ENVIRONMENTAL

Perspectives on the environmental benefit of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete technology

The manufacturing process:

1.

The carbon footprint
Manufacturing AAC, in general, uses natural and abundant natural raw materials, therefore it is extremely resource-efficient and eco – friendly. Clay bricks, by comparison, generate a significant carbon footprint of 129kg per m² of walling. Where an AAC plant uses coal for the heating of the autoclaves, AAC generates 11kg of carbon dioxide per m² of similar width walling.

2.

Water Consumption
Wastewater in the AAC manufacturing process is fully recyclable.
The water consumption during actual wall construction also needs to be taken into consideration and in this perspective, AAC uses considerably less water than clay bricks and concrete blocks.

Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Blocks For Building Aertec Ecosa

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Use of AAC in construction:

1.

Water consumption
Building with AAC requires the use of a thin bed mortar paste which uses substantially less water than conventional building methodology. The environmental benefit of AAC in construction, from a water perspective, is the fact that AAC uses only 0.39 litres of water per m² of wall construction, versus a minimum 2.4 litres of water per m² of clay brick construction, and 0.9 litres of water per m² of concrete block construction.

2.

Waste/Builders rubble
A significant benefit of construction with AAC is that it is easier to work with than clay bricks and concrete blocks, which allows for accurate and speedy cutting, which in turn drastically reduces the generation of solid waste during construction.

3.

Chasing
AAC can easily be ‘chased’ with no structural damage. When compared with the damage to the structural integrity of walls when ‘chasing’ clay bricks and concrete blocks, there is negligible waste created and no structural damage to wall integrity. Note All AAC material can be recycled.

Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Blocks For Constructionaertec Technical Sa

4.

Dead load benefit
AAC blocks have a mass per m³ of 490-700kgs/m³ which is substantially less than the common clay bricks at 1900kgs/ m³ and concrete blocks from 1400 kgs to 2200kgs per m³. This reduces the dead load on the structural design, and thus enables a reduced concrete footprint of the structure. In turn, the structure requires less concrete, which means less cement, thus reduces the secondary environmental impact of the carbon footprint from the manufacture of cement. The same applies to the reduction of the reinforcing requirement.

5.

Seismological tolerance
The significantly lighter weight of AAC together with its substantial strength to mass ratio has made AAC the construction material of choice in regions where there is regular seismic activity. AAC enables constructs that are more resistant to seismological disturbance.

General considerations:

1.	The resource efficiency AAC has a lower environmental impact in all phases of its life cycle, from the manufacturing process through to the disposal of waste.
2.	The lightweight nature of AAC Saves cost in energy and transportation, resulting in lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon footprint.

3.

Porous nature of AAC
AAC is porous by nature and thus has the benefit of being thermodynamically advantageous compared with clay bricks and concrete blocks. The porous structure of AAC enables diffusion of humidity within an AAC construct thus enabling a more comfortable interior environment. AAC can absorb moisture and diffuse humidity, which in turn prevents condensation and mildew formation. In addition, the porosity of AAC enables an improved balance between heat and warmth, AAC constructs are cooler in summer and warmer in winter compared with clay bricks and concrete blocks, thus enabling a reduction in climate control costs by up to 30%, which not only saves cost, but also has environmental benefit from reducing electricity usage, and carbon emission for the production of this electricity.

Note; notwithstanding the porous nature of AAC, it permits less exterior water penetration than clay bricks or concrete blocks, and can confidently be used in a single skin application.

Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Blocks For Constructionaertec

4.

Acoustic benefit.
AAC is acoustically very sound absorbent and thus dampens sound very effectively enabling the environmental benefit of reduced noise pollution.

5.

Non-Toxic.
There are no toxic gases or other toxic substances in AAC. AAC is rodent and termite resistant.

6.

Green Certification
Aertec AAC is recognized as a “green” building material, certified by Ecostandard South Africa.

AAC satisfies the demand for high-quality material, which can be rapidly constructed, at a lower cost, is environmentally friendly, seismologically resilient, and thermodynamically superior to other materials. AAC presents all of these benefits

Contact Information

Call:		+27 72 424-6818
E-mail:		info@aertec.co.za
Address:		Suite 302 Library Square, Wilderness Road, Claremont, 7708

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