TABLE OF CONTENTS - The Professional Green Building Council

Theme C: Education and Market TransformationIn the packaging area, cut and cured cakes are transferred from railcars to timberpallets of the packaging conveyor, and transported to separating machine fordetaching blocks from each other. Following these processes blocks are stackedmanually on timber distribution pallets according to their dimensions. Finally eachpallet of blocks is manually shrink-wrapped into packs with polyethylene sheets.In storage process, each block pack is transported from packaging area to storagearea by forklifts.In the distribution process, packs of blocks are loaded to trucks by forklifts anddistributed directly to construction sites.Broken/faulty AAC blocks detected after curing process is stored in a waste areaand sometimes used as pavement filler. Recycling of these blocks by grinding andadding to mix production is planned for the near future.The machines and equipments, and energy used in the manufacturing processes ofAAC block are summarised in Figure 4.3.4. ConstructionWall blocks delivered to the construction site are unloaded from the trucks and areusually deposited inside the building which blocks will be used. Pallets used forshipping the products are usually left in the construction site and treated as wastematerial.Wall blocks are lifted up to the upper floors by means of a (tower) crane in highriseand mass buildings construction while a mechanical load carrying pulley isused in smaller buildings and construction sites. During loading, unloading andcarriage of blocks to the place where the wall is to be built in the construction site,1% wastage may occur.Wall blocks are usually laid using a trowel by a mason. A thicker cement and limebased mortar is applied for bonding pumice blocks while a thinner cement basedbed mortar is applied for bonding AAC. Block units need to be cut to fit in at651