Twin block is a variant of cellular concrete. It meets the standards for masonry materials. Cellular aerated concrete, which is the basis of twin blocks, is a chemically inert substance, which includes:
- silicate sand;
- lime;
- Portland cement;
- aluminum powder that serves as a foaming agent.
Thanks to a significant number of small pores, twin block has low thermal conductivity and is lightweight compared to other silicate building materials. It is used for the construction of external walls of buildings, which seriously reduces the pressure on the foundation. The exact geometric dimensions of twin blocks make it possible not to level the masonry with mortar, but to use high-quality glue for joining.
When laying twin blocks, you can refuse to use mortar. If you have an adhesive composition, you can easily carry out all the work related to the construction of the external walls of a building.
Description and features
Twin block differs from conventional types of block by the presence of tongue-and-groove locks and very precise geometry. It is made from cellular concrete processed in an autoclave.
The mixture contains several components:
- Portland cement grade 500;
- lime;
- water;
- aluminum suspension;
- fly ash produced by burning coal.
The almost ideal geometry of the blocks and the use of tongue-and-groove locks when laying makes it possible to make masonry joints 2-3 mm thick. This feature allows you to build an almost monolithic wall.
Production technology
During production, the components are mixed well without moistening, after which water is added to the mixture. As a result, a chemical reaction of calcium hydroxide and aluminum occurs which forms a large amount of gas. The mixture foams, and a porous structure forms in the future block. At the same time, the Portland cement is moistened, and the porous mass sets and hardens.
The hardened mixture is divided into individual building blocks. After cutting, grooves are formed on them for gripping with hands and a connecting groove-ridge.
The quality of product geometry depends on the accuracy of cutting the material. For twin blocks, dimensional deviations of no more than 2-3 mm are permissible. After the products are formed, autoclave processing occurs; the blocks are loaded into a container in which the pressure is raised to 12 MPa and heated to a temperature of 1900 degrees. This processing allows you to achieve precise dimensions and shapes of building blocks.
In addition to accuracy, steaming blocks in an autoclave increases the performance of the blocks and homogeneity. A mass of components react under high pressure, and very strong hydrate compounds appear in the structure.
Transportation methods
Twin blocks are transported by road. The material must be packed on a pallet. The truck must have opening sides and removable racks, and its body is equipped with a horizontal surface. During transportation, twin blocks may suffer mechanical damage. To avoid this, all rows of pallets are secured with fastening belts to the platform by vehicles.
Protection from moisture (rain, snow) is also necessary. Twin blocks need to be covered with a plastic sheet on top. To avoid damage to the edges of the material (unloading/loading twin blocks), it must be securely fixed. This is achieved by using soft slings. It is not recommended to use metal slings. The product may be completely destroyed.
Characteristics and properties
Twin blocks, like other materials, have pros and cons. For example, a house built in the Krasnodar region will be quite comfortable, but in the conditions of Yakutia it will be necessary to additionally insulate a house made of twin blocks .
This material is good because:
- Twin block is easier to work with than cinder block and weighs significantly less. But the geometric accuracy of the tongue-and-groove connection is important, otherwise it will not be possible to complete the masonry correctly;
- The composition used in the production of blocks is environmentally friendly, it is not for nothing that it has environmental quality certificates;
- Such blocks are soft and easy to cut with a saw and drill; they can be used to make bars of the required shape for laying an unusual twin-block wall .
Minus the high cost - at least 300 rubles per 1 m3
What is a twinblock?
In the production of this building material, modern equipment is used, which determines not only high quality, but also the ideal geometric dimensions of Berezovsky twin blocks. The Teplit trademark guarantees that blocks from different batches will have identical dimensions, which allows you to save on the finishing of finished premises and simplify the construction process. The characteristics and dimensions of twin blocks for construction allow finishing to be carried out without the use of a large amount of finishing materials.
Twinblock differences:
- Ease of installation and affordable cost, which determines a wide range of uses of twin blocks in private construction. The construction of objects from twin blocks using special glue is several times cheaper than similar buildings made of ceramic bricks on mortar.
- There is no need to deliver large quantities of cement mortar, since the storage and use of dry mixtures is more profitable from an economic point of view.
- Like twin blocks, the adhesive used for their construction has low thermal conductivity, which eliminates the problem of cold bridges.
- Twin blocks are available in several sizes for different walls and partitions. Each block is equipped with a tongue-and-groove system, so they can be stacked like Lego bricks. The grooves in the wall blocks simplify and speed up their installation.
Kinds
Before purchasing, you need to familiarize yourself with the types of material and its performance characteristics and understand the properties of the twin block .
Based on the specific gravity of the blocks, 3 brands of twin blocks are made:
- D-400;
- D-500;
- D-600.
Short description
D-400. Structural strength equal to B2, has a maximum vapor permeability of 0.25 and low resistance to low temperatures (F50). Thermal conductivity is 0.08 W/m0C;
D-500. Structural strength B5, vapor permeability 0.2. Thermal conductivity is 0.115 W/m0C;
D-600. Structural strength B5, vapor permeability 0.18. Thermal conductivity is 0.131 W/m0C.
Twinblock dimensions
| Brand | Dimensions, mm |
| TB-100 | 630x100x250 |
| TB-200 | 630x200x250 |
| TB-300 | 630x300x250 |
| TB-400 | 630x400x250 |
The number indicated in the marking indicates the width of the block. When dry, the minimum weight of the blocks is 8 kg. (TB-100), maximum weight 33 kg (TB-400).
Manufacturers
Twinblock is a brand of building material made from autoclaved aerated concrete produced by. This company is the largest manufacturer of aerated concrete blocks in Russia. Twin blocks are used in the construction of commercial, industrial, residential multi-storey, country and country houses.
