Utilization of Solid Waste in the Production of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete and Their Effects on its Physio-mechanical and Microstructural Properties: Alternative Sources, Characterization, and Performance Insights

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is the lightest masonry material available in today's building industry. It shows properties, such as high strength per unit weight, lesser density, lower shrinkage, higher thermal insulation, and fire resistance as compared to traditional concrete. Not only engineering properties of AAC make it popular in construction industry, but also its eco-friendly nature also contributes in conservation of energy. AAC produces about 67% lower carbon emission than the clay bricks. Consequently, it becomes a cost-effective product which reduces the cost of construction. This paper provides thorough insight into possible solutions for the waste utilization. It has been inferred that fine aggregates can be replaced by these wastes in the preparation of AAC. This replacement will improve its physio-mechanical properties, such as bulk-density, moisture absorption, compressive strength, along with microstructure. These properties are comprehensively presented to categorize the investigation which has been done in such fields earlier. The ongoing research work at the author's institute, i.e., the development of lightweight concrete by using different kind of waste materials, such as marble slurry, fly ash, etc., is being presented.