Silicate blocks or aerated concrete blocks. What is the difference between aerated concrete or gas silicate, which is better? Gas and foam concrete in construction

Many Russians faced with construction country house decide the choice of material. Everyone wants to have a cheap, strong, environmentally friendly cottage. Manufacturers offer a large number of building materials, the choice of which you can make a mistake. Consider two popular materials that are now used to build their private homes, and make your choice. Which is better, foam concrete or gas silicate - you need to solve such a difficult task.

Now the construction of houses from gas silicate blocks has become very popular. With the help of this inexpensive material, you can quickly build a high-quality and comfortable home.

Production difference

Between manufacturers of building materials there is a silent war for the consumer. Advertising from TV screens claims that it is their product that is better and cheaper. But an impartial assessment can be given by people who have already used this building material. To find out the disadvantages and advantages of gas silicate and foam concrete, consider how they are produced.

• both of these materials belong to cellular concrete - artificial stone, which consists of 85% air cells. This provides lightness and good sound and heat insulation;
• very often they confuse aerated concrete and gas silicate. What are the real differences between? The second does not contain cement. Visually, they are also different. Gas silicate is white, its color is due to the silicate contained in it;
• the gas silicate block becomes solid even if it is not placed in an autoclave, aerated concrete must be placed in an autoclave system to give it normal characteristics.

Aerated concrete blocks have lower thermal conductivity and noise insulation, and they are inferior in strength to blocks made of gas silicate (aerated concrete). The price of aerated concrete blocks is higher than that of their twin brothers.

Manufacturing process

gas silicate

Installation of a wet facade using a gas silicate block: 1 - gas silicate block; 2 - adhesive composition; 3 - fasteners for facade thermal insulation; 4 - mineral wool insulation; 5 - facade reinforcing alkali-resistant mesh; 6 - reinforcing putty; 7 - facade crack-resistant plaster.

It consists of high-quality and environmentally friendly components: water, sand, cement, lime. Aluminum powder is added to them, which serves as a blowing agent.

• the whole mass is thoroughly mixed, cut into strings and placed in molds that are placed in an autoclave system. In it, gas silicate is subjected to long-term heat treatment. The pressure in the autoclave is maintained at 8-13 atmospheres;
• after all these operations, a good building material is obtained, which does not burn, is durable and strong, and is well processed with simple tools.
• heat treatment, high pressure and humidity gives gas silicate an operational advantage over foam concrete.

The first option has higher strength and lower density than foam concrete blocks.

The gas silicate structure is open-pore, and this allows the walls made of such blocks to breathe. Another advantage of such products over another option is their almost perfect shape. They can be used for laying internal and external walls, as well as various partitions.

foam concrete

This element can be manufactured directly at the construction site. To do this, you must have a concrete mixer and all the components for the manufacture of this material.

The main difference in production lies in the ingredients that are added to the cement. They can create foam of both organic and chemical origin.

You mix all the components, mix well and pour into molds where the material solidifies under natural conditions.

Besides:

• the foam block does not differ in exact linear dimensions;
• the foam block has a closed cell structure and therefore does not absorb moisture and does not breathe.

Differences between foam concrete and gas silicate

The design of the outer wall of gas silicate blocks: 1 - monolithic reinforcing belt; 2 - floor slab; 3 – gas silicate block; 4 - basalt-fiber bonds; 5 - facing brickwork.

The difference in block production is now clear to you. Now consider how their characteristics and properties differ.

Gas silicate blocks have a lower density, but still it is a denser material. Consequently, a house made of blocks for the manufacture of which foam concrete was used will weigh more than a structure made of aerated concrete blocks.

