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INTRODUCTION
One interesting aspect of Aerocon brick is that it lets the user build the walls of with the
thickness of his choice. Contrary to the wall made by traditional bricks, walls made
with Aerocon bricks are thinner but are still sustainable.
However, depending on different various needs of internal and external walls,
Aerocon bricks are available in different sizes and varied thickness as follows. Aerocon
bricks are currently available in three sizes: Infill, Jumbo, and Thermal blocks
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
8
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
12
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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weight leading to
savings in steel and
concrete
Approx.30% heating
and cooling
Energy Saving
None
Aerocon block is extremely light, just one-third the weight of clay bricks
or one-fourth the density of R.C.C. They are much easier to handle on the site.
They are easy to install and can complete the construction procedure in a
shorter span in case of scarcity of labour and in the usage of mortars. The
required time to complete a building with aerocon blocks is 1/3 lesser than that
of the conventional building materials.
The edges of the blocks are such that they allow easy workability and
accurate dimensioning and are easy to cut, drill, nail, shape and chase using
ordinary wood working tools. Power tools can be used for rapid chasing for
embedding service lines.
6
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.
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.
1
O-block units used to build pilasters.
2
U-block units used to build bond beams and lintels.
3
Control joints on AAC reinforced walls must be placed at maximum 16 ft.
o.c.
Installation Guide
1
2
Check foundation.
Receiving and distribution of AAC wall units.
Installation requirements
1
2
3
4
Tools
Equipment
Other materials
Installing O-block for pilasters in first course
thick.
Lay the first course over a semi-dry cement mortar levelling bed- to 2
Corner blocks are laid first and the first course should be completed
before second course installation.
3
Once corner blocks are placed apply thin bed mortar, to the vertical joints
for other blocks.
4
Thin bed mortar 1/16 inch to 1/8
These are vertical joints taken through the full wall thickness, and from
bottom to top.
2
3/8 to thick.
3
Maximum spacing between control joints should be 15 ft.
For subsequent courses use only thin bed mortaring on all joints between
AAC blocks.
2
Minimum overlapping of vertical joints between layers should be 4.
3
Metal strip ties should be placed every two courses at 1) connection of
secondary walls to main walls 2) connection of walls to concrete columns.
10
Renders
1 Surface patching:
Rasp block joints and other areas where AAC surface is out of plane.
1 Surface must be cleaned using a scrub brush and any loose or damaged
material be removed.
2 A rubber float is commonly used to smooth the wall surface.
3 Fiber glass mesh:
This should be installed directly over one layer of render in all control
joints, around windows, doors and utility locations.
Finishes
1 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.
13
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.
14
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.
15
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
Gypsum
Lime
OPC
Water
Flyash
Weight
Slurry
Batched
Weight Batched
Hi
Pre
ssu
re
Ste
am
Cur
ing
for
8
Ho
urs
Batched
Pouring
Mixture
to mix ingredients
Ec
oBr
ic
ks
Re
ad
y
fo
r
Sa
le
Quantity
Main
Raw material
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 constructionsdirectly 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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19
The following are basic guidelines (certainly not the final call) on the suitability of
basic raw materials for AAC.
1.Fly ash (65-70%)
Index Item
Grade (%)
Gr-I
Gr-II
30
45
15
25
5.0
10.0
SiO2
45-55
40
SO3
amount)
(0.080 square hole sieve left
fineness
Ignition loss
amount)
Reference : The fineness can be 0.045 or 0.080 square sieve left amount.
20
2. Lime (8-25%)
Item
Grade
Super Gr.
st
1 Gr.
nd
Gr
A(CaO+MgO)Quality Fraction %
90
75
65
MgO
SiO2
Digestion
Quality Fraction %
Quality Fraction %
speed
5-15
,min
Digestion temperature ,
60-90
10
15
10
15
20
CO2
Quality Fraction %
3. Cement (6-15%)
SiO2
21-23
3-5
64-48
MgO C3S
4-5
44-59
21
C2S
C3A
18-30
5-12
C4AF
10-18
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%
Powder
22
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.
23
24
CHAPTER 7
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
25
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.
26
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.
27
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.
28
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
29
Product Disadvantages
The major disadvantages of autoclaved aerated concrete are listed below.
1
The production cost per unit for ACC is higher than other ordinary
concrete.
Environmentally friendly
30
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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