Alternative, Advantageous, Cost-Efficient Blocks
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

Alternative, Advantageous, Cost-Efficient Blocks

Replacing red clay bricks with environment-friendly, lightweight AAC blocks can help revolutionise the construction industry.For the longest time, the construction industry has been using hazardous red clay bricks, which come at a cost to the environment. Their key ingredient, red so...

Replacing red clay bricks with environment-friendly, lightweight AAC blocks can help revolutionise the construction industry.For the longest time, the construction industry has been using hazardous red clay bricks, which come at a cost to the environment. Their key ingredient, red soil – that makes the topmost layer of the soil – causes soil erosion when baked. Something clearly had to be done. This is when Darshan Kumar established Maxlite AAC Blocks with the intention to revolutionise the construction industry with environment-friendly, lightweight AAC blocks. A pioneer in the production of these high-quality blocks in Bengaluru, the Founder and Managing Director shares more on the advantages of these as compared to conventional bricks, and more...The advantagesThe primary advantage of replacing red clay bricks with quality AAC blocks is that the key ingredient for production is fly-ash. Fly-ash is an industrial pollutant; hence, recycling it would have a positive impact on the environment. Other advantages of AAC blocks are their higher strength, lower cost and energy-efficacy compared to standard red clay bricks.These blocks are termed smart for several reasons:They are porous in nature and bring down the temperature by 3-4°.These lightweight blocks are constructed in a way that they bring down the overall weight four times compared to conventional blocks.These fire-resistant blocks can endure fire of upto 1,200° for four hours.They are strong and durable, with the highest block strength of up to 5 mpa.They are able to recycle hazardous fly-ash, thus contributing to a greener India.Environment-friendly constructionConstructing with these AAC blocks is environment-friendly. For instance, in thermal plants, there are massive amounts of fly-ash, which is usually dumped into ponds. This leads to a lot of distress to the community nearby, causing respiratory diseases and more. Since inception, Maxlite has recycled over 60,000 tonne of fly-ash to make AAC blocks; this has saved approximately 5,000 tonne of CO2 emissions.Cost comparison The cost of AAC blocks and red clay bricks is more or less the same. However, as the blocks are four times lighter:Construction speed increases.The foundation cost of the building decreases.Steel and cement construction usage decreases.Handling of the material is easier.The overall deadweight on the foundation decreases four times. As a result, a given project brings an overall saving of upto 20-25 per cent.India’s ready!Construction using AAC blocks is the same as red clay bricks, so it is easy to adapt with no new techniques required. Wherever there is a wall, AAC blocks have the potential to be used. Thus, the Indian construction market is ripe for AAC blocks. Testament to this is that Maxlite has significantly grown by over 30 per cent in turnover YoY since inception in 2017. In fact, it has supplied these eco-friendly blocks to Bengaluru International Airport, metro stations and several high-rise buildings as well as individual plots and houses. - SERAPHINA D’SOUZATo share an innovative material with us, write in at feedback@ConstructionWorld.in

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