Arbolite has been used in construction for more than fifty years, and during this time it has established itself as an excellent structural and thermal insulation material for the construction of low-rise buildings and structures. Dachas and country houses, outbuildings are built from it. A bathhouse made of wood concrete blocks is not much inferior in quality and characteristics to a wooden building.
Such properties of the material are provided by the components included in its composition: cement, sand, plant and wood fibers. Good vapor permeability, heat and sound insulation, structural strength - all these are wood concrete blocks, reviews of which from both specialists and consumers indicate their excellent technical and operational characteristics.
The technology by which wood concrete blocks are made is similar to the process of producing wall blocks from cement-sand mortar. The difference is that when preparing the mixture, instead of a certain part of sand, crushed wood or plant fibers are used. To prepare the mixture, cotton, rice straw, flax and other industrial crops are used. The finished mixture is poured into a mixer and mixed with water. Depending on the percentage of components, thermal insulation and structural blocks are distinguished. The former have a density from 400 to 500 kg/m3, and for the latter this value reaches 850 kg/m3. Strength different types blocks is also different and amounts to M5-M15 and M25-M50, respectively.
The thermal conductivity of wood concrete depends on its density. At D400 it is equal to 0.08 W/(m °C) for chopped wood, and 0.07 for plant fibers. Structural blocks with a density of D700 have a thermal conductivity with wood filler of 0.14 W/(m °C), and with vegetable filler - 0.12. The lower thermal conductivity of wood concrete with plant fiber fillers is explained by the greater porosity of the feedstock.
To increase strength in the manufacture of arbolite blocks, reinforcement is used. This will make it more difficult technological process, and increases the cost of production, but makes it possible to obtain more durable material from which buildings with higher heights can be erected. In this case, the protective layer of wood concrete must be at least 15 mm. Rod steel is used for reinforcement classes A-I, A-II and A-III and periodic wire.
Houses made from wood concrete blocks are warm and relatively inexpensive, which is important for reducing construction and operating costs. Due to its high vapor permeability, wood concrete provides humidity control, which helps improve the microclimate. When choosing materials for finishing, you need to take this property into account and apply layers as the vapor permeability coefficient decreases.
Due to the low density and good workability of the material, construction from arbolite blocks requires less labor than building a house made of brick, prefabricated or monolithic reinforced concrete. The first row of blocks is laid on top part plinth or foundation. First, lay out the corners and intersections of the outer and interior walls. Having laid out the nodes to a height of 3-4 blocks, they begin laying the rows. Each row needs careful alignment. Taking into account good workability, the blocks are trimmed using power tools.
In order to give the masonry greater strength, every 2-5 rows are reinforced. Additionally, window and door openings, as well as the top row, are reinforced. Often the masonry is completed with the installation of an armored belt made of reinforced concrete, which is used to install the mauerlat or roofing system.
Nowadays, the approach to construction is that properties such as a minimum heat transfer coefficient and simple installation technology are important for the materials used. This requirement is fully met by wood concrete, which is also called wood concrete. In terms of heat transfer, it lags behind wood, but not by much. But it is superior to cinder blocks and ordinary concrete.
The use of wood concrete allows construction using any modern methods:
When monolithic construction The wood concrete itself is made directly on site. The block version assumes that ready-made blocks are used. Or they are produced independently, in full.
Let's start with the disadvantages that no material can do without:
The material has much more of them:
Only companies that have experience, as well as a staff of specialists in various fields, can carry out construction from this material. To achieve success in this field, you must have best ratio between price and quality. 
The more information about previous projects, the better. Let's give a few examples.
Offers the construction of houses of any complexity, “for finishing”. For example, standard house area of 101 square meter will cost about two million rubles, in the basic configuration. This price includes elements such as windows and roofing, first floor ceilings, exterior finishing, interior and exterior walls, and foundation. Monolith not an exception.
The cost of construction also includes the following expenses:
The rest of the estimate costs about 20-25 percent of the total cost. By reasonable price you can implement any modern ideas, necessary additions. This usually applies to interior finishing for walls and ceilings, high-quality heating systems with the addition of automatic adjustment, warm floors and plastic windows.
