Gypsum industry news

US: The Gypsum Association (GA) has released its revised guidance on levels of finish for gypsum panel products (GA-214-2021). This document is intended to assist design professionals, contractors and building owners to more precisely describe in project documents the finishing requirements for walls and ceilings prior to the application of paints and other decorative finishes. It was last revised in 2015.

US: The Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA) has formed a Gypsum Recycling Committee. It intends to work with key stakeholders in gypsum recycling to improve the recovery rate. Terry Weaver, the president of USA Gypsum, will be the first chair of the committee.

The committee will be comprised of companies involved in each step of recovering gypsum wallboard, including the manufacturers, the Gypsum Association, contractors, processors and end users. Initial actions will include: creating a wallboard diversion policy; developing end product specifications; creating best management practices for contractors and processors; working with drywall companies to set post-recycled content for new wallboard; updating the CDRA’s current Gypsum Recycling Protocol to reflect these actions; promoting that recyclers must be third-party certified using a program developed to an ISO level; and defining specifications for other end products made from recycled wallboard.

Canada: Dalhousie University, in collaboration with the Canada and US joint Gypsum Association and Divert NS, has entered Phase 2 of its research project into uses of construction and demolition waste gypsum in concrete. The research, continuing until September 2023, will test the durability of various concrete mixes containing gypsum powder recycled from waste drywall. It will examine 81 specimens under three environmental exposures and three exposure durations. The team will use the results to understand the performance and environmental benefits of concrete containing recycled gypsum over the life of a structures. Study leader and Canada research chair in sustainable infrastructure Pedram Sadeghian said that Phase 1 of the study had demonstrated that gypsum could be a viable supplementary cementing material when combined with fly ash in concrete.

Sadeghain said “Our research group aims to study the durability of concrete containing recycled gypsum by monitoring compressive strength and potential expansion after exposure to selected environmental conditions, such as moisture and salt particle penetration, that are common to concrete structures exposed to the environment.”

Gypsum Association executive director Stephen Meima said “The gypsum industry is committed to landfill diversion of construction and demolition gypsum panel waste, and Professor Sadeghian’s work demonstrates that waste gypsum panels may have value beyond their service life in buildings and homes.”

Canada: The Gypsum Association has partnered with Divert NS to support research at Dalhousie University into the use of recycled gypsum from construction waste in concrete production. Dalhousie University previously demonstrated that gypsum could be a viable supplementary cementitious material when combined with fly ash in concrete. In this second phase of research, the team aims to expand on the work to optimise concrete production methods and product quality.

Canada research chair in sustainable infrastructure Pedram Sadeghian said “As durability is important for construction materials, our research group at Dalhousie University aims to study the durability of concrete containing recycled gypsum by monitoring the compressive strength and potential expansion after exposure to selected environmental conditions such as moisture and salt particle penetration that are common for concrete structures exposed to the environment.”

Gypsum Association executive director Stephen Meima said “We are very pleased to join Divert NS in supporting research that may improve numerous environmental outcomes. The gypsum industry is committed to landfill diversion of construction and demolition gypsum panel waste, and Professor Sadeghian’s work demonstrates that waste gypsum panels may have value beyond their service life in buildings and homes.”

US: The Gypsum Association has elected Gregory McCown as the chair of its board of directors for 2020 – 2021. McCown is the Regional Manufacturing Manager – Eastern US for CertainTeed Gypsum. Other appointments include National Gypsum’s Craig Robertson as vice-chair, Pabco Gypsum’s Emil Kopilovich, as treasurer and the Gypsum Association's Stephen H Meima continues as the secretary. USG’s Albert R Zucco is the past chair of the board. All terms are for one year and are effective from 1 May 2020.

US: The Gypsum Association (GA) has released a revised and updated environmental product declaration (EPD) for 5/8” (1.5875cm) type X North American gypsum boards. Following the standards set in the association’s recently revised product category rules (PCR) for North American gypsum panel products, the EPD provides environmental performance information addressing energy consumption, water consumption, global warming, waste, air emissions and other metrics related to production.

“The Gypsum Association has an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship. The development and release of this new ISO 21930 compliant, Type III, cradle-to-shipping gate EPD, demonstrates our member companies’ efforts to transparently report environmental impacts as a means of contributing to sustainable design and construction,” said Steve Meima, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Association, executive director of the GA.

Type X gypsum board is commonly installed in commercial, institutional and multifamily/mixed-use facilities. Where fire resistance ratings are required, type X gypsum board is typically specified. The GA has also produced an EPD for glass mat gypsum panel products that will be updated in 2021 under the new PCR.

US: The Gypsum Association has elected Albert R Zucco as chair of its board of directors for 2019 – 2020. Zucco is the Vice President, Sustainable Supply Chain of USG. Other appointments include CertainTeed’s Gregory McCown as vice-chair, National Gypsum’s Craig Robertson as treasurer and the Gypsum Association's Stephen H Meima as the secretary. Georgia-Pacific’s John Congdon is the part chair of the board. All terms are for one year and are effective from 1 May 2019.

US: The Gypsum Association (GA) has released the 22nd edition of its GA-600-2018 Fire Resistance and Sound Control Design Manual. Revised on a three-year cycle, GA-600 has been referenced by the model building codes as a source of fire-resistive designs for more than 40 years. The 2018 edition contains more than 140 new systems that supplement existing designs for walls and partitions, floor-ceiling systems, area separation firewalls and other assemblies.

GA-600 is currently referenced by the International Building Code, the National Fire Protection Association Codes (NFPA 703 and NFPA 5000), as well as many state and local jurisdictions in the US and Canada as a source document for fire-resistance and sound-control rated designs that incorporate gypsum board in a variety of building systems.

US: The Gypsum Association has revised its GA-216 Application and Finishing of Gypsum Panel Products technical document. It has been revised in 2018 to fit a three year cycle to coincide with the 2021 code revision cycle and to better align with the Association’s other code-referenced documents, namely GA-600 Fire Resistance and Sound Control Design Manual and GA-253 Application of Gypsum Sheathing. GA-216 is referenced in the International Building Code (and other I-Codes) as well as NFPA 5000 as a standard for the application and installation of gypsum panels.

The 2018 specification provides appropriate installation methods for the various types of gypsum panels. New to the 2018 specification is clarification of language on steel studs and abuse-resistant and impact resistance panel products and updated criteria for panel installation over concrete. Direct adhesion to concrete is no longer acceptable; panels must be installed on framing. Also, GA-223 Gypsum Panel Products, Types, Uses, Sizes, and Standards has been added to the appendix as a reference to ASTM standards and Gypsum Association publications that provide additional information and specifications.

US: The Gypsum Association has elected Charles R Harrison as the chair of its board of directors. Harrison is the Vice President Technology & Product Innovation of the Gypsum Division of Georgia-Pacific. Other appointments that have been elected include USG’s Albert R Zucco as the vice-chair of the board, CertainTeed Gypsum’s Peter Mayer as treasurer and the Gypsum Association's Stephen H Meima as the secretary. Continental Building Products’ Timothy Power is the past chair of the board. Officers were elected at the meeting of the Association’s board of directors in Jacksonville, Florida. All terms are for one year and are effective from 1 May 2018.