GPDA Press Releases...

24 April 2007

CE MARKING OF PLASTERS FOR FIBROUS & GRG PLASTER

CE marking of plasters for fibrous & GRG plaster work EN 13815 enters into force on 01/06/2007 in the UK and Ireland from on 01/06/2007 with the co-existence period ends on 01/ 06/ 2008. CE marking of plasterboards, jointing materials, metal framing components and plasterboard products from reprocessing, commenced from 1st October 2006, while preformed plasterboard cornices, plasterboard composite panels and adhesives have been CE marked from 1st March 2007.

The CE mark is, of course, an EU mark. It guarantees that CE marked products manufactured by the UK and Ireland comply with the essential requirements stated in the BS EN and IS EN harmonised standards relevant to each product, and that the system of attestation of conformity laid down in the Commission Decision relating to the product has been applied. It is important to realise that the CE mark is not a mark of origin, nor - as it has sometimes been confused - is it a quality mark.

The technical specifications required by the EN are performance based, and our members have assessed and tested their products using the relevant evaluation method identified in the harmonised standard. The important performances of the products are declared in the information accompanying the CE marking and this marking also confirms that the threshold values of the performance specification have been met.

The responsibility for applying the CE marking lies with the manufacturer.

Except in the case of powders and small fixing components, CE marking will be on either the product or the packaging. The following information must be displayed: Name of producer and their registered address Last 2 digits of the year in which the marking is fixed, e.g. 06 the number of the European Standard and information on regulated characteristics.

European Standards – Applicable to Products Only

For UK and Ireland pre-fix BS or IS

Plasters EN 13279-1 Building Plasters (BS1191 and eg. both undercoat and skimb IS 27)

EN 13815 Plasters for fibrous & GRG plaster work

30 March 2007

GYPSUM PRODUCERS HISTORIC RECYCLING COMMITTMENT

Plasterboard manufacturers in Great Britain have today signed up to a trailblazing agreement that is set to bring a significant reduction in the amount of waste plasterboard sent to landfill.

The voluntary agreement was initiated and brokered by the Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) which, in Great Britain, represents Knauf Drywall, British Gypsum and Lafarge Plasterboard.

The GPDA approached Defra last year with an outline proposal and has since been working with WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and the government-funded Market Transformation Programme to define the targets to which the industry will work.

Formalised within the Ashdown Agreement signed today, the targets are:

• to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill from manufacturing operations in Great Britain to 10,000 tonnes/year by 2010; and
• to increase the take back and recycling of plasterboard waste, for use in plasterboard manufacture, to 50% of new construction waste arisings by 2010.

In addition, all parties have agreed to work with other parts of the supply chain to develop processes to reduce the amount of wastage generated in new construction and to make further progress towards achieving the ultimate objective of zero plasterboard waste to landfill.

Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Local Environment for Defra, welcomed the agreement. He said:

“Reducing the waste we produce, reusing what we can, and recycling as much as possible of what’s left are all essential if we are to cut the amount of waste we send to landfill.

“This agreement represents an important step forward for the construction sector and it is particularly encouraging that it has been achieved on a voluntary basis. I hope the example it sets will be recognised by other parts of the industry and that sector-wide agreement can be secured.”

Ross Finnie, Minister for the Environment and Rural Development for the Scottish Executive, said:

“I welcome this agreement to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. This is in line with our Scottish Business Waste Framework which highlights the role voluntary agreements can play in sustainable waste management.”

Environment Minister for the Welsh Assembly, Carwyn Jones, welcomed the agreement. He said:

“It is essential that we recycle and reuse as much as possible to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill. “This agreement is a big step forward for the construction sector and I am particularly encouraged that it has been achieved on a voluntary basis. It is a great example to set for the construction industry as a whole, and I hope that it will lead to a further, sector-wide agreement in future.”

Crispin Dunn-Meynell of the GPDA explains:

“Much has already been achieved by plasterboard manufacturers and construction contractors in Great Britain, both in terms both of recycling manufacturing process waste and waste from construction sites. This new initiative sets tough but achievable targets for the future and, critically, has broad government support."

“We will now be working further with WRAP, the Market Transformation Programme and other parts of the drywall industry to develop similar agreements with distributors and contractors.”

Ian Wardle, Construction Programme Manager for Materials Recycling at WRAP, adds:

“The Ashdown Agreement is important not just because of the impact on waste reduction but because it is a voluntary initiative. Plasterboard is an increasingly popular product; approximately 2.5 million tonnes were used in construction in 2006, and some 300,000 tonnes of plasterboard waste was generated. It is essential that we find effective ways of reducing and recycling this waste.”

