The complexity of constructing a house, cottage or just a building for office space is determined by several factors. Among them are choosing a project, developing communication systems, calculating the required building material and other components, determining the type of foundation. The question of the number of external corners of the building also deserves attention. Creating a project with six or fewer corners falls into the category of simple construction work. When building a house with corners of six or more, the process will be long-term and labor-intensive. A prerequisite for the success of such a project will be the involvement of a professional mason.

Laying expanded clay concrete blocks for walls:

One of the easiest to construct will be the laying of expanded clay concrete blocks for a single-layer wall. To create, use walls made of expanded clay concrete blocks, foam concrete, ceramics or hollow bricks with insulating material. Some bricks and hollow expanded clay concrete blocks must be laid on a heat-saving mixture. Additionally, manufacturers of building materials offer wide choice special molds that can be used when making crowns and lintels. Incorporating forms into the wall construction process makes the job much easier. The undeniable advantage of single-layer walls is the ease of plastering using a proven method. The advantages also include high level thermal insulation and quick forcing of walls. A single-layer wall can be treated with a solution of cement and lime, which significantly reduces the cost of the interior finishing process.

The next step in increasing complexity and cost of work is the laying of expanded clay concrete blocks for a two-layer wall. The load-bearing layer is usually laid out from expanded clay concrete blocks or the same hollow ceramic brick with a thickness of at least twenty or forty centimeters. A second insulating layer is installed outside. To do this, use polystyrene foam or mineral wool. Thermal insulation is created from the inside by laying out a thin layer plaster mixture. This process is the most labor-intensive. The successful construction of a two-layer wall made of expanded clay concrete blocks is ensured by using all components from one manufacturer. Only if these conditions are met can we expect guaranteed good quality and aesthetics of the facade. The main advantages of a two-layer wall include thermal insulation and the absence of thermal bridges.

Laying expanded clay concrete blocks for a three-layer wall uses proven technologies. The first layer is load-bearing, made of expanded clay concrete blocks or hollow ceramic bricks. External insulation is carried out using facade bricks, stone or clinker bricks. A protective wall at least ten centimeters thick is being erected. An accurate calculation of the laying of a three-layer wall made of expanded clay concrete blocks is required. Especially at the junctions of walls, during the installation of insulation. It is especially important not to miscalculate air ventilation in the facade walls. The beauty of three-layer walls, as well as practicality and technical parameters attract professional builders.

One of the most popular building materials is expanded clay concrete. Floor screeds are made from it, and walls and partitions are poured with it.

Most often, blocks are made from this material - individual elements created for the construction of structures.

The thickness of the wall made of expanded clay concrete blocks can be different. This parameter depends on the size of the product itself, for what purpose the block is used and on the area in which you are using it.

Features of expanded clay concrete blocks and material properties

Expanded clay is natural material, which is made from carbon clay by firing at high temperatures, resulting in the formation of separate fractions. The smaller the fraction, the higher the value of the material.

The product itself has good thermal conductivity; it is often used to insulate the floors of buildings and frame partitions of walls. But most often, blocks are produced with the addition of expanded clay and concrete, which are very popular among both professional builders and ordinary people planning to build their own home.

They can be created either at specialized enterprises or independently, the main thing is to have the appropriate molds for pouring the product and know the proportions and production technologies. This material has certain characteristics, which can be found in detail in the table below.

Block structures of load-bearing walls and various partitions are installed much faster than brick ones and have a lower cost (in terms of material consumption). Despite the fact that visually, brick seems to be a more integral product, the density of expanded clay concrete blocks is much higher.

The product in question is most often produced in two types:

• septal block;
• wall

The expanded clay concrete block, intended for external and load-bearing walls, is created with dimensions of 390 x 190 x 188 mm, and the product intended for creating partitions between rooms in premises is 390 x 190 x 90 mm. When purchasing expanded clay concrete blocks as a material for the construction of external walls of houses and various buildings, you should take into account the fact that it contains all environmentally friendly materials that do not emit harmful impurities.

Choosing masonry for the outer wall of a house

Almost every owner, when building his house, is faced with the question: “How thick should the external wall be?” It is not always easy to get a definite answer. Since its thickness depends on the masonry used in the construction of the structure. Masonry, in turn, varies in different regions of the country depending on climatic conditions.

Moreover, it is not always outer wall created only from expanded clay blocks. In cold regions of the country, in order to have a minimum wall thickness, combined masonry is used. In addition to blocks, they involve various types (stone wool, expanded polystyrene) and bricks.

Only after the final choice of masonry option should you begin to calculate the thickness of the expanded clay concrete wall.

