Types and sizes of double bricks

During the construction of buildings, many craftsmen are faced with the choice of building material, which should not only have aesthetics, but also have high performance. All these parameters are met by a double brick, so lately it has been in great demand. In addition to reliability and durability, double blocks also allow you to speed up the construction process, and 2 times less cement mortar is spent on their installation.

Double brick is a versatile building material with voids inside. Its strength and endurance indicator is determined by a special marking in the form of numbers after the letter "M". For example, for the construction of multi-storey buildings, it is recommended to choose double blocks M-150. If it is planned to build only walls, then a brick of the M-100 brand will do.

For the manufacture of double bricks, exclusively ecological components are used, usually first-class clay, water and natural fillers. The production of the material is carried out by both foreign and domestic brands. Depending on the manufacturing technology, a slotted and porous block can be considered. In this case, the first type differs from the second by the presence of slots and holes of different sizes inside. Thanks to the internal voids, the weight of the product is reduced.

To date, the manufacture of double bricks has been improved, and allows the production of blocks of various sizes that exceed the established standards. Depending on the manufacturing features, the material may differ not only in appearance, structure, but also in performance. Double brick is produced in the following ways.

• Plastic. First, a clay mass with a moisture content of 18-30% is prepared, and a workpiece is formed from it. Then the raw material is sent to molds, pressed and fired in a chamber at a high temperature. The result is a durable double ceramite that is ideal for building houses and utility blocks in areas with high levels of humidity.
• Semi-dry. In this case, the technology provides for the firing of the workpiece with a moisture content of no more than 10%. According to GOST standards, such blocks should contain two ceramites, and the dimensions of the brick should be 25 × 12 × 14 mm.

Thanks to modern equipment and various additives, double bricks can be produced not only in traditional brown or red colors, but also in other shades. This simplifies the choice of material during construction, as it is ideal for any design project. Double bricks are used on almost all construction sites, they are laid out as external, internal walls, and the foundation. The advantages of such blocks include:

• high thermal stability;
• durability;
• breathability;
• affordable price;
• fast styling.

The popularity and huge demand for double brick is due to its high performance. It can differ in texture, size, number of slots and shapes of voids. There are two types of blocks depending on the raw materials used for the manufacture.

Their main feature is that the production is carried out from a mixture of 90% sand and 10% water.In addition, the product also contains additives that increase its quality. This is an absolutely environmentally friendly material that looks like natural stone. The process of making double silicate bricks is carried out by pressing a moistened mixture of lime and sand, after which various pigments are added to it, and sent for steam treatment. It can be either hollow, slotted or porous. By strength, silicate blocks are divided into grades from 75 to 300.

These blocks are most often used for laying out internal and external partitions. It is impossible to use silicate brick for the construction of basements and foundations of buildings, since the product is not resistant to moisture, and in the absence of a waterproofing layer, it can be subject to destruction. It is not recommended to make double silicate bricks and laying pipes, ovens. It will not withstand prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

As for the advantages, this product has excellent sound insulation and has the correct geometric shape. Despite the large weight of such bricks, their laying is quick and easy. In terms of their density, silicate products are 1.5 times higher than ceramic ones, therefore they provide durable and high-quality masonry. In addition, silicate double blocks are 30% cheaper than other types.

They are a modern building material that is used in almost all types of construction work. Its feature is considered to be large, which is usually 250 × 120 × 138 mm. Thanks to such non-standard dimensions, construction is accelerated, and the consumption of concrete pouring is significantly reduced. In addition, double ceramic bricks are in no way inferior in strength to conventional blocks, therefore it can be used for the construction of load-bearing and self-supporting structures in buildings no more than 18 m high.The product is also characterized by high thermal insulation, the buildings laid out of it are always warm, and they are constantly maintained optimal microclimate.

The main advantage of double ceramic bricks is its affordable cost, while many manufacturers often make good discounts when purchasing blocks for the construction of a large object. These blocks, in addition to high quality, also have an aesthetic appearance. Usually brick is red in color, but depending on the additives, it can also acquire other shades. The product is environmentally friendly, and even with prolonged use and exposure to the external environment, it does not emit harmful substances.

