Stroy-Beton Inc.
/Part 1. Foam concrete – definition and physical characteristics.
Foam concrete is a type of porous concrete. According to its features and uses it is similar to aerated concrete. The synonyms are:- aerated concrete
- lightweight concrete
- porous concrete
Here we will look at the main feature of foam concrete and will compare it with other materials.
Fomm-Prof machines could produce foam concrete with different densities from 200kg/cub.m. to 1600kg/cub.m.
Density 300-500 kg/m3 (19-38 lbs/ft3) Made with Cement & Foam Only
Foam concrete with this densities is used in roof and floor as insulation against heat and sound and is applied on rigid floors (i.e. in itself it is not a structural material). It is used interspace filling between brickwork leaves in underground walls, insulation in hollow blocks and any other filling situation where high insulating properties are required.
Density 600-900 kg/m3 (38-56 lbs/ft3) Made with Sand, Cement & Foam
Used for the manufacture of precast blocks and panels for curtain and partition walls, slabs for false ceilings, thermal insulation and soundproofing screeds in multi-level residential and commercial buildings. Foam concrete of this density range is also ideal for bulk fill application.
Density 1000-1200 kg/m3 (56-75 lbs/ft3) Made with Sand, Cement & Foam
This material is used in concrete blocks and panels for outer leaves of buildings, architectural ornamentation as well as partition walls, concrete slabs for roofing and floor screeds.
Density 1200-1600 kg/m3 (75-100 lbs/ft3) Made with Sand, Cement & Foam
This material is used in precast panels of any dimension for commercial and industrial use, garden ornaments and other uses where structural concrete of light weight is an advantage.
Main features and characteristics of foam concrete:
Type of foam concrete / Sort of foam concrete according to average density / Non-autoclave foam concrete
28 day compressive strength
MPa** / Thermal Conductivity
W/mk
Heat-insulated / D400 / 1 / 0.1
D500 / 1.4 / 0.12
Constructional-heat-insulated / D600 / 3.5 / 0.14
D700 / 5 / 0.18
D800 / 7 / 0.21
D1000 / 10 / 0.24
Constructional / D1100 / 14 / 0.34
D1200 / 17 / 0.38
** The effects of foamed concrete density, cement type and content, water/cement ratio, foam type and curing regime will influence the compressive strength.
Water Absorption
Trials undertaken have shown that the closed cell bubble structure produced GreenFroth protein foaming agent create a foamed concrete with very low water absorption.
The higher the air content the higher the water absorption figure with a fully submerged sample of a mid density (770kg/m3) foamed concrete absorbing just 13% of water by weight over a 10 day period. A dense concrete block submerged for the same time absorbed over 50% of water by weight.
Fire Resistance
Foam concrete is extremely fire resistant and well suited to applications where fire is a risk. Test have shown that in addition to prolonged fire protection, the application of intense heat, such as a high energy flame held close to the surface, does not cause the concrete to spall or explode as is the case with normal dense weight concrete.
Part 2. Foam concrete – advantages.
FIRST ADVANTAGE - RELIABILITYFoam concreteis an almost ageless and everlasting material not subject to the impact of time. It does not decompose and is as durable as rock. High compression resistance allows to use produce with lower volumetric weight while construction, which increases the temperature lag of a wall.
SECOND ADVANTAGE - WARMTH
Due to high temperature lag, buildings constructed from foam concrete are able to accumulate heat, which allows to minimize heating expenses by 20-30%.
THIRD ADVANTAGE - MICROCLIMATE
Foam concrete prevents loss of heat in winter, is humidity proof, allows to avoid very high temperatures in summer and control air humidity in a room by absorbing and output of moisture, thus helping create a favourable microclimate (Microclimate in a wooden house).
FOURTH ADVANTAGE – QUICKNESS OF MOUNTING
Small density, and, therefore, lightness of foam concrete, large sizes of blocks compared with bricks, allow to increase the speed of laying by several times. Foam concrete is easy to process and trim – to cut channels and holes for electrical wiring, sockets, and pipes. The simplicity of laying is reached through high exactness of linear dimensions, the tolerance is +/- 1 mm.
