Bahir Dar University

Institute Of Land
Administration
Department of Architecture

Course; building material construction (BMC)

Presentation title; hollow concrete

block(HCB)

Submitted to; Instructor Abubeker & Instructor Betelhem

Submission date; Feb,5 2023
1|Page
Contents
Pages

● Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………….2

● Hollow concrete block……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3

● Its Origin……………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………….3

● Composition of HCB………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………4

●Standard size of HCB………………………………………………………………………....…………………………………….4

●Properties of HCB……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..5

● Production processes of HCB……………………………………………………….…………………………………………..6

● Types of HCB………………………………………………………………………………………..……………………………………8

●Uses of HCB………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…...10

●Advantages of HCB…………………………………………………………………………...…………………………………….10

● Disadvantages of HCB……………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….12

● Applications of HCB…………………………………………………………………………………………..……………….……12

● References……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13

2|Page
● Introduction
Shelter is one of the three basic needs of man along with food and
clothing. The prehistoric man lived in caves, and later, he began constructing walls
from the mud. In due course of time, many techniques for the masonry were
developed and it became a structural part of the shelter. Building construction
materials are essential for any construction project and must meet the highest
standards of safety and reliability. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and
functions to ensure superior performance and durability. Common materials used in
construction include steel, concrete, and stone.In early days, burnt brick masonry and
stone masonry were popular. Now, with growing demand for construction,
cheaper and faster techniques and materials are the need of the hour.

Concrete blocks are one such construction materials which help in achieving
cheaper as well as faster construction than conventional bricks. Concrete blocks
are rectangular concrete masonry units either, solid (other than units used for
bonding, such as a half-block) or hollow (open or closed cavity). Concrete blocks
come in modular sizes and vary by country. Yet, their size and mass will be such
that one can handle them easily. Moreover, to avoid confusion with slabs and
panels, the height of the blocks should not exceed either its length or six times its
width .The concrete blocks are available in two variations. 1) Solid concrete blocks
and, 2) Hollow concrete blocks. For now we are going t see hollow concrete
blocks properties,manufacture ,types , standards , pros and cons in detail.

●Hollow concrete blocks (HCB)

3|Page
They are the standard sized rectangular hollow blocks made of cast concrete of
high or low density. For high-density blocks, Portland cement and aggregate,
usually sand and fine gravel are used as a raw material. For low density blocks,
industrial wastes, such as fly ash or bottom ash are used as the primary raw
materials and are often called cinder blocks /breeze blocks in different parts of
the world.

hollow concrete blocks are having one or more large holes or cavities which either
pass through the block (open cavity) or do not effectively pass through the block
(closed cavity) and having the solid material between 50 and 75% of the total
volume of the block calculated from the overall dimensions. These holes or
cavities reduce the total cross-sectional area of the block and hence the weight of
block structure as a whole.

Hollow concrete blocks are more commonly used in masonry construction. It

accelerates the construction process, saves cement and steel and reduces the
work expenses at the construction site. These blocks lower the natural weight of
masonry constructions and improve the physical properties of walls, such as noise
and thermal insulation.

● It’s Origin
Concrete blocks were first manufactured in England around the 1850s and are
first seen in use in the United States around the 1880s. The first patent for a
concrete block was granted to C.S. Hutchinson in 1866. During the 1890s
Portland cement, a key ingredient used to make these blocks architecturally
sound, became readily available across the US. Shortly thereafter, Harmon
S. Palmer created the first block molding machine in 1900, making it quick,
easy, and inexpensive the produce these blocks. It isn’t until this time that
you really see this building material really take off.

●Compositions of hollow concrete block

4|Page
The components of the concrete block refer to all materials used in the making block.
Since different types of concrete are used in different building areas, these components
may differ. Various kinds of concrete blocks can be used according to the endurance
criteria determined by the engineers.

The components of the concrete block are the raw materials used in the construction
of the block in certain proportions. Concrete block is only one of the precast concrete
products which are widely used in the construction sector. Precast is a term used for
ready-to-use concrete products that have been brought to proper consistency before
coming to the construction site. Concrete blocks are constructed by placing ready-made
products on top of each other and joining them with mortar.

The raw materials are as bellows:

● Cement Powdery hydraulic inorganic cementitious material

● Sand For concrete, it can be combined with cement molecules to increase the diffusion area
of cement molecules and form cement slurry to enhance the hydration of cement.
● Gravel The cement slurry shrinks fast, and the stone gravel acts to inhibit Shrinkage and
stabilize the volume.

