Hebel AAC Technical Manual
Section 1: Introduction
1.1 An Introduction to Autoclave Aerated Concrete
1.2 Applications of Hebel AAC Products
1.3 Manufacturing Process
1.4 Quality control
1.5 Benefits of Hebel AAC
1.6 Reference of Building Codes and Standards
-About Designing with AAC
-Disclaimer
1.1 An Introduction to Hebel AAC-Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
With today's demand for environmentally sustainable
construction, visionary architects and builders are relying on
the timeless strength and versatility of Hebel AAC. This solid
building material delivers the advantages of energy efficient
building and environmentally responsible construction,
including improved air quality and lower insulation expenses.
Panels of Hebel AAC are rapidly becoming the building blocks
of a new, greener world. Thousands of architects, engineers,
and builders around the world validate the properties of Hebel
AAC in their own work because of its proven advantages for
Figure 1: Hebel AAC
more than 80 years.
Hebel AAC is a unique building concept. AAC is ultra lightweight concrete with a unique cellular structure that
provides fire resistance, superior energy efficiency and acoustical properties. AAC is manufactured from silica
sand, gypsum, lime, cement and water, to which an expanding agent is added. All ingredients are found in
adequate supply throughout the world.
A History Rooted in Nature AAC was developed by architect Dr. Johan Eriksson in 1923 at the Royal Technical
Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where he patented AAC under the brand name YTONG.
In 1945, Josef Hebel invented a method of producing reinforced AAC panels by incorporating steel into the
manufacturing process, and patented reinforced AAC with the brand Hebel.
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Today’s Technical Advantage Today, the experience and knowledge linked to the two brands of Hebel and
YTONG have secured Xella as the world’s leader of AAC production- with a team of 7,900 at work in 30 countries
across the U.S, South America, Europe and Asia. To learn more about Xella’s worldwide operations, visit
www.xella.com.
Xella Aircrete North America, Inc. is a Georgia company, with offices located in Atlanta, and manufacturing
facilities in Adel.
Xella Aircrete North America, Inc. produces Hebel AAC for commercial, industrial, and residential construction.
Solid yet lightweight, Hebel AAC is an environmentally friendly building material that is both highly durable and easy
to use, allowing faster more efficient construction projects.
The management philosophy of Xella is to be highly service oriented. In any case, if you should require further
information or have specific questions, please contact us. We will gladly see that you get the answers you need.
Contact Information:
Phone: 877 41 HEBEL
Email: [email protected]
www.hebel-usa.com
Figure 2: Xella Plant in Adel, Georgia
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1.2 Applications of Hebel AAC Products
The Hebel AAC building system includes products for a wide variety of construction applications including:
Educational facilities
Hospitality
Residential and Multi-family Housing
Office buildings
Sound barrier walls
Fire walls and Shaft walls
Theaters
Architectural cladding
Hebel AAC provides a total building envelope solution that includes AAC precast panels and masonry units for both
load bearing and non-load bearing applications. Hebel AAC products provide a total building system
accommodating walls, floors and roofs.
Normally, an assembly of different materials with less than compatible properties is needed to satisfy the great
demands made on buildings today. Hebel AAC meets the diverse demands better than any other material due to
the numerous advantages of its physical and mechanical properties.
The Figure 3 demonstrates the versatility and diverse applications of Hebel AAC products.
Figure 3: Applications of Hebel AAC
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1.3 Manufacturing Process
Hebel AAC is made from silica sand, gypsum, lime, cement and
water, to which an expanding agent is added. The AAC
manufacturing process starts when the sand and gypsum are ground
to the consistency of powder, in a ball mill. Raw materials are then
automatically weighed and measured in the mixer along with water
and the expanding agent.
After mixing, the slurry is poured into metal moulds in which the
expanding agent reacts with the other elements. The mixing results in
a reaction where small, finely-dispersed air spaces are formed. The
moulds are sent to a pre-curing room for several hours. Next, the
semi-solid material is transported to the cutting machine where the
cuts are made using steel wires to form the sizes required for the Figure 4: Cutting Machine with steel
building elements. The product consistency combined with our high wires
precision cutting technology, results in pieces with dimensional tolerances for blocks (w, h, l) ±1/8” and for panels
(w, h) ±1/8”, (l) ±1/5”.