• thanks to firing, structures made of gas silicate blocks are not deformed. They have good geometry and do not change over time. This cannot be said about foam concrete, foam blocks do not have an exact geometry;
• in addition, the foam block is subject to shrinkage. Because of this, its dimensions are reduced, and cracks may appear in the structures;
• but the main thing in the characteristics of foam concrete elements is the quality of their manufacture. If you follow the correct proportions of ingredients and foaming agents, then you will get good foam blocks with excellent geometry;
• comparing foam concrete and gas silicate in terms of frost resistance and thermal conductivity, you will see that they are approximately the same in terms of these indicators;
• the water absorption of foam concrete is unique, a comparison between them is not even worth making;
• when comparing gas silicate and foam concrete at a price, the former loses by 25%. The price of equipment for the production of aerated concrete is much higher than that of the first.

Comparing and choosing the best of these two cellular concretes is a very difficult task. Which blocks are the best, it is definitely impossible to answer.

• gas silicate is more durable, does not shrink, and is not bad in terms of thermal protection. But the price is higher. It cannot be applied in a liquid state directly at the construction site, unlike the other option. It is often used for pouring directly into the formwork. And at the same time, the water absorption rate is much higher.

When asked which is better to choose, comparing between

Now cellular concretes, to which the popularly known aerated concrete, foam concrete and gas silicate belong, are extremely popular, especially in private construction. However, many do not fully understand the difference between them, in particular, the difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate blocks, but it is.

The difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate lies in their composition and processing method, so let's take a closer look at the production method.

Production features

The aerated concrete block contains cement (this is the main component), sand, lime, water and aluminum powder, which guarantees the formation of air bubbles. Aerated concrete blocks can harden both in natural conditions and in special autoclaves. The second method, of course, is better and adds strength, reliability, thermal insulation, etc. to aerated concrete. The finished non-autoclaved block looks gray, as there is a lot of cement, the autoclaved one has practically White color.

Gas silicate blocks, although they belong to cellular concrete, have a slightly different composition. It is dominated by sand - 62%, and lime - 24%, there is also aluminum powder. The finished composition hardens only in autoclave conditions. The result is blocks of white color.

It is worth noting that in fact, some domestic manufacturers produce something between aerated concrete and gas silicate - they add both lime and cement to the composition.

Advantages of aerated concrete and gas silicate

Before proceeding to the comparison, it is worth noting some common features these types of cellular concrete. So, both aerated concrete and gas silicate have excellent heat and sound insulating properties, they are cheaper than brick, and far superior to it in terms of environmental friendliness, they are frost-resistant, fire-resistant, vapor-permeable, easy to process, install and finish, durable. All these qualities are expressed to a sufficient extent, but still differ slightly in these two materials.

Advantages of gas silicate over aerated concrete

Depending on the composition, the finished blocks have certain properties that we can consider as positive or negative, starting from some ideal building material. It is worth noting that the question of which material is better - gas silicate or aerated concrete - is quite controversial and does not have a definitive answer, but you can derive this answer for yourself or for a specific situation.

1. As a result of the preparation of gas silicate blocks, air bubbles are distributed throughout the volume more evenly, so that strength of such blocks is higher in comparison with aerated concrete. And as a result of this, the walls of the house are less likely to crack and shrink. That is why it is good to use gas silicate for the construction of load-bearing partitions, it is possible to build high-rise houses from it and all this at a density of 600 kg / m3. Similarly, for aerated concrete, if you want to build a house of 2-3 floors, it is better to use blocks with a density of 800-900 kg / m3 - this is according to the rules, but in practice blocks with a lower density are often used, but then it is difficult to predict the consequences.
2. As a result of this, more correct location air bubbles gas silicate has and best performance in terms of soundproofing. So, if this indicator is important for you, and the requirements for the minimum sound transmission are put forward for the building, then it is better to choose gas silicate.
3. If for someone important purely aesthetic properties, then the gas silicate is somewhat whiter than autoclaved aerated concrete, and stands out significantly against the background of non-autoclaved.
4. Gas silicate has the best heat and sound insulation properties. This is again explained by the peculiarities of the structure of the gas silicate block. But in this regard, aerated concrete should not be discounted, which also has excellent thermal insulation properties, which are only slightly inferior to gas silicate blocks, and in some cases are not inferior at all and even exceed gas silicate performance.

