AAC blocks to satisfy growing demand in the south of Russia and the Caucasus region

Currently, Alexander Okhlopkov’s job is not an easy one. He has to fly back and forth between Moscow and Mineralnye vody, a city located at the foot of the Caucasus mountain range in the south of Russia. The director of production within Moscow based holding ZAO MPRK Gras regularly visits the AAC facility of this construction materials producer, DSK Gras-Svetlograd, that is located in the northern Caucasus city of Svetlograd. From the airport in Mineralnye vody, Alexander Okhlopkov then has to travel another 153 km or about two hours by car to meet with the DSK management to discuss the future strategic development of the facility.

The Southern administrative region and the Northern Caucasus administrative region can currently look at an increasing demand for AAC products after the decline that hit these regions on account of the worldwide financial and economic crisis in 2008. Thus, in 2018, the Northern Caucasus administrative region experienced improved AAC product sales figures of 2%, the Southern administrative region even grew by 9%, both figures compared to the preceding year. For the year 2020, most recent analyses have forecast further growth figures for the entire Russian Federation in this segment.

Also, the potential in the two administrative regions mentioned above has not yet been fully exploited. While in other Russian regions, AAC blocks have a share of as much as 50%, sometimes even more, in the overall wall building block market, in the case of the Southern and theNorthern Caucasus administrative regions, these figures amount to only 44% and 35%, respectively. In other words, there still is a lot of potential for growth in this sector. At the same time, competitors don’t sleep. On a territory comparable to the size of France, there are already nine factories, including DSK Gras-Svetlograd, producing AAC and further facilities are being planned or constructed.

Maximum capacity of 1,350 m3 AAC products per day

DSK Gras-Svetlograd carries out its operations using a highly automated circulation system delivered by a leading international manufacturer, Hess AAC Systems B. V. The plant comprises a fermentation chamber with space for 42 moulds, a horizontal and a vertical cutting system, a tilting unit rotating the green cake from a horizontal to a vertical position before autoclaving, and seven autoclaves with capacities of 113.4 m³ of AAC products each. The wet ball mill was delivered by Cemtech, the mixing system including mixer control by Lahti Precision. To oil the moulds with a form release agent, an automated plant from German manufacturer Münstermann is at the factory’s disposal. The packaging line was delivered by Danish supplier Lachenmeier. The plant has a maximum capacity of 1,350 m³ of AAC products per day. Currently, the capacity is at a daily 1,150 m³ accomplished in four shifts; the annual production volume is at a current maximum of 330,000 m³ with two-week maintenance downtime intervals in both summer and winter. “Of course you will now ask yourself why we produce less than the facility can put out,” Okhlopkov anticipates the obvious question. “We have 16 different blocks sizes, and these blocks come in five different raw density classes, namely D 300, D 350, D 400, D 500, and D 600. When changing over from one product to another, we need to adapt the process, and during this period, continuous production is not possible.”

Just blocks, no reinforced elements

DSK Gras-Svetlograd exclusively produces AAC blocks. There does exist a separate Hess production line for the manufacture of reinforced AAC elements in the facility’s spacious production hall. However, after some unsuccessful attempts of establishing elements of this nature, amongst others, door and window lintels, on the regional market, production on this line is currently down. “Russia is a country with a tradition of wall block construction. Building with large-format elements such as wall or floor slabs made from AAC is not really much done as yet at this time,“ remarks Okhlopkov. There are, however, regional differences: Whereas in the Southern administrative region and in the Northern Caucasus administrative region, there is no demand for reinforced AAC elements, this demand can very much be seen in the Saratov region, for example. It is there that the construction company ZAO MPRK Gras has a second AAC facility featuring a Hess plant of the same type as the one in Svetlograd that is producing reinforced elements. This plant in Saratov is indeed in operation. The Svetlograd line, though not in operation at this time, is not planned to be dismantled. Some time, Okhlopkov is sure, the markets in the Southern and North Caucasus administrative regions will be ready for these kinds of products.“ And then our line will also be ready to go into operation. After all, we already have the necessary experience with the production of reinforced elements,” the manager says.

High quality thanks to supreme raw materials

The unique feature of DSK Gras-Svetlograd and its products, in Okhlopkov’s opinion, is supreme quality. Quantity is not the measure of things alone. “The technical characteristics of our products all supersede minimum requirements of the Russian standard GOST. The D 300 blocks, for example, are produced by us meeting the requirements of strength class B 2.0, although GOST would also allow B 0.35. D 600 blocks come in B 5.0, not in B 2.5, the GOST requirement for this product. B 5.0 is the best value currently available in the market,“ says Okhlopkov. DSK Gras-Svetlograd achieves these high strength values thanks to the know how of its staff, especially of the concrete technologists, and on account of its plant technologies and the exquisite quality of the raw materials used. “These raw materials partially come from far away places. Of course, this means money. But for us it’s worth it! And of course it eventually pays off, and the extra cost can be also justified in terms of accounting,“ Okhlopkov insists

In order to remain independent and flexible, the company buys each and every raw material from at least two suppliers. The main supplier for cement is currently Holcim with its facilities in Kolomna close to Moscow and Volsk near Saratov located by the Volga River. The second, alternative supplier is SebryakovZement in Volgograd. Lime is bought from Fels in Kaluga and recently also from IST Kasbek in Chechnya’s capital Grozny. Gypsum is obtained from the Krasnodar region and aluminium paste from company Benda Lutz.

It is only sand and water that DSK Gras-Svetlograd acquires from local sources. Sand is obtained from the company’s own pit. The sand that has deposited since time eternal at the foot of the Caucasus mountain range is introduced into production unwashed. According to Okhlopkov, the sand deposit will suffice for the next 25 years and there are already preliminary contracts for the exploitation of other deposits in the immediate vicinity.

Water is a rare commodity in the northern Caucasus. In addition, the AAC factory is competing for this commodity with the many agricultural enterprises forming the strongest economic sector in the region. Since well drilling was no alternative on the premises of the facility, the company has to purchase water for its production from municipal resources– quite a substantial cost factor. For this reason, the company has successfully endeavoured to reacquire the condensate from the autoclaves to use it as water for production purposes (see plant for reacquisition of condensate).

New market segment for lower raw density blocks

On their quest for new markets, Okhlopkov and the company management of DSK Gras-Svetlograd are currently attempting to promote blocks with lower raw densities, D 350 und D 300, on the market. „We’re one of the few producers in Russia making these blocks. We don’t do this just to show we can do it. Not at all, we truly believe there’s a market for them,“ says Okhlopkov.

His enterprise has even reserved special staff to make the blocks popular on the market. These technical sales managers meet with planners and investors to explain the opportunities of D 300 blocks. “They can prove that the use of wall construction material with lower raw densities are less expensive in the end when it comes to single-layer walls, and that D 350’s and D 300’s, in technical terms, are as suitable as their more expensive counterparts with higher raw densities,“ says Okhlopkov. This strategy is working. Planners and investors are increasingly becoming interested in the products, he continues. Blocks with raw densities D 400, D 350 and D 300 are meanwhile accounting for 50% DSK Gras-Svetlograd’s sales figures.

OOO “DSK Gras-Svetlograd”

Ul. 1-ya Promyshlennaya 26a

356530 Svetlograd, Stavropolski kray, Russian Federation

T +7 800 5050654

www.dskgras.ru

Hess AAC Systems B. V.

Aluminiumsteden 10, 7547 TN Enschede, The Netherlands

T +31 53460 1700, F +31 53460 1799

info@hess-aac.com, www.topwerk.com