Figure 5: Diagram of Hebel AAC Production Process
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Figure 6: Exterior view of Autoclaves
Figure 8: Anticorrosive Agent Application to
Reinforcing Wires
Figure 7: Interior view of Autoclaves
The final phase in the production process is steam pressure curing in autoclaves for up to 12 hours. Block, panels
and other AAC elements are removed from the autoclave, packaged and sent to the finished product storage.
Hebel reinforced elements, such as wall, floor and roof panels, and lintels contain steel reinforcement mesh that is
treated for corrosion with a water based acrylic, and then placed in the mould before the mix is added. The
manufacturing process is then the same as described above for un-reinforced elements.
1.4 Quality control
Quality Control and Quality Assurance at the Hebel plant begins with the purchasing of the raw materials and
continues through to the delivery of the final product. Raw material certificates are obtained from suppliers of sand,
gypsum, cement, lime, aluminum paste and reinforcement steel. In-house quality assurance tests are conducted for
silica sand, gypsum and cement quicklime. Final product testing includes: compressive strength, dry bulk density,
anticorrosion and flexural testing of panels.
One critical step during manufacture is the formulation selection and mixing. This is a computerized process
overseen by our full-time Quality Control Manager.
Our plant is inspected on a regular basis by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Follow Up Services.
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Hebel AAC Material Identification and Marking
Blocks are placed on pallets, shrink-wrapped
and sent to storage or distribution.
Reinforced panels are marked before
autoclaving with a stamp code containing
information about date of production, mould
number, project number and placement
position.
Hebel AAC Shipping and Handling
Hebel AAC is shipped by trucks, platforms,
or multimodal containers, etc. They can be
Figure 9: Material Identification
transported by road, train and by sea for
international projects. Hebel block and panel pallets should be handled by forklift trucks and/or cranes with
appropriate straps to avoid damage to the material.
Figure 10: Hebel AAC Delivery to Project Site
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1.5 Benefits of Hebel AAC
A Better Way to Build Hebel AAC embodies so many positive properties that could only be equaled by using a
combination of different materials. Hebel AAC is able to satisfy the most diverse demands made on building
materials today.
Precision The production process guarantees the exact dimensions of the pieces that comprise the Hebel building
system. This property allows for a great building quality with perfectly straight and plumbed walls, resulting in
savings of material and execution time for finishes. Also, the precision of the pieces allows for a perfect contact
among them, resulting in better structural performance. The dimensional tolerance of the Hebel products is ±1/8”.
Speedy/Easy Construction The main elements of the Hebel Building system are prefabricated pieces, ready to be
used in construction. These elements, combined with the minimum requirements in thin-bed mortar and the
product’s light weight, result in reduced construction times and a notable improvement in efficiency and productivity.
Workability Hebel AAC products are easy to cut, drill, slot, grind, etc., which makes them easier to install than
other building materials.
Structural Versatility The wide variety of Hebel AAC products covers all of the requirements of construction:
blocks for load bearing and non-load bearing walls, door and window lintels, roof or floor panels, wall panels, wall
boards, mortars and finishes such as stucco and plaster.
Light Weight Ease Hebel AAC material is up to 4 times lighter than traditional concrete. Its light weight means
significant advantages in transportation costs, ease of material handling at the building site, and in overall speed of
construction.
Better Fire Protection Safer materials are better materials. Hebel AAC is fire resistant, totally inorganic, and does
not contain any combustible materials. A 4” thick wall built with Hebel AAC blocks provides 4-hour fire resistance
(UL Classified). Hebel AAC products provide maximum fire safety. It heats up significantly less and more slowly
than other building materials and has the fire-resistance rating to prove it. Not surprisingly, Hebel AAC’s insulating
properties are superior to other materials.
