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INTRODUCTION
AAC was invented in mid-1923 in Sweden. It is also known as Autoclaved Cellular Concrete (ACC) or
Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete (ALC). Production process of AAC is fairly simple. It is made with made with
a mixture of fly ash, lime, cement, gypsum, an aeration agent and water. Aeration process, imparts it a cellular
light-weight structure. AAC products are precast in various sizes and provide structure, insulation, and fire and
mold resistance.
AAC products are offered in various shapes and sizes including but not limited to blocks, wall panels,
floor and roof panels, and lintels. Use of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) blocks in construction industry in
India offers interesting proposition for various segments in the society. For a project developer it means faster and
lower cost construction. For environmentally conscious it means eco-friendly products and for those who occupy
buildings built with AAC blocks it means better safety and lower energy costs for cooling or heating. Primary raw
material for AAC is fly ash.
Thousands of tonnes of fly ash is generated by thermal power plants everyday and its disposal is a cause
of concern. Moreover, using fly ash does not harm the environment at all. In fact using fly ash takes care of
issues related to disposal of fly ash. Therefore by using fly ash to produce AAC products provides a sustainable,
economic and environment friendly option. At the end it all translates to a better world for future generations.
Infill blocks
The size of the Infill Aerocon brick is 600X600 mm and the thickness varies in the
ranges of 75,100,125,150,200 mm. The main advantage of Infill blocks is that they can
easily replace 60% of the concrete in roof slabs and thus help in saving significant
amounts of concrete, steel, labor, water, plaster etc. These blocks are especially suitable
for building roofs in large column-free constructions.
Jumbo blocks
Jumbo blocks are typically in the size of 600X300 mm, and thickness ranges from
75,100,125,150, to 200 mm. The unique large size of Jumbo Aerocon bricks results in
the usage of much fewer bricks and hence less mortar is required. These bricks are more
suitable for non-load bearing walls, multi-storeid buildings etc.
Thermal blocks
These blocks are also called as Aerocool thermal blocks whose size and thickness is
300X200 mm and 50 mm respectively. These blocks are ideal for roofing since they
delay the transmission of heat flow and also help interiors remain warm during winters
and cool during summers.
CHAPTER 2
COMPARISION BETWEEN AEROCON BRICKS AND CLAY BRICKS
Comparison between
Autoclaved Aerated
Concrete (AAC)
blocks and clay
bricks Serial
Parameter
AAC Blocks
Clay Bricks
Soil Consumption
One sq ft of carpet
area with clay brick
walling will consume
25.5 kg of top soil
Fuel Consumption
CO2 Emission
Labour
Production Facility
State-of-the-art factory
facility
Tax Contribution
Size
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9
10
11
Variation in Size
Compressive Strength
Dry Density
Fire Resistance (8"
wall)
Cost Benefit
Contributes to
government taxes in
form of Central
Excise, VAT and
Octroi
625 mm x 240 mm x
100-300 mm
1.5 mm (+/-)
3.5-4 N/m2
550-700 kg/m3
Up to 7 hours
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Reduction in dead
One sq ft of carpet
area with clay bricks
will consume 8 kg of
coal
One sq ft of carpet
area will emit 17.6 kg
of CO2
Unorganized sector
with rampant use of
child labour
Unhealthy working
conditions due to
toxic gases
Does not contribute
to government
exchequer
225 mm x 100 mm x
65 mm
5 mm (+/-)
2.5-3 N/m2
1800 kg/ m3
Around 2 hours
None
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Energy Saving
weight leading to
savings in steel and
concrete
Approx.30% heating
and cooling
None
The
edges
the blocks
are such
they allow
workability
and accurate
dimensioning
are chasing
easy to cut,
drill,
nail, of
shape
chase
usingthat
ordinary
woodeasy
working
tools. Power
tools can
be used forand
rapid
for
embedding
serviceand
lines
Aerocon blocks can be cut virtually in any shape or angle making them extremely adaptable.
Aerocon block covers the same area as that 14 clay bricks do enabling a faster construction results in
saving of labour, time and material.