Advantages of aerated concrete over gas silicate

Output

In fact, for the construction of one or two-story house perfect for both aerated concrete and gas silicate blocks, especially since domestic manufacturers themselves sometimes give out one for the other. According to their characteristics, they do not have radical and fundamental differences, but still there are some features. So, gas silicate blocks are stronger, but you will have to pay for this strength, but otherwise all the characteristics are very similar, and the difference between them is literally insignificant.

Of all types of building blocks, aerated concrete and gas silicate are most often confused, they have a similar structure and characteristics, and at first glance there is no difference between them. It is impossible to say unequivocally which of these materials is better, they are not universal and are not without drawbacks. But each of them has an optimal scope of application.

The prefix "gas-" implies that these concrete grades get their porous structure by adding bubble-forming chemicals to the solution, both during heat treatment and in natural conditions. The final diameter of the cells varies from 1 to 3 mm, they have a regular round shape and are evenly distributed throughout the volume, the porosity depends on the grade and reaches 80%. This allows the materials to retain heat well and isolate the premises from extraneous noise with a minimum load on the foundation.

The differences lie in the composition and manufacturing technology. The raw material includes about 24% lime and 62% ground quartz sand, the rest is aluminum powder and alkaline additives. The mixture is poured into molds and undergoes obligatory autoclaving, the porousization of gas silicate begins at the moment of steaming under excessive pressure. The resulting brick is cut into pieces of the desired size with strings; the products are characterized by high geometric accuracy. Due to lime, they are most often white in color.

The composition of the mixtures includes at least 50% of cement, the remaining components, in addition to aluminum powder, are different: from natural and environmentally friendly finely ground sands and minerals (including lime) to cheap recycled products (ash, slag). This brand of cellular concrete is obtained both by autoclaving, and by natural hardening or electrical heating. At the same time, steaming aerated concrete improves its strength and achieves the required performance characteristics, but the process of cell formation itself begins earlier, at the moment of connecting the components. The hydration (non-autoclave) variety hardens under atmospheric pressure, this manufacturing method is cheaper, but the process itself takes at least 28 days (standard cement hydration times).

Feature Comparison

In addition to different manufacturing technologies, differences appear during installation and operation: the gas slate has a lighter and more uniform structure, surpasses cement-based blocks in sound absorption capacity, but is inferior in resistance to external influences and durability. All types that have undergone autoclave treatment benefit in quality due to the uniform distribution of voids; it is they who are recommended to be chosen in the construction of reliable structures operated in conditions of normal humidity. The difference between aerated silicate and aerated concrete becomes more evident when comparing characteristics and properties:

Both materials are fireproof, but under the influence of an open flame, aerated concrete retains its shape longer and beneficial features. Also, despite the closed cell structure, these types of lightweight concrete absorb moisture well and require adequate protection against steam and precipitation. If there is a risk of getting wet, experts advise choosing cement-based products as more resistant (in such conditions, a difference of 5-10% can be decisive). The key difference is strength: due to heat treatment under pressure of 12-14 atm, gas silicate can withstand high loads well and is less prone to cracking.

The controversial characteristics include frost resistance and durability, declared by manufacturers of autoclave products of 100 cycles and 50 years in practice have not yet been confirmed. Construction forums claim that in both varieties the average value does not exceed 35 and it is worth focusing on it. In practice, gas silicate elements are inferior in this respect both due to the absence of cement in the composition and due to the greater water absorption, but in general the difference is insignificant.

What blocks are better to choose for building a house?

When comparing these materials, they are guided by:

• Weight: with equal strength class aerated concrete blocks will be heavier, they put a little more load on the foundation.
• The need for maximum energy savings: gas silicate retains heat better. The beneficial qualities of both species appear exclusively in a dry state; with insufficient protection from moisture, there is no difference between them.
• Geometric accuracy, in this regard, cut gas silicate elements win, their use reduces the cost of glue and finishing. For laying on a cement-sand mortar, it is better to choose non-autoclaved cellular concrete.
• The difference in price, the availability of building materials. With an equal size, aerated concrete products are cheaper; blocks that solidify naturally, including self-made ones, are quite suitable for outbuildings and similar buildings.

