Officials from Indianapolis-based Aercon Industries note that the increasing role of environmental stewardship in business decisions bodes well for their aerated autoclaved concrete (AAC) product. With production facilities in Haines City, Fla., the company cites a growing presence in U.S. construction due to the properties of AAC, including fire-resistance, thermal and sound insulation, and light weight.

The recently constructed classroom wings, administration offices, school cafeteria, multipurpose facility, and media center of Woodstation Elementary School in Ringgold, Ga., are representative of the many educational facilities for which AAC has been specified. Comparison studies indicate that schools built with the product generate an average of 15 percent in total energy savings versus those constructed of traditional materials, Aercon reports.

There are benefits to lead times as well, notes Aercon Florida LLC General Manager Rob Barnett. “The Woodstation Elementary School project is a perfect example of how a product can make the construction process flexible and efficient,” he says. “The overall project was behind schedule when Aercon installation began; however, the efficient delivery and installation of the AAC product accelerated completion by two weeks.”

Also supplying AAC for a $6 million dormitory renovation project at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale, Tenn., Aercon was reportedly able to offer its product for 30 percent less than the cost of competing materials. The four-story building comprising 60,000 sq. ft. of floor space will feature exterior walls, demising walls and corridor walls of 8-in.-thick Aercon Value block, an “oversized” 24-in.-square unit noted for the speed of construction made possible by its light weight. Southern Adventist University will serve as its own general contractor for the project, and Blockhead Builders has been hired as the Aercon installation subcontractor.

Promoted under the banner of “Tomorrow's Lifestyle Today,” Indiana's Village at Lake Zonda aims to redefine the concept of a subdivision by offering choices based on quality design, respect for the community, and environmental stewardship. Aercon's contribution to the project comprises AAC in all the homes and buildings, including 210 townhouses and approximately 22,000 sq. ft. of commercial development at the Village Center, plus a 5,000-sq.-ft. community center and pool, as well as up to 480 homes on lots of varying size. AAC in combination with geothermal heating and cooling is expected to produce up to 50 percent savings in energy costs for every homeowner in the development. — Aercon Industries, 317/554-6202; www.aerconind.com