Aerated concrete is perfect building material for any climate. It is used to build all kinds of walls: exterior
and interior bearing and non-bearing walls, foundation walls, partition walls as filling agent in framework
structures, wall partitions, fire division walls, etc.
Aerocon excellent thermal properties helps in saving recurring energy costs of heating and cooling. The
thermal resistance combined with the benefits of thermal mass inertia and whole wall coverage eliminates
the need for additional insulation.
Aerocon blocks are available in various sizes and shapes.They are available in three types; Infill blocks, Jumbo
blocks and Thermal blocks. They are included into the category of Green Building materials because they don t
emit VOC
(Volatile Organic Compounds) which cause environmental pollution.
Apart from being eco-friendly these blocks are also light weight with high thermal insulation, fire resistance,
sound insulation, have strength and durability, have consistent quality control and gives a perfect finish with
dimensional stability. Buildings constructed out of these blocks ensure long term sustainability and save a lot
of water during the construction.
Excluding the eco-friendly characteristics of these blocks, they are also used in construction for various other
reasons. There are a number of problems involved in acquiring the sand and bricks and also the prices of
these basic materials are hiking up. As the traditional construction materials have a higher price the initiation
of Aerocon blocks acts as better substitutes with affordable prices. Due to these reasons the Aerocon blocks
are in great demand.
Hence, it is one of the revolutionary materials that can be used to make the world a better, greener and cleaner
place to live in. It is a revolutionary material that combines the unique properties such as durability and strength,
low weight, very simple construction technology and excellent environmental performance.
CHAPTER 3
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
General considerations
AAC masonry components(block units) can be used to build load bearing or non load bearing walls.
O-block units used to build pilasters.
U-block units used to build bond beams and lintels.
Control joints on AAC reinforced walls must be placed at maximum 16 ft. o.c.
Installation Guide
Check foundation.
Receiving and distribution of AAC wall units.
Installation requirements
Tools
Equipment
Other materials
Installing O-block for pilasters in first course
Install temporary supports before putting U-blocks in place apply thin bed mortar
to the vertical joints.
Once U-block are set, place rebars according to construction drawings and with concrete.
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For electrical conduits and piping installation, a chase is cut using an electrical router or a chasing tool.
When required depth of chase is bigger than maximum depth recommended, additional O-blocks are used
to lodge the pipes or interrupt wall continuity.
After installation, the chase are filled with repair mortar or cement sand mortar.
Renders
Surface patching:
Rasp block joints and other areas where AAC surface is out of plane.
Surface must be cleaned using a scrub brush and any loose or damaged material be removed.
A rubber float is commonly used to smooth the wall surface.
Fiber glass mesh:
This should be installed directly over one layer of render in all control joints, around windows,
doors and utility locations.
Finishes
AAC masonry walls can be finished with stucco , acrylic texture coats, or a combination of both, also
laminated stones, ceramic or clay tiles, concrete pieces and ornamental products.
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Raw Material
Lime Powder
Lime powder required for AAC production is obtained either by crushing limestone to fine powder at AAC
factory or by directly purchasing it in powder form. Although purchasing lime powder might be little costly,
many manufacturers opt for it rather than investing in lime crushing equipment like ball mill, jaw crusher, bucket
elevators, etc. Lime powder is stored in silos fabricated from mild steel (MS) or built using brick and mortar
depending of individual preferences.
Cement
53-grade Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) from reputed manufacturer is required for manufacturing AAC blocks.
Cement supplied by mini plants is not recommended due to drastic variations in quality over different batches.
Some AAC factories might plan their captive cement processing units as such an unit can produce cement as well as
process lime. Such factories can opt for major plant clinker and manufacture their own
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Gypsum
Gypsum is easily available in the market and is used in powder form. It is stored in silos.
Aluminum Powder/Paste
Aluminum powder/paste is easily available from various manufacturers. As very small quantity of Aluminum
powder/paste is required to be added to the mixture, it is usually weighed manually and added to the mixing
unit.
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CHAPTER 4
PRODUCTION PROCESS
Raw Material Preparation and Storage
The first step of AAC production is grinding of silica rich material (sand, fly ash, etc) in ball mills. For different
materials, different processing is adopted, such as dry grinding (into powder), wet grinding (into slurry) or mixed
grinding with quicklime (CaO). There are two methods for mixed milling.