FIFTH ADVANTAGE – ACOUSTING INSULATION
Foam concrete has a relatively high property of acoustical absorption. In buildings constructed of porous concrete the acting requirements for acoustic insulation are met.
SIXTH ADVANTAGE – ECOLOGICAL COMPATIBILITY
During maintenance, foam concrete does not produce toxic substances and in its ecological compatibility is second only to wood. Compare: the coefficient of ecological compatibility of porous concrete is 2; of wood – 1; of brick – 10; of keramzite blocks – 20.
SEVENTH ADVANTAGE – APPEARANCE
Due to high workability, it is possible to produce various shapes of corners, arches, pyramids, which will attach beauty and architectural expressiveness to your house.
EIGHTH ADVANTAGE – ECONOMY
High geometrical exactness of dimensions of concrete produce allows to lay blocks on glue, to avoid “frost bridges” in a wall and to make inner and outer plaster thinner. Foam concrete weighs from 10% to 87% less than standard heavy concrete. Sufficient reduction of weight leads to sufficient economy on basements.
NINITH ADVANTAGE – FIRE SAFETY
Foam concrete produce protect from fire spread and correspond to the first degree of refractoriness, which is proved by tests.
Thus, it is can be used in fire-proof constructions. Under the impact of intensive heat, like blow lamp, on the surface of foam concrete, it does not split or blow, as it happens with heavy concrete. AS a result, armature is longer protected from heating. Tests show that foam concrete 150 mm wide can protect from fire for 4 hours. During tests carried out in Australia, an outer side of a foam concrete panel 150 mm wide was exposed to temperatures up to 12000C.
TENTH ADVANTAGE – TRANSPORTATION
Favourable combination of weight, volume and packaging makes all building constructions convenient for transportation and allow to use motor or railway transport.
ELEVENTH ADVANTAGE – RANGE OF USES
Thermal and acoustic insulation of roofs, floors, warming of pipes, production of collapsible blocks and panels of partitions in buildings, as well as floors and basements foam concrete of higher density.
Part 3. Foam concrete in comparison with other materials.
When comparing foam concrete with other materials, one must keep in mind that:- it is ecologically clean, “breathes”, uninflammable.
- easy to produce in steady-state conditions as well as on a construction site
- is produced from components available in any region
- its prime cost is low
Material / Density, kg/m3 / Thermal ConductivityW/mk
Marble / 2700 / 2.9
Concrete / 2400 / 1.3
Porous clay brick / 2000 / 0.8
Foam concrete / 1200 / 0.38
Foam concrete / 1000 / 0.23
Foam concrete / 800 / 0.18
Foam concrete / 600 / 0.14
Foam concrete / 400 / 0.10
Cork / 100 / 0.03
Silicate cotton / 100 / 0.032
Foamed polystyrene / 25 / 0.030
Foamed polystyrene / 35 / 0.022
Equipment for foam concrete production:
Being the obvious leader at Russian market of equipment for foam concrete production, we not only produce already known equipment and chemicals, developed by our plant, but also invest a certain amount of money in development of new equipment, technologies and mixtures for foam concrete production. Our customers get up-to-date reliable equipment plus advanced technologies in this field.
Types of equipment for foam concrete production:
Mobile plants without foam generator (plants Sunny-014 и Sunny-025), operating according to the principle of barotechnology. These plants produce foam concrete without foam generator. Their output is 20 and 40 cubic meters. of foam concrete per day, respectively. Advantages of these plants are cheapness and simplicity of foam concrete production. Disadvantages are increased expense of foam generator, comparatively little productivity and less firmness of produced foam concrete in compare with equipment on the basis of foam generators.
- Plants Fomm-Prof are created on the basis of analogue of German foam generator. Plants are assembled as an indivisible complex and produce up to 140 cubic meters of foam concrete per day. Advantages of these plants are high output, low expense of foam generator, easy installation into technological lines of production. Besides, for the first time these plants are highly automated, as they produce foam concrete of necessary density by pressing single button. Disadvantage is higher price in compare with mobile plants.
Despite the type of a plant, it produces foam concrete. If a work is to be filled up with this concrete at the construction, there is nothing necessary but one of these plants and a compressor for it. When producing foam concrete blocks, forms for blocks are to be filled up with outputting foam concrete.
