What is Autoclave Aerated Concrete?

Aerated concrete is a growing building material, particularly for buildings looking for LEED certification.

This type of precast concrete – composed of natural raw materials – has been a construction standard since the mid-1920s.

Offering it as a building material choice can boost your revenue – if you have the right equipment to produce it efficiently.

Let’s take a closer look at how autoclaved aerated concrete is made and the benefits of using it.

Manufacturing autoclaved aerated concrete

Invented by the Swedish architect Johan Eriksson, the material came as a byproduct of the continued industrialization the world saw in the early to mid-1900s.

It was initially manufactured through a process that included alum shale; however, it was later found that radioactive gas was a byproduct of the material.

Beginning in 1975, safer binding agents (sand, lime, aluminum powder) were used as a substitute.

The material requires industrial equipment to be produced.

Autoclave systems use a steam pressure process to harden the aerated concrete once it has been formed.

The quartz sand within the mixture reacts with calcium hydroxide due to the immense pressure.

Calcium silicate hydrate is created from this reaction, which is the substance that gives aerated concrete its unique properties.

Benefits of autoclaved aerated concrete

The material has several unique characteristics that give it an edge over traditional concrete, including:

• Fire resistance.
• Reduced weight.
• Heating and cooling efficiency.
• Long-lasting.
• Environmentally friendly and LEED credits possible.
• Insulation (which saves your customer money over time).

Autoclaved aerated concrete is more fragile, though, so workers should handle with extra care.

Custom aerated concrete autoclave solutions

Your needs and specifications are the blueprint we use to design and build your autoclave system.

There are several advantages to a custom autoclave system for aerated concrete, including:

• Manufactured in the USA.. Many of the autoclaves used for manufacturing autoclaved aerated concrete within the U.S. were manufactured in the European nations. Having  your autoclave system manufactured here in the U.S. drastically reduces the manufacturing time and shipping costs associated with delivering the autoclave to your facility.
• Increased productivity. Having the autoclave system manufacturing meet your unique needs minimizes the need to adapt or adjust a generic system to your specifications later on, which can add to your overall costs.
• Specialized repairs. There’s no one better suited to maintain and/or repair your autoclave than the ones who built it from the ground up.

You can get everything you need for your aerated concrete autoclave system at our one-stop-shop – from the design of the system itself to the piping, automation, and materials handling need – to move your aerated concrete throughout the production process.

We make each and every component of your autoclave. This also means you’re in good hands for any repairs your system needs down the road.

Does your autoclaved aerated concrete system need an update?