S I P O R E X

1. INTRODUCTION AAC Building System

S I P O R E X Aerated Concrete
B l o c k s Products

Optimum Structure for Hot Regions

▪ Thermally Insulant Blocks
▪ Thermally Insulant Roof Tiles
▪ Hordi Blocks
▪ Steel Reinforced Precast Units

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1. INTRODUCTION AAC Building System

Siporex is lightweight Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) manufactured from the same
components as conventional concrete: cement, sand and water in addition to aluminum powder
and other additives.

The product is available as blocks with different dimensions and precast reinforced units, i.e., wall
panels, lintels and floor/roof slabs forming a complete building system.

A villa of one or two storeys can easily be constructed using Siporex blocks, floor and roof slabs,
and lintels without the need of reinforced concrete main frame.

Industrial production of this versatile building material was started in 1929 and it has been
produced and used for building construction ever since.

First in Europe and now world-wide. Here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lightweight
Construction Company. Ltd. (LCC-Siporex) was established in 1976 and has been producing
Siporex AAC material at our plant in the Second Industrial Estate, AlKharj Road. With our continued
expansion of additional manufacturing plant to sustain the growing demand, our current total
production capacity has intensified to about 350,000 cubic meters of Siporex AAC products per
year.

Siporex Manufacturing Plant and Head Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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2. CODES & STANDARDS AAC Building System

Various international codes and standards had been

developed to provide engineers and designers with provisions
for the analysis and design of AAC factory-produced blocks
and reinforced panels based on various research studies and
experiences on its use. These include guidelines or
recommended practice addressing the materials, manufacture
and structural design of AAC including design considerations
such as erection and construction details incorporating the use
of AAC products in conventional construction. Some of these
Codes & Standards are listed below:

CODE OR
DESIGNATION NO. DESCRIPTION
STANDARD

Guide for Low Density Precast Concrete Floor,

ACI ACI 523.2R
Roof and Wall Units
Standard Practice for Autoclaved Aerated
ASTM C1555-03A
Concrete Masonry
Standard Specification for Precast Autoclaved
ASTM C1386-98
Aerated Concrete Wall Construction Units

DEUTCH NORM DIN 4165 Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Blocks

BRITISH BS 8110 – Part

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
STANDARD 2, Section Six
BRITISH BS EN 771-
Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Masonry Units
STANDARD 4:2001
BRITISH Determination of the Dry Density of Autoclaved
BS EN 678:1994
STANDARD Aerated Concrete
BRITISH BS EN Determination of the compressive Strength of
STANDARD 679 :1994 Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
BRITISH BS EN Determination of the Drying Shrinkage of
STANDARD 680: 1994 Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
BRITISH BS EN
Method of test for Masonry Units
STANDARD 772-10:1999
BRITISH BS EN Determination of Moisture Content of
STANDARD 1353:1997 Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

SASO SASO 1579 Precast Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

SWEDISH BUILDING CODE Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products

Design Procedure for Siporex Roof, Floor, Wall

COUNCIL OF AMERICAN BUILDING Panels, Masonry Blocks and Lintels of
OFFICIALS Autoclaved Lightweight Cellular
Concrete(Report # NER-297)

RILEM Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

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3. MANUFACTURING AAC Building System
4. Siporex is produced by a highly complex and advanced manufacturing process in our factory under the
careful control of chemists and engineers. Siporex is made either as steel reinforced panels using moulds
6 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 600 mm deep or as non-reinforced blocks using moulds 6 meters long,
1.5 (or 1.2) meters wide and 600 mm deep.

The basic raw materials are sand, water, aluminum powder and cement. The sand
is ground to required fineness in a ball mill before mixing
with other raw materials with water to form slurry to
which a trace of aluminum powder is added as expanding
agent.

Regulated amount of aluminum powder gives accurate

control of density of the final product. Moulds are only partly filled with slurry
which then expands in a controlled reaction to fill the moulds.

When the mass is sufficiently hard, the moulds are stripped and the cake is wire-
cut to close tolerances into blocks using high precision cutting technology.

