Analysis of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks with reference to its potential and sustainability

Abstract

The traditional bricks are the main building materials that are used extensively in the construction and building industry. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete blocks are recently one of the newly adopted building materials. The Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a product of fly ash which is mixed with lime, cement, and water and an aerating agent. The AAC is mainly produced as cuboid blocks and prefabricated panels. The Autoclaved aerated concrete is a type of concrete that is manufactured to contain lots of closed air voids. The AAC blocks are energy efficient, durable, less dense, and lightweight. It is manufactured by adding a foaming additive to concrete in different sizes of molds as per requirement, then wire-cutting these blocks or panels from the resulting ‘cake lump’ and ‘heating them with steam. This process is called as Autoclaving. It has been observed that this material is an eco-friendly building material that is being manufactured from industrial waste and is composed of non-toxic ingredients. In this paper, an overview of AAC blocks with reference to its potential and sustainability as a novel building material has been presented. The paper also presents a comparative cost analysis of AAC Blocks with the Red clay bricks and its suitability and potential use in the construction in the building industry.