With over 30 years of application in Hong Kong, AAC products have been widely adopted, and architects and engineers are willing to also use AAC panels in structural applications such as external walls and slabs.

For partitions and external walls, panels are favoured by owners because they are even more convenient to install than blocks and because they provide aesthetic appearance, resulting in a better finish with minimal aesthetic discrepancies. This reduces the need for subsequent finishing work and allows for the quickest possible handover of the wall surface to contractors tasked with installing the finishes. Therefore, AAC partition walls are particularly popular in classy residential projects.

Ytong slab panels are also used for additions and renovations in structural applications, offering a simpler installation process and higher compatibility to MEP services compared to traditional cast-in-place concrete in the limited space, making them a preferred choice by main contractors.

Two projects in which Ytong slab panels were used are briefly described here.

Case studies

4500 m² overhead smoke extraction duct at HKU station

The original design for this project was based on precast concrete panels. However, due to the narrow construction site and the heavy weight of the precast panels, the installation machinery would have needed to be excessively large and heavy. Since this location serves as an entrance and exit for the site, using large machinery could have blocked the passage and disrupt site operations, thus limiting the working environment.

Using Ytong slab panels, these operational issues could be avoided. Ytong slab panels are significantly lighter than precast concrete panels, allowing for the construction of a simple scaffolding under the work surface and hence the provision of space for workers to install the panels. Moreover, the absence of complex scaffolding prevented blockage of the site entrance and exit, enabling other workers to pass through and underneath the installation area, which greatly enhanced site efficiency.

The function of Ytong slab

The MTR has high fire safety requirements for this application. Ytong provides excellent fire performance and high quality, meeting the air tightness requirements according to HVACDW/143 2000 Ductwork Leakage Testing.

Ytong slabs were used for smoke extraction (non-structural use), allowing air and smoke to be drawn away by the extraction system, which removed the smoke discharging operations from the pedestrian passage. Based on the superior performance of the system, the application of Ytong slab panels in this project was presented with the innovation award by the main contractor.

8,800 m² alternative plenum slab for West Kowloon Terminus Station North

The original design for this project involved casting concrete slabs on-site. However, since most of the framework was already in place, the effective installation height for the slabs was only 800 mm, creating extremely challenging pouring conditions. Additionally, casting concrete on-site requires a significant amount of formwork. Due to the heavy weight of the concrete, non-permanent supports would have had to be installed beneath the formwork for temporary support. The extensive installation of these supports obstructed the available space for installing other services, limiting the progress of other subcontractors.

The construction time has been reduced by 40% after redesigning with Jetway's professional Ytong solution, which contributed to the flexibility and ease of installation.

After considering the project requirements, the main contractor decided to use Ytong slab panels. These panels only required simple scaffolding, allowing workers to install them easily on the platform. Transporting the panels was also straightforward, as a forklift could be used to move the slabs onto the working platform. Utilizing Ytong slab panels significantly accelerated the project's progress without hindering other subcontractors, making it a fast and reliable solution.