Environmental Benefits

AAC has an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio. The dimensional stability and compressive strength allow AAC building blocks to be used in both load-bearing and non-load-bearing applications. AAC is installed using a thin bed mortar. When installed correctly, the resulting wall functions as a monolithic structure. The blocks are available in several different densities, resulting in a product that can easily be modified to meet any specific application requirements—depending upon thickness, AAC provides a compressive strength of 290 to more than 1000 psi. AAC has been used in seismically active and hurricane-prone regions worldwide. Buildings constructed of AAC can withstand wind forces exceeding 170 mph. The survival of all 5,578 homes best exemplifies the strength and resiliency of AACs during the Kobe, Japan earthquake in 1995, which damaged or destroyed over 106,000 buildings.  

The photo left shows an AAC structure in Kobe after the earthquake. The other homes were all leveled by the quake or destroyed by the following fires. This AAC building is moved off its foundation, but the walls remain intact. 

Unlike most building materials used today, AAC is 100% inorganic. As a result, in climates where termites and other insects flourish, AAC is a perfect application, as pets cannot eat it. Its solid construction also alleviates voids where pests can live and colonize.  In addition, AAC's inorganic properties leave no nutritional value for molds and fungi to thrive, making it the perfect material to use in wet climate areas, which is an essential consideration in today's-tight buildings. 

AAC has been proven to drastically reduce the impact of noise pollution, both inside and outside of a structure. The material's sound insulation properties exceed all other building materials of the same weight per surface area on the market. Its noise reduction coefficient is more than seven times that of ordinary concrete. The STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating of an 8" thick AAC wall ranges from 44-50 STC depending on the finishing material (stucco, plaster, drywall, etc.). AAC panels and blocks have been used in states such as Georgia, Hawaii, and Arizona as sound barrier walls for hundreds of miles of noise-polluting highways.