There are three ways of blocks producing:
1. Filling into cassette metal forms. Filled foam concrete hardens during 10 hours, then a form is dissembled and finished blocks are taken from it. One form can be used twice per day. Respectively, if production is 20 cubic meters of foam concrete per day, it is necessary to have 10 forms and to work in two shifts.
We manufacture highly accurate forms with a size error not more than 1mm per block. Laser cutting and milling are used, when producing a form. Forms are universal, i.e. one form is for producing both partition blocks 100mm thick and wall blocks 200mm thick. Type sizes of forms are 500х300х100(200), 600х300х100(200), and 400х200х200..
As volume of production is up to 40 cubic meters of blocks per day, the form filling technology is more financially efficient. Advantages: comparatively little financing and simplicity of production. Disadvantages: difficulties in producing great volumes and attachment to type sizes.
2. Cutting foam concrete array at cutting plants. Firstly foam concrete is filled into forms without any partitions, where there is a great massif. Approximately in 8 hours, a great massif is fed to cut, where strings saw up blocks of it. This method is highly labour and initial expenses consuming, while nowadays there are normal plants for cutting cellular concrete. It hasn’t succeeded to create good cutting plants for foam concrete.
3. Pouring foam concrete into special forms and their further automatic falsework removing
First foam concrete is poured into special forms with partitions, where after firming concrete become ready blocks. Approximately in 14 hours forms are fed into a plant for automatic falsework removing, where blocks are pushed to pallet, while forms are lubricated.
This method is simple and productive. Great disadvantage is attachment to one type size of produced blocks. A plant of automatic work removing is impossible to be readjusted for producing blocks of other type sizes.
Chemicals for producing foam concrete:
For producing foam concrete there is necessary a foam generator, a hardening accelerator (for producing foam concrete under the temperature less than +15 °C and higher than +30 °C), and form lubricant. All these chemicals may be bought from our company. As we are designers and producers, we sell qualitative products at low prices, which can be seen in the price-list. Descriptions are sent additionally.
Necessary areas for production:
Necessary area is sure to depend on planned volume of production. If foam concrete blocks are to be produced the whole year round, production of 10 cubic meters of foam concrete demands about 150 sq. m. If foam concrete is to be produced only in summer time, sand and ready products may be kept outdoor, so necessary areas decrease up to 80 sq. m. When designing big factories, we develop preliminary schemes of placing the equipment in ready buildings or of a new building.
Expense of materials for producing 1 cubic meterof foam concrete:
Quantity of materials depends on produced density. Foam concrete density is marked with a figure being equal to the weight of 1 cubic meter. The most spread densities are 800 and 600. Here are figures of expenses for them. Material expenses for other densities are shown in the operating manual of the equipment.
Density of foam concrete / Cement / Sand / Foam agent800 / 400kg / 330kg / 1,12lt
600 / 300 / 250 / 1,16lt
Foam concrete specifications:
Type of foam concrete / Density / Density class / Frost resistance / Thermal conductivity V/(m · ° С) / Steam penetrability mg/(m · h · Pa)Thermal conductive / D400 / В0,75 / Not standardised / 0,29 / 0,11
D500 / В1 / Not standardised / 0,34 / 0,1
Constructional and thermal conductive / D600 / В2,5 / From F15 to F35 / 0,38 / 0,1
D700 / В3,5 / From F15 to F50 / 0,1 / 0,23
D800 / В5 / From F15 to F75 / 0,12 / 0,2
D1000 / В7,5 / From F15 to F50 / 0,14 / 0,17
Constructional / D1100 / В10 / 0,18 / 0,15
D1200 / В12,5 / 0,21 / 0,14
How to order and to produce equipment:
Before ordering equipment it is necessary to define the list of necessary things. The following step is to call or to send the order by e-mail. After receiving a contract marked with a sending date and an invoice for paying, it is necessary to be paid. Equipment will be delivered according to the terms.
Contact us:
Теl.: 007 911 142-29-33
Foam agents Arecom-4
Foam agent Arecom were designed for foam concrete production, so they provide products of very high quality.
Foam agent Arecom-4 is protein and developed for operation at plants with foam generators (Fomm-Prof Plant)
Foam agent are certified with Quality Certificates.
