Aerated concrete blocks ease burden of construction industry

HUBLI: Lighter, more fire-resistant and a better insulator, autoclaved aerated concrete is slowly catching up in Hubli. The construction industry, one of the booming sectors in the city, is turing to these lightweight blocks as the prices of steel, cement, jelly and other raw materials are skyrocketing.

For the first time, AAC blocks are being used in construction works in Hubli after Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. The buildings constructed with AAC blocks are also known as environmentally friendly buildings and these buildings don't require curing and plastering. One such building is coming up opposite Unkal Park in Srinagar Circle.

Ajit Pai, director of an under-construction hotel, said they has chosen these blocks as they can save water which is otherwise used for curing. Also, there is no need pf plastering of walls, he said.


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One AAC block is equal to six normal bricks in size, but in weight, AAC blocks have three times less weight than a brick. To fix the AAC blocks, a chemical will be used instead of cement which reduces the density of the walls and automatically the weight of the walls will come down, and the height of the building can be increased.

AAC is wll suited for bearing walls in low - to medium - rise building, and for use as floor and roof structure in the form of factory - reinforced panels. Its thermal conductivity is roofly 7% of conventional concrete, making it energy-efficient and a good insulator.

Manjunath Revankar, engineer, said that AAC is a lightweight, precast building material that simultaneously provides structure, insulation, and fire and mold-resistance. AAC products include blocks, wall panels, floor and roof panels.

There is no need for interior and exterior designs for the walls, and we can reduce the overall construction cost with the use of AAC blocks, though the blocks are costlier than bricks," he said.



One AAC block is equal to six bricks in size

AAC block weighs three times lesser than normal bricks

One AAC block cost around Rs 8o - Rs 90. while normal brick costs Rs 4 - 5

It's easy to construct with AAC blocks.