There are certain postulates and rules that should always be taken into account and observed when organizing walls made of expanded clay blocks. These include:

• when laying a supporting wall with ordinary ones, the outer masonry must be at least 40 cm thick;
• if the premises are lined with large blocks of expanded clay concrete measuring 590 x 290 x 200 mm, then the outer wall is built 60 cm thick, and the insulation is placed in special gaps.

When choosing and forming wall pie Each owner should take into account such a parameter as the thermal conductivity coefficient. It is found in every building material used to build walls.

How to calculate wall thickness?

For self-construction it’s not enough to know the buildings , How the outer wall will be built, and from what materials it will be made, each owner should learn how to calculate the thickness of the structure. They can differ significantly depending on the construction site and the parameters of the materials used.

The main parameters for calculating the thickness of external walls are the thermal conductivity coefficient and the heat transfer resistance coefficient.

Each material has a thermal conductivity coefficient λ depending on the thickness of the product used. The heat transfer resistance coefficient is designated as Rreg, and directly depends on the area where the structure will be erected. Each region has its own coefficient; it can be found in various construction documents (SNiPs and GOSTs).

The wall thickness is designated as δ and is equal to:

δ= λ * Rreg. For more information on how to lay walls from blocks, watch this video:

In our country there are certain established procedures that many builders who build houses from expanded clay concrete blocks adhere to. They believe that walls made of this material in the northern regions should be at least 60 cm, in the central regions - 40-60 cm, and in the southern regions 20 - 40 cm.

To summarize the written material, it should be said that in order to erect a structure, you need to qualitatively calculate all the parameters, including the thickness of the walls made of expanded clay concrete.

This material is now used in construction more often than many others, so it’s worth digging through the literature and finding the required values ​​if the goal is to create a reliable and warm home.

Expanded clay concrete is one type of concrete. It has recently become quite often used in construction work: the construction of cottages, outbuildings, garages. It is also used to fill the frame for multi-storey buildings which are built from reinforced concrete.
This material has become so popular that it is difficult to imagine a country in which it would not be used by builders. More precisely, pre-made expanded clay concrete wall blocks are used.
The thickness of the surface finished with expanded clay concrete block mainly depends on which masonry option you choose. Each option, in turn, depends on the weather, climatic conditions. It also takes into account how much the building is used. When construction is major, often more than just one block of expanded clay concrete can be used. In addition, bricks, foam and cinder blocks are used. The thickness of the future masonry will depend on what kind of thermal insulation is required for a particular building. The various thermal conductivity and moisture-repellent characteristics of the insulation will also be taken into account.
Depending on the choice of masonry, you will calculate the thickness of the walls, which are made with ceramic blocks. Moreover, the outer and inner layers of finishing plaster applied to the wall will be taken into account:
The first option: if the supporting wall is laid out in blocks of 390:190:200 millimeters, then the masonry must be laid 400 millimeters thick, not counting the layers of internal plaster and insulation that is located outside.
Second option: if the load-bearing wall structure consists of blocks measuring 590:290:200 millimeters, then the wall should be exactly 600 millimeters. In this case, it is worth filling special voids in the blocks between the walls with insulation.
Third option: if you decide to use an expanded clay concrete block with a size of 235:500:200 millimeters, then the wall thickness will be 500 millimeters. Plus add layers of plaster on both sides of the wall to your calculations.
Thermal conductivity is a material property that characterizes the process of heat transfer from warm objects to cool ones. Everyone knows this from physics lessons.
Thermal conductivity in calculations is expressed through a special coefficient. It takes into account the parameters of the bodies between which heat is transferred, the amount of heat, and time. This coefficient shows how much heat can be transferred in one hour from one body to another, which measures one meter thick and one square meter area.
Different characteristics have their influence on the thermal conductivity of each material. These include the size, type, presence of voids of the material or substance, its chemical composition. Humidity and air temperature also affect this process. For example, low thermal conductivity is observed in porous materials and substances.
For each specific building, its own wall thickness is measured. It varies depending on the purpose of the building. For a residential building, the standard thickness will be exactly 64 centimeters. This is all spelled out in special building codes and rules. True, some people think differently: that load-bearing wall a residential building can be 39 centimeters thick. In fact, such calculations are more suitable for summer house, country house, garage, buildings for economic purposes. Can be erected interior finishing a wall of such thickness.
Calculation example
The moment of making an accurate calculation is very important. It is necessary to take into account the optimal thickness of the walls, which are made of expanded clay concrete blocks. To achieve results, use a very simple one-step formula.
Builders, to solve this formula, must know two quantities. First you need to find out the thermal conductivity coefficient, which was mentioned earlier. In the formula it is written through the sign “λ”. The second value that needs to be taken into account is the heat transfer resistance coefficient. This value depends on many factors, for example, on the weather conditions of the area where the building is located. The area in which the building will then be used is also an important factor. This value in the formula will look like “Rreg”. It can be determined by building codes and regulations.
The value in the formula that we need to find, namely the thickness of the wall being built, we denote by the “δ” icon. As a result, the formula will look like this:
As a result, after solving this formula:
δ = 3 x 0.19 = 0.57 m.
We understand that the thickness of the walls should be 57 centimeters.
δ = Rreg x λ
To give an example, you can calculate the thickness of a wall under construction in the city of Moscow and its region. The value of Rreg for this region of the country has already been calculated and officially established in special rules and regulations for construction. So it is 3-3.1. And you can take any wall size as an example, since you will already be calculating yours on the spot. The thickness of the block can be completely different. For example, it will be possible to take 0.19 W/(m*⁰С).
Experienced builders and experts recommend making the wall thickness from forty to sixty centimeters if the building is located in such central regions of Russia as Moscow and St. Petersburg.