Gas silicate is optimal for higher requirements for structural strength. Both conventional wall and partition products, as well as non-standard and tongue-and-groove products are used, the latter are valued for their good energy-saving properties and comfortable grip. The construction of a house from aerated concrete is selected when limited budget construction, its non-autoclave varieties are recommended for pouring monolithic walls and ceilings. These blocks remove moisture better and, unlike gas silicate blocks, do not accumulate it inside.

Both varieties need additional reinforcement when laying rows in load-bearing structures.

Moisture protection is carried out immediately, immediately after the end of shrinkage, with exterior finish walls, preference is given to vapor-permeable materials or a system of ventilated facades. For these purposes, siding is excellent, it is inexpensive and does not crack.

The average cost of aerated concrete and gas silicate

Due to the simpler manufacturing technology, aerated concrete is cheaper compared to gas silicate, but this only applies to hydration varieties. Quality autoclave blocks with high geometric accuracy cost at least 3400 rubles / m 3. The leaders among the producers of gas silicate are Hebel, Wehrhahn (ECO), Kostroma ZSM, aerated concrete - Betolex, Aerobel, Betokam.

Choosing best option building material, the question arises gas silicate or aerated concrete, which is better? Such porous concrete blocks are often used for the construction of building walls and ceilings. They have many common properties, due to which they compete with each other. For this reason, people are wondering 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 is worth considering in more detail the distinctive qualities of each of the materials:

• Aerated concrete is a composite material that is made according to classical schemes when the process of its hardening occurs in natural conditions. The products are characterized by the presence of a porous structure, when air sections having a spherical shape, as well as a diameter of 3 mm, are evenly located in them. The binder is Portland cement, the amount of which in the composition of aerated concrete blocks exceeds 50%. Based on its concentration, the color of the product and the main properties of the material are determined;
• Gas silicate products also have air cells. The main elements that are used to create them are quartz sand, as well as lime. Usually the ratio of components is 3:1. For the process of gas formation, aluminum powder is added to the composition, as well as water, in order to bring the solution to the desired consistency. Then the mixture is filled with a special form, which the finished building material should receive. 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 array is cut to the required dimensions of the silicate aerated concrete block.

Given 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 such building materials nearby for the first time, will not be able to give an exact answer, where is the gas silicate block, and where is the aerated concrete one. But they have their own visual differences, which are due to 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, as it is its binding element. This factor affects the color of products, which is the external difference between gas silicate blocks and aerated concrete:

• So, the first ones are created by the autoclave method and contain a large amount of lime, due to which they are white;
• In the second products, the acquisition of characteristics occurs under conditions of natural solidification using Portland cement, which gives them a gray tint.

By changing the amount of binder in the materials, there is a deviation of their color from other similar products. So, with an increase / decrease in the content of cement in aerated concrete, its color can vary, ranging from dark gray to light gray. But in silicate variants, the color scheme starts bright white and ends with a grayish-white color. In addition, the difference between similar building materials lies in the different level of hygroscopicity:

• Gas silicate at high humidity absorbs it faster, due to when there is a sharp temperature drop, this leads to a violation of the integrity of the blocks;
• Liquids are more difficult to get into aerated concrete products, due to the closed air pores. Due 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 the premises, it is required to carry out their correct external and internal decoration.

Benefits of gas silicate

This type of building block is popular. It is produced by using lime as the main binder and processed by the autoclave method. Its advantages are the following properties

• Strength. Thanks to the technology of creating blocks, they are uniformly distributed throughout the volume of air bubbles, which allows the gas silicate to have high strength characteristics. It is slightly prone to cracking and shrinkage.

In the presence of the same density indicators, gas silicate products have a 1.5 times higher level of strength than aerated concrete.

• Noise isolation. Due to the presence of an increased number of pores inside the materials, it has good soundproofing properties;
• Specific gravity. Due to the smaller mass of such blocks, for their use there are less requirements for the bearing capacity of the foundation. This allows you to reduce the cost of construction when using them;
• Block shape. Due to the fact that after autoclaving the material is cut to obtain the desired dimensions, the permissible deviations do not exceed 3 mm;
• Aesthetics. Buildings built from white gas silicate have a more attractive appearance.

