SAINT-GOBAIN PLACO

The present disclosure relates generally to methods for characterizing unexpanded perlite, e.g., with respect to its expandability as well as articles containing expandable perlite, such as gypsum materials, fire-resistant building boards and other fire-resistant materials, and methods for making the same. The present inventors have determined thermogravimetric methods for characterizing unexpanded perlite with high predictive power for the selection of highly-expandable perlites. The disclosure also relates to materials including unexpanded perlites that meet certain threshold values with respect to these characterization methods.

A method of preparing a gypsum-based product comprises the steps of mixing calcined gypsum with polymer particles and water to provide a slurry. The polymer particles comprise principally polyvinyl acetate, and have a particle size distribution, measured using laser diffractometry, such that particles having a diameter of 4.5 μm or less provide at least 90% of the total particle volume.

The modular facade is made of prefab panels comprising a frame structure with horizontal and vertical profiles. The prefab panel includes an outer cladding attached to the frame structure by attaching means. The horizontal and the vertical profiles have a matching shiplap design. A method of mounting the modular facade relies upon the steps of installing brackets to a building structure, for levelling position of the prefab panels, and an anti-tipping element in an upper part of the building structure, so that not very demanding lifting means, such as a small crane, suffices, for suspending subsequent adjacent prefab panels from an upper story.

An acoustic insulation product includes a panel made of porous material, based on foam or fibres, including a first face, referred to as back face, intended to face towards a wall, and a second face, referred to as front face, situated on the opposite side to the back face, and a layer, referred to as backing layer, which adheres to or is linked or coupled at least in part to the back face of the panel made of porous material, the backing layer having an airflow resistance of between 5 kPa·s/m and 20 kPa·s/m.

A mineral wool panel, intended to be used as an acoustic panel, has a surface density of greater than or equal to 3.2 kg/m 2 , an air flow resistivity of between 30 and 120 kPa·s/m 2 , and a Young's modulus of between 0.5 and 4 MPa.

A glass wool panel, intended to be used as an acoustic panel, has a density of less than or equal to 130 kg/m 3 , an air flow resistivity of between 30 and 120 kPa·s/m 2 , a Young's modulus of between 0.5 and 4 MPa.

A bracing device for securing at least one facing panel in front of a structure, includes a mounting plate equipped with a bearing face which is planar overall, against which the facing panel can bear, the bearing face having at least one transverse dimension greater than or equal to 30 mm, and a body extending in an axial direction and equipped, at a front end, with a mechanism for securing it to the mounting plate and, at a rear end opposite to the front end, with a mechanism for securing it to the structure.

Lightweight construction panels, such as gypsum plaster-board, are commonly used to provide internal partitions in buildings It is known to cover, either partially or fully, the panel with an aqueous material such as gypsum plaster or jointing compound. It has been found that known panels expand when they absorb water. This gives rise to several undesirable results such as the gypsum plaster or jointing compound cracking as the panel expands as moisture is absorbed. The present invention provides a panel comprising a gypsum matrix including fibres in an amount of at least 0.8 wt % relative to the gypsum, a polymeric additive in an amount of at least 0.8 wt % relative to the gypsum, and at least one phosphate additive. A panel having such a composition has been found to have desirable characteristics.

A bracing device for securing at least one facing panel in front of a structure, includes a mounting plate equipped with a bearing face which is planar overall, against which the facing panel can bear, the bearing face having at least one transverse dimension greater than or equal to 30 mm, and a body extending in an axial direction and equipped, at a front end, with a mechanism for securing it to the mounting plate and, at a rear end opposite to the front end, with a mechanism for securing it to the structure.

A stiffener 50 for construction elements for providing resistance against deflection and cracking is disclosed comprising a U-shaped cross-section with a web 10 and two flanges 20 a, 20 b extending transversely from the web 10 and having ribs 30 rising parallel, perpendicular or diagonal from the flanges 20 a, 20 b . The stiffener 50 is configured to be fixed within the construction element. A drywall stud and a ceiling section provided with a plurality of stiffeners 50 of the present disclosure spaced at desired locations along their length is also disclosed. Such drywall studs and ceiling sections comprising stiffeners 50 of the present disclosure reduce deflection of drywall partition and suspended ceiling system, respectively by up to 50%.