Keramzyt: Versatile Building Aggregate

What is Keramzyt?

• Porous aggregate fired from clay at around 1200°C.
• Used in lightweight concrete (keramzytobeton) and other building products.
• Finer fractions are also used as components in certain types of plasters and mortars.

Applications of Keramzyt Elements:

• Prefabricated or in-situ elements.
• Wall construction elements: bricks, blocks, and hollow bricks.
• Floor components: dense ribbed floor elements.
• Lintels and ring beams.
• Chimney and ventilation systems.
• Small architectural elements.

Granulated Keramzyt Uses:

• Soil stabilization.
• Substrate drainage.
• Basement wall insulation.
• Flat roof insulation.
• Floor insulation and renovation.

Additional Applications:

• Lightweight road embankments on low-bearing soils.
• Insulation for underground installations.
• Ground-floor slab insulation.

Prefabricated Keramzyt Concrete Houses:

• An increasingly popular alternative to traditional masonry.
• Good thermal and acoustic properties due to the porous structure and moisture resistance.
• Smooth surface eliminates the need for plastering; walls can be painted or wallpapered immediately after construction.

Building Substrates:

• Keramzyt aggregate provides a stable geotechnical solution for construction substrates.
• Replaces the topsoil layer with a keramzyt bed to reduce load on weak and uneven soils.
• Stabilizes the ground and prevents uneven foundation settling.
• Facilitates rainwater drainage from large surfaces on cohesive soils, reducing structural impact.
• Supports stress distribution on sloped terrains, making it ideal for challenging sites.

Foundations:

• Keramzyt granules are used in foundation construction to reduce earth pressure on retaining walls.
• Basement wall insulation: involves laying a layer of keramzyt granules between geotextiles and covering it with gravel or sand.
• Perimeter drainage: keramzyt acts as a drainage layer around the foundation, preventing water from penetrating walls.
• Keramzyt concrete blocks are used in foundation and basement wall construction, with the footings made exclusively of reinforced concrete.

External and Internal Walls:

• Keramzyt-based products like bricks, blocks, and hollow bricks are used in wall construction.
• Suitable for load-bearing and partition walls.
• Offers excellent thermal and acoustic insulation.

Keramzyt in Floors, Roofs, and Chimneys

Floors:

• Keramzyt concrete blocks are ideal for filling in Teriva-type floors.
• They shape load-bearing ribs and provide excellent thermal and acoustic insulation.
• Low bulk density makes keramzyt granules perfect for insulating wooden floors and ceilings, especially in historic buildings.
• Application: A layer of fine keramzyt granules (0–5 mm) is spread over wooden floors and covered with a floor panel, which can also be applied to existing ceilings.

Chimney and Ventilation Walls:

• Keramzyt concrete blocks can be used for constructing chimney and ventilation ducts as self-supporting structures, separate from the building’s load-bearing elements.
• For smoke extraction, ceramic, stoneware, or acid-resistant metal liners must be used to ensure airtightness.
• Advantages: high resistance to heat, minimal air and smoke resistance, no need for additional brickwork, and ease of plastering.

Mortar Mixes:

• Fine keramzyt granules (0–2 mm) are used in thermal insulation mortar mixes.
• Suitable for bonding precise masonry elements like keramzyt blocks, silicate blocks, or aerated concrete.
• Benefits: thermal insulation properties and high weather resistance, particularly to rain, snow, and frost.

Roofs:

• Keramzyt is a versatile insulation material for various types of flat roofs:
  • Unventilated roofs: where the layers adhere directly to each other.
  • Ventilated roofs: with a gap between the insulation and the roofing.
  • Inverted roofs: where the waterproofing layer is placed directly on the structural slab.
• For unventilated roofs, keramzyt granules are spread over vapor barrier foil, forming the roof's slope, then covered with cement and concrete layers before being topped with roofing felt.
• Ventilated roofs can be insulated using the blow-in method, where granules are injected under pressure using a specialized machine.
• For inverted roofs, keramzyt acts as a drainage and additional insulation layer on the structural slab, with the granule layer also serving as a drainage function.