Description
The 16mm Ramco Calcium Silicate Board A1 Non-Combustible 2440 x 1220mm (8′ x 4′) is a heavy-duty, non-combustible building board from Ramco Industries, sold under the Hilux range. Unlike a fibre cement board, it’s a calcium silicate board, made from siliceous and calcareous materials reinforced with cellulose fibres, then autoclaved (high-pressure steam cured) into a stable crystalline structure. That curing is what gives the board its standout trait: it stays dimensionally stable even when wet, with a length change in water of only around 0.1%, so it doesn’t move, swell or distort the way plywood, OSB or timber-based sheets do. As a full 8′ x 4′ square-cut sheet at 16mm, it’s the thickest board in the Hilux range, the one chosen where partitions, ceilings and linings need the most rigid, highest-performing board.
What makes calcium silicate different
Calcium silicate is a lighter board than fibre cement at the same size: this 16mm 8′ x 4′ sheet weighs about 49.5kg, less than an equivalent fibre cement sheets, which makes a board this size easier to handle and fix. It’s also engineered for low density with high strength, so you get impact resistance without the dead weight. The trade-off is that this board is listed for interior use, so it’s built for partitions, ceilings, linings and dry internal work rather than permanent external exposure.
Fire performance
Hilux holds a Euroclass A1 reaction-to-fire classification to EN 13501-1, the top non-combustible rating, meaning the board makes no contribution to a fire. Fire-rated Hilux partition systems can achieve up to 240 minutes of fire resistance, depending on the tested build-up. This is why the board is commonly specified for fire-rated walls, ceilings and compartmentation in commercial buildings.
Water, durability and acoustics
Calcium silicate keeps its strength and shape in damp conditions where timber-based sheets fail. The board passes the full BS EN 12467 durability suite, including warm water, freeze-thaw, soak-dry, heat-rain and water impermeability tests, and shows no formation of water droplets after the 24-hour impermeability test. It carries a low thermal conductivity (≤0.15 W/mK), which adds useful thermal insulation to a partition or ceiling. On sound, a single board gives acoustic insulation in the range of 30 to 32 dB, rising to 42 to 65 dB in tested partition systems depending on the build-up, so it’s well suited to walls and ceilings where noise control matters.
Health and environment
Hilux is asbestos-free, verified by X-ray diffraction, free from Chrysotile, Anthophyllite, Actinolite and Antigorite asbestos, and tested with no detectable VOC emissions to ISO 16000-6. The board is also free from fungal growth, termite resistant and borer resistant, so it holds up in conditions that would degrade an organic, timber-based board, and won’t feed mould in damp internal areas like bathrooms or kitchens.
Applications
- Internal wall partitions and wall linings
- Ceilings, including fire-rated partition and ceiling systems
- Lofts and office fit-outs
- Commercial and industrial interiors
- A non-combustible substrate to be plastered, painted or tiled on
The board can be painted, plastered or tiled once prepared, has a smooth finish, and is supplied square-cut at 2440 x 1220mm.
