Rising property rates have made it imperative for builders and developers to look out for ways to use the available space effectively. Conventionally-in any housing structure-around 30-40 per cent of the space on which the structure is built is lost to walls and supporting pillars. It is a loss to both the developers and to the home buyers. Modern construction materials such as Flyocrete AAC blocks are here to rescue both. Yuvraj Patil demonstrates to ICR how these blocks can save space and do a lot more.

Flyocrete´s autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks are manufactured from fly ash. The fly ash used is a waste from thermal power. Use of fly ash in making AAC blocks save a lot of soil. Bricks on other hand require fertile soil, which is an important resource. Brick manufacturing also leads production of carbon dioxide. From the process of manufacturing till the end use, Flyocrete AAC saves natural resources. Apart from being a green product it also has several other advantages, including:

Lightweight: Oven-dry Flyocrete AAC blocks have a density between 551 to 650 Kg/cum making them 1/3 in thickness than brick and 1/4 that of concrete. So more material can be packed in a truck

for a given structure. It helps in reduction of transport cost as well as the fuel consumed. It is lightweight and leads to reduction of the depth of foundations, sizes of the structural units, saving the cost of cement, steel, coarse aggregate, fine aggregates required for concrete structure. It is suitable for the structures that are erected on low bearing soil, marshy lands, and is useful for all types of residential, commercial, industrial and multi-storeyed projects. This opens avenues for using additional FSI/TDR on existing buildings/societies

Thermal insulation: Its low thermal conductivity leads to saving on energy consumption for heating as well as cooling, suitable as insulating material for steel works, boilers, furnaces, heat exchangers, and oven in different P2 industries, forges. It is also suitable and economical for hotels, malls, multiplexes and hospitals, and all types of commercial projects where air conditioners are used.

Fire resistant: Flyocrete AAC has an extremely high fire rating of at least four hours (200 mm) and more. Due to its high fire resistance, it is useful for the construction of fire wall of lift room/walls of hazardous chemical, paint storage rooms, etc. in textile industries and cotton mills where there is a danger of fire hazard.

High strength to weight ratio: Flyocrete AAC products have strength to weight ratio between 18 to 22 against 16 for the concrete of grade M150. This means thinner walls and thinner pillars can be constructed with Flyocrete. It also means more carpet area for developers to sell.

High dimension accuracy and uniform surface: Due to high dimensional accuracy, it is extremely easy to install. It requires less cement mortar for joining. The uniform and flat surface requires very less plastering material Water penetration: Flyocrete block structures are of closed cells hence there is very little capillary action. The high surface activity allows faster evaporation rates. So the problems of water seepage are minimal with the fly ash-based product. High workability: Flyocrete AAC can be easily cut sawed drilled, nailed, milled like wood, making it a comfortable workable product than bricks, concrete blocks and fly ash bricks.