These are then steam cured under high pressure in

autoclaves for up to 15 hours.

This completes the chemical process, resulting in a unique

crystal structure of calcium silicate hydrate and ensuring
a stable and inert product giving AAC outstanding qualities not found in other
products.

After cooling to ambient temperature, the batches are demoulded, and stacked for
further handling and storage.

The block stacks are strapped, marked and stored on

wooden pallets. Each pallet can be stored with up to 3
bundles of blocks (180 cm high).

At the storage area, the floor should be level to avoid tilting of stacks.

The manufacturing of Aerated Lightweight Concrete as blocks by LCC Siporex

implements and maintains a Quality Management System which fulfills the
requirements of ISO 9001:2015.

For final products, compressive test, shrinkage and dry

densities are carried out on a daily basis.

The finished goods inspection program ensures the products quality. The material
is now ready for loading and delivery

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4. PROPERTIES & BENEFITS OF USING SIPOREX AAC Building System
5. The manufacturing process as well as the basic ingredients used provide Siporex its unique
properties and benefits not found in other traditional building materials and will radically change
the construction practices in this industry.

Lightweight
Siporex products are supplied with nominal dry density of 550 kg/m3 and weigh less than a quarter
compared to conventional concrete. Other densities such as 450 or 600 kg/m 3 can also be produced
upon request. Due to the lightweight property of Siporex, foundation loads are greatly reduced resulting
to big savings in the overall cost. Its light weight also means significant advantage in transportation cost.

Energy Efficient
Siporex ensure comfortable room temperature without the need for additional insulation. Its thermal
insulation and heat retention offer a good protection against rapid cooling or heating up too much. This
means lower power consumption in environmental management system. With a thermal conductivity (“k”
value) of 0.144 W/mºC, it is the only structural materials classified by SCECO as insulating material.

Strength
In relation to its dry density, Siporex can withstand relatively high compressive stress, which in the aspect of
application is very sufficient to take building loads. Siporex achieves its full strength during autoclaving
process. Minimum compressive strength is about 35 kg/cm2 for nominal dry density of 550 kg/m3.

Workability
Siporex products can be sawn, cut, slot, drilled, chased and nailed with ordinary woodworking tools which
makes them easier to install than other building materials. This also simplifies the installation of electro-
mechanical services and other utilities, which means more cost savings.

Resistance to Fire
Siporex has remarkable fire resistance properties and is non-combustible. Heat migration takes place at a
slow rate due to its low thermal conductivity, giving Siporex excellent fire resistance. A 15 cm thick panel will
resist fire for seven life-saving hours. Siporex is ideal for firewall application and as protection for structural
steel construction.

Acoustic Insulation
Siporex meets the appropriate standards for sound insulation in house building, which means quieter and
more comfortable interior. In industrial construction, Siporex minimizes industrial noise pollution. The
sound absorption of untreated Siporex surface is better than that of dense concrete. A 20 cm thick
Siporex wall with 3mm surface finish will have STC rating of about 48 dB.

Non-toxic
Siporex itself is ecologically harmless, since it neither contains gases nor fibers, it is neither dangerous to
ground-water nor does it releases any radioactive radiation. No pollutants or toxic by-products are
produced in the manufacturing process or even when subjected to fire.

Durability
Siporex products do not contain any organic matter subject to deterioration and will not degrade even under
severe weather conditions. Structures built several decades ago are still in active use today.

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5. PRODUCT DATA AAC Building System
7. 5.1 Product Application & Characteristic Data
Siporex solid blocks are used as load-bearing and non load-bearing walls and as thermally insulating
roof tiles in addition to being used as Hordi blocks or infills for ribbed slabs. The production process
guarantees the accurate dimensions with slim tolerance of ±3mm for thickness & width and ±5mm
for length. This allows for a straight and plumbed walls resulting in less on-site trimmings and reduces
the quantity of mortar and finishing materials required.

