In the modern world of construction, the buyer often faces such a building material as aerated concrete. This material is relatively new, and because of the weak knowledge of its properties and characteristics, many people understand little how to handle it. Hence a large number of rumors and fables based on ignorance. Let’s try to figure out what the properties actually have aerated concrete.
If you wanted to buy aerated concrete blocks, then you must have encountered a myth that is associated with the presence of reinforcement inside aerated concrete blocks. It is believed that since it is inside, it, like other components of metal, is very prone to rust. But, of course, this is not so. The composition of aerated concrete includes lime and cement, thanks to them an alkaline reaction occurs, and thanks to alkali, the probability of corrosion is extremely low. Even vice versa: the details will last even longer if they are inside the foam concrete block. In this case, the metal does not interact with open air, which also prevents the formation of corrosion. In a building built of aerated concrete, any things in a metal case will be well preserved.
The second fable about foam concrete says that the buildings built from these blocks are short -lived enough. But how can this be true when foam concrete blocks undergo autoclave processing, which makes them even more durable? The uniformity of the pores and the homogeneity of the material reduce the negative impact on the building. Unlike many building materials, microcracks are not formed in concrete, hence the lack of shrinkage. In order to verify the above, it is enough to see buildings built from aerated concrete blocks almost a hundred years ago. The structure of the material was completely preserved, neither on the surface of the building, nor inside it did not occur any destruction.
Many, after reading this, might think that since this material is so durable and stable, the delivery of concrete is carried out without compliance with some elementary safety rules. There are rules for transporting aerated concrete blocks, but they are not tough and they can be called more elementary logic. The most important thing is a hermetic heat -assembly film that ensures the preservation of the material from falling on its moisture surface. Mechanical damage caused during the transportation of blocks will subsequently negatively affect the construction, so it is advisable to use soft safety slings for the unloading. For storage of aerated concrete, a dry, ventilated room is required, stacks from blocks are laid in a maximum of 2 tiers, it is unsafe to lay it higher. You can notice that aerated concrete blocks are somewhat similar to polystyrene concrete blocks, the difference is in the composition and some individual points.
The next myth was distributed by the principle of a “broken phone”. Someone learned that aluminum powder and lime are part of aerated concrete and are very dangerous for the health of people who will live in a building from aerated concrete. But few people know that, firstly, aluminum powder is used only in the production of blocks, and then in small quantities. Further, the powder, having reacted with the hydroxygroups contained in the solution, is divided into hydrogen and aluminum oxide. It can be clearly seen from this that the metallic aluminum contained in aerated concrete does not pose any danger to human health, because it breaks up into harmless substances. Exactly the same situation with lime as the rest of the components, it is used only in production, and in ready -made aerated concrete blocks it is not.
From all of the above, we can conclude that when choosing building materials, one should focus not on rumors and speculation, but on experience and common sense. It will also be useful to consult with professionals who will talk about all the nuances of building materials.