Hello All,
I was reading the articles about AeroCon Blocks and found this to be an eco friendly source time saving source as a building material. Anyone in this forum have tired this?
Would be of great help if someone sheds some more information on this as I plan to use this for my house if it is making great sense
http://www.hil.in/productview.aspx?cate ... oductid=87
http://www.commonfloor.com/guide/aeroco ... 10097.html
Vikram
AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
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vikramgururaj
- Posts: 5
- Joined: July 1st, 2013, 3:14 pm
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ardesarchitects
- Posts: 1080
- Joined: June 20th, 2009, 2:12 pm
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
Hi,
Aerocon blocks are not very cost effective option when compared to regular Cement blocks and the stock availability is always a issue.In case you run short of 100 or 50 piece you wont get them immediately .Not sure about current scenario of availability.About year back too they don't maintain them in stocks .
The major advantage of this is that they are light weight and same strong.
Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects and Interior Designers
ardesarchitects@gmail.com
www.ardesarchitects.com
Aerocon blocks are not very cost effective option when compared to regular Cement blocks and the stock availability is always a issue.In case you run short of 100 or 50 piece you wont get them immediately .Not sure about current scenario of availability.About year back too they don't maintain them in stocks .
The major advantage of this is that they are light weight and same strong.
Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects and Interior Designers
ardesarchitects@gmail.com
www.ardesarchitects.com
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
Vikram,
I am not very sure about Praveen's comments that they are difficult to source. I believe things have improved now and you can order them from more reputed companies like Ultratech (from L&T), HIL, Renacon etc.
They have several advantages like
1. They are bigger in size 24"x 8" x 4". The last dimension is thickness, and you get different sizes from 3” to 12”. The big advantage of this is that it reduces the no of joints and also the surface is more even. Both these factors contribute in reducing cement mortar consumption for plastering. Joints are the source of weakness for a wall. So less no of joints means a stronger wall.
In a typical house, the external walls are built with 9" thickness and internal walls are built in 4" thickness. After plastering it increases by another 2" easily.
With AAC blocks, we can easilty go for 6" external walls and 4" internal walls, which significantly increases the carpet area which is so crucial for small sized plots . In fact, some people have used only 4"blocks for both internal and external walls, and no reports of water seepage has been found for external 4" walls.
2. They are very light compared to bricks/cement blocks, but at the same time have more compressive strength than either of them. This means less load on slab, hence more saving in steel.
3. These blocks provide good sound proofing.
4. They have better fire resistance.
5. These blocks can be easily cut/saw, hence easy to do internal wiring unlike hollow blocks which chip off more than required.
Apart from these they have very good thermal insulation which means the house remains cooler in summers and warmer in winters. They are supposed to be better off in fighting dampness also.
I think it is only a matter of time before they gain public acceptance. It has taken well over a decade to accept cement blocks. With more units coming up to manufacture I believe, the price will be reduced due to competition.
For now, you can build your house with AAC blocks as a more educated/informed person about the benefits of this technology. Of course, early adapters always have to bear the burden of extra cost, but you have the satisfaction that you have used a better product and did your bit for the society as these blocks make use of fly-ash which is a threat to environment as an industrial residual that is otherwise difficult to dispose off.
I would be constructing my house shortly, and I have decided to use AAC only.
I am not very sure about Praveen's comments that they are difficult to source. I believe things have improved now and you can order them from more reputed companies like Ultratech (from L&T), HIL, Renacon etc.
They have several advantages like
1. They are bigger in size 24"x 8" x 4". The last dimension is thickness, and you get different sizes from 3” to 12”. The big advantage of this is that it reduces the no of joints and also the surface is more even. Both these factors contribute in reducing cement mortar consumption for plastering. Joints are the source of weakness for a wall. So less no of joints means a stronger wall.
In a typical house, the external walls are built with 9" thickness and internal walls are built in 4" thickness. After plastering it increases by another 2" easily.
With AAC blocks, we can easilty go for 6" external walls and 4" internal walls, which significantly increases the carpet area which is so crucial for small sized plots . In fact, some people have used only 4"blocks for both internal and external walls, and no reports of water seepage has been found for external 4" walls.
