Concrete is among the most important materials, widely used for building and construction. It is a popular material because it possesses many outstanding properties. However, concrete needs to be poured into particularly designed shapes or moulds to make building elements like prefabricated blocks.
Walls Made From Besser Blocks
Concrete blocks, commonly referred to as CMU (concrete masonry unit), are prefabricated materials typically used in building walls. They are hollow inside to allow for filling mortar and reinforcing steel bars.
CMUs, also known as grey blocks or Besser blocks, have numerous uses within construction. They are commonly used in foundation walls, retaining walls, freestanding landscape walls, and many more.
To build Besser block walls, the work requires mixing equipment, sand, and cement. The process is time-consuming and labour intensive.
Some of the characteristics of block walls are as follows:
- They are lightweight as they are hollow on the inside allowing for ease of installation when constructing walls.
- They are flexible as they have high compression strength, and they can hold considerable weight atop the foundation.
- They are reinforced with bars installed through the hollow parts of the block, allowing for increased tensile strength.
Formwork Wall System
Formwork is a temporary structure often used to support poured concrete, form it to the appropriate dimensions, and support it until it has sufficiently cured.
A formwork wall system is a mould used in the construction of walls in many types of building applications. Materials like steel, aluminium, timber, and even PVC are just a few that are typically used to make a framework. Aluminium and steel formwork are usually prefabricated according to specifications as per their intended use. They can be reused numerous times.
The properties that form work need to possess are as follows:
- They must be strong enough to sustain the concrete’s weight
- Have enough rigidity to avoid becoming deformed
- Must be economical in cost
- Must be watertight
The above two are the more popular options for building walls. Each has its own characteristics depending on what the structure is meant to do and its strength levels.
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