What Are Hollow Concrete Blocks Called?
What Are Hollow Concrete Blocks Called?
Hollow concrete blocks are also known as CMUs, concrete bricks, or concrete masonry. Concrete blocks are made of Portland cement and aggregate; high density blocks may contain sand and gravel, whilst low density blocks contain industrial waste as aggregate. Aerated concrete is used to make lightweight blocks.
The hollow concrete blocks are made, hardened, and cured before being delivered to the job site, and they are a very durable and robust material. Because of their strength and longevity, hollow concrete blocks are often used for building foundations, walls, and floors. They are a popular choice for both commercial and residential building.
Hollow concrete blocks are constructed in a number of ways, including hardened and cured blocks, lightweight blocks, and aerated concrete blocks.
Aerated concrete blocks are lighter and more flexible than other types of blocks, making them easier to carry and install.
What Are The Main Features Of Concrete Hollow Blocks?
Concrete hollow blocks offer various advantages, including their light weight, fire resistance, sound insulation, heat preservation, impermeability, earthquake resistance, and durability, as well as the fact that they are pollution-free, energy-saving, and consumption-reducing.
They are simply green and ecologically friendly building materials that are required in the modern day.
Concrete hollow brick has become an essential component of modern innovative wall materials, with a large development area and future potential.
Hollow bricks are frequently utilized in non-load-bearing components. The porosity level is equivalent to or higher than 35%. Hollow bricks have a big number of vacant areas and a limited number of bricks. The most prevalent wall material utilized in the building sector is hollow brick.
It has been the first recommended product by the national building department due to its benefits of light weight and low raw material consumption.
When Were Hollow Concrete Blocks First Used?
Harmon S. Palmer in the United States created the first hollow concrete block in 1890. Palmer patented the idea in 1900, after ten years of experimentation. Palmer’s blocks were 8 inches (20.3 cm) by 10 inches (25.4 cm) by 30 inches (76.2 cm) and so heavy that they had to be carried into place using a tiny crane.
By 1905, an estimated 1,500 businesses in the United States were producing concrete blocks. These early blocks were often cast by hand, with an average output of around 10 blocks per worker per hour. Concrete block manufacture is now a highly automated process capable of producing up to 2,000 blocks per hour.
Concrete blocks were originally utilized in the United States to replace stone or wood in the construction of dwellings. The first known example of a home constructed completely of concrete blocks in the United States was erected in 1837 on Staten Island, New York.
The concrete block dwellings demonstrated an innovative use of ordinary affordable materials to mimic the more expensive and conventional wood-framed stone masonry structure. From the early 1900s until the 1920s, this innovative kind of construction was popular for home construction.
Are Hollow Concrete Blocks Load Bearing?
Yes, hollow concrete blocks are load bearing. Hollow concrete blocks have become a popular choice for buildings and structures due to their weight and stability. These blocks are used in load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls, and are available in various sizes compared to other conventional bricks.
The hollow concrete blocks are made of concrete and are filled with small rocks or concrete aggregate. The blocks are then shaped and cured, which makes them heavy in weight and provides excellent stability to the structure.
The hollow concrete blocks are a popular choice for large masonry work due to their weight and stability. They are also available in various sizes, which makes them a good option for structure building and retrofitting.
How Do You Insulate Hollow Concrete Blocks?
Hollow concrete blocks have long been created in our nation to take use of the air gap in concrete blocks. However, due to a variety of other factors, the width of the air gap is greater than the necessary value for initiating the convective current of heat in the air gap itself.
As a result, the heat resistance of the air gap is not felt. Mineral wool, glass wool, expanded polystyrene, expanded polyethylene, polyurethane foam, and other suitable insulation materials are poured into the gaps of hollow concrete blocks to improve heat resistance.
In the construction business, a concrete block is known as a concrete masonry unit. Concrete blocks can be solid or hollow, having two or three gaps or holes in the middle.
