ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Autoclaved aerated concrete

Autoclaved aerated concrete, or AAC for short, is kind of like a big special cake made out of cement, sand, water, and tiny air pockets. Think of it like making a cake, but instead of using sugar and flour, we're using special ingredients that can withstand a lot of pressure!

The baking process that makes this big cake super strong is called autoclaving. Autoclaving is like putting the cake into an extra hot oven, but it's not actually an oven because it has special machines and steam to make it even hotter. When the cake is in the autoclave, it heats up and bakes for a long time. The steam helps to make the tiny air pockets get bigger, and this makes the cake a lot lighter but still super strong.

When we're done baking our big cake, we end up with something that looks like a really big cinder block, but it's a lot lighter and easier to move around. This can make it really useful for building big things like houses and buildings. Plus, because it's really strong, it can keep the people inside safe from things like bad weather or earthquakes.

In summary, autoclaved aerated concrete is like a special cake made out of strong ingredients that is baked in a hot machine called an autoclave. The result is a lightweight but super strong material that can be used to build big things.