Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) is an environment-friendly building material used for the construction of commercial, industrial and residential buildings. The substance is a porous, non-toxic, reusable, renewable and recyclable form of foam concrete. The inventors, Dr. Johan Axel Eriksson and Henrik Kreüger, both from Sweden, had developed the material in 1924 when they were looking for an alternate building material that had the advantages of wood without its disadvantages. In other words, they were trying to create a material that had good thermal insulation, a sound structure and was an easy material to work with, but was not combustible or prone to decay or termite damage.

AAC is fabricated from commonly found materials such as lime, fly ash, cement and water, and a small amount of a rising agent. After the initial process of mixing and moulding, it is fed into an autoclave to give it the necessary heat and pressure that in turn give it its unique properties. AAC has excellent thermal insulation and acoustic absorption properties. Moreover, the material is economically and environmentally superior to the more traditional building materials such as concrete and traditional bricks.

Unlike traditional bricks, AAC blocks do not require any soil as they use fly ash, an industrial waste generated by coal-based thermal power plants. The amount of coal energy needed to produce this major ingredient is comparatively less than what is required for making conventional bricks. The AAC manufacturers use state of the art facilities for production and have organised HR practices unlike brick production units where child labour is common. These units are also not as polluting as the brick kilns. AAC blocks are also environment-friendly as they emit only 2.1 kg of CO2 for one square ft of area in comparison to bricks that emit 17.6 kg of CO2 for the same area.

The energy saved by AAC blocks is also considerably more. Since AAC blocks have better insulation, they can save approximately 30% more energy than traditional bricks. AAC blocks also need lesser amount of steel and concrete while creating a structure, thereby providing more cost savings to builders or homeowners. AAC blocks can resist fire up to 6-7 hours unlike traditional bricks that can last only for 2 hours.

When it comes to quality and cost effectiveness, AAC blocks are again one step ahead of traditional bricks. They allow for faster construction as they come in different sizes and can reduce the number of joints needed in wall masonry. They are lightweight and set and harden quickly, thereby reducing construction time by nearly 20% or even more. AAC blocks will not pinch your pocket as well since they reduce operating cost by 30% to 40% and overall production cost by 2.5%. Due to being lightweight, they also have the advantage of providing better resilience in times of earthquakes. In terms of end usage, these blocks are ideal for buildings that require acoustic insulation such as schools, hospitals, hotels, and offices.

About the Author

Magicrete Building Solutions Pvt. Ltd is one of India’s leading manufacturer of AAC Bricks, light weight concrete blocks and other green building materials. They offer high quality and precisely designed bricks manufactured with Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) - a path-breaking technology in the construction Industry. They offer durable and Eco-friendly construction materials.