●Stone Powder Stone will produce a certain amount of stone powder during the crushing
and grinding process.

●Fly Ash it’s with the lime in the effective Calcium oxide in the water under the action of heat,
generating more hydration products, to meet the required strength and other properties of the
product.

●Lime and limestone are used extensively as building materials and are important raw
materials for many industries.

● Gypsum Production of fly ash aerate

Concrete hollow block, all kinds of gypsum can be used.

●Standard Size of Hollow Concrete Blocks

Standard hollow concrete blocks are available in full size as well as half
size. Full-sized blocks are rectangular and have two cores while half-sized blocks
are cubical and contain one core.

According to the ‘Research Designs & Standards Organization of Indian Railways’

the nominal dimensions of concrete block are as follows:

5|Page
Length: 400, 500 or 600 mm

Height: 200 or 100 mm

Width: 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250 or 300 mm

Hollow (Open and Closed Cavity) Concrete Block

The hollow (open and closed cavity) concrete blocks are defined in followings
grades:

◊Grade A:
Grade-A type of blocks is used as load-bearing units and have a minimum block
density of 1500 kg/m3. Grade-A type of blocks are manufactured for minimum
average compressive strengths of 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, 7.0, 8, 5, 10.0, 12.5 and
15.0N/mm2 at 28 days.

◊Grade B:
Type of blocks is also used as load-bearing units and have a block density
between 1100kg/m3 and 1500kg/m3. Grade-B type of blocks are manufactured
for minimum average compressive strengths of 3.5 and 5.0N/mm2 at 28 days.

●Properties of Hollow Concrete Block

According to ‘Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council – Ministry of
Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India’, physical properties of
hollow concrete blocks are as below:
1. Moisture Movement: Not more than 0.09%

2. Water Absorption: Not more than 10%

3. Drying Shrinkage: Not more than 0.06%

4. Compressive Strength:

For Grade A: 3.5 to 15.0 N/mm2

For Grade B: 3.5 and 5.0 N/mm2

6|Page
●Production Processes of HCB
The production of concrete blocks consists of four (4) basic processes: mixing, molding,
curing, and cubing. Some manufacturing plants produce only concrete blocks, while
others may produce a wide variety of precast concrete products including blocks, flat
paver stones, and decorative landscaping pieces such as lawn edging. Some plants are
capable of producing 2,000 or more blocks per hour.
The following steps are commonly used to manufacture concrete blocks.

◦Mixing
 1 The sand and gravel are stored outside in piles and are transferred into storage
bins in the plant by a conveyor belt as they are needed. The Portland cement is
stored outside in large vertical silos to protect it from moisture.
 2, as a production run starts, the required amounts of sand, gravel, and cement
are transferred by gravity or by mechanical means to a weigh batcher which
measures the proper amounts of each material.
 3, the dry materials then flow into a stationary mixer where they are blended
together for several minutes. There are two types of mixers commonly used. One
type, called a planetary or pan mixer, resembles a shallow pan with a lid. Mixing
blades are attached to a vertical rotating shaft inside the mixer. The other type is
called a horizontal drum mixer. It resembles a coffee can turned on its side and
has mixing blades attached to a horizontal rotating shaft inside the mixer.
 4, after the dry materials are blended, a small amount of water is added to the
mixer. If the plant is located in a climate subject to temperature extremes, the
water may first pass through a heater or chiller to regulate its temperature.
Admixture chemicals and coloring pigments may also be added at this time. The
concrete is then mixed for six to eight minutes.

◦Molding
 5 Once the load of concrete is thoroughly mixed, it is dumped into an inclined

7|Page
 Bucket conveyor and transported to an elevated hopper. The mixing cycle begins
again for the next load.

 6 From the hopper the concrete is conveyed to another hopper on top of the
block machine at a measured flow rate. In the block machine, the concrete is
forced downward into molds. The molds consist of an outer mold box containing
several mold liners. The liners determine the outer shape of the block and the
inner shape of the block cavities. As many as 15 blocks may be molded at one
time.
 7 When the molds are full, the concrete is compacted by the weight of the upper
mold head coming down on the mold cavities. This compaction may be
supplemented by air or hydraulic pressure cylinders acting on the mold head.
Most block machines also use a short burst of mechanical vibration to further aid
compaction.
 8 The compacted blocks are pushed down and out of the molds onto a flat steel
pallet. The pallet and blocks are pushed out of the machine and onto a chain
conveyor. In some operations the blocks then pass under a rotating brush which
removes loose material from the top of the blocks.

