Are AAC Blocks Strong?
AAC blocks have a higher compressive strength.
Red clay bricks are made from a combination of clay (alumina), sand, lime, iron oxide, and magnesia, and are widely available throughout the country. AAC blocks are made from a mixture of fly ash, cement, lime, gypsum, and aeration agents and need development and production from specialized factories.
While red clay bricks are widely available, they do not provide superior compressive strength in comparison to AAC blocks, which are crafted to become more resilient to compression load. Red bricks have a compressive strength of 2.5 to 3.5 N/mm2, whereas AAC blocks have a compressive strength of 3 to 4.5 N/mm2.
CONECC AAC BLOCKS VS RED BRICKS
| No | Parameter | CONECC AAC Blocks | Clay Bricks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Size | 600 x 200 x 100 - 225mm | 230 x 75 x 150 mm |
| 2 | Precision in Size | Variation 1.5 mm (+/-) | Variation 5 mm (+/-) |
| 3 | Compressive Strength | 3-5 MPa | 1 .5-2 MPa |
| 4 | Mortar Consumption per cum with 1 :6 | 0.5 bag of cement | 1 .35 bags of cement |
| 5 | Chemical Composition | Fly-ash is used approx. 60% which reacts with binders (lime & cement) to form AAC which is an inert material. | Soil is used which contains many inorganic impurities like sulfates etc which results in fungus and pest growth. |
| 6 | Contribution to Carpet Area | 3-5% | None |
| 7 | Finishing | Can be directly incised, rasped to round edge, cut for arches, tapered to create profiles, sculptured, etc | Not Possible |
| 8 | C02 Emission | One sq ft of carpet area will emit 2.2 kg of C02 | One sq ft of carpet area will emit 1 7.6 kg of C02 |
| 9 | Dry Density | 550-650 kg/m3 (Oven Dry) | 1900 kg/m3 |
| 10 | Fire Resistance | Upto 7 hours | Around 2 hours |
| 11 | Cost Benefit Factor | Depending upon project design, savings up to 20% in structural cost due to reduction of dead load. | None |
| 12 | Energy Saving | Upto 30% of air-conditioning load, both heating and cooling load will come down. | None |
