Saving Time System

Areoblocks take less than 20% of the energy required to install than ordinary concrete blocks. Since they are self locking there is no need for mortar which means no curing time. Each 1m x .25m block weighs less than kg but represents 2.5 ordinary blocks which would weight more than 32kgs. In terms of work a person can do 6 times more work with the same amount of energy.

Without the need for motar and curing the amount of work that can be done by one person is actually more like 20 times.

Thermal Conductivity - Air Cavities

The Aeroblock design takes advantage of large voids to create a greater thermal barrier.

There is a typical misconception that air is not a good insulator. The fact is that air is a poor conductor of energy and has one of the lowest K values for ordinary substances. A void in a material WILL NOT TRANSMIT HEAT as much as the material surrounding it.

Since air is not structural it cannot be used by and in itself. The fact is that expanded polystyrene gets it low K value from the trapped air and not the plastic itself.

The design of a good block will try to create thermal bridges that offer the maximum resistance.

Thermal bridge

Thermal bridges are points in the building envelope that allow heat conduction to occur. Since heat flows through the path of least resistance, thermal bridges can contribute to poor energy performance. . A thermal bridge is created when materials that are poor insulators come in contact.

In physics, thermal conductivity, k, is the intensive property of a material that indicates its ability to conduct heat. It is used primarily in Fourier's Law for heat conduction.

It is defined as the quantity of heat, Q, transmitted during time t through a thickness L, in a direction normal to a surface of area A, due to a temperature difference ΔT, under steady state conditions and when the heat transfer is dependent only on the temperature gradient.

thermal conductivity = heat flow rate × distance / (area × temperature difference)

Alternately, it can be thought of as a flux of heat (energy per unit area per unit time) divided by a temperature gradient (temperature difference per unit length)

Typical units are SI: W/(m*K) and Imperial units: (btu*ft)/(hr*(ft^2)*F). To convert between the two, use the relation 1 (btu*ft)/(hr*(ft^2)*F) = 1.730735 W/(m*K).

This is a list of approximate values of thermal conductivity, k, for some common materials. Please consult the list of thermal conductivities for more accurate values, references and detailed information.

Material	k, [k] = W/(m*K)
Air	0.025
Alcohol or oil	0.15
Aluminium	237
Copper	401
Epoxy (unfilled)	0.19
Epoxy (silica-filled)	0.30
Gold	318
Lead	35.3
Silver	429
Cork	0.05
Diamond	900 – 2320
Glass	1.1
Rubber	0.16
Sandstone	2.4
Soil	0.15
Stainless steel	15
Thermal grease	0.7 – 3
Wood	0.04 – 0.4

Polystyrene
Density	1050 kg/m³
Specific Gravity	1.05
Electrical conductivity (s)	10-16 S/m
Thermal conductivity (k)	0.08 W/(m·K)
Young's modulus (E)	3000-3600 MPa
Tensile strength (st)	46–60 MPa
Elongation at break	3–4%
Notch test	2–5 kJ/m²
Glass temperature	95 °C
Melting point[1]	240 °C
Vicat B	90 °C[2]
Heat transfer coefficient (Q)	0.17 W/(m2K)
Linear expansion coefficient (a)	8 10-5 /K
Specific heat (c)	1.3 kJ/(kg·K)
Water absorption (ASTM)	0.03–0.1
Decomposition	± 2000 years[

Horizontal Height Stabilizers

The standard building code for ordinary block works requires a stabilizing beam every 3 meters or so. The reason is that the blocks are only 200mm wide and have no inherent ability to be interlocked.

Since they are bound together by mortar which can crack and de-bond due to settling, the builder should put a 200mm x 200mm beam with reinforcement bar.

The interlocking type of block is wider and also is keyed every 250mm along its whole length in both x and y directions. Any settling of the wall base would not be sufficient enough to cause the wall to buckle.

Simplicity - Production and Inventory Holding

In reality this is the whole module, any other length is simply adding more of the same thing.

What this means is that as far as production molds are concerned a way can be devised that will allow for adding modules to create longer blocks.

For inventory holding and ease of use a 1000mm long block (4 modules) should be produced. This can be cut in the field to give any of 4 different sizes. A 1000mm block will give the greatest stability as there will be an overlap of two modules on either side.

For production there are no small vertical edges as the keys are tapered which will allow for easier production as there will be less sticking. Only the outer sides of 250mm by 200mm and 150mm by 200mm on the inner voids are vertical.

1000mm Block - Cut Away Section

The minimum width of a web for the Aeroblock is 50mm while the maximum is 100mm. This gives the block sufficient rigidity while the 150mm square voids cuts the weight down considerably.
(click the image to see larger)

A solid block of the same dimensions would be .05m3 of material while the voids represent 0.0045m3 of less material giving a total mass of 0.04550m3 which is a 9% reduction in mass.

As can be seen from this cut away section, the web thickness is sufficient to provide support but not too thick to unnecessariy increase the weight. There is a consistency of either a 50mm on the sides, which is sufficient thickness for a block wall, and 100mm in the middle where the strength of the block is needed.

There is no more than 20mm key height tapered down to 40mm on the edges and 40mm tapered down to 60mm on the center.

The blocks will fit tightly together over there whole surface area in the 250mm x 250mm modular keys. There can be no horizontal sliding of the block.

Therefore, there is no need to key the sides of the block which will allow for an esthetically pleasing surface and will allow for the reduction of the number of block types that are needed to be produced.

Another added benefit is that without any protrusions on the fore and aft sides there is less chance of breaking and no need for the workers to orient the block left or right. They need only remember up from down.