Since its inception more than 80 years ago, autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) has enjoyed a reputation for excellent thermal insulation, acoustic, and fire-resistant properties due to its low density and cellular structure. The production and use of AAC in the United States, however, did not start until the mid 1990s. To promote and encourage the use of AAC and other ultra-lightweight concrete, ACI Committee 523, Cellular Concrete, and ACI Committee 229, Controlled Low-Strength Materials, organized a technical session on "Controlled-Density/Controlled-Strength Concrete Materials" at the 2003 ACI Spring Convention in Vancouver, Canada, and a session on "Aerated Concrete - An Innovative Building Solution" at the 2003 ACI Fall Convention in Boston. Thirteen papers were presented at these two technical sessions covering a wide range of practical case studies and research projects on different types of ultra-lightweight concretes, with particular focus on AAC. These papers should be of interest to the practicing engineers, educators, and researchers in that they demonstrate the effective use of AAC as well as other types of ultra-lightweight concrete materials.

This special publication (SP) contains eight of the 13 papers presented at the session. Six of the papers deal with AAC and cover a wide variety of topics including material properties, structural design, seismic performance, and design examples. The other two papers address the acoustic and structural properties of foamed and/or aerated lightweight concretes cured at room temperature.