Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) has been universally applicable in the construction of internal and external walls. In order to be able to correctly use AAC in new buildings, the properties of this construction material need to be analysed in order to safeguard compliance with resistance and functional requirements laid down in the Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC. Aerated concrete has been commonly known to exhibit favourable thermal properties, high fire resistance and high compressive resistance at relatively low density. However, little attention has been devoted to the sound insulation performance of aerated concrete partitions. This paper presents the results of studies on acoustic properties of AAC partitions aimed at identifying the effect of specific factors on AAC sound insulation performance. The following AAC properties have been taken into account in the studies: concrete density, resistance, humidity, and structural factors, i.e.: wall thickness, type of connections between wall elements (mortar, etc.), and surface finish.
Single-leaf walls have been mainly examined. The tests have been carried out in close cooperation with acousticians, aerated concrete production engineers and design engineers in order to account for the latest achievements in concrete production and construction methods along with the most common structural solutions. A variety of acoustic problems with AAC partitions still remain unsolved, in particular, flanking sound transmission, which may be of importance in estimating sound insulation performance in buildings on the basis of the properties of AAC elements. Selected study outcomes referring to flanking sound transmission have been also summarized in this paper.