The Best Thermal Insulation Properties of any Solid Building Material
Hebel AAC has excellent thermal insulation characteristics. The presence of these features in all the elements of
the Hebel Building system equate to a comfortable environment inside the building without the need for additional
insulation.
Good Acoustic Insulation The elements of the Hebel building system have acoustic insulation properties in
excess of more traditional materials, reducing the transmission of sound.
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Environmentally Sustainable Hebel AAC is a time-tested material that requires minimal maintenance. It does not
contain any toxic substances during the manufacturing process nor in the final product. The material composition
does not foster nor attract any pests.
Durability Hebel AAC products are very durable and will not degrade under normal climatic conditions. They have
outstanding durability characteristics over traditional materials relative to humidity, freeze/thaw cycles and chemical
attack.
High Compressive Strength Hebel AAC products are manufactured in various strength categories. Panels and
blocks are available in strength categories AAC-2, AAC-3 and AAC-4. These strength classifications should not be
confused with the permissible compressive stress. Hebel blocks and panels can take relatively high maximum
compressive stress compared to their overall material strength, permitting completely adequate assumption of
building loads in normal applications. Above and beyond that, higher compressive stress is allowed for Hebel AAC
in thin-bed mortar than for masonry using ordinary mortar. Compressive strength, gross density and thermal
insulation are attuned to each other in Hebel AAC products.
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1.6 Reference of building codes and standards
Summary of standards and codes cited in this manual.
The following documents are cited regularly throughout the Hebel AAC Technical Manual.
ACI Documents
ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete
ACI 530/ASCE 5 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures
ACI 530.1/ASCE 6 Specifications for Masonry Structures
ACI 523.2/R-96 Guide for Precast Cellular Floor, Roof and Wall Units
ASTM Standards
ASTM A82-95 Specification for Steel Wire, Plain, for Concrete Reinforcement
ASTM C39 Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens
ASTM C177 Test Method for Steady State Heat Flux Measurements and Thermal
Transmission Properties by Means of the Guarded Hot Plate Apparatus
ASTM C270 Specification for Mortar for Unit Masonry
ASTM C1386 Standard Specifications for Precast Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Wall Construction Units
ASTM C1452 Standard Specifications for Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Elements
ASTM E72 Standard Methods of Conducting Strength Test of Panels for Building
Construction
ASTM E90-90 Laboratory Measurement of Airborne Sound Transmission Loss of Building
Partitions
ASTM E119 Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials
ASTM E514 Standard Test Method for Water Penetration and Leakage through Masonry
ASTM E518 Flexural Bond Strength of Masonry
ASTM E519 Standard Test Method for Diagonal Tension (Shear) in Masonry Assemblages
ASTM E426 Drying Shrinkage of Concrete Masonry Units
ASTM E447 Compressive Strength of Masonry Prisms
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DISCLAIMER. This document is not intended to replace the knowledge, experience and judgment of design
professionals. Xella Aircrete North America, Inc., is not responsible for ensuring weather-tightness, overall
functionality or fitness for use of the panels, or compliance with federal, state, or local laws, ordinances or
regulations, including building, environmental and other codes.
WARNING. Property damage or personal injury or death may result from improper design, use or installation.
Licensed design and construction professionals, who are in good standing with the governing authority and have
the necessary knowledge, experience and judgment of the specific building system and its components, should be
retained to ensure a proper design, use and installation.
MODIFICATIONS. Xella Aircrete North America, Inc. reserves the right to change its Technical Manual, Design
Guide, safe working loads, panel dimensions or installation techniques at any time without prior notice. Last
modified: 4/2/2009.
WARRANTY/DAMAGES. This document and all further technical advice are based upon Xella Aircrete North
America, Inc.’s present knowledge and experience. However, Xella Aircrete North America, Inc. assumes no
liability for providing such information and advice. Xella Aircrete North America, Inc. disclaims all CONDITIONS
AND WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR MERCHANTABILITY. XELLA AIRCRETE NORTH AMERICA,
INC. SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
(INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS or USE) OF ANY KIND.
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