Foam agent Arecom-4
Action: Foam is made with the foam agent Arecom-4, of air and water in the specially developed foam generator Fomm-PGM. This foam is added into main cement mixture during mixing process in a mixer for mixing concrete (Mortar-mixing machine) and reduced to the condition of homogeneous dispersion.
Stabilising components, containing in Arecom-4, provide keeping pores of foam concrete for the whole period of its processing. Volume and structure of pores remain the same. Volume of concrete is stable until pumping, compression or laying change foam concrete.
Usage: Arecom-4 is used for foam concrete production of normal and light fillers. Depending on the main formula it is possible to produce concrete's and mixtures of density from 200 kg/m3 to 2000 kg/m3. Density less than 800 kg/dm3 requires special composition, production and usage.
Dosage: Dosage, foam generating, and entering of foam agent is performed automatically by foam generator Fomm-PGM. Expense of Arecom-4 depends on adjustment of foam agents and it is approximately from 150 to 350 gr for 100 litres of foam. In this case weight of foam is approximately 7–9 kg/100 litres when produced by the foam generator Fomm-PGM.
Foam agent is provided as a concentrate and for producing foam it is the basis of 2.5-5% water solution (depends on water hardness).
Size of foam bubbles is 0.01 – 0.2 mm (10 – 200 microns).
Stability is 0.5 – 2.0 hours, depending on temperature.
Necessary amount of foam depends on required density of constructional mixture or concrete.
Usage: According to composition of concrete it is defined necessary voids content, on which required density is based on.
According to productivity of foam agent (see Operational manual) it is defined period of foam generating.
Firmness accelerator for foam concrete Asilin-12 (in liquid state)
Asilin-12 is a liquid firmness accelerator for work with concrete under reduced or raised temperature. It is harmless for people. It is non-inflammable, non-toxic, and non-explosive. Due to its liquid state, the reaction with concrete is better than after using powder accelerators, and that improves the result in approximately 30%.
Description:
Asilin-12 is dark liquid like paste. It is recommended for uding under temperature lower than +10 °С and higher than +25 °С. It is added into mixtures during mixing. It reduces a cycle of concrete works (when filling into forms or falsework) in 1.5-2 times.
Usage:
- When producing foam concrete for accelerated firming and more complete reaction for a short period of time, that provides great decrease of shrinkage
- When producing any concrete (foam concrete) under low (less than + 10 °С) temperature. It is especially indispensable after filling concrete (foam concrete) at daytime, if at night-time temperature may be below 0°С. It helps to endure temporal temperature decreasing up to - 10 °С without spoiling quality of concrete (foam concrete)
- When producing any concrete (foam concrete) under high (more then + 25 °С) temperature. It assists cement to react before evaporating water from a mixture, that decreases the possibility of cracking
- It improves workability of concrete and decreases water separation
Standard expenses:
(Percent of cement mass in mixture; for example, if 600kg of cement are used for 1 cubic meter of mixture and standard is 0.5%, it is necessary to add 3kg of accelerator Asilin-12)
It provides quicker firming and possibilities to work under lower temperature (up to -3 °С).
Packing is 150kg.
Accelerator is certified.
Lubricating mixture for forms Kompil
Kompil Mixture is designed for lubricating metal forms while producing foam concrete and reinforced concrete products. It is self-decomposing liquid for a certain period of time; it does not leave oil spots on foam concrete blocks and reinforced concrete products. It solves the problem of adhering plaster to blocks, as blocks, produced with usage of the lubricating mixture Kompil, are easy to be plastered and puttied.
Expense of the lubricant Kompil is 1litre for 1cubic meter
Preparation of the lubricating mixture: The mixture is prepared immediately before using. 50 gr calcimined soda NA2CO3 are dissolved in 3 litres of water of 60-70 °C in a vessel for mixture preparation. Kompil is added into prepared mixture while being intensively mixed in ratio 3:2. For improving the quality of surfaces of foam concrete and reinforced concrete products it is recommended to add 5-50гrub of soap, pounded and soaked in small amount of water, while being carefully mixed. Mixture is considered to be stable, if not more than 0.8% of oil exudes for 3 hours. It is assumed cream exuding which are disappear while being mixed.