Aerated Autoclaved Concrete(AAC) blocks are innovative building blocks that hold better thermal, acoustic, and fire resistance properties than any other building blocks available in the market. It is mandated in almost all government projects to use only AAC blocks as building blocks, thanks to the sustainable properties of AAC blocks. The usage of AAC blocks significantly reduces electrical expenses due to HVAC load, qualifying it as a green building. Availability of the brick in a particular geography, different size choices, transit duration, quality of the block, after-sales training, allied products, and product awareness are certain criteria that determine the market share of any brand. With a lot of brands available in the market, it’s tricky for the customer to decide which AAC brand to go for.
ShreeShakthi AAC blocks, a product of Tirumala Aerated Blocks Pvt Ltd, manufactured in the outskirts of Hyderabad, was able to prove its place in the market since its inception in 2011.
Sustainability Review
AAC blocks are manufactured by mixing fly ash, cement, lime, gypsum, water, and aluminium which is then steam cured in autoclaves, which leaves no by-products or toxic waste products. Total energy consumption in this manufacturing process is half of that of other building blocks. The sustainable properties of AAC blocks are a result of 50-60% air trapped in the voids in this manufacturing process and makes the block lightweight. This reduces the dead load of the wall on the beam and cost savings in the construction using AAC can go up to 20% compared to conventional blocks. As per studies, for manufacturing one sq.ft of carpet area of AAC blocks emits 1.5 kg of CO2 against 12 kg of CO2 for clay bricks. In addition to this, the wastage caused by cutting the block during AAC block manufacturing can be recycled along with raw materials resulting in zero wastage. Since fly ash is a thermal power plant waste product, there is no consumption of topsoil for the manufacturing AAC block while one sq.ft of clay bricks consume 25.5 kg of topsoil.
Clay bricks need to be soaked in water before placing and water curing mandated after mortar application, whereas, AAC blocks do not need much water curing.
AAC block is mandated in almost all govt projects to use only AAC blocks as building blocks, thanks to the sustainable properties of AAC blocks. The usage of AAC blocks significantly reduces electrical expenses due to HVAC load, qualifying it as a green building. Increase in strength over time and resistance to water absorption are other features that make Shreeshakthi AAC a more sustainable building block. With weight reduction a significant advantage in high rise buildings and superstructures, saving steel reinforcements in the foundation, Shreeshakthi blocks can be cost saver with regard to materials even in adverse soil conditions. With a low range of sound reduction index of 37-49 dB and 4-6hrs of fire resistance, we can undoubtedly say Shreeshakthi AAC is an approved green building product. Termite and sulfate attack resistance also add to the sustainability of Shreeshakthi AAC.
Features Review
Usually, wider blocks are used for exterior construction and narrower ones for partition walls. With common dimensions of 600mm x 200mm, typically a manufacturer limits the customer choice to stick with 100mm, 150mm, and 200mm. With a block of this size compared to traditional red bricks and concrete blocks, its a tie that binds masons’ hand if they need thinner wall than 100mm or say wall thickness is 125mm or 225mm. This is where ShreeShakthi provides a wider range of options for the customers such as 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 200, and 225 mm. Probably one of the reasons why they have been able to crack the market is their understanding of the fact that a good construction block should always ease the challenges faced by the mason without compromising the quality.
Some of the other features are:
- Weather and earthquake resistant
- Long-lasting
- Environment friendly
- Water and moisture resistance
- Non-toxic
- Excellent thermal insulation
- Termite and sulfate attack resistance
Another interesting feature of ShreeShakthi AAC that needs to be noted is the presence of grooves on the face of the brick for better adhesion with plastering agent. One of the issues with smooth face AAC blocks are the difficulty in plastering due to lack of grip. This is adequately resolved by ShreeShakthi with gentle face grooves.
Durability Review
As per material strength test, in accordance with BS EN 771-1:2000, ShreeShakthi blocks have strengths ranging from 3Nmm2 to 9Nmm2. At the same time, these blocks offer excellent insulation properties. Thanks to the lower relative densities in the range of 460 to 750kgm-3.
In addition to this, the blocks need good quality mortar and flexibond adhesive, thin-bed mortar and ready-made plaster to ensure that the full advantage of the block is put to use.
AAC blocks are the kind of blocks whose usage is usually confused with conventional building techniques. To assist the applicators, ShreeShakthi has a dedicated quality team, across various geographies, who inspect and train on the correct construction techniques with AAC blocks. This is an appreciable effort from the manufacturer to ensure that the advantages of their product is put to the right use. It emphasizes the fact that the quality of a building block is not just the manufacturing process, but also on how it is used.
Value Review
With the boom in the construction industry in Telangana and AP, Tirumala rightly set up their manufacturing plant in Mahboob Nagar, which is almost 50 km from Hyderabad. This considerably reduces the transportation cost of each block. A full truckload typically loads around 1400 to 2800 blocks depending on the thickness of the block. With a vision of the upcoming market and its adaptability to innovative blocks, Tirumala was right about their plant location and production quantity of almost 500 cbm/per day to meet the market demands.
They have been able to price is very competitively in the market, even providing lower quantities at very attractive rates. You can find prices here.
Final Thoughts
ShreeShakthi AAC blocks is a solid option for your construction project if you are looking for eco-friendly building blocks. They offer good value for money, is flexible on minimum order quantities and is widely available in Telangana. They offer a good mix of dimension to cater to majority of the demand and provides good customer support.
Disclaimer: BuildNext trades in all building materials irrespective of brand and stands to make trade commissions. However, reviews on the Connect platform by BuildNext staff are kept impartial, with maximum information taken from the brand itself or feedback from customers.