cavities in the thickness of the block.
Note! In some brands of material, the instructions also recommend adding aluminum shavings, which act as an activator of gas-forming additives.
- Curing is almost the same as for sand-lime brick: the workpieces are fed into an autoclave, where under pressure (8 - 12 atmospheres) they are treated with high-temperature water steam.
As a result, the answer to the question of which is better - gas silicate or expanded clay concrete (foam concrete, aerated concrete) becomes almost obvious. Due to this treatment, building silicate blocks acquire absolutely identical properties throughout the entire volume, which has a positive effect on their performance characteristics.
The technology of installation and finishing is practically no different from the method of using other porous concrete. The products are quite easy to cut, have good contact with both the mortar and special glue, and have acceptable adhesion to plasters and other finishing materials.
Pros and cons
To decide which material should be preferred in construction, you first need to analyze the dry numbers, as we did in the table below ().
Aerated concrete or gas silicate - table of comparative characteristics:
If we consider both materials in more detail, we can draw the following conclusions:
- Gas silicate blocks and foam concrete blocks preferably used where bearing structures do not experience extreme loads, namely in low-rise construction.
- The thermal insulation properties of both materials are quite good, and some lag of the foam and gas blocks in this parameter can be compensated for by additional insulation.
- The high mechanical strength of gas silicate walls is good where it is necessary to ensure maximum bearing capacity with a minimum thickness of the structure.
- The same applies to the mass of the material: a building made of aerated concrete modules will require a more powerful foundation, which means its price will be higher.
- These materials are also equivalent in terms of frost resistance.. However, in a variable climate with frequent thaws (and this is almost all middle lane Russia) the gas block looks somewhat more advantageous due to lower water absorption.
Note! The relatively high moisture capacity of gas silicate masonry places increased demands on the quality of waterproofing.
- Analyzing the properties of materials, it is also worth noting that both varieties belong to the category of non-combustible. However, aerated concrete blocks can withstand higher temperatures, while the use of products produced using silicate technology is allowed when heated no higher than 400 0 C.
If we talk about cost, then foam concrete will occupy the most budget niche. At the same time, gas blocks and gas silicate are quite expensive, but provide savings on additional thermal insulation erected structures.
The characteristics of the materials that were previously used to build houses are now not so attractive. Therefore, now is the age of new ones, one of which is cellular concrete.
This material also has several varieties, the most popular of which are gas silicate blocks and aerated concrete blocks. This article will help you understand the main differences between them, and will also help you determine the most suitable option for you.
To begin with, I would like to note that there are quite a lot of differences between them, and their prices differ significantly from each other, for example, aerated silicate is one and a half times more expensive than aerated concrete.
Composition of materials
To understand the difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate, below we will consider how they are produced:
- The main substance of aerated concrete is Portland cement. In addition, this material includes quartz sand, blast furnace slag, as well as waste from the enrichment of various ores. However, the use of an autoclave for mixing is not necessary.
- The basis for the production of gas silicate is binders - lime or cement, which are combined using fine quartz sand and water. After mixing these components with aluminum powder, which creates a gas-forming effect, the swelling procedure is carried out.
It leads to uniform distribution air bubbles throughout the entire volume of the mixture. This procedure carried out in an autoclave, after which the mixture hardens under the influence high temperatures and pressure.
Tip: using aerated concrete or gas silicate blocks to build walls, you will get an even structure and neat seams, because they are made in specific sizes.
Arguments in favor of gas silicate
This material also boasts a number of positive qualities:
- environmentally friendly;
- has a low specific gravity;
- low level of thermal conductivity;
- fire safety;
- easy to process;
- tolerates low temperatures.
- Aerated concrete blocks are characterized by a large volume with a relatively low weight, which makes it possible to avoid the use of heavy equipment during installation.
- The high thermal insulation qualities of this type of cellular concrete help reduce heating costs. It must be remembered that the instructions recommend using only blocks with high density (above 400 kg/m 3) as a material for walls. If this parameter is lower, it is better to use them as thermal insulation.
- Due to its good frost resistance, aerated concrete can be used in countries temperate climate, because it can withstand up to 100 freezing/thawing cycles without losing its characteristics.
- Another advantage of this material when used in countries with cold climates is the method of its installation. The point is that using aqueous solution cement grades M400 or M500 in conditions of low winter temperatures is unacceptable. But when installing aerated concrete blocks with your own hands, an adhesive mixture is used, which is resistant to frost, which helps to avoid the appearance of so-called cracks in the seams. "cold bridges"
Advice: it is best to use such blocks for construction load-bearing walls during the construction of low-rise buildings, as well as to create interior walls and partitions in buildings of any height.
How gas silicate and aerated concrete blocks are used in construction
Even experts cannot always tell the buyer what is better - aerated concrete or gas silicate. Increasingly, these building products are used in modern projects to reduce heat loss as materials in the class of cellular thermal insulating concrete.