Provides a full range of construction services. In addition, the company creates its own wood concrete, which also successfully affects competition with other market participants. All work performed is given an official guarantee of at least 5 years.
Each project is developed individually for a particular customer, according to specific wishes. The basic equipment of the house will cost approximately 14 thousand rubles per square meter.
The basic package does not include implementation exterior finishing. Monolithic walls If desired, you can also order.
Has been producing wood concrete since 2006. There are only two groups of produced projects: “Comfort”, “Standard”. If you order a house with an area of 150 square meters or more, then all work will be completed at a cost of 16,500 rubles per meter.
The most important thing is that we need baths to take water procedures. Therefore, the humidity level inside always remains high. In this case, even wood concrete walls will absorb moisture. But at the same time they allow air to pass through. But in in this case Arbolite has many advantages compared to the same wood:
Compared to a log house, wood-concrete baths are much easier to construct. Architectural ideas and sizes can be any. The wood concrete blocks themselves can be laid in the same way as brick.
In this case, there are no significant differences from buildings made of the same materials. Or from other block analogues. Wood concrete has the most similarities with foam block. Except that the first one is much cheaper. And the garage itself can be anything, depending on the wishes and needs of the customer.
Below is the video. The footage is quite old, but it clearly shows whether it is possible to build not only the garage itself, but also its basement from wood concrete. A general overview of the building and how it might look if it is based on this material.
There are several stages in this process. We build a house using the following steps:
We offer a video from one of the specialized forums. It was submitted by a user who describes his personal experience working with the material. The cost of the house is approximately 800-900 thousand rubles. For the money this is an ideal option.
First you need to determine the composition of the soil along with its basic properties. Based on these data, the dimensions for the foundation are calculated. After this, other parameters are determined like:
The quantity and type of building materials are also determined at the design stage. We must take into account weather and the characteristics of a particular region. If the project is created correctly, there will be no overspending on materials. There will be no need to think about additions and changes during construction.
Compared to glass, wood or brick walls arbolite ones put much less pressure on the ground due to their weight. Therefore, it is permissible to use the following types of foundations:
Thanks to these options, the cost and labor intensity of work are significantly reduced. The main thing is to pay attention to the issues of waterproofing and insulation. The floor temperature in winter is less dependent on the insulated foundation. Roofing felt or roofing felt will be the optimal solutions for waterproofing. Polystyrene foam helps provide insulation. If the floor itself is insulated, then this is not necessary for the foundation.
For blocks with a wood concrete base, cement becomes the binding element. Therefore, any mixtures based on the same material are suitable for laying blocks. Masonry mortars, adhesives, traditional version– the use of any composition is permissible. A hacksaw is used to make cuts. Or a saw, gasoline or electric. Adjusting the parameters locally should not be difficult.
Strengthen every third or fourth row in order. The gasket runs along all the blocks, under the glue or mortar for masonry. Installing windows and doors should also not cause difficulties, because the blocks have increased strength.
When ordering material, you must separately ensure that it is not too damp. Otherwise, it will not be possible to gain the required strength. If the raw blocks have already been delivered, then you need to let them rest for at least 15-20 days.
Next we present the video. The Arbomaster company talks about the features of laying arbolite blocks. The material can be used in the construction of any buildings up to three floors high. The story is quite detailed, since it is presented by masters of their craft.
The creation of the roof, along with finishing and insulation, is carried out in the same way as in houses on other traditional foundations. It is necessary to use powerful self-tapping screws in order to connect the upper blocks to the Mauerlat. The finishing is different materials– wood or plaster, and so on. The base of wood concrete blocks is universal.
On specialized forums it is easy to find reviews on arbolite houses. The ease and simplicity of working with the material is the main advantage for those who build on their own.
If we compare with, wood concrete is much more convenient for use. Installation is easy due to its low weight. If owners live inside permanently, low heat loss is important. This helps reduce heating costs overall. The blocks easily absorb excess moisture, so the inside is always dry. Builders once wrote that even after more than twenty-five years of use, wood concrete blocks were almost impossible to disassemble without sophisticated equipment and devices.