4 September 2006

UK DECLARES FGD GYPSUM A PRODUCT

The UK Government's Environment Agency have classified FGD gypsum as a by-product in advance of the outcome from the consultation on by-products by the European Commission as part of the wider review of the European Waste Framework Directive.

This decision came after strong representation from the UK gypsum association, the GPDA, and the electricity producers association, the AEP, after the Environment Agency had initially classified FGD gypsum as a waste, which would have had serious licensing, handling and storage implications for gypsum product manufacturers.

The UK gypsum producers welcomed the decision as a return to common sense in encouraging the use of a sustainable product, which reduces the need for gypsum mining for the foreseeable future. It is to be hoped that this creates a precedent for the classification of FGD gypsum in other European countries.

24 February 2006

SOUND UPGRADES PROVIDE ADDED VALUE OPPORTUNITY FOR BATHROOM SPECIALISTS

Upgrading sound performance in bathrooms can make a major contribution to the quality of the home environment, yet is often overlooked during bathroom refurbishments. It’s a task which, believes the Gypsum Products Development Association, could offer an additional business opportunity for bathroom specialists and increase the sales appeal of the service offered by them.

GPDA represents the UK's plasterboard systems manufacturers, whose products are integral to most properties built in recent years and can also be used to enhance the performance of traditional brick and block built properties.

Depending on the design and age of a property the level of sound proofing within bathroom walls may be in line with current Building Regulations or fall well short of today’s standards. Few people want to upgrade partition performance in isolation since it demands an element of disruption and re-decoration. However, when bathrooms are re-fitted there is considerable attendant disruption and existing wall finishes are commonly damaged as a result of the removal of tiles and fittings. The additional work and inconvenience associated with sound upgrades at this time is, therefore, minimal. Neither is the cost great, since materials are likely to cost less than £50 for a typical partition wall.

Removing an original plasterboard lining to insert acoustic insulation into a partition cavity and replacing it with a higher performance board is a simple and quick process which, in many instances, may be easier than making good an existing lining prior to re-decoration. Similarly adding a layer of plasterboard on top of an existing masonry wall is quick and simple and brings enhanced sound performance.

Current Building Regulations (England & Wales) call for new homes to be built with 40 decibel (dB) sound attenuation between bathrooms and adjoining rooms. From the mid 1980s to 2003 it was common to build-in 38 dB performance to meet the guidelines set by the NHBC. Older properties may not necessarily achieve these levels, resulting in rather more being heard from the bathroom than might be acceptable. The greater the thickness of board, the greater the acoustic performance.

Moisture resistant board products should be used in bathroom applications.

Adding a 12.5mm board on top of the existing facing, or blockwork, should increase sound attention performance by 3 decibels. Adding two layers of 12.5mm board will give a proportionate increase of 6 dB. Boards can be fixed to masonry using special bonding compounds or with the aid of metal brackets which, if required, can be set so as to create a cavity to accommodate services.

Where the facings of studwork partitions retain their integrity after removal of tiles, additional boards can be fixed to them using special adhesives, as with blockwork. Alternatively, if the condition of the existing board indicates it is better to remove the original material, the new facing can be fixed to the studs using drywall nails (in the case of timber) or screws (for timber or metal studs). Adding a 25mm thick ‘acoustic partition mat’ (a special type of insulation) in the cavity makes a further improvement of around 5 dB.

Standard tiles can be fixed directly to drywall facings using tiling adhesive, following application of a suitable PVA bonding coat. Alternatively the boards can be decorated using a water resistant emulsion, or skim plastered, again after application of a suitable bonding agent.

Whilst drywall installation may not necessarily be part of the bathroom specialist’s skill set, applications of this type are generally straightforward. Short training courses offered by all the main plasterboard manufacturers would enable most to acquire the necessary expertise in a matter of days.

Says Crispin Dunn-Meynell:

“There is little doubt that combining a stunning new bathroom with enhanced sound performance will add to customer satisfaction and can offer an additional profit opportunity for the bathroom specialist.”

29 December 2005

SURVEY REVEALS HOMEOWNERS WILL PAY MORE FOR BETTER SOUND PROOFING

A new survey has revealed that many homeowners are worried by the level of intrusive noise in their properties. The TNS Omnibus survey, undertaken on behalf of the Gypsum Products Development Association, indicates that around one fifth of all homeowners experience problems with noise transference, rising to nearer a quarter amongst owners with properties under 30 years old.

