[Greenbuilding] [BULK] FW: Aerated Autoclaved Concrete

[Jason Holstine]

The secret to AAC is the aerated part--filled with trapped air, the blocks
create a nice tight envelope, it's very lightweight compared to CMU, so has
a lower emboddied energy than most CMUs. And most versions have coal ash for
a recycled component. I helped build a Habitat house in DC with AAC several
years back and it rocked. Hand saws cut it on site for rounded window and
door frames. Super quiet. Crazy fire rating. Throw up stucco on the exterior
and natural clay on the interior. 

Jason Holstine
Amicus Green Building Center
e: jason at amicusgreen.com
www.amicusgreen.com



-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Leslie Moyer
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 1:06 PM
To: Jeannie Babb Taylor; Greenbuilding
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] [BULK] FW: Aerated Autoclaved Concrete


Jeannie Babb Taylor wrote:
> Most people (especially spec builders) just want to purchase the 
> cheapest home possible.  If they aren't the one paying the 
> heating/cooling cost, what do they care about performance?  Nor do 
> they care how well the structure will hold up over the next 30 years.

Jeannie, I think this is an important point that's relevant to all green
building strategies, especially lifetime energy cost.  We lived in our last
home for 12 years.  Despite the fact that it had "6-inch walls", it was a
terrible energy hog.  I suspect there was little to no insulation in those
walls (some were very inaccessible due to vaulted ceilings)--and I'm sure
there was none under the always-cold slab.  At first, we couldn't afford to
do much renovation....then, later, when we could afford it, we realized we
didn't want to sink all our money into a house we wanted to get out of.  It
was a poorly-built home when it was new and 25-30 years later it was still a
poorly built home.  We did very little in terms of improving the energy use
of that home.  It was then that we decided to build a new energy-efficient
home (which is still in-process). 

The people who bought our old home were only planning to be there 2 or 3
years--they wanted to move back north where their family lives.  So they
don't have an incentive to renovate it either.  So there it sits--still
sucking too much energy.

My point is that we are such a mobile society that it is rare that anyone
live in a home for more than 5 or 10 or 15 years.  That isn't enough time
for most energy improvements to "pay off" for THEM.  
Building NEW homes has to change, for sure, but we also have to figure out
what kind of incentives would really make a difference for improving the
energy use of older homes.

--Leslie


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