Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Market Witness Widespread Expansion

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC), also known as autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC) or autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC), is a lightweight precast building material whose adoption has been on the rise recently. Eastland is a supplier of AAC Panel and AAC block.

Although the product has been used since 1923, it has garnered immense popularity recently, due to its ability to provide rigid structure, insulation, fire resistance, and economy of construction. AAC has a porous structure. It contains pockets of trapped air, which make it lighter than other building materials. The material can be employed for internal as well as external construction, due to its high thermal insulation and ease of installation. AAC is used as an eco-friendly green building material in residential, commercial, and other types of construction. It is manufactured using fly ash, which is an unavoidable waste of thermal power plants and is available in abundance. Also, AAC is an energy-efficient building material, and it reduces the total cost of construction. Energy consumed for the production of AAC is less as compared to that for other building materials. AAC consumes approximately 50% less energy than concrete. Tiny air pockets and thermal mass of AAC offer thermal insulation, which reduces construction costs related to heating and air-conditioning. AAC reduces heating and cooling requirements by up to 30% due to its thermal insulation properties, resulting in continued financial benefits during the life of the construction.

Increase in Construction Spending Driven by Expansion of the Construction Sector:

Demand for traditional building materials is primarily driven by expansion of the construction sector globally. Overall increase in construction and infrastructure-related activities worldwide has resulted in rise in demand for residential, commercial, and industrial construction, leading to consistent expansion in the building materials industry. Furthermore, macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth in Europe, gradual recovery in construction expenditure across residential and non-residential sectors, and anticipated expansion in the real estate sector supported by government initiatives for providing affordable housing are expected to drive the autoclaved aerated concrete market. Construction of a wall with AAC block walls results in a cost savings as compared to traditional bricks. Due to the low density offered by AAC, the structural load (dead load) is very less, and the structural members can be designed accordingly. In turn, the requirement for concrete and steel is less for the foundation and all structural members of the building. The number of joints is less because of the bigger size of AAC blocks. This reduces the requirement for cement mortar. The labor required to lay AAC blocks is also considerably less, and this results in considerable time savings.