Hydraform Dry Stacking

The Hydraform Building System: Dry-Stacked Blocks

Benefits to clients

As a replacement for conventional brick and mortar, the Hydraform Building System uses inter-locking soil cement dry stacking blocks. These dry stacking blocks ensure:

• Minimal material costs – Little mortar is needed, because 75% of a Hydraform wall is dry-stacked. In addition, Hydraform walls contain up to 50% less cement than conventional cement brick walls.
  
  
• Reduced transport costs – Blocks can be made on the building site, which considerably reduces transport costs.
  
  
• Construction speed – A Hydraform block layer can lay up to 800 blocks per day; the equivalent of laying 2 400 standard stock bricks per day.
  
  
• Versatility – All window, door, slab and roofing systems that are used with conventional systems can also be used with Hydraform blocks.
  
  
• Great ease of use – The Hydraform system, because it uses dry-stacked Soil Cement Blocks, can be easily and simply taught to unskilled labourers.
  
  
• Genuine eco-friendliness – An average Hydraform wall has a carbon footprint that is as low as 40kg CO2 per square metre.

Two technologies

The Hydraform building system consists of two technologies: compressed Soil Cement Block technology, which compresses soil mixed with cement (OPC, as a stabilizer) into a Soil Cement Block; and dry stacking, where the shape of the blocks achieves block interlocking.

Ongoing research

Since 1988, Hydraform has carried out the research required to produce the highest quality blocks possible and to refine our machines for optimum performance and durability. In addition, our dry stacking building system has been extensively tested for structural strength and durability, as well as for fire, rain and sound resistance.

Agrément certificate

Agrément South Africa serves the national interest by being the internationally acknowledged, independent South African centre serving the building and engineering communities by providing assurance to specifiers and users via technical approvals for the fitness for purpose of non-standardized and/or unconventional products.