Reveal Marketing Research study: AAC – the construction material that was invented once with the expansion of modernity, celebrates 100 years since its debut on the market
How has this product category evolved in Romania in recent years
- The low price is no longer the main motivation for purchase, as was the case in 2016 (63%), the efficiency of the product (speed of construction – 32%, the fact that it is easy to build – 28%) and the durable/resistant character over time (25%) are currently the most important purchase motivations.
- 6 out of 10 Romanians declared in 2019 that the AAC benefited from positive recommendations from influencers (e.g. specialists, builders, sellers, etc.) (vs. 4 out of 10 in 2016).
- Romanians pay more attention to the modern and ecological character of products when evaluating the construction materials they are going to use, with 58% considering the environmentally friendly attribute important when purchasing (vs. 51% in 2021) and 41% considering the modern/innovative attribute (vs. 34% in 2021).
About the emergence of AAC building material on the market
Historically, the discovery of AAC building material synchronizes with the period of expansion of modernity at the beginning of the 20th century that was beginning to dominate the civilized areas of the world (especially Western Europe and North America), with its emphasis on the development of capitalism, urbanization and technological progress.
So AAC, one of today’s most popular building materials, was discovered in 1923 by Swedish architect and inventor Dr. Johan Axel Eriksson, and in the late 1920s it was first produced on an industrial scale in a factory in Sweden.
Over time, the product features have strengthened, the technologies have become more efficient, thus ensuring AAC’s place in the construction industry for a long time. While in the early days this material was a challenger to other building materials, today it holds a remarkable share in the international construction industry, is continuously conquering new markets and is considered a pioneer of environmentally friendly building materials with great future potential.
At European level, the production capacity is 17.5 million m3 per year, and Romania is currently in 3rd place from this point of view. And AAC continues to gain ground in the field of building compliance with NZEB (nealry zero energy buildings) standards and legislation, thanks to its excellent thermal insulation properties.
The evolution of AAC on the Romanian market
Taking a look at the evolution of this category of building materials in Romania, we notice that the first AAC factories in Romania were built in the early 70s, during the communist regime led by Nicolae Ceaușescu.
Romanians’ perceptions have evolved in a positive direction over time as AAC has become an increasingly popular and appreciated construction material due to its proven reputation. It brings together multiple benefits existing in other building materials – easy to process, energy efficient, durable over time and with unmatched ecological properties.
The choice of AAC for construction is increasingly attractive due to its modern and environmentally friendly character
The studies conducted by Reveal Marketing Research on the attitudes and behaviours of Romanians and construction specialists towards masonry materials confirm these changes in the collective mentality regarding the image of AAC.
So, if in 2016 the image of AAC in the perception of Romanians was associated with speed in construction, fire resistance and the modern character of the material, from the 3 Reveal Marketing Research studies carried out consecutively in the last 3 years we find out that the main attributes associated with AAC are the modern character/ innovative (31% in 2023), affordable prices (30% in 2023) and popularity of the material (24% in 2023).
Regarding the evolution of the main motivations of Romanians for choosing BCA as a building material in the last 7 years, we observe that the cheap/ low price is no longer the main reason for purchase as it was in 2016 (63%). The efficiency of the product (speed of construction – 32%, the fact that it is easy to build – 28%) and the durability/resistance over time (25%) are now the most important reasons for buying AAC. Also, the proportion with which influencers recommend the AAC building material (e.g. specialists, acquaintances, builders, sellers, etc.) is increasing, with 6 out of 10 Romanians stating in 2019 that this material received positive recommendations from others (vs. 4 out of 10 in 2016).
We also see an increased emphasis on the modern and environmentally friendly nature of products when Romanians evaluate the construction materials they are going to use. For example, currently, for this product category, the environmentally friendly attribute counts for 58% (vs. 51% in 2021) and 41% the modern/innovative attribute (vs. 34% in 2021) at the moment of the purchase decision .
If we refer to the image of the AAC, it has changed considerably from this point of view in the perception of the Romanians. This perspective is also shared and reinforced by the opinions of construction specialists, with 37% of them declaring in 2023 that they prefer to build with AAC due to the modern character of the material, and 27% due to the ecological/environmentally friendly character (vs. 6% in 2021) .
So, over time, AAC acquires new values, becoming a material associated with well-being and safety (energy efficiency, resistance over time) and social responsibility (environmentally friendly material). Myths that it is a material for those with limited financial possibilities or that it is more suitable for holiday homes have been debunked, AAC being now strongly associated with residential housing and seen as a smart and efficient way to save money and time, and becoming the dominant masonry material in modern housing construction by major real estate developers.
And in terms of the attributes of an ideal home, both the modernity and innovation of the interior space, as well as its sustainability, play an important role today. We note that, while durability/resistance over time (69%) and energy efficiency (67%) are the attributes mentioned most often, sustainability shows a significant increase in 2023 compared to 2021, from 26% to 37%, and the characteristic of being a modern house from 16% to 30%, especially in the case of young people under 35 (48%).
The evolution of AAC is undeniably a positive one, its characteristics making it an attractive, high-quality, modern, efficient and environmentally friendly building material, with a reputation tested in its 100 years of existence. Given this successful track record, the 21st century construction industry is very likely to be dominated by the use of AAC in the future.