2. They are very light compared to bricks/cement blocks, but at the same time have more compressive strength than either of them. This means less load on slab, hence more saving in steel.
3. These blocks provide good sound proofing.
4. They have better fire resistance.
5. These blocks can be easily cut/saw, hence easy to do internal wiring unlike hollow blocks which chip off more than required.
Apart from these they have very good thermal insulation which means the house remains cooler in summers and warmer in winters. They are supposed to be better off in fighting dampness also.
I think it is only a matter of time before they gain public acceptance. It has taken well over a decade to accept cement blocks. With more units coming up to manufacture I believe, the price will be reduced due to competition.
For now, you can build your house with AAC blocks as a more educated/informed person about the benefits of this technology. Of course, early adapters always have to bear the burden of extra cost, but you have the satisfaction that you have used a better product and did your bit for the society as these blocks make use of fly-ash which is a threat to environment as an industrial residual that is otherwise difficult to dispose off.
I would be constructing my house shortly, and I have decided to use AAC only.
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vikramgururaj
- Posts: 5
- Joined: July 1st, 2013, 3:14 pm
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
Thats Good piece of advice by both on the topic. I had called HIL and also spoke to the customer service guy. They have a dealer near Kengeri. I am going to check this sample this weekend. In terms of availability they have assured that it will not be a major problem. Since I would be building my house in Kengeri itself, i think i am much inclined towards it as I feel i can save a bit in terms of transportation costs.
I am also planning to use Robo Sand. I spoke the dealer of the plant in Bidadi. I have read discussions about Robo sand on this forum about the "less binding nature of this sand" So i raised the same topic to the dealer. They said Robo Sand is not recommended for plastering purposes, however may be used for everything else.
I am thinking of mixing river sand along with robo sand. Not sure if it is a good idea. Any comments?
I am also planning to use Robo Sand. I spoke the dealer of the plant in Bidadi. I have read discussions about Robo sand on this forum about the "less binding nature of this sand" So i raised the same topic to the dealer. They said Robo Sand is not recommended for plastering purposes, however may be used for everything else.
I am thinking of mixing river sand along with robo sand. Not sure if it is a good idea. Any comments?
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
hi,
I have seen some houses built with cement blocks(solid/hallow not sure) having water seepage wherein
black spots and lime bubbles are seen and repeated plastering hasn't help.
I am not sure if its a construction fault or the product attribute?
Normally modern houses are small and each wall will have either a electrical conduit / water line / sewage / rainwater drain pipe running.. How good are these to such conditions?
= Nagesh
I have seen some houses built with cement blocks(solid/hallow not sure) having water seepage wherein
black spots and lime bubbles are seen and repeated plastering hasn't help.
I am not sure if its a construction fault or the product attribute?
Normally modern houses are small and each wall will have either a electrical conduit / water line / sewage / rainwater drain pipe running.. How good are these to such conditions?
= Nagesh
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
Nagesh,
Black spots/lime bubbles/patches in walls are caused mainly by faulty construction techniques and not necessarily due to wrong choice of material. In other words, walls built with bricks are not immune to these problems. Using Cement blocks (Solid/Hollow/AAC) are not to be blamed for this.
While constructing walls the common mistakes are:
1. Using excessive cement in cement/sand mortar. Masons have the habit of judging the quality of the mortar by the looks/color of it, rather than sticking to the prescribed proportions for first and second coats of plastering. Many times, I have seen masons asking the helpers to add more cement once the mix has been prepared using the scientic/required proportions in the pretext of it looking 'too light' in color. This invariably leads to cracks due to usage of more cement.
2. The most neglected part in construction, is the curing process. If proper curing is not done for the walls in the initial 2 to 3 weeks time, all is lost and nothing much can be done to restore.
In places where cracks are observed, the restoration needs to be done scientifically. Many times, where the issue is related to dampening of walls due to improper water proofing, masons take up remedial measures with their limited knowledge. The main problem here is that they address only the destination and neglect the source or root cause of the issue.