5.2 Masonry Blocks Dimensions

For the past decades, LCC Siporex had been supplying AAC blocks with a standard face size of 25 cm
high x 60 cm long only in various thicknesses. However, due to the increasing demand and growing
popularity of the use of AAC blocks, LCC Siporex have started the production of new dimensions of
blocks in line with the continued expansion of additional manufacturing plant to sustain the market
requirements. Siporex blocks are now produced at the following standard sizes:

Standard face size: 25 cm high x 60 cm long: Thickness: 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 cm
Standard face size: 20 cm high x 60 cm long: Thickness: 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 cm

5.3 Hordi Blocks

Hordi blocks or infill blocks for ribbed slabs can be
produced in various dimensions to form lightweight infill
between in-situ reinforced concrete ribs designed to span
in one or both directions. Due to their excellent bondage
to in-situ concrete, Siporex Hordi blocks are easily
arranged to form permanent part of the slab, providing
excellent thermal insulation as well as fire resistance
material. Hordi blocks are produced with density of 450
kg/m3 according to the following dimensions:

Length : 60 cm
Width : 37/38 cm or 40 cm
Thickness : 20, 25, 30, 35 cm
Hordi blocks application

Other sizes may be produced upon request only. Hordi blocks are not available in stock and are
manufactured against order only.

5.4 Thermal Insulating Tiles

Roof insulation of existing conventional roof can still be
improved with the use of Siporex thermal insulating tiles
available at the following dimensions:
60 x 60 x 7.5 cm
60 x 25 x 7.5 cm
60 x 25 x 5 cm
Other dimensions can be produced upon request.

5.5 Box Type Lintels (LB)

Box type lintels are designed with special steel
reinforcement arrangement produced with depth equal to the height of Siporex blocks for ease of
construction. This eliminates shuttering and cast-in-situ works as well as avoids thermal bridges
caused by the use of traditional concrete lintels.

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5. PRODUCT DATA AAC Building System
6. 5.6 Maximum Clear Span of Box Type Lintels with Various Design Loads (Height = 25 cm)

Thickness of Box Type Lintel (cm)

Design Load
10 15 20 25

500 kg/m 200 cm 350 cm 360 cm 360 cm

1000 kg/m 150 cm 250 cm 260 cm 265 cm

1500 kg/m 75 cm 200 cm 210 cm 210 cm

5.7 Packing Data for Siporex Blocks

Siporex blocks are delivered ready for use and packed in easily
transportable wooden pallets. The pallets should be unloaded at the site by
construction-site cranes, forklifts or other suitable hoisting equipments.
For ease in unloading of materials, it is suggested to order Siporex blocks in
whole bundle or pallet volume to avoid handling loose quantities. Following
table is an easy reference in making order of some standard sizes of Siporex
blocks in bundles or pallets.

No. of Blocks No. of Blocks No. of Blocks No. of Bundle m3 per m3 per
Block Dimensions
per m3 per m2 per Bundle per Pallet Bundle Pallet
10 x 25 x 60 cm 66.66 6.67 75 2 1.125 2.25
15 x 25 x 60 cm 44.44 6.67 50 3 1.125 3.375
20 x 25 x 60 cm 33.33 6.67 35 3 1.05 3.15
25 x 25 x 60 cm 26.66 6.67 30 3 1.125 3.375
30 x 25 x 60 cm 22.22 6.67 25 3 1.125 3.375

10 x 20 x 60 cm 83.33 8.33 72 3 0.864 2.592

15 x 20 x 60 cm 55.55 8.33 48 3 0.864 2.592
20 x 20 x 60 cm 41.67 8.33 36 3 0.864 2.592
30 x 20 x 60 cm 27.78 8.33 24 3 0.864 2.592
40 x 20 x 60 cm 20.83 8.33 18 3 0.864 2.592

SIPOREX ROOF TILES:

5 x 25 x 60 cm 133.33 6.67 150 2 1.125 2.25
7.5 x 25 x 60 cm 88.89 6.67 100 2 1.125 2.25
7.5 x 60 x 60 cm 37.04 2.78 40 3 1.08 3.24

SIPOREX HORDI BLOCKS:

