The answer to how much does a cinder block weigh depends on dimension. A cinder block weighs approximately 36 pounds. Although a cubic cinder block is 8 inch by 8 inch by 16 inch, the actual weight will also vary depending on the density of the cinder blocks. For example, a seasoned cinder block weighs less than a green cinder block.
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How Much Does A Cinder Block Weigh
What Is A Cinder Block?
A cinder block is made up of aggregate (gravel, sand, and limestone), paste (water and Portland cement), and sometimes fly ash. The aggregate gives the block its structure or shape, while the paste helps bond the aggregate together.
The paste also adds weight to the block, which helps in structural applications, such as retaining walls or foundations. In general, the more paste added to a cinder block, the heavier it will be.
A cinder block is a stone or brick hollow with mortar that has been filled with cinders. It is a building material. Cinder blocks are also known as cinder blocks or concrete masonry units (CMU).
A standard cinder block measures 8 inches by 8 inches by 16 inches. These are the dimensions of a standard concrete cinder block, which is also called an 8 x 8 x 16. Cinder blocks are usually gray, but they can also be tan, yellow or brown.
They are often used as a foundation and to build walls. While they are available in many standard sizes, they can also be custom made.
Why Do Some Cinder Blocks Weigh More Than Others
The reason why some cinder blocks weigh more than others is because of the components that make up a cinder block – namely, the aggregate and paste.
The nature of aggregate varies from source to source, resulting in staggered variations of block size and weight. We have all come across those beautiful, uniform blocks that seem to go on forever, but those are hard to find and expensive to make.
Blocks like these (easy to find and cheap to make) typically contain a lot of sand in their aggregate, while blocks that are filled with limestone or crushed stone have smaller aggregate particles.
The size of the aggregate has a direct effect on the overall weight of the cinder block. If there is a lot of sand in the aggregate, it will be larger and lighter than if there were more crushed stone or limestone aggregate.
However, if the block contains too much sand in its mix, it will start to crumble and disintegrate while curing in the mold. This will result in inconsistencies across all the blocks being cast, which is not good for many structural applications.
Cement paste has a very high compressive strength, which is why cinder blocks are used for retaining walls. However, the weight of the paste varies based on its chemical composition, among other factors.
A high-strength paste with a dense structure will result in a block that weighs more than a light, low-strength paste.
Today’s cast-alone cinder blocks are not your grandad’s cinder blocks. These days, manufacturers have come up with some pretty cool and colorful ways to express themselves through the art of block-making.
Unfortunately, this has resulted in a lot of “identity crisis” blocks on job sites. These blocks are generally smaller and lighter than their bubblegum-pink counterparts, which gives the appearance of being the “same” size and weight.
Why is one pink and the other green? The reason for this has to do with chemistry and physics, but not in a complicated way.
So, there you have it. The cinder blocks that are pink or red tend to weigh more than their lighter-colored counterparts due to the chemical composition of their paste.
What Is The Difference Between Cinder Block and Concrete Block
Cinder block is typically made of cement and has hollow cells inside. It weighs less than a similar size concrete block. Concrete blocks are solid and weigh more than cinder blocks of the same size. Cinderblocks are typically used for low-rise construction and concrete blocks are used for high-rise construction.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Basic Cinder Block Wall
Cinder block walls are one of the most economical walls to build. On average, expect to pay around $1.75 per block. If you are doing the work yourself, it will cost less than $1/block to buy and haul, but if you hire it out, you can expect to pay around $3/block.
A cinder block wall costs between build (assuming the project is done correctly). It’s quite easy to look at local hardware stores for to square foot $50 per $45 and $30 per foot for standard block.
How Much Quikrete Does It Take To Fill A Cinder Block?
Quikrete is the most common brand of concrete mix used to fill cinder blocks. Cinder blocks are typically 8 inches by 8 by 16 inches, so one cubic foot is 48 cubic inches.
100 lbs of quikrete covers 1.5 square feet at a depth of 3/4 inch thick, so you need about 2.25 cubic feet of quikrete to fill a cinder block with 3/4 inch of concrete.
2.25 cubic feet divided by 48 cubic inches per cubic foot equals about 50 cinder blocks filled with quikrete, based on 3/4-inch thickness of concrete (it would take 75 cinder blocks filled with quikrete to fill the same volume of cinder block with 1 inch of concrete).
1 cubic foot of quikrete weighs 94 pounds, so 50 cinder blocks filled with quikrete would weight about 4,600 pounds.
Bottom Line
How much does a cinder block weigh is a question that has multiple correct answers. A standard 8 inch by 8 inch by 16 inch cinder block weighs about 36 pounds (16.3 kg), 4 inch by 8 inch by 16 inch cinder block weighs about 24 pounds (10.9 kg), 6 inch by 8 inch by 16 inch cinder block weighs about 28 pounds (12.7 kg), 10 inch by 8 inch by 16 inch cinder block weighs about 43 pounds (19.5 kg), 12 inch by 8 inch by 16 inch cinder block weighs about 46 pounds (20.1 kg).
Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit