ABOUT AAC AND ITS USE - Wehrhahn

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8 A | AAC Blocks and Panels QUALITIES OF AAC BLOCKS AND PANELS Compare always cost and features of a ready-installed wall of AAC with a wood stick wall or a wall of bricks or concrete blocks. The finished AAC wall features all benefits, such as: Ecological green building Qualities: • energy efficient • best thermal insulation, 6 to 10 times better than regular concrete = heat and aircon saver • environmentally friendly, non-toxic • unsurpassed fire-resistance = – life saver – property saver – insurance cost saver • excellent sound absorption, ideal for the hotel industry • production process develops non-toxic gases • no waste of raw materials (water, fresh cut-offs, etc. are all fully recycled into production) • industrial byproducts like PFA (pulverized fuel ash = fly ash) of coal fired Unsurpassed Fire-rating (average)*: Block thickness, (mm) minimum (inch) Fire-rating (hours) Non-load bearing wall DIN* ASTM** 50 (2) 75 (3) power plants can be used and are turned into useful building materials • recycling of breakage, rejects, etc. • lowest energy consumption per cbm (cft) during production in comparison to other wall building materials • saves resources: 1 m 3 (1 cft) of AAC requires 0,2 – 0,25 m 3 of raw materials only (0,2 – 0,25 cft) Economic Qualities: • competitive price = high economy • high durability = long life, impervious to rot or pest • hurricane and earthquake resistant • increased comfort and functionality of the building Physical Qualities: • good workability, better than wood (can be sawn, drilled, nailed, milled on site) • large in size, however light weight = considerable savings of structural costs (loadbearing walls, foundation, piling etc.) • low weight results in easy handling and rapid laying by the mason • high load-bearing strength • dimensional accuracy 115 (4 1 /2) 150 (6) 0,5 1 – 1,5 2 3 4 4 4 4 Load bearing wall DIN* 0,5 – 2 1 – 3 1,5 – 2 2 – 3 3 175 (7) 200 (8) 240 (10) *Ref. DIN 4102-4 **Ref. ASTM E-119
… MORE ABOUT AAC? ENERGY EFFICIENCY Great Energy Efficiency High energy efficiency is one of the determining characteristics of autoclaved aerated concrete. AAC‘s cellular structure gives it a thermal efficiency 10 times higher than that of aggregate concrete and six times better than clay brick. Consequently, buildings made of AAC are warm in winter and cool in summer. With buildings consuming 40% of global energy, greater use of AAC, both in construction and renovation, offers an immediate solution to cutting the energy consumption of residential and non-residential buildings across the globe. AAC‘s excellent inherent thermal insulation properties not only reduce the need for heating and cooling, thereby cutting carbon dioxide emissions and combating climate change, but also make the use of additional insulation materials unnecessary. EU insulation requirements can be met by using AAC alone. By contrast, aggregate concrete, clay brick and calcium silicate masonry units need to be used in combination with insulation products, thereby adding to their cost and environmental impact. AAC is energy-efficient over its whole life cycle. Its production requires less energy than other construction materials and its light weight saves energy in transportation. Because of the considerable thermal mass AAC has the ability to store and release energy over time. An increased comfort in climates where outdoor temperatures fluctuate strongly over a 24 h period. FIRE RESISTANCE Excellent Fire resistance Autoclaved aerated concrete provides the highest security against fire and meets the most stringent fire safety requirements. Due to its purely mineral composition, AAC is classified as a non-combustible building material. It is both resistant to fire up to 1200° C and, unlike other construction materials, heat-resistant. Therefore AAC can be used as a fire wall to prevent fire from spreading, thereby protecting lives and economic assets. In principle a fire wall should last up to four hours, but tests have shown that an 150 mm thick AAC fire wall can resist at least for six hours. In a real blaze, an AAC fire wall even survived intact for 120 hours. Some insurance companies offer reductions in fire premiums for buildings equipped with AAC fire walls. In addition to internal fire walls, constructing outer walls of AAC contributes significantly to fire safety as most blazes start outside buildings. Besides being fire- and heat-resistant, AAC does not give off any smoke or toxic gases, which can endanger human life more than fire itself. STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE Outstanding structural Performance Autoclaved aerated concrete is extremely strong and durable despite its light weight. AAC‘s solidity comes from the calcium silicate that encloses its millions of air pores and from the curing process in a pressurised steam chamber (autoclave). Its excellent mechanical properties make it the construction material of choice for earthquake zones. AAC‘s light weight ensures that the foundations of a building are lightly loaded, yet it is strong enough to bear several floors. It retains its properties for the entire life of a building. AAC resists wind, rain and storm and does not decay or rot. In general, changing outside temperatures cannot damage AAC. A | AAC Blocks and Panels 9
Page 1: ABOUT AAC AND ITS USE (AUTOCLAVED A
Page 5: Blocks • length up to 625 mm (2 f

ABOUT AAC AND ITS USE - Wehrhahn

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