

FIBEROCK® Aqua-Tough™ Interior Panels Performance Properties
Combining impact resistance, high acoustic values, fire resistance, moisture resistance and environmental sustainability in a wall lining that installs like plasterboard.
Overall Moisture ControlNo matter what interior lining material is used attention is needed to moisture management during all stages of the construction cycle. Moisture needs to be controlled through effective design, good construction practice, and ongoing maintenance. This will include:
USG Powerscape Fiberock linings resist toxic mould and mildew formation through a combination of high resistance to water absorption and other unique mechanisms. They achieve the maximum grade 10 in the demanding ASTM D3273 test for mould resistance. Use in conjunction with good wet area wall design principles for effective performance.
Impact PerformanceFiberock outperforms other tested interior linings when used in timber or steel frame wall systems. Performance was examined from both soft and hard body impacts. The impact is repeated with increasing energy levels until failure is noted. Two failure points are important:
Soft Body ImpactSoft body testing was completed to BS 5234:1999, and involves a 50kg bag filled with glass beads swung on a rope. The test simulates human body impact. The following graphs show the lowest recorded impact energy for each lining type for tests undertaken with a minimum sample size of three specimens of each lining. Typical energy exerted by the shoulder of an adult male when impacting a wall at speed is up to 120 joules. Hard Body ImpactThe test involves a 5.44 kg steel hammer swung on a 3.0m axis against the wall surface with increasing levels of energy. This test replicated the effect of various in-use exposures to either intentional or accidental damage from a large hard object. Again first surface cracking and full penetration were the two points of failure noted. Hard body testing was completed to the draft 2002 ASTM standard specification for abuse resistant interior panels. An example of hard body impact is an intentional solid kick on the wall with a boot, which will result in an impact energy of around 50 or 60 joules. Ease of Repair - Lower Maintenance CostsFiberock interior linings have important features that make repair, if and when needed, generally a straight-forward localised task.
In this test programme, none of the test specimens of Fiberock demonstrated any tendency to fracture vertically or to distort the sheet surface. Some other lining materials have this tendency usually resulting in the need to replace a complete sheet along with associated trim materials. The following graphs show the lowest recorded impact energy for each lining type for tests undertaken with a minimum sample size of 3 specimens of each lining.
Enhanced Acoustic PerformanceFiberock is very effective at reducing sound transmission, as it combines high mass with very high stiffness. This means for instance that:
Because all USG Fiberock linings are suited to both dry and wet areas, there is no need to change lining type specification in wet areas, or to add a layer of fibre cement as is done in other competing systems. Less complexity means less product cost, less stock on site, less chance for site mistakes, and less rework. USG Powerscape Acoustic wall system designs:Enhanced Fire SafetyFiberock provides excellent fire safety. The absence of a paper surface combined with the mineral core means that it has leading surface fire resistance properties, as well as being an effective room to room fire barrier. Tested performance is as follows: Surface PropertiesThe Building Code of Australia Section 96 specification C1.10a requires that a material used as a finish, surface, lining or attachment to a wall or ceiling must be a Group 1, 2 or 3 material. In addition buildings not fitted with a sprinkler system must have a smoke growth rate index of not more than 100, or an average specific extinction area less than 250 m2/kg. Fiberock is a Group 1 material. The average specific extinction area in independent testing was reported at 32 m2/kg, which is clearly well under the 250m2/kg limit. BRANZ report FAR2265 details these results. For reference, under the previous regulations, Fiberock had ignitability, spread of flame and heat evolved indexes of 0, and a smoke developed index of 0-1. Fire ResistanceMost Fiberock wall specifications in the following downloads have a minimum of 30 minutes of fire resistance for the protection of occupants and structure. All systems have been independently certified to the relevant Australian and New Zealand Standards by either BRANZ or CSIRO.
CSIRO TestingPhotos from the testing of our -/120/120 system to AS/NZ 1530:4
The Creative EdgeFiberock offers entirely new possibilities for edge finishing and display. Once again, its uniquely workable properties render the essentially two-dimensional limitations of plasterboard or fibre cement obsolete by adding a third dimension of depth. Because of plasterboard’s make up, exposing the edge is not normally feasible due to roughness in the interfaces between the paper surfaces and the gypsum core. The lack of reinforcement throughout the brittle core also prevents the edge being profiled. This is not the case with Fiberock which can be worked with normal woodworking tools on site. A number of distinctive profiles can be achieved using either routers or planes, opening up many creative possibilities for layered wall and ceiling effects. Edge detailing requires precision machining, and extra attention during finishing.
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