Autoclaved aerated

concrete

Aerated autoclaved concrete - close-up view

Autoclaved aerated concrete tiles of various shapes
and sizes

On the right, green AAC blocks are being fed into an

autoclave to be rapidly cured under heat and
pressure

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), also

known as autoclaved cellular concrete
(ACC), autoclaved lightweight concrete
(ALC), autoclaved concrete, cellular
concrete, porous concrete, Aircrete,
Hebel Block, and Ytong is a lightweight,
precast, foam concrete building material
invented in the mid-1920s that
simultaneously provides structure,
insulation, and fire- and mold-resistance.
AAC products include blocks, wall
panels, floor and roof panels, cladding
(façade) panels and lintels.[1]

History
AAC was perfected in the mid-1920s by
the Swedish architect and inventor Dr.
Johan Axel Eriksson,[2][3] working with
Professor Henrik Kreüger at the Royal
Institute of Technology.[2][3] The process
was patented in 1924. In 1929,
production started in Sweden at the city
of Yxhult. From "Yxhults Ånghärdade
Gasbetong" later became the first
registered building materials brand in the
world: Ytong. Another brand “Siporex”
was established in Sweden in 1939 and
presently licenses and owns plants in 35
locations around the world. The second
major international cellular concrete
Hebel brand goes back to company
founder and technicians Josef Hebel
from Memmingen. In 1943, the first
Hebel-plant was opened in Germany.

Originally Ytong autoclaved aerated

concrete in Sweden was produced with
alum shale, whose combustible carbon
content was beneficial in the production
process. Unfortunately, the slate deposits
used for Ytong in Sweden also contain a
very low level of natural uranium, which
makes the material give off radioactive
radon gas in the building. In 1972, the
Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
pointed out the unsuitability of a radon-
emitting construction material, and the
use of alum slate in the production of
Ytong ceased in 1975. By using new
formulations, containing only quartz
sand, calcined gypsum, lime (mineral),
cement, water and aluminum powder,
Ytong produced a new type of aerated
concrete which no longer contains alum
slate and thus has eliminated the
problem of radon exposure from this raw
material. The production of this white
autoclaved aerated concrete is now state
of the art and similar formulations are
used by all producers around the world.

In 1978 The Swedish team of Siporex

Sweden opened the Siporex Factory in
Kingdom Saudi Arabia - the "Lightweight
Construction Company - Siporex - LCC
SIPOREX" which have supplied the
Middle east and Africa and Japan by
most of its need . The LCC SIPOREX
FACTORY is operating for more than 40
years . Today aerated concrete is
produced by many companies,
particularly in Europe and Asia. There is
some production in the Americas, and in
Africa there is one plant in Egypt. AAC
production in Europe has slowed down
considerably, but the industry is growing
rapidly in Asia due to strong demand in
housing and commercial space. China is
now the largest aircrete market in the
world with several hundred factories.
China, Central Asia, India, and the Middle-
East are the biggest in terms of AAC
manufacturing and consumption.[4]

The product aircrete is sold, like other

masonry materials, under many different
brand names. Ytong and Hebel are
brands of the international operating
company Xella headquartered in
Duisburg. Other more internationally
renowned brand names in Europe are H +
H Celcon (Denmark), or Solbet (Poland).

Uses
AAC is a highly thermally insulating
concrete-based material used for both
internal and external construction.
Besides AAC's insulating capability, one
of its advantages in construction is its
quick and easy installation, because the
material can be routed, sanded, or cut to
size on site using standard carbon steel
power tools.

AAC is well suited for urban areas with

high rise buildings and those with high
temperature variations. Due to its lower
density, high rise buildings constructed
using AAC require less steel and
concrete for structural members. The
requirement of mortar for laying of AAC
blocks is reduced due to the lower
number of joints. Similarly, the material
required for rendering is also lower due
to the dimensional accuracy of AAC. The
increased thermal efficiency of AAC
makes it suitable for use in areas with
extreme temperatures, as it eliminates
the need for separate materials for
construction and insulation, leading to
faster construction and cost savings.

Even though regular cement mortar can

be used, most of the buildings erected
with AAC materials use thin bed mortar
in thicknesses around ⅛ inch, depending
on the national building codes. AAC
materials can be coated with a stucco or
plaster compound to guard against the
elements, or covered with siding
materials such as brick or vinyl.

Manufacturing
Unlike most other concrete applications,
AAC is produced using no aggregate
larger than sand. Quartz sand, calcined
gypsum, lime (mineral) and/or cement
and water are used as a binding agent.
Aluminum powder is used at a rate of
0.05%–0.08% by volume (depending on
the pre-specified density). In some
countries, like India and China, fly ash
generated from coal fire power plants
and having 50-65% silica content is used
as an aggregate.

When AAC is mixed and cast in forms,

several chemical reactions take place
that give AAC its light weight (20% of the
weight of concrete) and thermal
properties. Aluminum powder reacts with
calcium hydroxide and water to form
hydrogen. The hydrogen gas foams and
doubles the volume of the raw mix
creating gas bubbles up to 3mm (⅛ inch)
in diameter. At the end of the foaming
process, the hydrogen escapes into the
atmosphere and is replaced by air.

