Engr. Joey Carlos, President and CEO of STARKEN AAC Philippines
Starting as a small building business materials trader in Malaysia, Starken has grown to be major manufacturer of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) building materials in Southeast Asia. Starken AAC offers new technologies that strengthen masonry products.
These new blocks include improved fire resistance. AAC is composed of mineral products, making it non-combustible, which prevents or limits spreading of fires. At 100mm thickness, AAC firewalls can resist fires up to four hours. Starken's AAC also includes improved thermal insulating qualities to help maintain temperatures, which Starken claims would lead to savings from spending on cooling costs.
For establishments such as schools, condominiums, hospitals, hotels, Starken claims that there wouldn't be any further need to soundproof the rooms as AAC blocks can isolate sound. This doubles on being impervious to water, preventing moisture from entering through the material, which can cause long-term problems.
On top of this all, Starken AAC are environment-friendly, using 100% biomass energy for its autoclave. It is made from non-toxic materials, which reduce at least 30% of environmental waste and up to 50% greenhouse radiation.
Alongside the AAC blocks, Starken's main products are panels and lintels with density of 450kg/cubic meter up to 700kg/cub meter. The compressive strength is available from 525 PSI, 870 PSI, and 1070 PSI, depending on the type of strength required.
Starken's production facility in Serendah, Selangor, is fully-automated, equipped with the newest machinery and technology supplied by Wehrhahn, Germany, producing blocks and engineered panels cost-effectively.
Since its establishment in 2011, the company Starken AAC Sdn Bhd has grown to be an integrated building conglomerate that provides building materials and services to construction and building industries, expanding its operations to other countries such as Australia, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Invented in 1920s by Swedish architech and inventor Dr. Johan Axel Eriksson, AAC components are produced using slurry mix containing cement, sand, and lime, and aerating agent. The slurry is then molded to form lightweight blocks, panels and lintels, which are cured in autoclave. The reason, according to Starken for this technology to enter Philippines in a wider market, is because Filipinos love cement structures, and it has been that way for years.
Starken's production facilities are fully-automated and equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and technology supplied by Wehrhahn, Germany, enabling them to produce blocks efficiently and engineered panels cost-effectively. Starken has an annual capacity of 600,000 cubic meters from their Johor Baru plant.