Gypsum Expanded Clay Concrete for External Walls

Abstract

The technology of multicomponent water-proof gypsum binder and gypsum expanded clay concrete with water resistance increased by 1.8–2.2 times comparing to the initial gypsum, and with a softening coefficient of 0.85–0.91, is developed and patented. The binder contains a complex mineral additive including a waste product, carbide silt, and biosilica. The use of the carbide silt (waste product from the acetylene production) together with the biosilica as the WPB components provides for both the engineering-and-economic efficiency and the ecological one. The energy consumption of the WPB production is considerably lower than that of other widely used binding agents based on the Portland cement due to the reduction of the electric power consumption by 2.5 to 3 times and that of the fuel by 3 to 3.5 times. Gypsum expanded clay concrete prepared on the basis of this binder has water resistance, freeze-thaw resistance and creep measure allowing to use it as a wall material for manufacturing wall blocks or for erecting monolithic buildings.