Along with the reopen of city lock down, Philippine market has increasing demand on the AAC panels and blocks product in this month. So why nowadays people more interested in the light weight building materials, what is the advantage of it, are they mature for the market now? Our strategic partener 968 Trading company in Metro Manila has explained in front of the camera to us in detail. Now let’s see the secrets.

1.Introduce yourself and talk a bit about your company.

I’m Lawrence Yu, one of the managing partners of 968 Trading.  This company has been engaged in the cement distribution business for the last 18 years.  It was set up by the husband-and-wife team of Dave and Rhoda Gabriel.  It is now one of the biggest dealers in Central Luzon.  My wife and I came on board around 3 years ago when we ventured into the distribution of AerKrete AAC blocks and panels.  We are now one of the premier brands of AAC here in the metro.

2.What are AerKrete blocks, and how are they better than concrete hollow blocks?

AerKrete blocks are generally known as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete blocks or AAC for short.  It is a precast, foam concrete that is around 70% lighter than a CHB wall system.  AAC was invented in the 1920s in Sweden, and has since been used all over the world for the last 92 years.  This innovative and time-tested building material has been making significant strides here in our local construction industry because of its numerous benefits over the traditional hollow blocks or CHB. AAC offers better fire and seismic resistance, superior sound and thermal insulation, perfect balance of lightweight and strength, does not require plastering, so it is easier and faster to install, and most importantly, AerKrete AAC is a green and sustainable product.

3.Walk us through the process of manufacturing AerKrete blocks.

First, you mix the 5 basic ingredients in making AAC with water, namely, cement, silica sand, gypsum, lime and a foaming agent. Then you pour this mix or slurry into metal forms.  Allow the slurry to set hard enough to be turned over to a platform where it will be transferred to the cutting section.  After it is cut to the desired sizes, they will now be transported to the Autoclave machines where the final process takes place, where the blocks are cured under high heat and pressure.

4.Why should builders switch to AerKrete blocks?

I can give 5 reasons for builders to make the switch to AerKrete blocks. 1, AerKrete blocks are world-class, being exported to over 30 countries since 2011. 2, It only uses the highest grade of silica sand which makes it more durable and chemical resistant. We are in partnership with Sinomega, the largest AAC supplier in China. 3, We are the only brand with local seismic test conducted by a quadruple A contractor. 4, We have a complete set of test certificates from highly reputable institutions. And 5, most importantly, we build strong relationships with our customers by providing service with integrity, the main reason why 968 Trading has lasted this long.

5.Is it easy to install AerKrete blocks?

Yes.  It takes a very short time to learn the basics of installing AAC blocks.  And it also requires less manpower. CHB needs 2 laborers to install whereas AAC will only need a single mason for the simpler wall sections. Ask any mason who has experienced building with AerKrete AAC and he’ll tell you 2 things: 1, it’s so much easier to use AAC than CHB and 2, they never want to go back to using CHB.