For example if there is a patch on the external wall. It might have been caused by blockage of rain water on the roof due to clogging of the outlet pipes. If proper rain water drainage is not ensured, what is the point in chipping the cracks and plastering the external walls while not doing anything to address the source for dampening of the walls?
Black spots/lime bubbles/patches in walls are caused mainly by faulty construction techniques and not necessarily due to wrong choice of material. In other words, walls built with bricks are not immune to these problems. Using Cement blocks (Solid/Hollow/AAC) are not to be blamed for this.
While constructing walls the common mistakes are:
1. Using excessive cement in cement/sand mortar. Masons have the habit of judging the quality of the mortar by the looks/color of it, rather than sticking to the prescribed proportions for first and second coats of plastering. Many times, I have seen masons asking the helpers to add more cement once the mix has been prepared using the scientic/required proportions in the pretext of it looking 'too light' in color. This invariably leads to cracks due to usage of more cement.
2. The most neglected part in construction, is the curing process. If proper curing is not done for the walls in the initial 2 to 3 weeks time, all is lost and nothing much can be done to restore.
In places where cracks are observed, the restoration needs to be done scientifically. Many times, where the issue is related to dampening of walls due to improper water proofing, masons take up remedial measures with their limited knowledge. The main problem here is that they address only the destination and neglect the source or root cause of the issue.
For example if there is a patch on the external wall. It might have been caused by blockage of rain water on the roof due to clogging of the outlet pipes. If proper rain water drainage is not ensured, what is the point in chipping the cracks and plastering the external walls while not doing anything to address the source for dampening of the walls?
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
Thanks for the reply.
BTW are Aerocon bricks moisture resistant like bricks. As I have not seen the moisture resistant part
being mentioned in the Aerocon bricks manufacturer sites.
- Nagesh.
BTW are Aerocon bricks moisture resistant like bricks. As I have not seen the moisture resistant part
being mentioned in the Aerocon bricks manufacturer sites.
- Nagesh.
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
It is supposed to be more water resistant compared to others, because it has thousands of tiny air cavities, which help in preventing moisture from penetrating deeper. That being said, it is always better to take the customary precautions, one would take for any ordinary masonry wall like ensuring proper water:cement ratio, using water reducing agents in plastering, doing curing for 3 weeks etc.
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
ACC more water absorab than bricks . that is why most of the manufactures doesnt mentions. It is better for internal or walls has to be shaded properly from water contact.
Re: AeroCon Blocks for House Construction
Jult,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdmwwm-pXPY
In here, they immersed a solid concrete block, clay brick and ACC block in a bucket of water for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the concrete block became completely wet. The clay brick became 65% wet and the AAC block became 20% wet. The person who did this experiment was commenting that it takes 48 hours for the AAC block to become complete wet.
People come here to read about matters in which they do not have sufficient information/idea. If you are sure you can express your opinion. Else, you can always qualify your statement like, 'As far a I know' or 'I believe'. If you make a blanket statement, that AAC blocks are more water absorbent, you are only passing false information to the gullible public.
Please do not give replies without having proof for your statements. On what basis, are you saying AAC blocks absorb more water. In fact, they are the least water-absorbent among all the 3 i.e cement block, clay brick and AAC blocks. I am pasting here a youtube link where they have demonstrated this.ACC more water absorab than bricks . that is why most of the manufactures doesnt mentions. It is better for internal or walls has to be shaded properly from water contact.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdmwwm-pXPY
In here, they immersed a solid concrete block, clay brick and ACC block in a bucket of water for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the concrete block became completely wet. The clay brick became 65% wet and the AAC block became 20% wet. The person who did this experiment was commenting that it takes 48 hours for the AAC block to become complete wet.
People come here to read about matters in which they do not have sufficient information/idea. If you are sure you can express your opinion. Else, you can always qualify your statement like, 'As far a I know' or 'I believe'. If you make a blanket statement, that AAC blocks are more water absorbent, you are only passing false information to the gullible public.