7 Things You Didn't Know about ALC Panels

The AAC concrete used to manufacture ALC panels or Autoclaved Lightweight Aerated Concrete panels is highly workable and can be easily cut and drilled with traditional woodworking tools, such as the common electric drill and band saw. Since this concrete is very light and has a low density, it must be tested for moisture content, compressive strength, bulk density, and shrinkage.

Therefore, if you want something lightweight and highly workable, AAC wall panels are an excellent choice, and it is essential to have an in-depth understanding of ALC panelsbefore making your final choice. This article will reveal 7 things you didn't know about AAC panels.

1. ALC panel has double-layer bi-directional reinforcement inside, with a width of 600mm and thickness of 100, 125, 150, etc., which can be customized and processed according to the site size.

2. Sound insulation--sound insulation index of 100mm thick ALC panel can reach 40.8db, as the material is a large panel, each area can reach 3.6 square meters, and the splicing surface has concave and convex grooves, so that its performance is evenly distributed and the overall sound insulation effect is better.

3. Fireproof--the fireproof time of 100mm thick AAC panel is more than 3.62 hours. Since AAC panels are supported by double-layer bi-directional reinforcement inside, it is not easy to collapse prematurely when the fire occurs, so it can effectively prevent fire; while AAC block wall is not supported by the overall grid, the fire will spall off layer by layer and eventually cause a collapse in a short time.

4. Structure--when ALC panels are used as wall panels, they do not need structural columns and reinforcement bands or beams; doors and windows do not need beams, they can be used independently without any auxiliary, reinforcing structural parts; however, when AAC blocks are used as walls, concrete beams, structural columns, tie bars, beams, etc. should be added based on the building code to increase their stability. Therefore, AAC panels are a finished product that can be assembled directly on site when it arrives at the construction site, so the construction speed is greatly accelerated. AAC blocks are fixed size and require masonry mortar, so the construction speed is much slower compared with ALC panels.

5. Construction process--when using ALC panels, a single process can complete the construction of the entire wall project; when using aerated blocks, it requires mixing, lifting, masonry, reinforcement, formwork, concrete, plastering and other processes to complete the entire wall construction, which is time-consuming and labour-intensive.

6. Cost--ALC panel is light in weight and thin in thickness, which can reduce the wall load by about 1/3~1/2, and then lower the structure cost by about 6%. Besides, ALC panel does not need plastering, which can reduce the decoration cost by about 8% compared with the use of aerated blocks.

7. No plastering is required for ALC panels, so there will be no hollow drums, cracks, cracks and other quality problems that often occur with AAC blocks.