Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC), also known as

autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC) is a lightweight, precast,

concrete building material used for commercial, industrial

and residential construction.

Technology

AAC manufactured elements are formed of silica sand/fly

ash, cement, lime and water. By adding aluminum powder

a reaction is produced with consequently forming of a

multitude of little air bubbles inside the bulk. During the

autoclaving, the lime in the binder reacts with the water

and silica/ flyash and forms calcium Silicate hydrates.

Companies manufacturing AAC Blocks

• Biltech Building Elements Limited, New Delhi

• Aercon India, Gujarat

• Aswani Construction Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat

• Methra Industries India Pvt Ltd, Tamil Nadu

• Brixo Industries, Gujarat

• Iolite Cube Inframaterial Private Limited, Gujarat

• Naldehra Building Centre, Haryana

• Litecon Industries, Gujarat

• JVS Comatsco Industries Pvt. Ltd, Maharashtra

• Magicrete Building Solutions, Gujarat

• Pravin Buildtech Pvt. Ltd., Gujarat

• Renaatus Procon Pvt. Ltd., Tamil Nadu

• Aarush Building Materials, Andhra Pradesh

Advantages

• Eco-friendly: Made of non-toxic ingredients and non-

polluting manufacturing process

• Lightweight: 3-4 times lighter than traditional bricks

• Thermally Insulated & Energy Efficient: Tiny air pores

and thermal mass of blocks provide thermal insulation,

reducing heating and air conditioning costs of a building

• Fire Resistant: Non-combustible and fire resistant up to

1600° C

• Acoustic Performance: Superior sound absorption

qualities make it ideal for schools, hospitals, hotels,

offices, multi-family housing and other structures that

require acoustic insulation

• Easy Workability and Design Flexibility: Blocks can be

easily cut, drilled, nailed, milled and grooved to fit

individual requirements like hydro-sanitary and electrical

installations

• Sustainable: Retains properties over time and improves

indoor air quality

• Earthquake Resistant: Lightweight blocks reduce mass

of a structure, thus decreasing the impact of an

earthquake on a building.

• Precision: Available in exact sizes reduces cement and

steel usage.

• Termite/Pest Resistant: Due to structure of blocks, it

cannot be damaged or infested by termites and other

pests

• Cost Effective: Reduces operating cost by 30% to 40%.

• Faster Construction: Reduces construction time by 20%

as lighter blocks make construction easier and faster.

• Compressive Strength: AAC block’s average compressive

strength of (28-35) kg/cm2 which is 25% stronger than

other products of the same density.

Some Projects Using AAC Blocks

• Leading Hotels such as ITC, Marriot, The Leela

• Lodha Bellissimo Hospital (Mumbai)

• Wockhardt Hospital (Mumbai)

• Tapti Valley International School (Surat)

• Princess Business Part (Indore)

• Atlantis (Vadodara)

• Rahul Raj Mall (Surat)

• Lotus Boulevard (Noida)

Market Survey

For understanding the challenges and issues in the AAC blocks industry, our research analyst conducted the telephonic

interviews with some of the major builders and AAC block manufacturers such as Paras Realtech, Arihant Buildcon, Akshay

Infranirman, Arjun KKR Developers and Magicrete etc. According to them AAC blocks are manufactured as per ISO

standard where the thermal conductivity is 0.16 W/mk under extreme temperature conditions.

Other Survey Outcomes

• Awareness: Most of the builders, architects or structural engineers have limited knowledge about AAC blocks,

their advantages etc. Even some of them are not aware that such kind of product exists in the market.

• Familiarity: Architects and structural engineers don’t feel comfortable with AAC blocks as they are familiar with

clay bricks/concrete blocks.

• Availability: AAC blocks uses fly ash as their main constituent and are readily available in the near-by areas of

thermal power plants or industries having fly ash as their wastage product. While in other areas, supply is limited

with respect to demand in certain areas

• Prices: AAC blocks cost is around 25-30% higher compared to clay bricks/concrete blocks majorly due to

transportation cost.

• Lack of Proficiency: Architects and structural engineers are used to clay bricks/concrete blocks and treat AAC

blocks in the same way due to lack of exposure and availability of AAC blocks. This leads to various problems like

cracks in plaster and blocks.