An Investigation on the Embodied Energy of Cement Concrete Blocks and AAC Blocks in Vietnam

One of the most popular construction materials in Vietnam is the fired clay bricks (FCB). However, the manufacturing of this material has high CO2 emission and consumes high amount of agricultural soils. Therefore, the Vietnamese government has demanded to substitute the traditional FCB by other materials having “greener” properties. The current strategy proposed is using the unburnt blocks such as cement concrete blocks (CCB) and autoclaved aerated concrete bricks (AAC). This paper presents a study on the embodied energy (EE) of three current materials in Vietnam: FCB (as reference), CCB and AAC. First, the data from different manufacturers of these materials have been collected. Then, EE was calculated: from the extraction of the raw materials, the transformation of the raw materials to the final blocks, and the transportation of the final blocks to the construction sites. The results obtained on each type of block have been analysed and compared to evaluate the sustainability of each material.