Some 85 per cent of owners feel better sound proofing would have a positive effect on house value with the average figure quoted being an increase of £2,500. Survey respondents thought it would cost a builder just over £2,000 to install higher specification sound proofing at build stage. In fact very significant enhancements, over and above the standards required by Building Regulations, can be made using drywall systems for about £500 on a typical new three bedroom home.

Not surprisingly, living rooms (62 per cent) and bedrooms (57 per cent) were identified as the main rooms in which intrusive noise was seen as a problem. This remains the case irrespective of property age.

Overall, noise generated inside the home was seen as the main cause (37 per cent) with noise from neighbouring properties slightly lower at 34 per cent. General background noise was mentioned as a nuisance only by 29 per cent of respondents. Interestingly, the percentage of those mentioning intrusive noise between rooms inside a property is higher for those with properties under 30 years old, whilst the figure for noise from neighbouring properties is lower. The greatest problem with noise from neighbours appears to be in homes which are over 60 years old.

More people find noise transference a problem on the first floor of their homes than on the ground floor. Results indicate that unwanted noise has affected satisfaction levels for two thirds of people who have experienced it, although it is a major concern only for 7 per cent. Noise appears to have affected property satisfaction levels less for owners of properties less than 30 years old than for those with older homes. However, overall the survey indicates one in five homes experiences problems with noise – equating to around 4.5 million properties in the UK.

With sound performance an important issue in any domestic property, and homeowners seeking ever better quality standards, this latest survey clearly demonstrates that homeowners are willing to pay a premium for higher standards. Today’s plasterboard systems provide the ideal solution offering quick and easy installation, excellent sound performance and a quality finish.

Notes:

The survey was conducted by RSGB Omnibus, a division of TNS. TNS is one of the world’s leading market information groups, providing market measurement, analysis and insight through its global network of operating companies in 70 countries.

27 October 2005

INVEST IN DRYWALL SYSTEMS FOR A QUIETER HOME

Modern Building Regulations require all new homes to be built to markedly higher standards of sound performance than was the case some years ago. Notable ‘milestones’ along the way have been the introduction of a requirement for properties covered by the National House Builders Confederation (NHBC) to achieve 38 dB sound separation between bathrooms and bedrooms – so you can’t hear so much of what goes on in the loo – and, more recently, the latest amendments to Building Regulations Part E (England & Wales), which deals with sound and requires partitions to achieve 40 dB sound separation. At the 40 dB level you can’t make out what people are saying in an adjacent room but you may still be aware of them talking. Taking performance a step better still, up to 45 dB, is not difficult and takes away even the background ‘mumble’.

Sound enters and moves around a property by a variety of means. Noise from the outside may pass through party walls, exterior walls, the roof, windows and doors. Sound inside a home passes from room to room through the partitions, walls and floors/ceilings.

Current regulations (England & Wales) require party walls to achieve the equivalent of 55 dB, whilst internal partitions must achieve 40dB. The same applies to sound performance between storeys and through the roof.

Windows, normally now double glazed, provide about 38dB performance. There are no sound performance regulations relating to external or internal doors, although an external door made of plastic and with glazed sections will typically offer 30-35dB performance. Internal doors typically only have a thin facing over a cardboard interior – making them lightweight but reducing sound performance.

Improving sound performance over that required by the Building Regulations can help to provide a quieter living environment still – helping to guard against unwanted noise from the exterior and provide greater privacy between internal rooms.

A significant further improvement in partition performance can be achieved in one of three ways using drywall systems.

Adding an extra layer of board on either side of a partition will boost performance by around 6dB (3dB for each side).

If there is no insulation between the drywall faces of a partition, adding it will boost performance by 5dB.

Incorporating resilient bar on one side of the wall can offer a 7dB improvement because this type of fixing effectively isolates the facing board from the studwork, making it harder for sound to travel through the partition.

Using a ‘standard’ metal stud rather than a timber stud adds 3dB and specification of high performance acoustic metal studs adds a further 2-3dB to performance.

Of course, in a completed property such measures are ‘easier said than done’ – but upgrades as part of other projects, a major kitchen or bathroom upgrade or re-modelling of room layouts is well worth considering if unwanted noise is proving a problem. Remember, of course, that adding to wall thickness also means widening door surrounds.

Self-builders embarking on new construction projects can readily incorporate the higher standards indicated above – at little additional cost, relative to the overall price of construction.