Advantages of aerated concrete

Even taking into account the lower strength indicators and thermal insulation parameters, there are differences between aerated concrete and gas silicate, which speak in favor of the first material:

• Moisture absorption. Such products have a low level of moisture absorption, which is due to the smaller pore volume in the structure of the products. But when using them, it is required to create a special protective coating;
• Price. Most significant factor Influencing the choice of material is its cost. In this regard, aerated concrete is more accessible;
• Frost resistance. Aerated concrete has an increased resistance to negative temperatures, which is necessary for the use of building materials in regions with a harsh climate. This is due to its ability to withstand repeated freezing followed by thawing without losing its integrity;
• Fire resistance. Given that gas silicate also has good resistance to fire, aerated concrete has the best resistance to elevated temperatures, 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 of operation of the building.

Which block to choose for construction

Determining what is best for building a house, experts recommend choosing gas silicate, which is superior in many respects to aerated concrete. This is because silicate materials are made at special enterprises where product quality is closely monitored. For this, special equipment is used, as well as laboratory tests. 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. The use of each material is possible for the same purposes, subject to compliance with 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 such blocks is determined by weight and strength:
• Heavy options with a high density can be used to build solid walls or partitions in low-rise construction;
• Average in terms of product performance is structural and heat-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 himself which building material is more preferable for the construction of a particular building. It is important to rely on technical specifications materials and financial resources.

Modern building materials are very diverse. The most popular are lightweight blocks made of various cellular materials, including:

• foam concrete,
• aerated concrete,
• foam silicate
• gas silicate.

The prefix foam and gas means that a blowing agent or blowing agent is used in the production. Since there is no ideal material - they all have advantages and disadvantages - the main thing is to take this into account during construction. Gas silicate and aerated concrete blocks are cellular building materials with excellent decorative properties.

All specialists and experts in unison argue that there is no difference between aerated silicate and aerated concrete. But any sane person will say that there should be a difference. In the composition of foam concrete and aerated concrete and foam concrete, the main components are cement and sand. The composition of gas silicate and foam silicate includes slaked lime, gypsum and sand.

In fact, silicate foam and gas silicate blocks are expanded silicate bricks. If you find the difference between concrete blocks and sand-lime bricks, you will see the difference between aerated concrete and gas silicate. I think the difference is in price and quality. The service life is the same.

Any chemist will tell you that the final properties of a product depend on the original components. And which is better in your opinion? Lime and gypsum containing calcium or cement containing silicon? Of course, silicon is better in every way. Understanding this, manufacturers still produce gas silicate. If the gas silicate was better in every respect, then the need for aerated concrete would disappear, presumably. But nevertheless, builders use both gas silicate and aerated concrete.

It seems that in the manufacture of aerated concrete, manufacturers ennoble their product and replace the honor of cement with lime and gypsum, since lime and gypsum are pure white, and cement is dirty gray. And although they say that gas silicate and aerated concrete are no different, I still believe that aerated concrete is better than gas silicate in some properties and vice versa.

• I believe that only a specific sample can be compared with another specific sample, since the type of raw material, its quality, the level of technology (the latest or handicraft production) and the equipment used in production (the latest or from the last century) play an important role.

The statements that gas silicate and aerated concrete do not differ, apparently, are based on the fact that, in fact, manufacturers use the same raw materials, can reduce the cost of the product, vary different fillers, including using metallurgy waste. I think that manufacturers of autoclaved aerated concrete are replacing part of the cement with lime and gypsum, and gas silicate manufacturers are partially using cement. Hence the equivalent properties. Therefore, gas silicate refers to lightweight or cellular concrete, although the classic cement silicate does not contain.

It can be said that aerated concrete is cheaper, since it does not use the energy-intensive autoclaving process and expensive equipment for this, cold curing is sufficient in the production of aerated concrete blocks.