AAC: The "Green Building"

There are many aspects of a ‘green’ building. From the energy they save, to the products used to construct them, to the impact they have on the environment – all constitute a measure of a building’s ‘greenness’. Few products can reach across this spectrum and contribute to every aspect of a green building. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete does.

AAC’s high energy efficiency has a long and proven history. Its thermal mass and high R- value aid in reducing the overall energy consumption of buildings – some by as much as 50%. AAC is also a non-timber product. It is composed of a small amount of lime and cement with sand – or in the case of several AAC manufacturers – industrial waste products such as mine tailings or fly-ash. This reduces the construction industry’s need on logging in environmentally sensitive areas, while cleaning up the environment.

For example, a typical 2000 square foot wood frame building uses over 50 trees in its construction. An AAC building will use approximately 13 cubic yards of raw materials – 80% of which is the prime aggregate (sand, fly-ash, or mine tailings).

The manufacturing of AAC is also green. It produces only water as waste, as opposed to smoke stack pollutants found in concrete, cement, and timber manufacturing. AAC also uses far less energy to produce material than other construction products - only about half as much as concrete or lumber. This reduction in energy also helps conserve natural resources. The graph below that shows the amount of energy (kWh) required to produce one cubic meter (about 1.2 cubic yards) of material.



AAC manufacturing also uses fewer raw materials by volume than other conventional building materials. Fewer raw materials reduce environmental damage that occurs in mining (cement) or logging operations. Also, AAC’s fewer materials at manufacture and its lighter weight contribute to reduced shipping costs, reducing emissions from transport. The graph below details the advantage AAC has in volume over other products.