Rivagips BG Ltd

Fiber cement board in its current form was developed in the 1980s by the James Hardie corporation as a replacement for asbestos cement board. A combination of sand, cement and cellulose, it can be produced in panels, as lap siding and as trim pieces. Because it’s durable (many manufacturers warranty the product for 50 years and the finish for 15), low maintenance, available in many sizes and textures, and easily painted any color, fiber cement is an ideal siding choice.
The excellent properties of impact strength and water / moisture resistance compared with other flat sheets make TepePAN board the perfect choice for applications such as wall cladding, wall partitioning and decorative walling in residential, commercial and industrial buildings especially where speedy construction is required and where cleanliness and hygiene is of high importance, such as schools and hospitals.

General installation guidelines for TepePAN boards

1. Only install boards that are completely dry. Let boards dry on a flat surface prior to installation.
2. Always leave a space for expansion. Leave a minimum space of 3mm between the boards. A polyurethane based sealant or hybrid polymer based sealant are recommended.

Handling procedures

1. Carry panels on their side, not flat;
2. Corners and edges are fragile before installation;
3. Store panels flat, inside or with adequate protection.

• Frame spacing shall be 600, 400, or 300mm depending on designer recommendation base on the lateral load on the panel such as wind load for the exterior paneling purpose. Thickness of steel frame must be more than 0.55mm, minimum flange widths at sheet joints must be 38mm. If the selected steel section has less width, the modification shall be applied by fixing two pieces of steel section together to back(see figure 1) or by adding steel angle to the selected steel section(see figure 2).

Figure 1

Figure 2

• Self-Drilling Fiber-Cement Screw should be used when fixing with steel frame. The screws must be located at more than 12mm from board edges and 50mm from board corners. Board can be fixed in both horizontal and vertical direction(see figure 3).

Table 1: The screw spacing is designed by consideration of wind load resistance especially for high rise building. The recommended spacing is given below
Wind load	Frame spacing
	600mm	400mm	300mm
0-50kg/sq.m.	300mm	300mm	300mm
50-80kg/sq.m.	200mm	300mm	300mm
Interior wall	300mm	300mm	300mm

Figure 3

• Screw should not be over or under driven as it will reduce holding strength of the board.

• • Screw should be fixed as close to the stud corner as possible, in order to avoid bending of stud flange.

Not Recommended	Recommended

• When one stud is used at the joint of two TepePAN boards, do fix them in the direction from the open side of the stud to the closed side of the stud.

Fix the board to the open side of the flange	Fix the next board to the corner side of the flange

Figure 4

Figure 5

Polyurethane Sealant Application

Table 2: Consumption rate of polyurethane sealant (length in meter per 600ml)*
Joint Width	Board Thickness (mm)
	6	8	10	12	14
3mm	29	22	18	14.5	12.5
5mm	17	13	10.5	8.5	7.5
6mm	15	11	9	7.5	6
8mm	11	8	7	6	4.5
10mm	9	7	5	4	3.5
12mm	7	6	4	3.5	3
14mm	6	4.5	3.5	3	2.5

• Cutting fibercement with a circular saw produces serious clouds of dust. This dust has a 15-30% crystalline silica content, making it a serious health hazard. The MSDS of one popular fiber cement product warns that repeated inhalation may lead to lung damage, and the inhalation of silica dust is linked to a deadly lung disease called silicosis.When cutting fiber cement, it’s critical to wear a respirator and/or use a dust-collecting circular saw attached to a shop vac.

• Walls of elevator shafts must be constructed with fire resistant material from floor to ceiling. Since walls of elevator shafts are generally made of steel construction, it is necessary to clad these walls with fire-resistant boards. TepePAN fibercement boards which have Euroclass Fire Rating A1, s1,d0 are generally preferred as cladding material for such spaces. Application is conducted by fixing the boards on steel construction elements.