Aerated concrete and gas silicate are often confused due to the same scope of use and common properties. According to the method of cell formation, they are distinguished:
- aerated concrete;
- foam concrete;
- gas silicate;
- gas foam concrete.
Differences in the production of cellular concrete
In the production of aerated concrete blocks, the main component is cement; in addition to it, they contain:
- lime;
- sand;
- water;
- aluminum powder (it is responsible for air bubbles).
The aerated concrete block can harden in natural environment, as well as in special autoclaves. In the second case, the output aerated concrete blocks are almost white and acquire a large:
- strength;
- reliability;
- thermal insulation, etc.
Ready-made non-autoclaved aerated blocks are characterized by a gray color. Gas silicate also belongs to cellular blocks, but it has a slightly different composition. It contains:
- 62% - sand;
- 24% - lime;
- aluminum powder.
The solidification process takes place exclusively by force - in autoclaves, so at the exit the gas silicate blocks become white.
Foam concrete is obtained by mixing cement base with special foaming agents necessary to foam the mixture. These additives can be based on both organic and synthetic substances. This mass then enters special forms for hardening in natural conditions. This is how foam concrete is obtained. It does not have consistent strength over the entire surface. Foam concrete is enough brittle material, which negatively affects its transportation and laying. Gas silicate and foam concrete have different composition, characteristics.
Advantages of aerated concrete blocks over gas silicate ones
When the question arises of what to choose - aerated concrete or gas silicate, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the advantages of each. Availability of the second type of material more pores endows products with positive and negative properties. Aerated concrete has lower water absorption, although it requires special protection. The aerated concrete block is characterized by greater resistance to:
- frost;
- temperature changes;
- fire. It is capable of not igniting for 2 hours.
The difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate is that it is not subject to destruction under the influence of water, and is also easy to process. Water absorption of the second type reaches 30%. In addition, it is not frost-resistant.
The difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate is cost. The first option is a little cheaper, so its use when building a house will be more profitable. In addition, you will need slightly less additional materials, this concerns the glue.
Advantages of gas silicate over aerated concrete
Gas silicate or aerated concrete: which one is better? This issue needs to be resolved depending on specific situation. The air bubbles of gas silicate blocks are distributed more evenly throughout their volume, so they are somewhat stronger. Thus, as a result of building a house, gas silicate walls do not shrink as often and cracks appear on them less often. From this block they build multi-story houses, load-bearing partitions. The gas silicate block, due to the fact that air bubbles are correctly located in it, has good soundproofing properties. If the building has high noise requirements, you need to choose gas silicate. It has good thermal insulation qualities.
To build a house, instead of ordinary bricks, it is better to take gas silicate products. The work will be much cheaper. The large dimensions and low weight of gas silicate blocks contribute to faster construction.
Differences between the two materials
The differences relate to the basis of the composition. In gas-filled concrete it is cement, in gas silicate it is lime. Depending on their concentration, the material may have a slight difference in color scheme. Another difference between these blocks is in aesthetic perception. White buildings look much more beautiful than gray ones made of gas-filled concrete.
They differ slightly in weight. Gas silicate has the correct geometric characteristics; therefore, masonry is easier, less adhesive mixture and plaster composition are required. Gas silicate differs from aerated concrete in terms of thermal conductivity. The second type is warmer. The differences relate to hygroscopicity. Gas silicate's increased ability to absorb moisture leads to its gradual destruction under the influence of temperature changes. If the structure is intended to be operated in conditions of high humidity, then protection in the form of reliable waterproofing. This will prevent the building from being destroyed by mold, fungi, and freezing during cold periods.
The price of gas silicate is higher, as is the compressive strength. How is this different construction product, is that during processing no cracks appear on its surface. An aerated concrete block weighs more, which makes the masonry difficult, and at the same time it is necessary to build a stronger foundation. Nice wall can be obtained using gas silicate masonry. In this case, the work goes much faster and easier.
Some features of working with materials
Aerated concrete blocks are characterized by slight shrinkage, namely their dimensions are slightly reduced. However, it must be taken into account that this ability is noted immediately after its manufacture or installation. Therefore, it is not recommended to rush to build, otherwise defects, distortions and cracks may appear on the constructed buildings. This is due to the fact that the source material shrinks.
Taking into account the nature and need for the specific construction of buildings, it is necessary to purchase aerated concrete or gas silicate blocks. For example, when it is necessary to build the walls of a building that should allow as little sound as possible, it is incorrect and unwise to use gas-filled concrete. The fact is that this building material has a low ability to absorb noise and poor thermal insulation.
Gas silicate products are among modern building materials endowed with great functionality. For their production they are used best technologies and high-tech equipment. However, due to its hydrophobicity, this material is mainly used in the construction internal partitions, walls in low-rise buildings, and only if the air humidity in the room does not exceed 60%. The service life of these different building materials at correct operation big enough.