Description
The 18mm Ramco Fibre Cement Board A1 Non-Combustible 2440 x 1220mm (8′ x 4′) is a heavy-duty, non-combustible building board from Ramco Industries, sold under the Hicem range. It’s made from cement, cellulose fibres and performance additives, then pressed and autoclaved into a dense, crystalline structure. That autoclave curing matters on site: it’s what gives the board its dimensional stability and low moisture movement, so unlike an air-cured board it won’t shift, swell or distort as conditions change, and unlike plywood, OSB or wood it won’t rot, warp or delaminate. Supplied as a full 8′ x 4′ square-cut sheet, it’s a general-purpose board rather than a specialist flooring panel, which makes it a fire-safe, moisture-stable alternative to timber-based sheets across walls, partitions, floors and commercial fit-outs.
Fire performance
Hicem 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. That’s backed by the BS 476 fire suite: non-combustible to Part 4, Class 1 surface spread of flame to Part 7, a fire propagation index of 0.7 to Part 6, and Class P (not easily ignitable) to Part 5. Because the board adds nothing to a fire, it’s used as a non-combustible layer in place of a combustible timber-based sheet wherever fire performance is specified, including on taller buildings when installed in line with its certification.
Water and durability
Unlike other sheet materials, fibre cement keeps its strength and shape when it gets wet. The board passes the full BS EN 12467 durability suite, including warm water, freeze-thaw, soak-dry, heat-rain and water impermeability tests, so it stands up to damp and weather exposure where a timber sheet would eventually break down. It has a density of at least 1200 kg/m³ and high impact strength. It’s listed for both interior and exterior use, with a weather-protective treatment required for permanent external exposure.
Health and environment
Hicem is asbestos-free, verified by X-ray diffraction (free from Chrysotile, Anthophyllite, Actinolite and Antigorite asbestos), and tested with no detectable VOC emissions. 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. For a buyer weighing a cement board against ply or OSB, that mix of non-combustibility, moisture stability and pest resistance is the practical case for fibre cement.
Applications
- Wall linings and wall partitions
- Flooring build-ups
- Soffits and eaves lining
- Lofts and office fit-outs
- Commercial and industrial interiors
- A non-combustible substrate to be plastered or tiled on
The board can be painted, plastered or tiled once prepared, and is square-cut at 2440 x 1220mm, weighing around 78kg a sheet.
