Working Groups
The working groups are an integral part of the technical committee, in which experts from the individual disciplines exchange views on specific topics, discuss and evaluate research findings, and develop and communicate standards for practice.
WG Material Properties
Dr. Berit Straube, Convener
In the working group material properties experts for product tests are dealing with new approaches for further harmonization of test procedures. That includes the revision of the European product standard EN 771-4 and the related test standards for AAC.
If there are new aspects regarding to the test equipment or experience from factory production control the new approaches are discussed and validated. Before this knowledge is included in the material tests standards, they are reviewed in different laboratories of the EAACA members. As a first result of such round robin tests an EAACA recommendation is published on the website.
Currently a test procedure for the long-term stability (durability) is in preparation for starting a standardization process.
Dr. Berit Straube
Convener
WG Structural Design
Franz Loderer, Convener
This working group supports standardisation activities especially for technical regulations dealing with the influence on capacity or structural behaviour of buildings. This is not only related to masonry units but also to reinforced AAC elements. The members of the working group are directly participating in the standardisation works with implementing their knowledge and experience.
To support building systems made from AAC components projects with developing new approaches in terms of design and calculation are executed. For selected design methods recommendations are provided on the EAACA website to describe the approach and give technical background.
To keep the EAACA members informed reports about the evolution of the European standards are presented at every meeting of the Technical committee of EAACA.
Franz Loderer
Convener
WG Environment
Dr. Hartmut Walther, Convener
The Working Group Environment deals with health- and environment-related requirements for the building material AAC as well as for its production and application
Of growing importance is the work on topics related to sustainability, such as the preparation of basics for the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of AAC or the Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) based on it.
Dr. Hartmut Walther
Convener
WG Energy
The energy working group is dealing with thermal behavior of AAC in new buildings and renovation. Furthermore relevant is working on the energy performance of buildings directive and its influencing of revisions and contents.
Members of the group are working on standards of thermal conductivity measurements in Europe (EN 1745) and solutions for nearly zero energy houses with AAC. In addition they define advantages of AAC in terms of thermal bridges, thermal inertia and indoor quality.
Torsten Schorch
Chairman
WG for circular economy
The European Commission has adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan – one of the main blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth. Their (and our) vision of a circular economy is about conserving materials and resources in the system as comprehensively at maximum level and, hence, minimizing leaks such as landfill and waste incineration.
The production of AAC per se involves a materials cycle: AAC rubble invariably arises during the production process. This waste material is either processed to produce AAC granulates and/or returned to the AAC production cycle in milled form as aggregate. And this opens avenues towards a nearly closed-loop cycle for AAC – from the extraction of raw materials to production and use and finally to recovery and recycling of the building material after deconstruction of the building.
In view of industry-obligations yet to come and foreseeable economical and ecological benefits, the Technical Committee of the eaaca decided to form a working group for circular economy.
Dr. Oliver Kreft from the Xella Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft mbH took over the leadership of this new WG. The declared goal of the group is the definition of a CE-roadmap for the AAC-industry until 2030 and beyond.
Dr.Oliver Kreft
Convener