“The first lightweight concrete product for walls entered Indonesian market in 1985. However, it was not untill 1995 that this product became acceptable and was welcomed by Indonesian people,” explained Thomas Bahar, the Director of PT. Jaya Celcon Prima (Celcon aerated lightweight concrete manufacturer).

After people began to accept this material as a substitute for terracotta bricks, the market demand of aerated lightweight concrete increased. This increase caused many similar products from a variety of brands participated in the market sales. Untill today, there are at least 14 lightweight concrete products in Indonesian market. With so many choices, you need to be selective in choosing the right product.

Only the products with good quality are worth your choice. However, the next question is: how can we tell? One of the easiest way is by comparing their weight and test their porisity.

When you go to a building material store to look for aerated lightweight concrete products, they are going to offer you some brands. You need to be careful, because although they are labeled as “lightweight”, not all of them are truly “lightweight”.

Aerated lightweight concrete weighs 6-8kg each. If the weight of the product being offered is heavier than the normal weight of aerated lightweight concrete, it means that product is not a genuine lightweight concrete. It might be a modified version of concrete brick (batako).