Poured Concrete vs. Block Basement Construction
This is a comparison of unreinforced solid concrete walls vs. hollow core concrete block walls.
chart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement constructionchart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement constructionchart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement constructionchart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement construction chart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement constructionchart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement constructionchart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement constructionchart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement construction

chart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement construction
chart comparing poured concrete foundations to block basement construction
This comparison shows that poured concrete walls provide builders and owners with stronger, drier, better concrete basements. They offer performance that block walls simply can't match. Poured walls have a compressive and flexural strength several times that of block and far beyond the required safety factor.

When it comes to below grade construction, hollow core block just doesn't stack up to poured concrete. The results of this study prove unreinforced hollow core concrete block basement walls for residential construction fail to meet standards of accepted engineering practices even in 10" and 12" wall thicknesses.

This information was provided by the Concrete Foundations Association.