It is important to ensure proper thermal insulation of the house. This will prevent premature destruction of supporting structures and reduce heating costs. The building materials market now offers many products for creating wall fencing. They all have different thermal insulation properties. Next, we consider the question of whether insulation of expanded clay concrete external walls is necessary and how to carry it out.

Characteristics of the material from the point of view of thermal engineering

The thermal conductivity of a material strongly depends on its density. Among expanded clay balls the following classification can be given:

Comparative characteristics of thermal insulation properties various materials

• construction materials – density 1200 – 1800 kg/m3;
• structural and thermal insulation – density 500-1000 kg/m3.

The thermal conductivity of structural materials is comparable to that of ordinary ceramic bricks, therefore, according to thermal engineering, the wall must have a sufficiently large thickness. Structural and thermal insulation types have characteristics similar to “warm” porous ceramics. In this case, the thickness of the walls of the house is smaller, but for private housing construction it can be further reduced through the use of effective insulation materials.

Materials for thermal insulation

Manufacturers now offer a fairly large range of thermal insulators. To protect walls you can use:

• mineral wool (slabs and mats);
• foam;
• extruded polystyrene foam (penoplex);
• polyurethane foam;
• ecowool;
• “warm” plaster.

The most common of these methods are mineral wool and expanded polystyrene (foam plastic and penoplex). Their thermal insulation characteristics are approximately equal.

Thermal calculation

When purchasing blocks, the manufacturer must always indicate their properties. The calculation determines the thickness; to perform it, a characteristic such as thermal conductivity will be required. There are two ways to perform this calculation:

• "manually";
• using special programs.

It is not difficult to perform an independent calculation, but it can cause difficulties for a person who does not have a construction education. It is best to use the simple Teremok program, which works in two modes:

• calculating the thickness of one of the layers of the wall structure;
• checking the heat transfer resistance if the thickness has already been selected.

To work with the software, you will need the following initial data:

• thermal conductivity of expanded clay concrete blocks;
• block width;
• thermal conductivity of insulation;
• insulation thickness (not needed if working with the program in the first mode).

Having selected the values, you can begin insulating the walls of the house.

Work technology

First of all, you need to determine which side to fasten the material on. Insulating a wall made of expanded clay concrete blocks from the outside is the most competent solution. You can carry out work from the inside, but only if fixing the heat insulator from the outside will cause great inconvenience and lead to increased labor and financial costs.

The process of protecting walls with insulation depends on its type. For different materials, the technology has slight differences, so it is worth considering each of them separately.

Mineral wool mounted on a pre-installed frame. The work should be done in the following order:

• cleaning the wall surface;
• fastening vapor barrier;
• frame installation;
• installation of insulation;
• waterproofing;
• finishing of the facade with provision of an air-ventilated layer, at least 5 cm thick.

The layer is needed to remove condensation from the insulation, which loses its properties when wet.

Foam plastic and penoplex

The fastening of materials is carried out in the same way. The order of the layers is the same as in the previous case, the only difference is that the installation of a frame and the presence of a ventilated layer are not required. Penoplex is resistant to moisture, so you can do without a vapor barrier. Fastening the outside wall of a house made of expanded clay concrete blocks is carried out simultaneously in two ways:

• on special glue for polystyrene foam;
• on dowels.