20 x 37/38 x 60 cm 22.22 4.44 21 3 0.945 2.835
20 x 40 x 60 cm 20.83 4.17 18 3 0.864 2.592
25 x 37/38 x 60 cm 17.78 4.44 18 3 1.013 3.038
30 x 37/38 x 60 cm 14.81 4.44 15 3 1.013 3.038
30 x 40 x 60 cm 13.89 4.17 12 3 0.864 2.592
35 x 37/38 x 60 cm 12.70 4.44 12 3 0.945 2.835

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6. INSTALLATION / FINISHES AAC Building System
9. 6.1 Block Laying
The first course should be laid on cement-
mortar bed of thickness about 1 to 3 cm
depending on the evenness of the base
and should maintain a correct level for
fast installation progress in the following
courses. It is recommended to spray the
mortar face of the block before
installation to keep damp at erection time
especially during the hot seasons. After
installation, spray with water twice a day
for 3 consecutive days for curing of the
mortar.
Three types of Mortars can be applied on the succeeding courses:
6.1.1 Siporex Glue (for thin joints):
Pre-mixed mortar – only water is to be added. Thickness of glue should not exceed 3 mm in
horizontal and vertical joints in order to achieve the ideal consumption rate of 50 to 60 kg. of
glue per cubic meter of blocks.
6.1.2 Ordinary Mortar with Gesol
1:6 Cement : Sand respectively in addition to water (with 10% of Gesol). The erection can be
carried out normally as for conventional blocks. (Gesol is a liquid material used as bonding agent
and retardant for the mortar especially during hot weather. Gesol is available at Siporex factory
in 25 kg plastic containers).
6.1.3 Ordinary Mortar with Lime:
1:1:10 Cement : Lime : Sand

6.2 Plastering of Siporex Block Wall

Before plastering, dirt and loose particles should be removed from
walls. Spray walls with water and follow one of the two methods
mentioned below:

6.2.1 Traditional Plastering:

Similar to plastering of conventional block walls with the
following mix:
• Splattering (3mm): Use 1 cement : 3 sand mixed with
solution of water and Gesol (20% of the volume). Spray
with water twice a day.
• Ordinary Plastering Mortar: (1 – 1.5 cm thick, apply 24 hours after the splattering)
Use 1 cement : 6 sand mixed with solution of water and Gesol (10% of volume).

6.2.2 Plastering with Pre-mixed Mortar

Water is added to the pre-mixed plaster supplied in bags of 25 and 50 kgs. Surfaces should be
thoroughly cleaned and wetted without any splattering. Apply plaster directly with a thickness
ranging between 0.5 to 1 cm.
In both above methods, walls should be watered twice a day after plastering for three
consecutive days.

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6. INSTALLATION / FINISHES AAC Building System
8. 6.3 Bolts and Fixings
Special types of fixings can be used with Siporex structures such as galvanized cut nails, bolt
fastenings and wall plugs. The type of anchoring method to be used depends on the holding capacity
required. These types of fixings are used in installation of doors and windows, as well as wall
accessories with weights not exceeding the allowable loads of the type of fixing used. Ordinary wire
nails should not be used since their anchoring ability to Siporex is low.
Through-bolts should be used in case of heavy fixtures such as water heater and hanging lavatories.
Some of the types of fixings and anchors suitable for use with Siporex AAC materials are as follows:

Galvanized Cut Nails Hilti HGN Anchors Fischer Anchors

Galvanized Cut Nails comes in HGN Gas Concrete Anchors, Also available with plastic plugs
different lengths and are available at manufactured by Hilti Company is a suitable for light to medium weight
our Siporex Factory. Cut nails are Cadmium-free Polyamide anchor fixings in aerated concrete. It has
hammered directly into Siporex walls especially suitable for AAC concrete fins providing grip as well as
and do not need to be pre-drilled They base. Available in various sizes, it resistance to rotation. This type is
can be used to fasten light to provides high pressure per unit of also available in various sizes to
moderate weight items to Siporex. area. suit the particular needs.

