Thread: Advice on concrete blocks please

This is an old chestnut I know but I am confused by the variety of blocks in Thailand.I was in Bangkok in the weekend and I saw what looked like lightweight concrete blocks as infill between beams on a commercial building.
I have a friend here in Cambodia who wants to build a multi story hotel using light weight blocks for internal and external walls.I have read that light weight blocks can crack, is this true? What experience have people had with blocks in Thailand?

Surely any kind of blocks can crack if too much stress is placed on them.

If by lightweight blocks you mean Q-Con or similar, they are very strong and probably even less likely to crack than conventional concrete block because of the structure of the things. They are made from aerated cement and take on a structure a bit like corral....which is very tough stuff. They were developed in Germany.....so they are not allowed to fail....

We have Q-con blocks for the walls of our new construction house. However, the house has a frame of pre-fab reinforced concrete posts and beams that support the weight of the house. I don't think the Q-con blocks have much of a load, they are just the filler.
I'm sure Dr. Andy and others have excellent knowledge on the issue.

Steve

Originally Posted by cambtek

This is an old chestnut I know but I am confused by the variety of blocks in Thailand.I was in Bangkok in the weekend and I saw what looked like lightweight concrete blocks as infill between beams on a commercial building.
I have a friend here in Cambodia who wants to build a multi story hotel using light weight blocks for internal and external walls.I have read that light weight blocks can crack, is this true? What experience have people had with blocks in Thailand?

Used 'em in our pole and beam house along with regular bricks and cement blocks..no issues.
Supposedly they have insulation qualities also.
Some say they are not good for supporting heavy objects on walls but I hung our kitchen cupboards on them, full of junk and no issues.
Real easy to nail up small stuff and channel out etc too. Great for building counters, cupboards etc .
When we bought ours they were a fairly new and relatively expensive product .. they told us we needed special cement....bought some then could not source anymore so used regular cement..no problem.

Originally Posted by stevefarang

We have Q-con blocks for the walls of our new construction house. However, the house has a frame of pre-fab reinforced concrete posts and beams that support the weight of the house. I don't think the Q-con blocks have much of a load, they are just the filler.

yes, we used our blocks like that, but the thicker QCON blocks can be load bearing

I haven't seen anyone using them as the main structure in Thailand but they are used like that in many countries (according to the website)

Why not use cheap concrete posts and cheap (5Baht) concrete bricks as filler? Cheap and strong.

^ If it's not in direct sunlight, I agree.

They look a bit similar to UK style 'breeze blocks'.

Originally Posted by Koetjeka

Why not use cheap concrete posts and cheap (5Baht) concrete bricks as filler? Cheap and strong.

sure, but the QCON type blocks are lightweight and faster to use

then they give you good heat and sound insulation, makes a big difference on sunlit walls, and interior partition walls for apartments