◦Curing
 9 The pallets of blocks are conveyed to an automated stacker or loader which
places them in a curing rack. Each rack holds several hundred blocks. When a
rack is full, it is rolled onto a set of rails and moved into a curing kiln.
 10 The kiln is an enclosed room with the capacity to hold several racks of blocks
at a time. There are two basic types of curing kilns. The most common type is a
low-pressure steam kiln. In this type, the blocks are held in the kiln for one to
three hours at room temperature to allow them to harden slightly. Steam is then
gradually introduced to raise the temperature at a controlled rate of not more
than 60°F per hour (16°C per hour). Standard weight blocks are usually cured at

8|Page
 a temperature of 150-165°F (66-74°C), while lightweight blocks are cured at 170-
185°F (77-85°C). When the curing temperature has been reached, the steam is
shut off, and the blocks are allowed to soak in the hot, moist air for 12-18 hours.
After soaking, the blocks are dried by exhausting the moist air and further raising
the temperature in the kiln. The whole curing cycle takes about 24 hours.
Another type of kiln is the high-pressure steam kiln, sometimes called an
autoclave. In this type, the temperature is raised to 300-375°F (149-191°C), and
the pressure is raised to 80-185 psi (5.5-12.8 bar). The blocks are allowed to
soak for five to 10 hours. The pressure is then rapidly vented, which causes the
blocks to quickly release their trapped moisture. The autoclave curing process
requires more energy and a more expensive kiln, but it can produce blocks in
less time.

◦Cubing
 11 The racks of cured blocks are rolled out of the kiln, and the pallets of blocks
are unstacked and placed on a chain conveyor. The blocks are pushed off the
steel pallets, and the empty pallets are fed back into the block machine to receive
a new set of molded blocks.
 12 If the blocks are to be made into split-face blocks, they are first molded as two
blocks joined together. Once these double blocks are cured, they pass through a
splitter, which strikes them with a heavy blade along the section between the two
halves. This causes the double block to fracture and form a rough, stone-like
texture on one face of each piece.
 13 The blocks pass through a cuber which aligns each block and then stacks
them into a cube three blocks across by six blocks deep by three or four blocks
high. These cubes are carried outside with a forklift and placed in storage.

●Types of hollow concrete block

Hollow concrete blocks are available in different types according to their shape,
needs and design such as,

1. Concrete Stretcher Blocks

Concrete stretcher blocks are most commonly used hollow concrete blocks in
construction. These blocks are used to join the corner of masonry units. Stretcher
blocks are placed with their length parallel to the face of the wall.

2. Lintel Blocks

9|Page
Lintel blocks are also called channeled blocks or beam blocks; they are a U-shaped
concrete masonry unit. These blocks have a deep groove along the length of the
block. After placing the blocks, these grooves are filled with concrete along with
reinforcement. Lintel blocks are used for the provision of the beam or lintel beam.
Lintel beam is generally provided on the top of the portion of doors and windows,
which transfers the load coming from the top.

3. Partition Concrete Blocks

Partition concrete blocks are an ideal choice for the construction of partition
walls. The hollow part of these blocks is divided into two or three components,
and the height of the partition block is larger than its breadth.

4. Concrete Pillar Blocks

Concrete pillar blocks are also known as double corner block as both of its corners
are plain. Thus, they are mostly used when two ends of the corner are visible. As
the name suggests, concrete pillar blocks are widely used in pillars or piers.

5. Corner Concrete Blocks

Concrete corner blocks are used at the corners of the masonry or at the end of
window or at door opening. As shown in the image, one corner of the block is
plain while the other is stretcher design. These blocks are arranged in such a
manner that the plane end of block is exposed to the outside and another end is
locked with the stretcher block.

6. Jamb Concrete Blocks

Jamb concrete blocks are used when there is an elaborated window opening in
the wall. They are connected to stretcher and corner of the blocks. For the
provision of double hung window, jamb concrete blocks are beneficial to provide
space for the casing member of window.

7. Bullnose Concrete Block

10 | P a g e
Bullnose concrete blocks are similar to corner blocks in structure and function.
But especially when we want rounded edges at the corner, these blocks are
chosen.

