3 pack minimum for our Mates Rates & FREE DELIVERY !!! 

$3.18 each delivered - minimum 3 pallets, Call us today!!!

Besser block systems are available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. Made from concrete, they are predominantly supplied in Standard Grey, however, they are available in a range of colours and textured finishes, including replica sandstone.

Widely used for retaining walls and structural walls, besser blocks are an attractive, easy to install and very long lasting product that add value to any project.

Applications include non-structural, as well as, load-bearing structural use and all our besser block systems are suitable for indoor and outdoor use.

A Besser Block (sometimes known as a Bessa Block) is a hollow, rectangular concrete building block used in the construction of the walls of houses, offices, multi-storey apartment blocks and industrial buildings.

The usefulness of a Besser block comes from its modular sizes and easy to lay courses. The structural integrity of a Besser Block comes from steel reinforcing bars laid vertically (droppers) and horizontally (bond beams and lintels) in special Besser Blocks called “knock-out blocks”.

What is the Standard Size of a Besser Block?

Besser blocks are made to suit a nominal 200mm metric system (known as 200 series blockwork) when you take into account 10mm grout between blocks.

Off the shelf, a standard Besser Block measures 390mm long x 190mm high x 190mm wide. But when it is laid in a 10mm mortar then those dimensions become 400mm long x 200mm high (x 190mm wide).

You can also find Besser block in these sizes:

• 390mm long x 190mm high x 140mm wide. (known as 150 series blockwork).
• 190mm long x 190mm high x 190 wide.
• 390mm long x 190mm high x 290mm wide (300 series blockwork).
• 390mm long x 190mm high x 90mm wide (100 series bricks)

In construction, concrete Besser Blocks are stacked in layers called courses with half a block offset in what is called a stretcher bond.

Besser blocks are ‘glued’ together with cement mortar joints. This is just a concrete glue trowelled between individual blocks to hold them together.

Steel reinforcement is placed horizontally in special blocks called knockout blocks as the wall is built. Steel reinforcement is also placed vertically in some of the hollow cores once a certain height of the block wall is built.

Once the mortar has cured, a wall height of concrete block is filled with a special, flowable mix of concrete called grout (a mix of cement, sand, and water that often uses smaller stones than normal concrete) to fill all or some of the hollow cores.

In Australia, it is now common practice to fill all of the hollow cores with grout. Even though more grout is used, builders find filling all cores with grout it faster which ends up saving money.

Besser Blocks Also Known As

In other parts of the world, Besser Blocks are also known as concrete blocks, grey blocks, breeze blocks, and cinderblock construction.

In Australia, the common name for concrete blocks is Besser Block which comes from a prominent concrete block moulding equipment manufacturer, Besser.

Besser block retaining wall and raft slab

Besser blocks come in a variety of sizes. The most common block widths in Australian construction are 140mm (150 Series ) and 190mm (200 Series).

What are Besser Blocks Made From?

Besser blocks are made from concrete – a mix of sand, cement, water, stones, oxides, and additives.

The holes and sides of a Besser Blocks are formed in a factory using a mould. Then the blocks are steam cured, wrapped and delivered to construction sites on pallets.

What are Besser Blocks Used For?

Concrete blocks, when reinforced with vertical and horizontal steel reinforcement, are conventionally used to form external load-bearing walls in residential houses.

Concrete Besser Blocks can also be used to form retaining walls and even elevator walls in buildings up to 8 storeys.

Do Besser blocks need to be filled?

Unfilled Besser blocks do not have much strength and so yes, Besser blocks need to be filled with steel reinforcement and concrete to make them strong enough to sideways loads like wind loads.

If a Besser block is only supporting vertical down loads like the weight of a floor or a roof then unfilled blocks might be ok – but it is really unusual to have a Besser block wall that doesn’t need to be filled with concrete.

How to Build a House with Besser Blocks

When hollow concrete blockwork is reinforced with steel reinforcement and filled with concrete it becomes a very strong, durable external wall.

The best manuals for building with Besser Blocks are available at CMAA. https://www.cmaa.com.au/Technical/Manuals/technical-manuals

How to Build a Besser Block Retaining Wall

A Besser block retaining wall can be built by a builder, a landscape gardener or by a professional block layer.

The best manual we have found for the design of Besser block retaining walls is available for free from CMAA Besser Block Retaining Walls.

For walls over 1m in height in Brisbane, you’ll need a structural engineer to design and specify the walls. Yes. We can help with that.

Why Are Besser Blocks Popular?

Besser Blocks are a popular form of construction because of several useful characteristics:

• When reinforced and filled with concrete, concrete block walls provide substantial structural strength and stability in residential houses. In cyclone areas, concrete walls are used because they have excellent impact resistance and have high bracing (racking capacity).
• When partially filled, concrete blocks have useful sound and fire insulating properties.
• For those looking for a different look, fancy architectural blocks are available from some suppliers including polished face blocks. These blocks are always a bit more expensive because they are denser concrete and have to be laid neatly.
• Besser blocks when laid below ground and reinforced can be used to retain fill under the slab.