When purchasing a new home asking for such upgrades may be a possibility when buying off plan, although this will undoubtedly vary from builder to builder.

20 October 2005

KEEPING SOUND AT BAY – DRYWALL PROVIDES THE ANSWER

Controlling unwanted noise is a growing concern for house purchasers, reflected in recent changes in the Building Regulations. It is, perhaps, natural to think that the best sound performance can come only from using traditional brick and block construction. This perception undoubtedly dates back to the early days of plasterboard when partitions typically were built using relatively thin boards and without insulation. Today, the situation is very different and drywall can be used to meet the most demanding sound specifications.

It is for this reason, among others, that drywall is becoming the preferred choice for most housebuilders and for the growing number of self-builders, who today account for a substantial proportion of the new houses constructed each year in the UK.

To put performance, and developments, into context it is useful to understand the level at which sound typically becomes intrusive. Sound is measured in decibels (dB). A partition (be it a wall, floor or ceiling) that offers 40 dB of sound attenuation will make it impossible to interpret normal speech through the partition, although a low frequency ‘mumble’ may still just be audible. Above about 45 dB that low frequency mumble will also disappear. Sound insulation levels at the local multiplex cinema need to be around 70 dB to stop output from high powered sound systems passing from one auditorium to another.

There are two forms of sound, ‘airborne’ sound – the person talking next door, and ‘impact’ sound – someone walking on the floor above.

Most of the homes built in the 10 years following the end of the Second World War were constructed using traditional bricks and blocks. Early ‘breeze blocks’ achieved around 40dB airborne sound insulation.

In the 1960s the breeze block was largely replaced by lightweight aerated concrete blocks. These have the advantage of offering good thermal performance and are quick to lay. Their sound attenuation is about 35 dB.

At a similar period it became common practice to construct non-loadbearing internal partitions using plasterboard and a popular approach was to install a type of pre-formed partition with a 9.5mm layer of plasterboard on either side of a cardboard ‘honeycomb’ section between the two facings. This type of partition was lightweight and quick to install but sacrificed sound performance in favour of offering a slim construction just 57mm thick – nearly half that of a plastered breeze block wall – giving more usable floor space in the property. (These partitions are no longer manufactured in the UK).

Today’s drywall systems combine the best of both worlds, achieving slim profiles whilst also offering high standards of sound insulation that equal and often better those provided by solid masonry construction.

Explains Chris Walker chairman of the technical committee at the Gypsum Products Development Association, which represents producers of drywall systems: “The performance of drywall systems in respect of sound is linked to the way the partition is constructed. A solid masonry partition has no ‘sound break’ so, despite its mass, some airborne sound can still travel through it and impact sound conducts across it. Drywall systems are constructed by placing boards on either side of the metal or timber studs which support them, so there is a gap between one side and the other. The cavity hinders the passage of both airborne and impact sound and so contributes to performance.” This can be further increased by the use of sound absorbing mineral wool in the cavity.

A typical drywall partition wall in a house constructed today will be 75mm thick, including the wall finish and will readily achieve 40 dB sound performance, even without any insulation in the cavity. This compares with a solid block partition which will typically achieve the same sound insulation but be 100mm thick.

At the same time as offering good sound performance and keeping partitions slim, drywall is lightweight. This means the position of partitions on upper storeys does not need to be the same as that on the ground floor – giving considerable versatility in floor structure and plan design. And that’s why your home today is a little bigger inside than it could have been in the past, quieter to live in and why housebuilders time and again use today’s advanced drywall systems for internal walls. For interest, it is also why drywall systems, to higher specification designs, are routinely specified for multiplex cinema applications.

25 May 2005

GYPSUM ACHIEVES ENERGY SAVING TARGET

The GPDA submission to DEFRA for its first and second two year milestones showed that the Gypsum Sector exceeded its energy reduction target. All the UK manufacturers in the climate change agreement met their targets, after allowable adjustments for product mix and emissions trading.

The gypsum industry remains committed to the spirit of the Kyoto agreement and the UK’s Government’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. The UK gypsum manufacturers continue to improve process efficiencies, through constant technological development driven by the individual companies and careful management, despite already having one of the most technically advanced and energy efficient manufacturing processes.

We support efforts by the CBI and CPA to persuade the Secretary of State to allow all companies the opportunity to commit to climate change agreements. Gypsum illustrates the unfairness of the current system which does not allow smaller sites, using identical processes to produce identical products, to join the agreement and benefit from an 80% rebate on the climate change tax in exchange for challenging energy targets, putting them at a commercial disadvantage.