One is dry mixing to produce binding material, and the other method is wet mixing. Since most
quicklime is agglomerate, it should be crushed and then grinded. Gypsum is normally not ball milled separately.
It is grinded with fly ash or with quicklime, or it could be grinded with the same miller for quicklime in turn.
Other supplementary and chemicals are also have to be prepared. Raw material storage assures the continuous
production and material stability.
The continuous production guarantees the non-stop & on-time supply, and the material stability
guarantees the quality of products, since the raw material might come from different sources, with different
qualities. Raw material preparation & storage is the pre-step for proportioning batching. This pre-step guarantees
the raw material meet the standard for AAC production, and it is also finishes the storage, homogenization and
aging process. It is the basic process that assures the smooth production and production quality.
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Once the desired weight is poured in, pumping is stopped. Similarly lime powder, cement and gypsum are
poured into individual containers using screw conveyers. Once required amount of each ingredient is filled into
their individual containers control system releases all ingredients into mixing drum.
Mixing drum is like a giant bowl with a stirrer rotating inside to ensure proper mixing of ingredients. Steam
might also be fed to the unit to maintain temperature in range of 40-42o C. A smaller bowl type structure used
for feeding Aluminium powder is also attached as a part of mixing unit. Once the mixture has been churned for
set time, it is ready to be poured into molds using dosing unit. Dosing unit releases this mixture as per set
quantities into molds for foaming.
Dosing and mixing process is carried out continuously because if there is a long gap between charging
and discharging of ingredients, residual mixture might start hardening and choke up the entire unit. In modern
plants, entire dosing and mixing operation is completely automated and requires minimum human intervention.
This entire operation is monitored using control systems integrated with computer and CCTV
cameras. As with any industrial operation, there is provision for human intervention and emergency actions
integrated inside the control system.
Cutting
During this process, the pre-cured block goes through cutting and shaping, into different size & shapes as per
requirements. The high workability and large variety of sizes make AAC production more suitable for massive
production with higher mechanization.
Cutting can be done mechanically or manually. With a cutting machine, the production efficiency and
dimensional accuracy is easily achieved.
Autoclaved Curing
After cutting into the desired sizes & shapes, green AAC blocks are transferred into autoclaves. Autoclaves are
used for steam curing under pressure. AAC must be pre-cured and steam cured to finish the physical and chemical
changes, and then to achieve enough strength for desired usage. A batch of AAC blocks is steam cured for 10-12
hours at a pressure of 12 bar and temperature of 190C. In hot and humid conditions, AAC blocks undergo last
stages of hydro-thermal synthesis reaction to transform into a new product with required strength and various
physical performances. Autoclaved curing imparts inherent properties and performance of AAC.
Grouping
Grouping could be the last step of AAC production (in some AAC plant, the AAC will be further processed into
panels after leaving autoclaves). After the cured AAC leaves the autoclaves, inspection and packaging is done.
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Fly Ash
Water
Gypsum
Lime
OPC
Flyash
Weight
Weight Batched
Slurry
Batched
Batched
Pouring
Mixture
to mix ingredients
Main
Raw material
Quantity
Aluminum
CHAPTER 5
ANALYSIS
Market
Shelter is third skin, according to a German Concept, which implies its importance next to human Skin and
Clothing. This also shows the attachment of human race to this fundamental requirement.
Building Material accounts for major component of the construction cost. Depending on the location they can
contribute to 60 - 70 % of the cost of construction. With the ever increasing population, the demand for housing
increases. This directly creates demand for this prime commodity of building.
Add to the above fact the nearby area of this project site is undergoing a major infrastructure revolution. As
Residential, Commercial, IT companies, and Industrial establishments are coming in, we can conclude that the
Blocks unit will prosper and flourish in this environment.
There is a central government gadget notification mandating government departments and CPWD to use 100%
Fly Ash based Bricks in their all constructions-directly of through contractors. This factor will help the
marketability of this product immensely.
Fly Ash policy of the Government also mandates that 20% of Fly ash Generated by a power plant must be given
free of cost to SME sector on a priority basis.