Constructing a place to store a vehicle is a fundamental task for a true car enthusiast. In this case, the structure must perform certain functions.
Well, it’s not a barn, a chicken coop or a simple utility room that is being built, but a real home for a special family member. Wood concrete blocks allow you to get an excellent and inexpensive structure, so a garage made of wood concrete can be found more and more often.
The construction of a building from wood concrete does not differ significantly from construction from other block materials. The greatest similarity will be with foam block, except for the fact that wood concrete will be cheaper. To build the same chicken coop or barn it is also better to use more cheap material, especially since it is quite often used for building houses (if a person feels good in such a structure, then the material is suitable for other purposes). Like all construction processes, the construction of a garage from wood concrete blocks must be carried out according to a certain algorithm.
Without preliminary design, it is unlikely that it will be possible to build a structure that can satisfy existing needs. To begin with, it is worth understanding what functions a garage should perform: exclusively storing a car or also carrying out its repair. In the second case, construction begins with the construction of an inspection pit.
Before arranging the pit, do not forget to check the level groundwater, otherwise you will have to make repairs in the scuba tank. In any case, waterproof the walls. It is not recommended to use wood concrete for their arrangement - it is susceptible to moisture, so it is better to lay the walls out of brick or cinder block.
Also, to build a garage you need detailed project. Some try to do without it, but professionals draw a drawing even if they are building a barn or chicken coop, although they can build it “by eye” without any problems. An accurate design is the key to the durability of the structure and its compliance with the set goals.
To create a project yourself, use special programs or find a ready-made one. It also wouldn’t hurt to show the garage project made from wood concrete blocks to geologists and engineers. Only in this case can you be sure that a particular structure will have the necessary characteristics in the conditions of the selected area.
Marking the area for the foundation
Take the project, pegs, fishing line (or rope) and mark the perimeter of the future garage. Pay attention to the nearby buildings. If they have already been erected, then it is better to step back a little from them.
When excavating earth to create a trench for the foundation, there is a possibility of compromising the strength of the foundations of other buildings. Intervention can destroy a barn, a chicken coop, or even an entire house.
The peculiarity of construction made from light wood concrete blocks is that there is no need to include a deep foundation in the project. A structure made of a material consisting of 90% organic components (wood) will have a small mass. Therefore the usual strip foundation will be quite enough.
To arrange a site for a car, you can use any preferred option: fill it with concrete, use special blocks, lay out paving slabs(pavers, waves, coils, diamonds, etc.).
A trench for a garage made of wood concrete blocks, in most cases, is made a meter deep. The width depends solely on the thickness of the walls (50-70 cm).
A layer of sand is poured into the bottom of the trench - a special cushion. It is also recommended to waterproof the walls before pouring the solution.
Now it is important to use when constructing structures from blocks special adhesives, but in this case its use is irrelevant. WITH material point From a perspective, it’s the same as building a chicken coop from aerated blocks. Moreover, for wood concrete with its imperfect surface, it is optimal to use cement mortar, able to compensate for all irregularities. As for proportions, there is no need to invent anything new. A standard cement mixture is prepared.
The process is similar to construction with other blocks and bricks, so it will not be described in detail. Just note that you need to start from the corners and constantly check the evenness of the rows using a level.
This stage is considered to be the most difficult when constructing a garage. Note that the project must initially contain data on the width of the opening (for 1 car - 3 meters or more). Also, heavy beams are often installed as beams. monolithic structures made of reinforced concrete, therefore, to prevent extreme load on the wood concrete, it is necessary to construct strapping belts to strengthen the beam supports.
Its design may be the simplest. For example, you can look at a chicken coop or other building that does not have an attic.
Roof construction algorithm:
When constructing an ordinary building, to protect the car from atmospheric phenomena, it is enough to insulate it with ordinary materials: mineral wool or polystyrene foam.
Before interior work consider the location of the shelves and potbelly stove, if you plan to install them.
It is also necessary to carry out waterproofing to protect the walls from moisture. To do this, use polyethylene and drywall, and then paint the surface with paint of the desired color.