8. Frogged Brick Blocks Like

the frogged brick, these frogged brick blocks having a frog on its top along with
header and stretcher. This frog will help the blocks to hold mortar and develop a
strong bond with the top lying block.

Summing up, hollow concrete blocks or hollow concrete masonry units are more
beneficial building material than conventional bricks. They speed up the
construction practice and reduces the overall construction time. The hollow
blocks are also cheaper and are available in various sizes and shapes. With all
these benefits, they are durable as well. Thus, they have become the preferred
material for today’s buildings.

●Uses of Hollow Concrete Blocks

▪Hollow concrete blocks are used in all type of masonry construction such as,

– Exterior load-bearing walls

– Interior load-bearing walls
– Curtain walls
– Partition wall and panel walls
– Backing from brick, stone, and other facing
– Fireproofing over a structural member
– Fire-safe walls around stairwells, elevators
– Piers, column and retaining walls etc.
– Boundary fences

●Advantages of Hollow Concrete Block

The followings are the advantages of hollow concrete
blocks,

11 | P a g e
1. Hollow concrete block masonry is the easier and faster construction practice as
compared to any other masonry practices.

2. Hollow concrete block masonry reduces the cost of construction labour and
construction materials because the use of a larger size of concrete block reduces
the number of joints in work.

3. Semi-skilled or unskilled labour can also work in this type of construction.

4. These concrete blocks need low maintenance and are durable.

5. They are eco-friendly materials as industrial wastes, such as fly ash or bottom
ash are used as raw materials.

6. Reinforcing the hollow block masonry is possible as there is no additional

formwork or any construction machinery required.

7. Hollow concrete block masonry is highly durable as the concrete is compacted

by high pressure and vibration, which gives substantial strength to the block.
Adequate curing increases the compressive strength of the blocks.

8. As the hollow concrete blocks are light in weight, they reduce the weight of the
structure and hence light structural member or less percentage of steel is
required for a given R.C.C building.

9. Presence of rough texture on concrete blocks provides good bonding between

cement mortar and concrete blocks.

10. It is possible to construct a thin wall by using hollow blocks. Therefore, it helps
to save space and increase the floor area or carpet area, i.e. carpet area efficiency
is better.

11. In the hollow blocks, the voids or cores can be filled with steel bars and
concrete for achieving high seismic resistance.

12. Hollow concrete blocks have good insulating properties against sound, heat
and dampness.

12 | P a g e
13. These blocks have low water absorption than conventional bricks. If you want
to know how to measure water absorption in bricks then read the water
absorption test of brick. light structural member or less percentage of steel is
required for a given R.C.C building.

14. Hollow concrete block can safely resist the atmospheric action. This block
doesn’t require protecting covering.

15. It has good fire resistance.

●Disadvantages of Hollow Concrete Block

1. The cost of hollow concrete blocks is higher than the conventional bricks.

2. The house built with hollow blocks without any interior reinforcement is likely
to suffer damage during earthquakes.

◦Application of hollow concrete block:

 Hollow blocks can be used in load-bearing structures, low-rise

residential, office buildings, bungalows, shelter units for rural
housing, tall buildings, institutional buildings, warehouses, etc.
 It is used in frame structures such as high-rise residential apartments,
office buildings, market premises, hospitals, and hotels, etc.
 These types of concrete block are used as ground-level units such as
roadside walkways, backyard walkways, interlocking paving blocks for
traffic movement areas similar to curbstones, exhibition grounds, fuel
pumping stations, bus and train stations, and so on.
 Also, used in specific use areas such as tree guard blocks for roadside
and backyard plantations.

13 | P a g e
◊ REFERENCES;

1) https://bmtpc.org/DataFiles/CMS/file/02_Concrete%20Hollow%20&
%20Solid%20Block1.pdf
2) https://constructionor.com/hollow-block/

3) https://gharpedia.com/blog/hollow-concrete-blocks-basic-information/

4) https://ncma.org/resource/typical-sizes-and-shapes-of-concrete-masonry-units/

5) https://classicrockfaceblock.com/news/the-history-behind-rock-face-block/

6) http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Concrete-Block.html#:~:text=The%20concrete
%20commonly%20used%20to,(17.2%2D19.5%20kg).

GROUP 5-HOLLOW CONCRETE BLOCK (HCB)

Members

Habtemariam 1404279
Wubet

Hana Abay 1411069

Hiwot Getaneh 1405499

14 | P a g e