Hollow bricks making business is a very good opportunity for aspiring individuals. If you want to set up a small-scale unit in the construction industry, then the hollow bricks project is ideal.
In addition, you can initiate the unit as a home-based. However, you will need to have a sufficient workplace. Also, a home-based business initiative allows you to operate with low-cost investment.
What are Hollow Bricks & Uses
There are various types of bricks such as Common Burnt Clay Bricks, Sand Lime Bricks (Calcium Silicate Bricks), Concrete Bricks, Fly ash Clay Bricks, Fire Clay Bricks, and Hollow Bricks, the latest technology in the bricks segment.
Hollow bricks have an important role in the modern building industry. Hollow bricks are cost-effective. In addition, these bricks are a better alternative to burnt clay bricks by virtue of several reasons.
The list includes good durability, fire resistance, partial resistance to sound, thermal insulation, small dead load, and high speed of construction.
Generally, concrete hollow blocks come in a larger size than normal clay building bricks. Generally, it requires less mortar and you can expect faster construction.
Is Hollow Bricks Business Profitable?
Cement concrete hollow bricks are modern construction materials. Nowadays, these bricks hold an important position in all construction like residential, commercial, and industrial building constructions.
As construction activity is growing day by day, there is a good demand for cement concrete hollow bricks The demand for this product is always high in all cities and other urban centers.
Concrete hollow bricks are substitutes for conventional bricks and stones in building construction. They are lighter than bricks, easier to place, and also confer economics in foundation cost and consumption of cement.
In comparison to conventional bricks, they offer the advantages of uniform quality, faster speed of construction, lower labor involvement, and longer durability.
In view of these advantages, the applications of hollow concrete blocks are increasing very fast in construction activities.
Here are the Steps to Start Hollow Bricks Manufacturing Business
1. Hollow Bricks Making Business Registration
As a startup entrepreneur first, you need to decide the ownership pattern of your business. Register your business accordingly with ROC (Register Of Companies). Obtain Trade License from the local authority. Apply for Pan Card and open a current bank account.
You may register your business as SSI Unit also. If you want to avail of finance, then it is advisable to prepare a customized project report. In addition, apply for GST Registration. It is advisable to obtain a No Objection Certificate from the Pollution Control Board.
Related: Small Business Ideas For Small Towns
2. Raw Material Requirements
In hollow bricks manufacturing raw materials are cement, stone chips 0.5″, sand, and stone dust. Moreover, you can procure the raw material from nearby districts and from other states. Ordinary Portland cement is the cementing material used in cement concrete hollow blocks.
First of all, mix the cement, stone chips, sand, etc in a ratio of 1:6 or 1:12. This mixture is put in the vibrator machine. This is then poured into the desired size mold. After 24 hours of drying, put the blocks in the water tank for curing.
3. Manufacturing Process of Hollow Bricks
The process of curing continues for two to three weeks to give the blocks compression strength. The blocks are used in the construction process after drying.
Proportioning → Mixing → Compacting → Curing → Drying
a) Proportioning
The determination of suitable amounts of raw materials needed to produce concrete of desired quality under given conditions of mixing, placing, and curing is known as proportioning.
As per Indian Standard specifications, the combined aggregate content in the concrete mix used for making hollow blocks should not be more than 6 parts to 1 part by volume of Portland cement. If this ratio is taken in terms of weight basis this may average approximately 1:7
b) Mixing
The objective of the thorough mixing of aggregates, cement, and water is to ensure that the cement-water paste completely covers the surface of the aggregates. All the raw materials including water are collected in a concrete mixer, which is rotated for about 1 ½ minutes.
c) Compacting
The purpose of compacting is to fill all air pockets with concrete as a whole without the movement of free water through the concrete. Excessive compaction would result in the formation of water pockets or layers with higher water content and poor quality of the product.
d) Curing
Hollow blocks removed from the mold are protected until they are sufficiently hardened to permit handling without damage. This may take about 24 hours in a shelter away from the sun and winds. The hollow blocks thus hardened are cured in a curing yard to permit complete moisturization for at least 21 days.
e) Drying
Concrete shrinks slightly with the loss of moisture. It is, therefore, essential that after curing is over, the blocks should be allowed to dry out gradually. You can dry it out normally in shade or you can use drying machines.
4. Hollow Bricks Making Machines
Broadly you can establish hollow bricks making projects in two ways. One is by setting up a semi-automatic plant with different machinery. Another one is by setting up fully automatic hollow brick-making machines.
For a semi-automatic plant, you will need to have types of machinery such as a Hydraulically operated concrete block-making machine with quadruple vibrators, a Concrete mixer, a platform electronic weighing scale, a Water dosing pump, Ram, molds, Curing beds, etc.
Fully automatic hollow brick machines are also available. With these types of machines, you can get 10000-12000 production output per hour. These are generally costly and different raw materials can be used to make different types of hollow bricks.
These types of machines have PLC automatic control systems, interactive user interfaces, control systems, security configuration logic control, production procedures, and fault diagnosis display. Automatic hollow bricks machine price starts from Rupees 3 Lakh onward.
6. Quality Specifications For Hollow Bricks
IS 2185 (Part 1): 2005 Indian Standard: Concrete Masonry Units – Specification (Part 1) Hollow and Solid Concrete Blocks (Third Revision) The above standard specifies requirements for these parameters: dimensions, grades of hollow blocks, blocks density, compression strength, water absorption, drying shrinkage, and moisture movement. However, the quality of the hollow bricks must be as per customer demand.
