Cement bonded particle board - characteristics, properties, use

30.01.2020

Cement Particle Board (CSP) is made from a cement and particle mixture. Cement and Particle mixture, in turn, is a sort of concrete based on mineral binder. Small wooden particles are used as a filler instead of sand and gravel. Introduction of wood into the composition of board reduced its’ density, however, most importantly, wooden particles are not just light fillers, but also a fibre that creates bulk reinforcement that can absorb tensile load CSP Brochure (PDF) >

Materials for board manufacturing:

Cement - 65%;
Wood Particles - 24%;
Water – 8,5%;
Mineralising and Hydration additives - 2,5%

Cement Particle Board Characteristics

The main characteristics of CSP are determines by its’ components. For example, heaviness of cement is partially compensated by the lightness of the filler (wooden particles).

Density and weight of the board

The density of CSP is 1000 kg/m3, which is less than the density of most of the cement-based materials. A board measuring 3200x1200x10 mm weights about 45 kilos.

Moisture and Bio stability

CSP is resistant to moisture and biological factors. Bio stability is possible due to the special procession of wooden particles -mineralisation. Moisture resistance is a merit of cement. Cement is capable of resisting and level of moisture. Water absorption during prolonged water immersion does not exceed 16 %, and board swelling in terms of thickness is no more than 1.5%.

Frost resistance

CSP hardly absorbs any water. This helps CSP to have good resistance to low temperatures.

Frost resistance of CSP -50 cycles of freezing-heating without visible damage and with 90% residual strength. Based on this parameters, the board is suitable for the use outside of heated premises, providing that it is protected against moisture accumulation.

Thermal conductivity and vapour permeability

CSP is a porous material, due to the fact that significant part if volume is composed of wooden particles. Due to its’ structure, it has low thermal conductivity of about 0.26 W/(m•°С). This is 1.5-w times less than that of a brick and about twice as much as that of drywall. Despite the fact that CSP cannot be fully considered as heat insulating material, its use has a significant impact on the result of thermal resistance of external building constructions.

The porous structure determines the permeability of the material for water vapour at the level of 0.03 mg/ (m•h•Pa). Concrete has the same vapour permeability. This parameter must be taken into account when designing multi-layered walls. When using CSP for interior decoration of external walls, it can serve as a vapour-limiting layer, which reduces the accumulation of moisture in the wall and increases the efficiency of thermal insulation.

	Fire safety Fire safety characteristics of CSP matches class B-s1, d0: Combustibility group: B- hardly combustible; Smoke generation: S1- small amount of smoke; Flame spread: d0 will not emit burning particles. Based on this characteristics, CSP is classified as safe material. Its’ use also allows to increase fire resistance of building structures and reduce fire hazard of premises. Eco-friendly This characteristic is given a lot of attention due to massively increased use of synthetic materials. CSP consists of natural components only. It does not contain formaldehyde resin, polystyrene or other substances that can serve as source of emission of volatile toxic compounds. Thanks to mineralising additives, wooden particles are decay-resistant, which also contributes to maintaining of heathy atmosphere within premises.
Treatment CSP is quite easy to cut and drill, which makes it an easy material to work with. It is easy to apply putty on it as well as paint. CSP use The use of CSP is determined by its’ properties described above. Successful combination of great qualities that complement each other is especially valuable. There are not many materials that have strength, moisture resistance, fire safety, relatively low weight and are eco-friendly. Material in the form of a board gives another advantage- easy use, manufacturability. In many cases, the use of CSP helps to speed up work, eliminate the so-called “wet processes”, that require special skills from builders, are time-consuming, especially considering the curing time of building mixtures. The use of CSP only includes installation work. The large size of the board allows to immediately cover a large area and simplify the alignment of surfaces.
	Sheathing of walls and partitions CSP is well-suited for wall cladding, both massive as well as frame ones. Environmental safety makes it a good material for interior decoration, whereas moisture resistance allows it to be used for premises with high moisture as well as for exterior building decoration. Boards can be mounted on a brick wall instead of traditional plaster. This method is called “dry plaster”. The use of boards allow to easily make flat surfaces. The complexity of this work is much lower than traditional plastering. For these purposes, 8-12 mm thick sheets are used. CSP is very much suitable for frame construction. This technology implies sheet sheathing, which, in turn, ensures high technological effectiveness as well as time saving. One of the types of frame structures is internal partitions. CSP serves as sound insulating material that reduces acoustic communication between rooms separated by a partition. Boards (up to 20 mm thick) are used for frame sheathing.
Hinged facade systems Hinged ventilated facade is one of the natural applications of CSP. These sheets serve as an external cladding that protects the inner layers from outside moisture and wind. Strength, moisture resistance and fire safety of the material are extremely important for a ventilated facade. CSP is able to withstand high mechanical loads, does not deteriorate from moisture or spread flame, even in conditions of strong traction in the ventilation gap. Lightweight boards of up to 12 mm thick are used in this area.
	Roofing systems CSP is applied in flat, including exploited, roofs installation. Sheets are laid on top of insulation and then covered with a waterproof membrane. Due to rigidity of the sheets, the insulation is not exposed to concentrated load, and this allows to easily walk on the roof and even use it for a summer cafe or relaxation zone. Depending on the load, roofing systems use plates of up to 20 mm thick, and in special circumstances thicker than 20 mm.
Floors Such qualities of CSP as bending strength and moisture resistance are great when it comes to floor installation. This material is extremely suitable for the subfloor- the so-called dry screed. Instead of spreading a layer of cement-sand mixture, smoothing and waiting for it to harden, the CSP boards are laid on the prepared “beacons” and it allows to have and immediately smooth and ready base for further work, as well as heat insulator. For a frame house or while installing the floor on logs, thicker boards should be used. The thickness is determined by the future load and the distance between the lags. Another frequently used design is a floating floor. CSP is perfectly suitable for this floor type as well. Again, the thickness is determined by the density of the insulation and calculated loads. For subfloor, boards that are at least 16 mm thick are used.
	Formwork Usually, in monolithic construction, formwork is a temporary structure that is removed once the initial hardening of concrete is complete. The use of CSP allows you to combine the preparation of formwork with finishing work. Permanent formwork is made from these plates, which remain as part of the wall, immediately forming a smooth surface that does not need plastering.