First you should cut the sheets, then try them on for size. After this, glue is applied to the material. You need to glue the polystyrene foam with a bandage so that there are no long vertical seams. Once gluing is completed, the thermal insulation on the outside of the house is additionally secured with plastic dowels.

The use of expanded clay concrete in the construction of external walls, partitions and ceilings is a common practice; this masonry material is valued for its strength, good insulating properties, compliance with safety standards and stability of characteristics. Thickness building structures, size and number of blocks, determines the calculation, taking into account their functional purpose and performance indicators of a particular brand. The main reference point for this is the manufacturer’s data and the requirements of SNIP 02/23/2003.

To calculate this value in relation to structures in contact with the external environment or areas with different temperature conditions, a simple formula is used: δ=R he g ·λ, where λ is the thermal conductivity indicator of expanded clay blocks, and R he g is the coefficient of heat transfer resistance, determined empirically and depending on the climatic conditions of the region and the type of room (unheated or residential). For the Moscow region, its official value varies between 3-3.1 m²·°C/W, Murmansk and the northern zone - 3.63, southern cities - 2.3.

The exact value for a specific large settlement is taken from the tables; it is considered averaged over the region and is suitable for use in calculations to determine the thickness of walls for nearby objects.

Taking into account this parameter and the approximate thermal conductivity of blocks with a strength class of at least B3.5 in the range of 0.19-0.21 W/m °C in middle lane In Russia, the outer walls of houses with single-layer solid masonry must be made at least 57 cm thick. In practice, the value of this indicator is always higher; the minimum recommended by standards for these regions is 64 cm. A smaller deviation is permissible only for buildings that are rarely used: bathhouses, dachas, garages or workshops, to protect against freezing the facades of such objects are recommended to be covered with a 5 cm layer of insulation.

When calculating the thickness of partitions, the key factors are the requirements for acoustic comfort and their expected self-supporting capabilities. If there is no need to mount heavy furniture or equipment on them, the standard minimum of 190 mm will be sufficient provided that elements with good sound absorption are used - hollow or lightweight, based on highly porous expanded clay granules. If it is necessary to simply divide the internal space, thinner products (90-100 mm) are used. When laying load-bearing partitions, the width is increased to 40 cm.

Factors influencing the thickness of a wall made of expanded clay concrete blocks

Based on the above, the dimensions directly depend on two criteria: climatic operating conditions (the greater the difference between the temperature outside and the given range inside, the higher the value of the heat transfer resistance coefficient) and the thermal conductivity of the material. In the case of expanded clay concrete, the latter is closely related to the density grade, size, number of voids and degree of moisture. Optimal performance thermal insulation have slotted stones with a specific gravity of up to 700-1200 kg/m3, the worst ones are solid with a high proportion of heavy sand and small granules in the composition.

At first glance, reducing the thickness is very simple - by using lightweight and hollow blocks. But due to the inevitable reduction in strength, this method is only suitable for partitions and frame houses, but not for external main walls. As a result, when constructing a building in a cold climate, the developer has two options: make the thickness within the calculated limits, thereby increasing the load on the base, or insulate it. The second is recognized as more effective; depending on the location and method of arrangement of the thermal insulation layer, they are distinguished:

1. Well masonry of two parallel walls of the same size made of expanded clay blocks connected by reinforcement. The advantage of this option is the possibility of using both bulk materials or hardening foams with low density, and slab varieties as insulation.
2. Three-layer with external thermal insulation and subsequent lining with brick or partitioning product made of expanded clay concrete. The difference from the previous scheme is in different ways fastening insulation and a thinner outer wall.
3. Systems with ventilated facades attached to single-row masonry. This option is one of the most popular; with a standard element thickness, its width varies within 20 cm. This allows you to significantly reduce the weight load on the foundation and make it less massive. Insulation in such cases always has a rigid and slab form; the lathing for fastening the cladding is laid in advance.
4. Walls with a thickness of 20-40 cm (1 or 1.5 blocks, respectively), without porous or fibrous insulation, covered on one or both sides with a thick layer of heat-insulating plaster.

The nuances of laying expanded clay concrete products

After determining the dimensions of the structures and choosing the ligation method (single-layer in half a block, in a block, two connected walls with insulation in the middle or other options), it is recommended to make an accurate diagram that takes into account the thickness of the seams and the need for reinforcement. Calculation of the number of elements and volume of the connecting solution is carried out in advance; classic cement-sand or specialized ready-made mixtures are selected as the latter. Installation work It is recommended to perform it in the warm season, the base under the rows is reliably isolated from ground moisture roll materials and 20-30 mm layer of CPR.