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The following are basic guidelines (certainly not the final call) on the suitability of basic raw materials for AAC.
1.
Grade (%)
Gr-I
Gr-II
amount)
30
45
15
25
5.0
10.0
45-55
40
amount)
Ignition loss
SiO2
SO3
Reference : The fineness can be 0.045 or 0.080 square sieve left amount.
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2. Lime (8-25%)
Item
Grade
st
nd
Super Gr.
1 Gr.
A(CaO+MgO)Quality Fraction %
90
75
65
MgO
Quality Fraction %
SiO2
Digestion
Quality Fraction %
speed
5-15
,min
Digestion temperature ,
60-90
10
15
10
15
20
CO2
Quality Fraction %
Gr
3. Cement (6-15%)
SiO2
Al2O3 Fe2O3
CaO MgO
C3S
C2S
C3A
C4AF
21-23
5-7
64-48 4-5
44-59
18-30
5-12
10-18
3-5
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4. Gypsum/Plaster (3-5%)
CaSO4
70%
MgO
2%
Chloride
0.05%
10-15%
Type and recommendation for supply depend on raw materials and mix formula
Metal Content
Approx.
>=65%
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Powder
CHAPTER 6
Indian Standard for AAC blocks
Bureau of Indian Standard Code no- 2185(Part-3):1984 discusses in details regarding the AAC blocks
specifications in India. The prime requirements for AAC blocks (of ISI standards) in India as per the above said
code are as follows.
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CHAPTER 7
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
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Easy workability
AAC is very easy to work with and can be cut accurately reducing the amount of waste generated.
Environmental impact
Manufacturing of AAC does not have high energy requirements. Moreover since AAC is light weight, it also
saves energy required for transportation and leads to reduced CO2 emissions by transport vehicles. Since AAC is
made from fly ash an industrial waste product generated by thermal power plants, it offers a low cost and
sustainable solution for today and tomorrow. AAC is a requisite for green buildings.
Easy transportation
It is easy to transport AAC as it does not suffer from high transit breakage usually associated with clay
bricks.
Longevity
AAC does not lose strength or deteriorate over time. Buildings constructed with AAC do not require routine
repairs that are required for buildings using clay bricks.
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Thermal Insulation
AAC offers excellent thermal insulation. This reduces recurring cost of energy required for heating and cooling.
Better thermal insulation also allows usage of smaller HVAC than required conventionally.
High survivability
Millions of air pockets in AAC cushion structure from major force and prevents progressive collapse of a
building. AAC structures are known to maintain structural integrity despite of heavy rains, extremely low
temperature and salty air.
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Fire Resistance
Due to high fire resistance offered by AAC, structures made from AAC have higher rate of survivability in case
of fire.
Sound Insulation
Sound absorption properties of AAC make it ideal material for reducing ambient noi se.AAC is well-suited
for establishments like hospitals and offices situated in noisy areas.
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Contribution to Nation
AAC factories create many jobs directly and indirectly creating a social impact. Along with that they pa
Weather Resistance
AAC does not decay, rust, deteriorate or burn. AAC has been found to be earthquake resistant. AAC structures are
known to maintain structural integrity in heavy rains, extremely low temperature and salty air.
Pest Resistance
Primary raw material used to manufacture AAC is fly ash. Fly ash (or pond ash) is an inert material and does not
allow termites or other pests to survive.
Excise Duty and VAT contributing to national economy
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Product Disadvantages
The major disadvantages of autoclaved aerated concrete are listed below.
The production cost per unit for ACC is higher than other ordinary concrete.
Number of manufacturer is limited. So, cost will drastically increase in places far from the manufacturer
and need to travel a long distance.
It is not as strong as conventional concrete.
Very few contractors who are familiar with ACC.
Construction with autoclaved aerated concrete may will need special permission.
Environmentally friendly
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CHAPTER 8
CONCLUSION
As a construction system, AAC provide significant environment and other benefits for the building owner. The
short and long term effect of using AAC compared to many other materials results in lower energy consumption,
reduced operating costs, greater safety and comfort, and a healthier and more trouble free building. These
features provide a better investment for building owner and for environment.
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REFERNCES
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