A conference on “Gobustone” porous masonry blocks was held

On June 8, a scientific-practical conference dedicated to “technical and economic problems of using modern porous concrete blocks” was held at Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction.

The conference organized by Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, “AAC” LLC, the manufacturer of “Gobustone” porous blocks, and the charity fund for the development of architecture, construction science and education in Azerbaijan, was opened by the vice-rector for science and technical affairs of the university, professor Arif Sharifov.

He said that in recent years, as in all directions, significant development has been shown in the field of construction, and emphasized the importance of porous concrete blocks in this development:

“These blocks are a new technology for Azerbaijan. It has spread rapidly in the Azerbaijani market in a short period of time. What do construction companies need? The cost of the work should be reduced, it should be economically effective, it should be of high quality, and the work requiring heavy manual labor should be reduced.

All this can be achieved by using porous concrete blocks in construction. As the University of Architecture and Construction, it is a priority for us to strengthen the relationship with the industry, and we are implementing this issue in a mutual way.”

Speaking later, Murad Saracov, deputy director of “AAC” LLC, producer of “Gobustone” porous blocks, highly appreciated the holding of such a conference dedicated to the investigation of the technical and economic problems of the products they presented, and said that he believes that the cooperation will be continued in the future.

Vugar Poladov, Director of the Business Development and Commercial Department of “Gobustone” LLC, spoke about the activities of the institution he represents in social projects:

“Today we are holding the second conference. It’s great that this has become a tradition. We are trying to continue this cooperation in other directions as well. During the last 6 months of their studies, we have created an opportunity for master’s students of the university to practice at the “AAC” plant. We have even undertaken to provide scholarships to a number of intern students.”

Shahin Mammadov, the director of “Gartal” construction company, expressed his satisfaction with the product as a practical user of porous concrete blocks:

“We, as “Gartal” construction company, are very pleased to see these masonry blocks on the Azerbaijani market. Heat and cold resistance, ease of construction and installation are great advantages. Our company operates in the field of construction of telecommunications and military facilities.

This requires too many cables to be installed during construction. We can easily install these cables inside the porous blocks. I would like to emphasize that we do not use any other blocks except the porous masonry block.

Sahin Mammadov said that the use of porous masonry blocks does not benefit ordinary workers, but instead, he said that they are superior to other products for entrepreneurs:

“But why does this product not benefit the worker? Because the workload is low, it is easily used in construction and installation, and the work is finished quickly. Previously, the worker spent more labor and energy and got paid for several months, but when construction is done with these blocks, the work is completed in a short time, for example, he gets paid only for one month. At this time, of course, it will cost the worker and other employees, so that the work process will be extended. The entrepreneur should not think that some masonry block is cheaper.

Cost saving, time saving, environmental friendliness, soundproofing, energy saving and other advantages of porous concrete blocks are the profit of the entrepreneur. In this regard, educational work should be carried out, people working in the construction field should be informed.”

Sahib Farzaliyev, the head of the department of technology, organization and management of construction production, touched upon the technical and economic problems of using modern porous concrete blocks in his speech:

“Each department takes a 5-year research topic. I will say my luck, I will say my coincidence, 3 years ago I attended an event about porous concrete blocks. When I met with the executive director of the company that produces this product at that event, I came to the conclusion that we should make our contribution to the construction world of Azerbaijan by investigating this topic.

Our research has been successfully continued for 3 years now. Unfortunately, there is no dissertation on this product in Azerbaijan yet. Our research will be the first. Let me also say that the history of using these blocks in the world is about a century. We have a history of it for 5 years. But in a short period of time, due to its positive qualities, this building material has ensured its dominance in the construction industry.

A state program on the wide application of this product has also been adopted. In general, people have always dreamed of comfortable, cheap and high-quality, environmentally friendly houses. For this reason, modern technology products are approved for construction production.

As modern technological products develop in the construction sector, the content and philosophy of the construction industry also changes.”

In his speech, Sahib Farzaliyev drew attention to the fact that today’s limited energy resources have become a global problem:

“The way to solve this problem is through strict energy saving policy. The main way to save energy is the production of construction products with innovative technology. So, a house built without thermal insulation retains only 30 percent of the heat coming in from the heaters, and the remaining 70 percent goes outside.

The most noticeable heat loss in the building occurs through the walls – 30-35%. These concrete blocks cause poor heat and cold conduction due to their porous structure. Also, porous wall blocks have the ability to provide maximum resistance to noise propagation.

Sahib Farazliyev, Doctor of Philosophy in Technical Sciences, also spoke about the advantages of porous concrete blocks in his speech:

“Porous concrete blocks are included in the group of non-combustible materials. Durability in the room can reach 4-6 hours. The fact that porous concrete blocks are very light reduces the time of transportation and transportation processes.

The use of these blocks facilitates the organization of work and minimizes safety risks. Since aerated concrete blocks are cut with a regular saw, it is possible to cut them into any size and configuration, it is a construction material without loss.

Buildings built with these blocks are finished in a short time. There is no need for black lining plaster and putty. Paint and wallpaper are applied directly to the surface.

All this shows that this product is not only safe and environmentally friendly, but also economically efficient. In general, the cost of construction and installation of porous concrete blocks can be reduced by 15-20%, labor capacity reduced by 20-25%, due to the use of enlarged blocks, the amount of work performed by bricklayers can be reduced by 2.5-3 times, the consumption of efficient thermal insulation materials in the construction of external walls It has high indicators such as 95-97% reduction, 55-60% reduction of reinforcement consumption of load-bearing porous concrete structures and so on.”

Speaking at the conference, the head of the Department of Heating, Gas Supply and Ventilation Nurmammad Mammadov talked about increasing the energy efficiency of modern buildings by using porous concrete blocks.

Later, the scientific-practical conference continued its work by listening to reports dedicated to the technical and economic problems of using modern porous concrete blocks.