Fibre Cement Boards are used for different building applications such as; ceiling/soffits, internal linings, external cladding, GB - Over clad Panels, and external in - fill Panels.

Basic Composition
Fibre cement is manufactured from Portland cement, finely ground sand,  treated cellulose fibre and water.  It does not contain asbestos.

Manufacturing Process
Fibre cement is manufactured using Hatscheck process, which involves building up a number of laminations of a slurried mix of the core ingredients on a large steel cylinder, known as the size roller.  When the desired sheet thickness  is achieved, the "green" sheet is cut away and deposited on a conveyor, where it is trimmed to size, then stacked and left for a short period of pre-curing.

The final curing, which is made in a high pressure steam autoclave, changes the chemical structure of the cement/silica/sand matrix to produce highly durable and strong fiber cement products.     

Fire Resistance

The fire resistance levels of James Hardie's building products has been determined by test at CSIRO, Division of Building Construction and Engineering in accordance with  AS153 .4 - 1990, "Fire Resistance Tests of Elements of Constructions" and the equivalent British Standards BS476 Parts 20 & 22 - 1987, Fire Tests on Building Materials and Structures." 

In assessing the performance of a building element to fire resistance, AS1530.4 considers three relevant criteria.
These are:

• Structural Adequacy

• Integrity

• Insulation

Structural adequacy is concerned with the ability of the element to support applied loads when exposed to fire thus maintaining its structural purpose.

Integrity is concerned with the ability of element exposed to fire to resist cracks, fissures and the like, such that flames are not transmitted through the elements.

Insulation is concerned with the ability of element to provide the adequate barrier between a compartment exposed to fire and adjacent compartment such that the average temperature rise of the face of the element not exposed does not exceed 140⁰ C.

Acoustic Performance

James Hardie's fiber cement sheeting provides advantages when seeking acoustic performance from drywall systems.  The dense sheet allows high sound insulating walls to be achieved with a slimmer wall than would be the case with other traditional drywall panels.  These thinner wall have advantages in hotels, motels and similar accommodation forms where increased floor area is a  bonus.

The systems provide excellent acoustic performance which range from 45 to 60 Sound Transmission Class (STC)
Sound Transmission Class value can be increased by providing an acoustic fill in the cavity e.g.
Glasswool Insulation

Manufacturing Standards

James Hardie's internal lining boards meet or exceed the  requirement of the International Standards Organization (ISO)  standard  for Fibre  Cement Flat Sheets (ISO/DIS 8336) - July 1993

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