When the forms are removed from the

material, it is solid but still soft. It is then
cut into either blocks or panels, and
placed in an autoclave chamber for 12
hours. During this steam pressure
hardening process, when the
temperature reaches 190° Celsius (374°
Fahrenheit) and the pressure reaches 8
to 12 bar, quartz sand reacts with
calcium hydroxide to form calcium
silicate hydrate, which gives AAC its high
strength and other unique properties.
Because of the relatively low temperature
used AAC blocks are not considered fired
brick but a lightweight concrete masonry
unit. After the autoclaving process, the
material is ready for immediate use on
the construction site. Depending on its
density, up to 80% of the volume of an
AAC block is air. AAC's low density also
accounts for its low structural
compression strength. It can carry loads
of up to 8 MPa (1,160 PSI),
approximately 50% of the compressive
strength of regular concrete.

In 1978 The First AAC material was

opened in the Persian Gulf state in
Kingdom Saudi Arabia - LCC SIPOREX-
Lightweight Construction Company
supplying the GCC countries with the
Aerated products of blocks and panels.

Since 1980, there has been a worldwide

increase in the use of AAC materials.
New production plants are being built in
Australia, Bahrain, China, Eastern Europe,
India, and the United States. AAC is
increasingly used by developers,
architects, and home builders worldwide.

Advantages
AAC has been produced for more than 70
years, and it offers several significant
advantages over other cement
construction materials, one of the most
important being its lower environmental
impact.

Improved thermal efficiency reduces

the heating and cooling load in
buildings.
Porous structure allows for superior
fire resistance.
Workability allows accurate cutting,
which minimizes the generation of
solid waste during use.
Resource efficiency gives it lower
environmental impact in all phases of
its life cycle, from the processing of
raw materials to the disposal of waste.
Light weight saves cost & energy in
transportation, labor expenses, and
increases chances of survival during
seismic activity.[5]
Larger size blocks leads to faster
masonry work.
Reduces the cost of the project.
Environmentally friendly: When used, it
helps to reduce at least 30% of
environmental waste as opposed to
going with traditional concrete. There
is a decrease of 50% of greenhouse
gas emissions. When possible, using
autoclaved aerated concrete is a better
choice for the environment.
Energy saving: It is an excellent
property that makes it an excellent
insulator and that means the interior
environment is easier to maintain.
When it is used, there is usually not a
need for any supplementary insulation.
Fire resistant: Just like with regular
concrete, AAC is fire resistant. This
material is completely inorganic and
not combustible.
Great ventilation: This material is very
airy and allows for the diffusion of
water. This will reduce the humidity
within the building. AAC will absorb
moisture and release humidity; this
helps to prevent condensation and
other problems that are related to
mildew.
Non-toxic: There are no toxic gases or
other toxic substances in autoclaved
aerated concrete. It does not attract
rodents or other pests nor can it be
damaged by such.
Lightweight: Concrete blocks that are
made out of AAC weigh about one-fifth
of typical concrete. They are also
produced in sizes that are easy to
handle for quick construction.
Accuracy: The panels and blocks made
of autoclaved aerated concrete are
produced to the exact sizes needed
before they even leave the factory.
There is less need for on-site trimming.
Since the blocks and panels fit so well
 together, there is a reduced use of
finishing materials such as mortar.
Long lasting: The life of this material is
extended because it is not affected by
harsh climates or extreme changes in
weather conditions. It will not degrade
under normal climate changes either.
Quick assembly: Since it is a
lightweight material and easy to work
with, the assembly is much quicker
and smoother.

Disadvantages
AAC has been produced for more than 70
years, however some disadvantages
were found when it was introduced in the
UK (where cavity wall with clay brick two-
skin construction has been the norm).

Installation during rainy weather:

aircrete is known to crack after
installation, which can be avoided by
reducing the strength of the mortar
and ensuring the blocks are dry during
and after installation.
Brittle nature: they need to be handled
more carefully than clay bricks to avoid
breakages.
Fixings: the brittle nature of the blocks
requires longer thinner screws when
fitting cabinets and wall hangings and
wood-suitable drill bits or hammering
in. Special, large diameter wall plugs
 (aircrete anchor) are available, though
at a higher cost than common wall
plugs.[6]
Insulation requirements in newer
building codes of northern European
countries would require very thick
walls when using AAC alone. Thus
many builders choose to return to
traditional building methods installing
an extra layer of insulation around the
building as a whole.
Hydrogen generated by manufacture
outgasses to the atmosphere as a
greenhouse gas.

References
1. "Products specifications - AIRCRETE" .
aircrete-europe.com.
2. "Hebel: The History of AAC" . Archived
from the original on 2010-11-04. Retrieved
2010-10-04.
3. Swedish Association of Historical
Buildings: Pioneering work in the early
days of concrete - history 1890–1950
(from Byggnadskultur issue 4/2004) (in
Swedish)
4. "AAC India" .
5. "AAC India - Advantages of using
AAC" .
6.
http://www.fischer.co.uk/PortalData/10/R
esources/support/sales-
documents/documents/Aircrete_(V5)_07.
06.2012(EmailVersion).pdf

External links
Media related to Autoclaved aerated
concrete at Wikimedia Commons
AAC Guide
Portland Cement Association's
information on construction with
AEC/ACC
Aircrete Products Association
Masonry Magazine, June 2008
Toolbase.org
History of Autoclaved Aerated
Concrete
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Last edited 4 days ago by AACman

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