It consists of 2 factories, which are located in the village of Reftinsky and the city of Berezovsky. Production takes place on automated lines assembled from WEHRHAHN equipment (Germany). The peculiarity of these production lines is the accuracy of cutting the prepared material and increased productivity.
All building materials are issued with special certificates confirming compliance with international quality standards.
Calculation of twin blocks for construction
To calculate how many blocks will be needed to build a house, we will use a simple algorithm consisting of several successive steps.
1. Let's determine the area of the future masonry, for which we add up the width and length of the building, multiply by two and also by the height of the building. For example:
- width 10 m;
- length 8m;
- height 3m.
As a result, we obtain according to the formula: (10 + 8)x2x3 = 108 m2. This is the area of the future masonry of the house.
2. Subtract 10% from the resulting area. These percentages apply to the openings of doors and windows of the building. You can calculate with greater accuracy by adding up the areas of each door and window opening separately, but for the first, estimated calculation, it’s easier to stop at 10%.
In our example: 108 - 10.8 = 97.2 m2.
3. Multiply the resulting figure by 6.4 - this number is in one square meter of masonry. The figure is somewhat arbitrary, since an important role here is whether glue or mortar will be used for masonry. According to the last formula, we obtain the number of blocks required for construction.
97.2 x 6.4 = 622 blocks needed.
4. Now you need to convert the number of blocks to cubic meters. It all depends on the thickness of the walls, so:
- if the width of the walls is 100 mm, then the number of blocks should be divided by 64;
- if 200 mm - by 32;
- if at 300 mm - at 21;
- if at 400 - at 16.
Our example: suppose that for our conditional house we use blocks with a width of 300 mm, which means we need to divide 622 blocks by 21. As a result, 30 m3 of twin blocks will be needed for construction.
Calculating material consumption turned out to be simple, so it’s easy to calculate the need for material yourself.
Masonry technology
When laying, use a special glue for twin blocks ; the quality and strength of the walls directly depends on its choice.
Adhesives are sold in the form of dry mixtures containing:
- Very fine sand:
- Portland cement;
- Special additives.
The characteristics of the glue depend on the additives used; manufacturers often hide which of them are used in production.
There are several types of adhesives:
- Thin-layer. With their help, they lay out a wall with seams 3-5 mm thick, which is enough for twin blocks;
- Thick-layer. Universal compositions, seam thickness reaches 10 mm, this makes it possible to compensate for deviations in the geometry of the blocks;
- For the warm season. These adhesives are used at outdoor temperatures from 0 to +50 degrees;
- For low temperature. Used for laying walls at low temperatures.
When choosing the adhesive that is suitable for your conditions, you need to consider several subtleties:
- It is advisable to use the adhesive mixture supplied by the twin block manufacturer. This will allow you to obtain better quality and strength of the masonry;
- Before purchasing glue, you need to evaluate the geometry of the building material. When using uneven blocks, the consumption of the adhesive composition will increase noticeably, since thin masonry layers will not be able to compensate for the deviations;
- You need to buy a mixture that is suitable for the ambient temperature. The use of summer varieties at low temperatures is unacceptable;
- When choosing an adhesive, consider the expiration date and when the material was manufactured.
Twinbolt laying is a creative and interesting job. The method of connecting blocks and their geometry are similar to assembling structures from large Lego elements.
To build partitions and load-bearing structures from twin blocks, it is permissible to use any type of foundation, the main thing is that it is poured according to the rules.
It is more convenient and profitable to build a house from a twin block on a columnar or monolithic foundation. It does not require significant expenses, hiring heavy construction equipment and can be poured independently.
Masonry sequence
The foundation before the masonry must stand, after which it is covered with roofing felt or similar waterproofing. Laying begins from the corner, the waterproofing is coated with a solution 7-12 mm thick and corner twin blocks are installed. Then they pull the cord and assemble the lower support row. It is convenient to monitor the quality of work and the horizontality of the rows with a laser rangefinder.
The result directly depends on the evenness and horizontality of the first row. Check the shape of the corners using a square or carriage.
When 2 rows are ready, work is suspended for a while so that the first rows set and dry a little. The peculiarity of the work is that the supporting rows are laid on a cement-sand mortar, the subsequent rows of masonry are placed on adhesive mixtures.
For floors above doors and windows, special beams are installed; if there is nowhere to get them, available materials that have the necessary strength will do.
The glue is applied to the surface of the twin block in an equal layer no more than 10 mm thick, then a comb spatula is passed over the applied solution. It is necessary that the adhesive composition evenly covers the top and side surfaces of the block.
Final surface leveling
And the ideal geometry of the building material does not guarantee the complete absence of flaws. Irregularities may form, with differences ranging from 2-5 mm. A grinding machine or electric planer will allow you to level the protrusions of the wall. If you don't have them, you can use a hand plane.
Foam blocks
Foam blocks are a special building material, presented in the form of blocks consisting of the same foam concrete.
Photo of foam block
Attention: The only difference from twin blocks is the way the mass is divided into blocks. The twin blocks are cut using special strings, and the foam blocks are pre-filled into special molds.
Now foam blocks are gaining more and more popularity as one of the best building materials for cottages and low-rise buildings. It is growing so quickly that the existing production capacity of all companies is barely enough to cover the demand, which is growing and growing day by day.
Price and reviews
The material is produced under the brand name Twinblock.
| Name | Dimensions: one twin block cube | Cost of one cube |
| Teplit TB 100 | 625x100x250 | 3260 RUR |
| Teplit TB 200 | 625x200x250 | 3260 RUR |
| Teplit TB 300 | 625x300x250 | 3260 RUR |
| Teplit TB 400 | 625x400x250 | 3260 RUR |
