ABSTRACT
Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC or aircrete) is one of the most widely used material in construction, due especially to its excellent thermal insulating properties, which can be used to keep in the heat in cold climates, or keep out the heat in warm climates. This chapter will look into aircrete in more detail and why it is such an important and widely utilised construction material, especially in the UK, Europe and North America. The production process is modified accordingly to attain the appropriate level of porosity and the compressive strength of aircrete is related to its density and increases with increasing density. The resistance to freezing and thawing action of a construction material is determined by its pore size distribution and, in particular, the percentage of capillary pores, size and shape of the pores and the mechanical strength of the inner pore walls.
