Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) a study on AAC for low-rise structures in Southern California

Unrestricted This thesis is a multi-disciplinary study on a number of material and structural characteristics of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete or AAC, to find advantages and disadvantages of AAC as a building material to substitute wood or conventional CMU for low-rise residential buildings in Southern California.; AAC is has favorable qualities, and taking into account the claims of its manufacturers, has a great potential to becoming a commonly used building material: It is light weight, non-combustible, resource efficient, and has acoustic isolating and thermal insulating properties. As seen in the table below, these characteristics can have effects on different aspects of a construction project. For instance its light weight affects the transportation cost, reduces the carbon footprint in transportation, results in lighter building (less dead load) which immediately translates to less seismic force, and is more workable on site.