16 September 2004

FIRE TESTS – THE EUROPEAN STANDARD

As a result of efforts to harmonise fire test standards throughout the European Union, British standard fire resistance and reaction to fire tests will gradually be replaced by harmonized European Standards.

It is anticipated that the existing British Standard BS476 will continue to be used for the time-being, as there is currently no target for legislation to require the testing of products to the EN standard, EN1363 and plasterboard manufacturers will continue to quote the BS in their technical literature. Gradually, however, specifiers will become familiar with the EN standard and the BS will become less used, and will eventually become obsolete.

It is anticipated that gypsum wallboard manufacturers in Great Britain and Ireland will quote only EN fire test data in their literature from 1st January 2007.

14 September 2004

THE FUTURE OF 9.5MM WALLBOARD

In a World of greater environmental awareness, has 9.5mm plasterboard got a future? In the short term the answer is, undoubtedly, yes. It is the traditional choice, as the cheapest suitable board for a range of domestic and commercial situations. And where sound resistance and fire resistance are not an issue, or are not covered by specific regulation, it will continue to be widely used.

However, its days as the plasterboard of choice seem likely to be numbered, as the long term consumer demand for higher levels of sound resistance, and changing building types, are likely to may drive up board weights. Its lack of fire resistance, when tested in accordance with the more strict 1999 European test methods BS EN 1363 , 64 ,65 means that 9.5mm cannot achieve 30 minutes fire insulation and integrity in these tests. The superior strength and better spanning properties of the thicker boards are also important reasons for the eventual demise of 9.5mm.

In England and Wales the authorities have moved to strengthen the Building Regulations for sound insulation. Robust Details, constructions which avoid the need for further testing under the revised Building Regulations Part E Acoustic, do not allow 9.5mm wallboard, effectively slashing usage of 9.5mm board overnight, and there is an aspiration to also extend Robust Details to Part L Thermal.

There is not the same regulatory pressure in the Irish Republic, Northern Ireland or Scotland, which have not adopted Robust Solutions, but I those markets performance demands are also rising.

In the short term 9.5mm board does have a future and will remain widely available, but sooner or later its days as a mainstay of construction are now probably numbered.

11 December 2002

PLASTERBOARD CONTRIBUTION TO RACKING STRENGTH ‘UNDERRATED’

Tests conducted as part of the TF2000 Core programme provided for the first time an insight into the actual performance of a complete timber frame building, not just of its component parts but the enhanced structural performance of timber, structural sheathing, plasterboard lining and brick cladding when these components interact. One of the test series in the core programme identified the lateral or racking stiffness at different stages of construction in order to determine the contribution of both structural and non-structural elements to the overall building stiffness.

The results formed the basis for a ‘Partners in Innovation’ project “Re-evaluation of plasterboard in wall racking”, with the main aim of improving timber frame design codes and building efficiency using the TF2000 wall racking data This highlighted a potential vast level of conservatism in the present design method for racking resistance of timber frame buildings. It is clear from the final/closing report that plasterboard requirements of design and construction have been recommended for improvement in the design codes based on the outcome of the project and the work of the TF2000 project.

Test results of the TF2000 building have shown that the plasterboard lining and brickwork cladding play a major role in contributing to the racking resistance of the whole building, producing a combined increase in stiffness over the timber frame by a factor of 3.3 to 17.5, depending on the building axis considered. These results are all the more convincing considering that they were established by applying a 50-year return period wind load to the TF2000 building, which only deflected on the top floor by ± 1mm when the building was complete.

One of the main technical objectives to the project had been establishing the reserves of strength in the building and identifying components of the construction and design that may account for these reserves. This included a series of racking tests that studied in greater depth the influence of plasterboard linings.

The test report produced by Dr Griffiths and Ms Bregulla at Surrey University has produced the most compelling evidence for changes to the design codes, although the scope of potential changes has been only small. This project has also identified the omissions or potential amendments to British standards BS5268: Part 6: Sections 6.1 and 6.2:

• Screws are increasingly used for fixing plasterboard. Specifications for their fixing and application should be include following the recommendations of the report.
• Limits on the construction of plasterboard have been shown to be very conservative and may be revised in the light of new evidence.

Recommendation for the revision of relevant codes have been made to B525/5/WG4 committee responsible for BS5268: Part 6: Sections 6.1 and 6.2 for their consideration.