Plaster using reinforcing mesh
Outside, it is also worth protecting the walls from frost and moisture. The simplest option: a layer of polystyrene foam, reinforced mesh on top and plastering. The plaster is also painted. After this, you can install the gate and “introduce” the car to its new home.
Construction of a garage from block wood concrete is an excellent solution that can provide optimal conditions for car storage within a small budget. Only when purchasing, choose trusted manufacturers, unless, of course, you want to find debris in the middle of the blocks when sawing and watch the walls literally crumble before your eyes.
It is attractive for private construction because it provides excellent thermal insulation with low weight and at the same time has significant vapor permeability - “breathes”. However, these are also the reason for a number of features of the material.
The best and uncompetitive material for a bathhouse is, of course, wood. Any other options are its substitutes, which lack some properties. Arbolit is no exception.
Wood concrete consists of 75% wood and due to this its qualities are to some extent close to those of . In any case, this material is clearly better than brick or regular. The fact is that if the temperature in the home is maintained constant, then the bathhouse is a room where heating is expected as quickly as possible, but only periodically.
That's why he acts the best material wood: provides quick heating, good thermal insulation and at the same time removes excess moisture from the bath to the outside. The walls in a wooden bathhouse never “cry”.
Wood concrete does not have the latter property. The wood chips in it are crushed to such a state that the difference in the direction of the fibers does not matter. Therefore, wood concrete should be considered not as an analogue of wood, but as stone construction material with high vapor permeability.
Wood concrete bathhouse (photo)
The sequence of building a bathhouse from wood concrete with your own hands is as follows:
A lot depends on the quality of wood concrete, as numerous reviews from owners of bathhouses made of wood concrete on the forums state.
Compliance with fire safety rules in such a bathhouse is no different from a brick one, since wood concrete, unlike wood, is completely non-flammable.
Read below about how to make a garage from wood concrete with your own hands.
The owner of such a building will tell you about the features of building a bathhouse made of wood concrete in this video:
For the most part, the garage is not a room that is heated in winter: a large difference between the temperature in the garage and the outside temperature can cause significant harm to the car. However, some kind of insulation is necessary to provide minimal comfort to the owner of the box. Arbolite is perfect for this role: reviews of garages made from arbolite blocks are in most cases positive.
Very great importance for the durability of the structure, it has the quality of the material: undried wood concrete, including foreign objects, shrinks, creates difficulties during laying and wears out much faster. Judging by the reviews, this issue is a stumbling block when choosing material for the garage.
It is undesirable to use wood concrete, even structural concrete, for a height of more than 3 floors. In this case, serious strengthening of the structure will be required. steel reinforcement, and the latter is known to create cold bridges. For a 2-3-story building, a regular reinforcing mesh is sufficient.
Read on to learn how to cover wood concrete walls, how thick they should be, and how to make them yourself.
Arbolit different types used in the construction of various walls:
Place the blocks on cement-sand or perlite mortar. The latter is closer in terms of thermal insulation, and therefore is best choice. For masonry, choose slightly under-dried material or water it generously before applying the masonry mortar: otherwise, the moisture from the mortar will end up in the blocks before the masonry has time to set.
According to GOST, wood concrete for the construction of walls is produced with a ready-made external finishing layer made of. Inner layer plaster may be present, or it may be absent. In fact, it is rare to find blocks with any finished finish.
Wood concrete must be protected from moisture, since the material absorbs it too well. Most often, the protective layer for walls made of wood concrete is plaster, since we are talking about construction material, whose vapor permeability is lower than that of thermal insulation. So there are no contradictions.
The interior decoration of walls made of wood concrete has no restrictions - from tiles to wallpaper. Since the surface has high adhesion, any cladding adheres perfectly to wood concrete walls.
The following video is dedicated to the construction of wood concrete walls:
Wood concrete flooring, judging by the reviews, does not cause unequivocal approval. It is used for this, which you either have to do yourself or order separately from the blocks. The thickness of the screed layer, as well as the insulation layer, reaches 10–15 cm, which is not always economically beneficial.
It is possible to lay wood concrete on the base of the floor or for insulation on a concrete screed.