6.4 Cladding with Marble or Artificial Stone 6.5 Connection with dissimilar material

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7. LIST OF SOME PROJECTS AAC Building System
11. No. Client / Contractor Name of Project Location Year
1. Saudi Petrochemical Co. 136 Housing Units Jubail 1987
2. A.K. Group Aziziyah Housing 208 Villas AlKhobar 1992
3. ABV Rock Group SSSP Residential Cmpd 320 Units Diff. Sites 1992
4. Kimma Construction Yanpet Housing Project 200 Villas Yanbu 1993
5. ABV Rock Group ABV Compound Jeddah 1993
6. A. K. Group Tabuk Gardens Village – 60 villas Tabuk 1994
7. Sata Engineering Blocks Taiwan 1994
8. Saudi Real Estate Co. D.Q. Housing Project Riyadh 1994
9. M.S. AlSuwaidi Cont. Est. Yanpet Housing Proj. Ph. II 300 Villas Yanbu 1994
10. AMERAB-ECO- Tawam 89 Villas & B. Walls AbuDhabi 1995
11. AlMobti for Trad. & Cont. 273 Villas Compound Djibouti 1996
12. A.K. Group R.S.L.F. Housing Tabuk 1996
13. International Center Co. YCC – 40 Villas Yanbu 1997
14. C C C (ARAMCO) Residential & Industrial Compound Shaybah 1997
15. Gen. Presidency for Girls Educ. 16 Colleges Buildings Diff. sites 1997
16. Developed Building Co. Landmark Shopping Mall Proj. Qatar 1999
17. Developed Bldg. Co. Al Ittihad & Al Rayyan Stadiums Qatar 2001
18. Saudi Wiemer & Tracte Al Rashid Village 2 Alkhobar 2001
19. Saudi Binladin Group King Abdullah Multi-storey Hotel Madinah 2001
20. Abdullatif AlIssa Group Al Issa Compound Riyadh 2003
21. Al Marasem Contg. Residential Compound Shouaiba 2003
22. Al Mashrab Co. Abha University Abha 2004
23. Al Ali Engineering 250 Villas Qatar 2004
24. Al Ali Engineering Villaggio Qatar 2004
25. King Abdullah Foundation 2,500 villas – Dev. Housing Project Diff.sites 2004-2006
26. EMECO Al Amar Gold Mine – Housing Quayyiah 2004
27. Al Ma’awdah Const. 25 Villas Bahrain 2006
28. Saudi Binladin Group Al Haram Shopping Center Madinah 2007
29. Al Ali Engineering The Pearl Qatar Qatar 2007
30. Makkah Co. Supply of Blocks Kuwait/Iraq 2007
31. Al Mabda Rezayat Housing Compound Jubail 2007
32. Sinoma Hofuf Cement Factory Hofuf 2007
33. Al-Marasem Co. Charity Housing Diff. sites 2007
34. Al-Othman Agri. Prod. Housing Compound Hofuf 2008
35. Danash Co. Al Jouf Cement Factory – Housing Turaif 2008
36. S.M.A. Proj. & Devt. Co. Khartoum College of Med. Science Sudan 2008
37. Al-Rashid Co. Al-Rashid Mall Extension Al-Khobar 2008
38. AlFanar Co. Many substations Diff. Locations 2008
39. Saudi Binladin Group “KAUST” Central Services Thuwal 2008
40. Azmeel Contg. 700 villas for Royal Commission Housing Jubail 2009
41. Al Mabani Gen. Cont. Power Plant Project (PP10) Riyadh 2009
42. Al-Refaee Co. SWCC Housing Project Diff. sites 2009
43. King Saud University 460 Villa Extensions Riyadh 2010
44. Nesma Co. Olaya Towers Riyadh 2011
45. Drake & Scull Jawhara Tower Jeddah 2011
46. D.C.C. Burj Rafal Riyadh 2012
47. Azmeel Corporation Royal Commission 400 villas Jubail 2012
48. Azmeel Corporation GOSI Housing Project Jubail 2012
49. Huta Marine King Abdullah Economic City Rabigh 2012
50. Al-Arrab / CCC Substation Ras Al-Khair 2012
51. REDCO Qatar Airways Housing Qatar 2012
52. Rezaik Al-Gedrawi King Abdullah Housing Project Najran 2012
53. Al Marasem King Abdullah Housing Project Wadi Hayat 2012

