Revolutionising Construction:
Low-Cost Carbon Capture Cladding

The global construction industry is undergoing a significant shift, with a newfound emphasis on low CO₂ emission materials and cladding. This trend, initially observed in European countries like Norway, has the potential to impact pricing structures significantly. By incorporating CO₂ pollutive assessments into end tender pricing.

The industry is pushing for greener alternatives, which has serious implications for traditional products like plasterboard lacking carbon capture sequestration value. Australia, too, may adopt such assessments if the industry fails to embrace change, particularly as it strives to achieve a 43% reduction target.

Plasterboard being superseded by technology

The plasterboard industry in Australia must act swiftly to explore alternative solutions. Fortunately, there is a rising demand worldwide for low CO₂ construction products, leading to substantial investments in high-speed, computer-driven production lines. These technological advancements have significantly reduced the production costs of Magnesium Oxy-sulphate (MgSO₄) composites, making them economically competitive in Australia against conventional options like 13mm and 16mm fire-rated plasterboard. These composite materials are interior exterior use, all weather, and provide a high class 4 surface finish for plaster set and paint.

Long life, low maintenance

MgSO₄ composites offer several advantages over traditional materials. They are up to 10 times stronger than plasterboard, enabling a single 10mm sheet to achieve the same fire-resistant level as two layers of 16mm Fyrchek and similar plasterboard. This not only cuts material costs but also reduces site handling, installation, transport, and fixings expenses. Additionally, MgSO₄ composites have no paper linings, making them ideal for wet areas and humid climates. They provide superior protection against fire, floods, acoustics, termites, bacteria, mould, and heavy impacts, while offering a longer lifespan and very low maintenance requirements.

Protects forests

By adopting MgSO₄ composites, construction professionals can contribute to the preservation of oxygen-generating trees, as these materials eliminate the need for paper-lined plasterboard.

As the industry moves forward, it is essential for stakeholders to consider these innovative solutions and their potential to revolutionize construction practices. Embracing low-cost carbon capture cladding not only supports environmental sustainability but also improves project profitability ROI return on investment.

Reach out to Firecrunch, the leading provider of MgSO₄ composites in the Australian construction industry.

• FireCrunch (FCA) K-Clad only requires 1 x 10mm sheet p/ side not 2.
• Reduced material cost. 40% saving in FRL 90/90/90.
• Suits FRL 60/60/60 and FRL 90/90/90.
• NATA Labs fire-tested Australia.
• 95% less CO₂ pollution in manufacture.

Whilst FireCrunch is not new to the Australian construction market, having been supplying low CO₂ pollutive, low emission Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) magnesium oxide cladding for 12 years, they now have some new and exciting changes in more products and more particularly really lower pricing!

LOW CO₂ IN HIGH DEMAND

The increasing world and now Australian demand for low CO₂ emission HIGH SEQUESTRATION AND EMBODIED CARBON construction products have enabled installation of highly sophisticated automatic computer driven manufacturing lines reducing end buyer costs.

Up to 40% reduction at a time when everything in construction is going up, is a refreshing change!

This has enabled FireCrunch to announce a substantial up to 40% cost reduction in composite cladding costs, at retail and more in large trades construction.

SERIOUS COST REDUCTIONS

This means that FireCrunch MgSO₄ and FloodClad, Oxy-sulphate composite cladding products, can now replace weak, paper-lined, high pollutive emission CO₂ plasterboard, at similar or LOWER rates than some general 10mm plasterboard, 13mm and 16mm Fyrchek and similar cladding products.

PLANET FRIENDLIER

This move also helps save the destruction of millions of oxygen-generating CO₂ absorbing trees, just to make, not so cheap, paper-lined plasterboard.

Plus reduces the cost of CLADDING PRODUCTS like AXON EXOTEC, E08, VILLABOARD AND PLYWOOD, with similar cladding effects lower cost.

These price reductions are such that FireCrunch, K-Clad K-Floor K-Groove K-Deck and FloodClad cladding products now sell at lower retail and wholesale builder’s rates, without the previous 30% to 40% higher price barrier and now compares to 10mm regular and 13mm and 16mm and fire-rated plasterboard.

NOW UP TO 40% LOWER MATERIAL COST

In some circumstances FCA delivers up to a 40% lower material cost savings in high FRL fire ratings, where multiple sheets of fire-rated 16mm plasterboard are required, against only 1 layer per side of FCA 10mm.

HIGH ACOUSTIC VALUE

Plus, in double stud discontinuous party walls, FCA has a certified NATA Labs value of Rw62 Acoustics (AS 717.1)

NEW, LESS EXPENSIVE SHAFT LINER COMMON PARTY WALL

New discontinuous fire separation wall system FRL to 90/90/90 with similar overall price reductions while reducing the additional steel component costs in U-track, H-studs and angle clips.

This specifically relates to 2 and 3 layers of 13mm and 16mm Fyrchek for either fire, moisture, and acoustics all handled by FCA in one multipurpose 1 x 10mm sheet of FCA composite per side of frames.

NATA Labs tested and assessed under NCC DTS and APS AS1530.1, AS1530.4-2014, AS 1530.8.2, AS 3837, AS 5637, AS 717.1, AS 3959.

OTHER SOFT AND HARD RELATED COST SAVINGS FRL 90/90/90

Trades add an additional 50% reduction in half the transport weight, 50% less crane up, site handling labour and AT LEAST minimum 50% less installation time with 1 x 10mm sheet per side v 2 x 16mm Fyrchek.

NARROWER WALLS, MORE FLOOR SPACE, HIGHER ROI

With 23% thinner cladding walls using 10mm instead of 13mm (-3mm) and with 2 x 16mm Fyrchek, 68% less, 10mm to 32 mm (-22mm) produces increased ROI and with available occupation area increased for sales.

FCA green, very low net 5% CO₂ emission composites, are here to stay!

ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS

Apply good citizen responsible decisions in architectural design and choose more planet-friendly construction products, in line with Australian Federal Government 43% lower emissions Accord by 2030.

The Australian Government being serious about the -43% reduction Accord may well follow what some European countries are now doing in raising tender prices on a points scale relative the net carbon pollution if a serious swing to available low CO₂ construction materials is not taken up.

The Norwegian Government in 2022 has introduced a high CO₂ product discrimination factor in tender price loadings, watched closely by EURO block countries, this increases tender prices by default SO THE LOWEST QUOTE CAN BECOME THE HIGHEST ON HIGH CO₂ EMISSIONS COUNT.

This is based on a critical CO₂ negative points plan for polluting products which increases the original tender rate by default according to the points schedule based on CO₂ pollutive levels AS THE TENDERER IS REQUIRED TO SUPPLY CERTIFICATION ID FOR the CO₂ sequestration values.

All FCA products are NATA Labs tested to Australian Standards – see https://firecrunch.com.au/certifications/

Typical new alternative plasterboard lower cladding costs may turn the RED BOOK pale!