Concrete blocks is a collective term for all stone-like building products that are manufactured from cement and aggregates. The family includes solid blocks, hollow blocks, decorative blocks and lightweight aerated concrete blocks, each with their own applications and properties.
Types of concrete blocks
- Solid block — a dense block with high compressive strength, suitable for loadbearing walls
- Hollow block — a block with internal cavities that reduces weight and improves insulation
- Dense aggregate block — a large-format unit (often 440 × 215 × 100 mm) for rapid wall construction
- Decorative block — blocks with a textured face for fair-faced masonry, e.g. split-face or washed finish
- Aerated concrete block — a lightweight variant with air pockets for excellent thermal insulation (e.g. AAC/Aircrete)
Manufacturing
- Mixing — cement, sand, aggregate and water are mixed into concrete
- Moulding — the mix is pressed or vibrated into moulds
- Curing — the blocks cure in a climate-controlled chamber (sometimes steam-cured)
- Storage — after curing the blocks are stacked and stored
Application
- Residential construction — internal and external walls, foundations
- Commercial construction — warehouses, schools, offices
- Civil engineering — retaining walls, noise barriers
- Landscaping — garden walls, planters, boundary walls
Related terms
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