Strapping Bricks, Blocks & AAC: How to Bundle Heavy Construction Materials

Bricks, concrete blocks and AAC (autoclaved aerated concrete) blocks are among the heaviest, most abrasive loads a strapping machine handles. They are shipped in large bundles that must survive forklift handling, road transport and stacking on site — and a bundle that breaks open is a safety hazard and a loss. Here is how construction materials are bundled and strapped.

What makes construction materials demanding

• Very heavy and dense — high pallet weights, demanding maximum tension and strap strength.
• Rigid and non-compressible — no give, so the strap takes the full force of any shock.
• Abrasive edges — rough brick and block edges cut into strap and slip.
• Rough handling — forklifts, site drops, outdoor stacking.

Palletise the bundle

• Use a strong pallet rated for the heavy load (blocks routinely run well over a tonne per pallet).
• Stack square and even; bond the courses so the bundle holds together.
• Keep within the pallet's and the strap's rated capacity.

Strap material and tension

This is a high-tension job:

• Strap material: historically steel for the heaviest brick/block, but high-strength PET now handles most construction bundles — it absorbs the shock of handling where rigid steel snaps, and resists rust outdoors. For sharp or extreme loads, steel still has a place. (See PP vs PET vs steel strapping.)
• High, consistent tension — heavy rigid loads need maximum, repeatable tension to stay bundled; a loose strap on a block bundle means a load that spreads and collapses. A calibrated machine such as the ErgoPack 726X applies up to 2,500N repeatably; see best machine for heavy loads.
• Multiple straps across the bundle, perpendicular to it.

Protect against the abrasive edges

• Edge protectors where the strap crosses sharp brick/block edges, so the strap is not cut and does not slip (edge protectors).
• Inspect that straps seat flat against the bundle.

Construction material strapping checklist

• Pallet rated for the heavy block/brick load
• Bundle stacked square, courses bonded
• PET strap for most loads (steel for sharp/extreme); rated for weight
• High, consistent, repeatable tension
• Multiple straps, perpendicular across the bundle
• Edge protectors where strap crosses sharp edges
• Within pallet and strap rated capacity

Bundle and strap construction materials to this standard and a heavy, abrasive, rigid load survives the forklift, the road and the building site without spreading or breaking open.