Reinforced concrete walls are used for both strength and aesthetic purposes. Such walls may be cast in place or precast, and they may be load bearing or interior partition walls. Some precast concrete walls are constructed of tee-shaped or rectangular prestressed concrete beams, which are more commonly used for floor or roof deck construction. They are placed vertically, side by side, and caulked at adjacent edges.
Concrete blocks it is a hollow concretemasonry unit composed of Portland cement and suitable aggregates. Walls of this type are found in homes, but more frequently used in commercials and educational buildings. They have many of the characteristics of clay bricks, except that they are made of cement and not fired, are usually quite a bit larger than bricks so that a single thickness of blocks can be made into a sturdy wall, and are almost always hollow. Being larger than bricks, they are laid more rapidly. Their porosity provides some insulation against heat and cold and also absorbs noise. Finally, their colors are much more pleasant. In mild climates, walls of the blocks need no treatment other than water proofing although they can be painted or plastered. There are several problems with concrete blocks: it has poor insulating qualities if used on an exterior wall, if used on an outside wall and moisture is present, efflorescence will form and also it has a fairly rough surface which is difficult to paint.
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