Such a floor arrangement is only possible with high ceilings. Read more about wood concrete flooring.
Special solutions have been developed for floors. combined slabs, since the strength of wood concrete as such is clearly not enough for the product.
Slabs up to 4.8 m long are produced. However, for private construction, judging by reviews, slabs of 3.5 m are preferable.
Read below to find out whether it is possible to make a foundation for a house out of wood concrete with your own hands.
This video will tell you more about sawdust concrete floors:
Arbolite is a material prone to water absorption due to its porous structure, and therefore the construction of a foundation from it is impossible. Wood concrete is defenseless against dampness and groundwater.
Wood concrete is not a well-studied material to recommend it wide application. However, there are areas where wood concrete has already earned its good reputation and can be used without fear.
Monolithic wood concrete is one of the most economical building materials, used for more than 50 years in different countries for low-rise buildings. Economical construction from “sawdust concrete,” as it is called, according to its composition, will be in demand at all times, especially when constructing secondary walls of industrial workshops or for private country house construction. In monolithic walls, the wood concrete mass is poured into prepared formwork, and for traditional house construction, a mixture of concrete and sawdust is formed into blocks.
The advantage of the material is its minimum cost, low thermal conductivity, simplicity of manufacturing technology and wood concrete composition. Brick blocks made from a mixture of sawdust and concrete with some admixtures are affordable and reliable; they are easy to make with your own hands directly on summer cottage, which will provide additional savings. Its minimal thermal conductivity makes it popular even in cold climates. It’s easy to make molds for filling with the prepared mixture yourself, taking into account the required dimensions, and if necessary, the material can be sawed well.
Like foam concrete, sawdust concrete is classified as a building material from the group of lightweight concrete. He is somewhat similar artificial stone made from wood processing waste - these are wood chips, small shavings and sawdust. Wood concrete photo - types of use of the material in construction.
Today, wood concrete is formed in the form of slabs, blocks, panels and monolithic walls. The standard production of wood concrete material is external blocks 20x30x50 cm and small panels, and partitions and partitions are made from blocks 20x20x50 cm. Most often used for thermal insulation ready-made panels 120x230x20 (28) cm. At the same time, this standard is recommended, but not mandatory; manufacturers often pour wood concrete blocks of other sizes. The diameter and shape of the internal voids, as well as the composition of the material, also vary. According to GOST, wood concrete blocks have an internal coating with concrete-lime mortar, which prevents the effects of moisture.
Depending on the climate zone and natural conditions, other dry plant components are often added to sawdust. Similar technologies for making bricks have been known since ancient times, but the most widely used was a mixture of straw and clay, and today experimenters to create economical building materials focus on mixtures of concrete with waste industrial production.
In the post-war period, during the period of active Soviet construction, sawdust blocks found widespread use due to their availability and cost-effectiveness. In addition to monolithic wood concrete, the wood mixture with concrete was poured in the form of hollow bricks. At the same time, wood concrete can have both standard and arbitrary dimensions; it is important that they are convenient for installation.
Analogues similar to domestic building materials are popular abroad:
Today, wood concrete is used for the construction of:
In low-rise buildings, wood concrete is used for the construction of not only internal walls, but also external ones, which require facing finishing, for example, siding or “wild stone”. Cast from wood concrete load-bearing walls and secondary piers, also made from small hollow blocks into lightweight structures for fences or partitions. In addition, in cold climate zones it is successfully used for an additional second layer when insulating external stone walls, that is, as thermal insulation - wood concrete video.
The density of thermal insulation and structural blocks is in the range of 400-850 kg/cub.m.
The thermal conductivity of wood concrete is 0.08 W/m-0.17 W/m, that is, higher than that of foam concrete, expanded clay concrete and all types of brick.
The frost resistance of the building material is F25-F50; it was used as an experiment in Arctic and Antarctic construction.
Fire resistance indicators – 0.75 h-1.5 h, non-flammable.
In terms of resistance to damage by rodents, termites, bacteria, fungi and rot - classification of biostability of group V.
