The Finer Points of Light Weight Block (CLC Plant)
What is CLC?
CLC is called as Cellular Light Weight Concrete and it is also called as Foam Concrete. It is produced by initially making slurry of Cement, Sand (optional), Fly-Ash & Water, which is further mixed with the addition of pre-formed stable foam. The Concrete is pumped into assembled moulds of blocks. The foam imparts free flowing characteristics to this slurry due to ball bearing effect of foam bubbles enabling it to easily flow into all corners and compact by itself in the moulds/forms without requiring any kind of vibration or compaction. Good Curing gives strength and dimensional stability to Bricks. Bricks are cured either by Water Curing or Steam Curing procedure.
What are its Direct & indirect Advantages?
Direct Cost Savings using CLC Light Weight Blocks would be Reduction of Steel / Iron for Structural Foundation, Savings in Plastering & Mortar & Labor Cost.
In-Direct Advantages of CLC are in the form of Thermal Insulation, Sound Reduction, Less Water Absorption, etc.
How does lightweight concrete lower a project’s costs?
LWC has greater fire resistance than normal weight concrete, required fire ratings of floor slabs can be achieved with thinner slabs. This reduction in thickness reduces the dead load by 20% to 25%. In addition to the 20% density reduction, the thinner, lighter slabs can be supported by smaller beams, columns, and foundations. This further reduces the volume of materials.
The reduced floor-to-floor height also reduces the quantities of utilities and exterior cladding. In the case of pre-stressed/precast concrete structures, the number of truckloads required to deliver the structural members to the jobsite can substantially reduce costs. For concrete masonry, labor savings can substantially reduce the installed wall cost.
How does lightweight concrete contribute to sustainability?
Lightweight concrete (LWC) solutions, including structural lightweight concrete, concrete masonry, and prestressed/precast concrete, improve energy performance, reduce the volume of materials resulting from lower dead loads, reduce transportation requirements (fewer truck loads mean less fuel is used and less pollution is generated by delivery), improve service life, and lower life-cycle costs.
Lightweight fine aggregate also can contribute to recycled content, but sustainability goes far beyond the use of recycled materials.
What are the Raw Materials and production cost?
Raw Materials for making CLC Blocks would be Cement, Fly-Ash, Foam, Water. Production Cost in India is generally between Rs.1800 – 2100 per m3 and this depends upon the Prices of Raw Materials.
Why should a CLC Block Plant Be Setup?
Because of Low Investment, Quick returns, Future product for construction industries, Green Product, Can earn more percentage of profit, Easy to Install, Less competition in matket, Only 10 HP Power is required to run the plant.
Future of CLC
Government is making all efforts to Ban / Stop Clay Bricks Manufacturing & Usage as it consumes Top Agricultural Soil and also the availability of soil is a problem. In a due course of time, an appropriate action will be taken.
Fly-Ash bricks are much heavy in weight and require heavy structural foundation and because of the heavy weight, labor problems are existent. Because of the heavy competition, Fly Ash Bricks are available at rock bottom price and it would be difficult for them to reduce price any more. Several Brick Manufacturers who are already into Clay Bricks & Fly-Ash Bricks are converting into CLC Technology.
NBM&CW December 2012
