Manufacture of Concrete Masonry Units

Manufacturing concrete masonry units involves pouring stiff concrete, comprising Portland cement, aggregates, and water, into metal molds.

This is followed by vibrating, and soon after, the wet blocks are demolded onto a rack.

The wet blocks are then carried to either a steam kiln for steam curing or an autoclave for high-pressure steam curing.

The nominal size for a block is commonly listed as 8 inches in height and width and 16 inches in length, but in reality, each block measures slightly smaller.

The three-eighths-inch thick mortar used in the construction joints is included in the nominal dimensions of the concrete block.

The concrete masonry units are manufactured in three primary categories: solid load-bearing, hollow load-bearing, and non-load-bearing. Available in a variety of shapes and sizes, like stretcher units, single corner units, and A-block units.

For instance, A-blocks are utilized to construct walls that require vertical reinforcement bars to be grouted within the hollow cores, particularly in scenarios with limited room to pass the blocks over the protruding bars.

Concrete blocks are also classified as either normal weight or lightweight, depending on their densities.