Preparation, Characterization, and Life Cycle Assessment of Aerated Concrete Blocks: A Case Study in Guayaquil City, Ecuador

Abstract

In the current manuscript, we aimed to evaluate the application of aerated concrete blocks for the construction of single-family homes in Guayaquil, Ecuador, through a comparison with conventional materials. The design of the structural elements was carried out according to the NEC-2015 and ACI 318-14 standards, in which a 36% reduction in the dead load of the structure was achieved by using aerated concrete blocks in the masonry of the house. With a life cycle analysis, a quantification of the most relevant impacts generated during the production and construction phases was obtained. In this way, the most contributing process was found to be the clinker production, generating 7998 kgCO2-Eq. for traditional housing, and 5113 kgCO2-Eq. for non-traditional housing, thus reaching a difference of 36%. Therefore, it was shown that the use of lower-density materials is viable and, due to their easy and fast application, allows for a reduction of up to 10% in the project execution time; a savings of 10% in the total cost, in addition, evidences its potential to access sustainable construction in Ecuador.