Wood concrete is blocks consisting of a two-component mixture - wood waste filler and lightweight concrete with a small amount of chemical stabilizers for wood durability. Despite the wooden base, country houses are no different in strength, sound and heat insulation from more expensive materials. The only requirement is that finishing is required.
The material is fire-resistant, does not shrink, and conventionally has 2 varieties - structural (more dense, solid) for external walls and heat-insulating with voids for interior work and upper floors. Lightweight blocks are successfully used to lighten upper floors in small buildings on soils where it is not recommended to build large and tall private houses.
The basis of the composition of wood concrete:
Chemical stabilizers can give wood concrete additional properties:
Dry wood waste is used as filler:
Thanks to this technology, in order to save money, building materials from available plant waste can be made in remote agricultural regions. The production of wood concrete with your own hands can be mass-produced - for local needs.
There are other options, respectively, technologies for the production of wood concrete blocks, for example, sometimes use liquid glass with ash, lime, sand, slag and other components.
The properties and technology of wood concrete combine the advantages of concrete and natural eco-friendly materials for construction. For example, concrete gives it strength, and wood gives it a tendency to self-ventilate, retain heat and absorb odors. Like all building materials, wood concrete has its disadvantages and obvious advantages.
1. Main advantages of building materials:
2. Wood concrete also has its disadvantages:
Arbolite mixture for forming blocks is prepared in different ways, depending on the technology. For example, based on a concrete mixer, liquid glass, wood shavings, and Portland cement grade 500.
To produce large volumes of wood concrete, special equipment can be rented or purchased. To do this you will need equipment for:
Detailed technologies for the industrial production of arbolite blocks are available at specialized companies, who sell them together with a set of equipment. IN household use you can use the simplest recipes, methods of grinding wood waste and wood concrete technology, however, even here you cannot do without a concrete mixer and molds for producing blocks.
The best filler for wood concrete mass will be sawdust of different fractions mixed with crushed shavings, treated with lime mortar, which have already been aged (dried) for 3-4 months in air. Sawdust soaked in lime mortar, mixed and dried, it will remove polysaccharides from cellulose to eliminate the causes of rotting and swelling.
The shape for rectangular blocks can have arbitrary dimensions, but it is better to use the standard - 25x25x50 cm. The boards inside should be as smooth as possible. Pieces of film linoleum can be additionally treated with KN-3 mastic.
Experienced craftsmen recommend making molds for wood concrete blocks from scrap boards with your own hands, and for ease of excavation finished products It is recommended to fill the walls with pieces of linoleum. The mixture can be compacted manually while filling the mold with any suitable device. If you have a ready-made brick press, you can use it.
The filled block is kept inside the mold for a day, after which it is laid out under a canopy to harden. Some technologies recommend keeping the blocks under film for final hydration for 1.5-2 weeks. The low temperature of the warehouse does not affect the quality of wood concrete blocks, but they should not be left in the cold. In the heat, the blocks can dry out and crack, so they are periodically sprayed with water.
It is convenient to mix the sawdust-concrete mass in a metal trough or box, where sifted sawdust and crushed shavings are laid out and filled with a solution of water with chemical additives. The wetted substrate is mixed well until smooth, then sprinkled with cement, mixed and dry cement is added again until a thick consistency is obtained. The most convenient mixing is obtained in a small concrete mixer.
Correct proportion:
There may be more cement, but the wood concrete will be stronger, but heavier, and for porous and hollow material, which is used for insulation and piers, less cement is added.
For additives used:
When filling the mold with the mixture to obtain wood concrete, you can insert 2-3 identical wooden throws to create voids. The mass is laid in layers in 3 steps, followed by compaction using any suitable device such as a bat or wooden hammer. For wood concrete under the first floor, you can add reinforcement between the layers. The excess must be removed, the top is leveled, for example, with a wide construction spatula, and the form is placed under a canopy for the concrete to harden.
When removing the finished arbolite block We turn the mold over onto a flat surface and the hardened material rests for a week under the film and finally dries 3-8 days before laying.
It is better to make the first batch small - to check the properties of the resulting wood concrete. Can be tested for sawing, punching and nail holding capabilities.