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7. LIST OF SOME PROJECTS AAC Building System
10. No. Client / Contractor Name of Project Location Year
54. Al-Hokair Co. Hotel Jizan 2012
55. Gulf Elite Co. Shaybah RIC Expansion Project Shaybah 2013
56. Huta Marine Housing Compound Rabigh 2013
57. Go Green International Schools & Malls Qatar 2013
58. Saudi Archirodon RSF Houses Jeddah 2013
59. MARCO & GS Imam University Buildings Riyadh 2013
60. Different Contractors Girls Technical Colleges Diff. locations 2013
61. Ansaq Co. Al Hajj Ministry – 5 buildings Mina 2013
62. Military Hospital Labour Housing Riyadh 2013
63. Enteria Arabia Special Forces Security Buildings Riyadh 2014
64. Ewaan Real Estate Al-Fareeda Housing Jeddah 2014
65. Saudi Gap Staff Accommodation Jubail 2014
66. Rowwad Al-Maseel Housing Compound Riyadh 2014
67. Al-Fanar SWCC Yanbu-3 S/S & Power Plant Yanbu 2014
68. Ewaan Real Estate Limas Housing Project Jubail 2015
69. Monsha’at Al Mostaqbal MODA Project Rania/Hareeq 2015
70. Go Green International Indoor Arena Qatar 2015
71. Go Green International LuLu Hypermarket Qatar 2015
72. National Aquaculture Co. Farm 205 & 206 Accommodations Al Leith 2015
73. Go Green International Staff and Labor Accommodations Qatar 2015
74. Saudi Archirodon Al Salama Compound Jeddah 2015
75. MOBCO Ready-Built Factory Buildings Riyadh 2016
76. Al-Kifah for Contracting Defense Force Project, Phase 1 Jubail 2016
77. Retail Real Estate Co. Majma’ah Mall Majma’ah 2016
78. Maher Hassan Al Magamsi Tamr Factory Jeddah 2016
79. Unicorp PP-12, Warehouse Durma 2016
80. Al-Hussan Const. School Extension Jubail 2016
81. Sinohydro Corp. Shaybah Residential Building Shaybah 2016
82. Go Green International Doha Oasis Qatar 2016
83. Ishada Contracting Sugar Refinery Jeddah 2016
84. Distinguished Brothers Karan Hotel Waad Al Shammal 2017
85. Azmeel Contracting Co. Aramco – South Dhahran Home Ownership Prog. Dhahran 2017
86. MODON Ready-Built Factories 32 diff. Places 2017
87. Al Raidah Co. Sendex Warehouses Riyadh/Jeddah 2017
88. Fast Contracting Jeddah Airport Jeddah 2017
89. Al Rajhi Saudi Group Labour Accommodations Jeddah 2017
90. Waleed Abu-Shawish Arabian Oud Warehouse Riyadh 2018
91. Engineering Union Est. Charity Housing Umluj/Jizan 2018
92. Prime Technical Masif – RBF Jeddah 2018
93. Al Bawani Contg. Co. Sharma Complex Sharma 2018
94. Tareg Al-Jaafari Contg. Worker’s Camp Dammam 2018
95. MODON 1200 Ready-Built Factories 32 diff. Places 2019
96. Ministry of Housing 192 Villas Ah-Ahsa 2019
97. Ministry of Housing 959 Villas Dammam 2019

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7. LIST OF SOME PROJECTS AAC Building System
10.

Main Office: Riyadh Tel.: +966 11 498 1800 | Fax: +966 11 498 2072

Branches : Jeddah Mob.: +966 55 565 1925 | +966 53 301 1811

AlKhobar Tel.: +966 50 496 6911

[email protected]

w w w . L c c s i p o r e x . c o m

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