Ytong is an Autoclaved Cellular Concrete  perfected in the mid-1920s by the Swedish architect and inventor Dr. Johan Axel Eriksson, working with Professor Henrik Kreüger at the Royal Institute of Technology. It went into production in Sweden in 1929 in a factory in Hällabrottet and quickly became very popular.

Siporex was established in Sweden in 1939 and presently licenses and owns plants in 35 locations around the world. In the 1940s, the trademark Ytong was introduced, and was often referred to as "blue concrete" in Sweden due to its blueish tinge. This version of Ytong was produced from alum shale, whose combustible carbon content made it beneficial to use in the production process.

Ytong is a highly thermally insulating concrete-based material used for both internal and external construction. Besides Ytong's insulating capability, one of its advantages in construction is its quick and easy installation, because the material can be routed, sanded, or cut to size on site using standard carbon steel power tools.

Ytong is well suited for urban areas with high rise buildings and those with high temperature variations. Due to lower density, high rise buildings constructed using Ytong require less steel and concrete for structural members. Requirement of mortar for laying.

Ytong blocks is reduced due to less number of joints. Similarly material required for rendering is also lower due to dimensional accuracy of Ytong. Better thermal efficiency of Ytong makes it suitable for use in areas with extreme temperature as it eliminates need for separate materials for construction and insulation leading to faster construction and savings.

Even though regular cement mortar can be used, most of the buildings erected with Ytong materials use thin bed mortar in thicknesses around ⅛ inch, depending on the national building codes. Ytong materials can be coated with a stucco or plaster compound to guard against the elements, or covered with siding materials such as brick or vinyl.

Ytong has been produced for more than 70 years, and it offers several significant advantages over other cement construction materials, one of the most important being its lower environmental impact.

• Improved thermal efficiency reduces the heating and cooling load in buildings.

• Porous structure allows for superior fire resistance.

• Workability allows accurate cutting, which minimizes the generation of solid waste during use.

• Resource efficiency gives it lower environmental impact in all phases of its life cycle, from processing of raw materials to the disposal of waste.

• Light weight saves cost & energy in transportation, labor expenses, and increases chances of survival during seismic activity.[6]

• Larger size blocks leads to faster masonry work.

• Reduces the cost of the project.

• Environmentally Friendly: When used, it helps to reduce at least 30% of environmental waste as opposed to going with traditional concrete. There is a decrease of 50% of greenhouse gas emissions. When possible, using autoclaved aerated concrete is a better choice for the environment.

• Energy Saver: It is an excellent property that makes it an excellent insulator and that means the interior environment is easier to maintain. When it is used, there is usually not a need for any supplementary insulation.

• Great Acoustics: When you think of concrete, you do not consider it to be excellent for acoustics, however autoclaved aerated concrete has excellent acoustic performance. It is able to be used as a very effective sound barrier.

• Fire Resistant: Just like with regular concrete, ACC is fire resistant. This material is completely inorganic and not combustible.

• Great Ventilation: This material is very airy and allows for the diffusion of water. This will reduce the humidity within the building. ACC will absorb moisture and release humidity; this helps to prevent condensation and other problems that are related to mildew.

• Non-Toxic: There are no toxic gases or other toxic substances in autoclaved aerated concrete. It does not attract rodents or other pests nor can it be damaged by such.

• Lightweight: Concrete blocks that are made out of ACC weigh about one-fifth of typical concrete. They are also produced in sizes that are easy to handle for quick construction.

• Accuracy: The panels and blocks made of autoclaved aerated concrete are produced to the exact sizes needed before they even leave the factory. There is less need for on-site trimming. Since the blocks and panels fit so well together, there is a reduced use of finishing materials such as mortar.

• Long Lasting: The life of this material is extended because it is not affected by harsh climates or extreme changes in weather conditions. It will not degrade under normal climate changes either.

• Quick Assembly: Since it is a lightweight material and easy to work with, the assembly is much quicker and smoother.