Environmental performance of autoclaved aerated concrete in the USA

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a lightweight, cellular concrete, and eco‐friendly building material that has a low environmental impact at all stages of its life cycle. Production of AAC requires less energy than other masonry products, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and associated carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. AAC is an environmentally responsible building material that conserves material and energy consumption during manufacture as well as promotes energy efficiency in the performance of buildings.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the chosen method to evaluate the environmental performance of AAC, which is summarized in identifying, evaluating, and interpreting the environmental effects including material, natural resources, energy consumption, environmental burdens of a product, process, or activity. A cradle to gate (CTGt) analysis is chosen for this study which assesses a product's environmental footprint from raw materials extraction until the end of manufacturing. LCA has been conducted for an arbitrary facility in the USA, assumed to be located in the state of Georgia. The expected annual production and facility energy consumption is based on the business model of Xella's German facilities.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential of AAC performance as an efficient building material with an environmentally friendly advantage compared to other conventional construction materials.