CERTIFIERS & SPECIFIERS

FireCrunch is a NATA/CSIRO/BCA fire tested passive building board to AS1530.4 (C1..C19)-/ 2025 FRL 90/90/90 and FRL 120/120/120. When certifying certain jobs, it is important to understand the key characteristics of which products are required for which type of application.

Fireproof plasterboard does not really exist and certainly not in 10mm thick sheets. It has not altered much in the past 60 years. Plasterboard is a weak, non-water-resistant product which fails immediately in prolonged submersion in water and flooding, causing homeowners’ extensive distress in clean up. Additionally, there is the expensive entire replacement of plasterboard materials which will eventually collapse again in the next flood, if replaced with that material.

When it comes to fire, whether it is free standing residential homes or high rise residential commercial and industrial buildings, to date, so called fire resistant plasterboard and fireproof plasterboard building boards have been the only choice. All these products are not at all environmentally friendly using millions of oxygen producing trees each year to produce the paper lined plasterboard.

They contribute approximately 95% more carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the manufacturing process than FireCrunch magnesium oxide (MgSO4) oxysulphate building boards with higher composite strength 1.15g/m3.

DOUBLE WHAMMY CO2 PLANET HIT

This is a double whammy hit as they then cut down millions of Oxygen producing CO2 absorbing trees, plus doubling the negative impact effect by destroying the trees that absorb CO2.

Whilst an environmentally friendly building material with low CO2 emissions may not be a top priority yet in all construction, FireCrunch is virtually a carbon neutral product which provides that now.

COSTS

FireCrunch is a similar price in cost per m2 against products like CSR Fyrchek in 13mm and less against 16mm . However, FireCrunch only requires 1 x 10mm sheet on each side of framing compared to multiple layers of fireproof plasterboard. Only one fireproof board with a Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of 60/60/60 and 90/90/90 being achieved, where up to three layers of Fyrchek plasterboard is required on each side (four or six sheet total) compared to one sheet each side of FireCrunch.

The cost savings are in the region of 50% to 70% mainly site labour,crane up, transport, site handling and materials: on a 500k job in Fyrchek Plasterboard the result can be at least 250k saving.

  • 2 x Transport cost/weight rated

  • 2 x Labour to site unload

  • 2 x Crane up time

  • 2 x Actual labour assembly 6 sheets versus 2

  • 2 sheets versus 4 where required the labour cost is halved more with three sheets FRL 90/90/90

FireCrunch has continued to differentiate, by leading the fire protection industry in quality and specification requirements. FireCrunch has been extensively tested and has demonstrated its superior capability in low CO2 low carbon emission, eco-friendly building materials, plus in the areas of strength, acoustics, fire and water resistant building, termite resistance damage and NATA certified non-asbestos content tested and non-metal corrosive chloride content (MgChl2) to ensure reliability and safety.

With a fire resistance level (FRL) of up to 90/90/90 with 1 x 10mm sheet per side and higher to FRL 120/120/120, more with only two sheets per side and temperature resistance of up to 1200°C, the FireCrunch building board is the industry choice leader in lightweight construction. Fire tested by the CSIRO and NATA accreditation for asbestos free building boards ensure that buildings are above and beyond the necessary requirements. It also protects our customers against potential threats and damage whether it is caused by fire, water, impact, termites, bacteria, mould or mildew.