How are cement blocks made and what raw materials go into the production?

Due to their flexibility, sturdiness, and resilience cement blocks also referred to as concrete blocks play a pivotal role in any construction project. The detailed description of the creation of these blocks can make an appreciation of their importance in the current constructions possible. Let's find out about cement block manufacturing.

This article gives a step by step guide on the process of making cement blocks: raw material selection, to the production of cement blocks.

1. Selection of Raw Materials

The main raw materials for cement blocks are cement, aggregate material (sand, gravel, or crushed stones, and water. The quality of these materials has a direct impact on the strength and stability of the desired blocks thus resulting in the production of quality blocks. Cement is used for binding while aggregates increase the quantity and the strength of the structure.

2. Mixing the Ingredients

The elements of manufacturing, therefore, start with the right combination of raw materials. An everyday example of this ratio could include one-to-three with cement, aggregates and water ratios included in the concrete making process. The blending process is carried out in industrial blenders so that the constituents are well mixed homogeneously. Closeness of water control is maintained to ensure that the ratios are not too high or too low due to its impact on the block strength.

3. Molding the Blocks

After the raw materials are well blended, the next process that is carried out is molding. It is then poured into molds that define the type of blocks to be formed together with their dimensions. These molds are generally made from steel and are to cater to high liquid pressure which is applied during the molding process. One of the most preferred cement block is the hollow cement block which decreases the weight of the building but at the same time offers adequate strength.

Compacting and Vibration

To distribute the cement mixture uniformly around the mold and also to get ride off with the air bubbles the blocks are compacted and vibrated. This step is rather important if you are aiming at achieving the right density and strength. In this process, the obtained mixture undergoes mechanical pressing, preferably with a hydraulic press, and is vibrated at the same time, until all the material consolidates well.

5. Curing

One of the most important stages of the process is the curing when cement starts to hydrate and gain the strength necessary for the further usage. Curing is generally done by placing the blocks in a curing room with high relative humidity and moderate temperature for a period of 24-48 hrs initially, and further curing perhaps for several weeks under less controlled conditions. This process further makes certain that the blocks receive optimum strength and also the best hardness.

6. Quality Control

As the manufacturing process is underway, there are always some strict principles of quality control put in practice as regards to the blocks to be produced and supplied out so that they meet the industry standards and the given specifications.