These blocks are transported on pallets, where they usually fit up to 256 pieces. As for the marking, it can be different, more often people choose M-150 and M-75 bricks for the construction of objects. In addition, double ceramic blocks are subdivided into solid and hollow; not only their price, but also their heat capacity depends on this parameter. Hollow bricks cannot be used to build load-bearing walls, in this case only solid bricks are allowed. Despite the fact that the first is lightweight and significantly reduces the overall load on the foundation, the inherent cracks in it affect the thermal conductivity.

In addition, double bricks are subdivided into the following types.

• Private. These blocks are ideal for laying stoves, fireplaces and foundations. The only thing is that the front layout requires additional finishing.
• Facial. It is produced in clinker and hyper-pressed versions. It can be either solid or hollow bricks. Unlike ordinary blocks, face blocks are produced in curly, trapezoidal, rounded and twisted shapes. As for the color, it is dark brown, gray, red, yellow and brown.

One of the features of a double brick is considered to be its dimensions, which exceed the dimensions of single and one-and-a-half blocks by almost 2 times. It should be noted that the weight of the product is small, therefore, the total load on the base of the building is reduced. This is due to the presence of voids inside the blocks, which can occupy up to 33% of the product space. According to building codes in accordance with GOST 7484-78 and GOST 530-95, double bricks can be produced with a size of 250x120x138 mm, while foreign manufacturers can produce products of other sizes. In addition, the dimensions of the brick depend on the raw material from which it is produced.

• Double ceramic block. Its dimensions are 250 × 120 × 140 mm, this material is designated with the 2.1 NF marking. Since the dimensions of the brick are 2 times higher than the parameters of standard blocks, this indicator significantly affects the height of the layout.
• Double silicate block. It is also produced in the size of 250 × 120 × 140 mm, with such indicators for 1m3 of masonry, up to 242 pieces of blocks are required. Despite the indicated dimensions, such a product has a decent weight of up to 5.4 kg, since during the manufacture of blocks, auxiliary components are added to the composition, which enhance the characteristics of frost resistance.

Double bricks are made strictly according to the technology and established standards, but since the blanks of the blocks during the production process are fired in furnaces and additional processing, their dimensions can deviate in parameters by up to 8%. In order to prevent such changes in dimensions, manufacturers increase their geometric data at the stage of forming bricks. As a result, after release, standard products are obtained. Despite this, GOST allows a deviation from standard sizes by 4 mm in length and no more than 3 mm in width.

The construction of new facilities is considered a responsible job, so it must start not only with the design, but also with the calculation of the material. First of all, they count the number of bricks in one cube. For this, it is also important to take into account the thickness of the joints and the width of the masonry. Usually, up to 242 units of double bricks go to 1 m3, but if you subtract the seams, then the figure will be 200 pieces, thus, for each calculation of 1 m2 excluding seams, 60 blocks will be required, and taking into account - 52. These calculations are suitable if the structures are planned to be laid out in one row, no more than 250 mm thick.

For structures with a thickness of 120 mm, 30 units will be required excluding, and 26 taking into account the seams. When erecting walls with a thickness of 380 mm, the consumption will be, respectively, 90 and 78 pieces, and for a thickness of 510 mm - 120 and 104 units. To get a more accurate figure in the calculations, it is recommended to lay out one or more test rows without a solution for an illustrative example, and only then calculate everything.

In addition, the consumption of bricks depends on the type of construction work and the number of voids inside the blocks, since the void can take up to 50% of the volume. Therefore, if it is planned to build without additional wall insulation, then it is recommended to choose a brick with a large number of slots, since it will provide a minimum load on the foundation, make the building warm, and fewer blocks will be needed for masonry.

Despite the fact that double bricks are produced in standard sizes, their batches may differ by a small percentage of error. Therefore, for the construction of large buildings, it is recommended to order the entire number of bricks at once. This will not only save you from problems with calculations, but will also guarantee the same shade of the products.

For information on how to calculate the number of bricks for masonry, see the next video.