Protection against the elements

As our cities continue to grow unabated, higher density living in developments such as apartments and townhouses is becoming more accepted as a viable alternative to the traditional quarter-acre dream.

Growing urbanism and brownfield developments put dwellings in ever-closer proximity to busy arterial routes, schools, train tracks and more, so it’s important to consider products with high acoustic performance properties. And, with New Zealand’s highly changeable weather, it’s also important that buildings are constructed with materials that can handle high winds.

James Hardie recently released a new product, the 9mm RAB™ Board, a solid fibre cement pre-cladding that can be utilised for both commercial and residential builds and is manufactured right here in New Zealand. Given it’s added mass, it is particularly suitable as a rigid air barrier in buildings where external noise needs to be reduced.

Jerry Friar, residential market manager at James Hardie, explains: “The exciting new 9mm RAB Board is an extension of our 6mm RAB Board range. While it is used predominantly in commercial buildings, its capabilities span anything from medium-density terraced houses through to mid- and high-rise builds.”

For the medium-density residential space, the 9mm RAB Board offers superior acoustic properties and strong performance when used in shear wall design. In multi-storey builds, it is ideal as a substrate or rigid air barrier for commercial rainscreen façades or cladding.

Like all of James Hardie’s fibre cement products, the board is very strong, non-combustible, resistant to damage from rot, and has a 15-year warranty to impart peace of mind. It is also highly weathertight and allows the building to breathe.

James Hardie has developed a unique water-repellent sealer that is applied to the surface of the RAB Board to repel wind and rain, while still allowing any internal vapours to escape.

The 9mm RAB Board was successfully used on the Walker Architects-designed Sargeson Apartments that are due to be completed in early 2019. One wall of the six-level, 92-apartment complex fronts onto a busy main street in the seaside suburb of Takapuna in Auckland, hence both noise and high winds needed to be taken into consideration when building.

Project manager Marc Forrester of CMP Construction, builder of the Sargeson Apartments, commented that the RAB Board pre-sealed sheets were quick and easy to install – they were simply scored, snapped and nailed into place. To prevent noise from the road affecting tenants, the 9mm RAB Board was used on the street-facing wall, with the rest of the building’s walls constructed using the 6mm product.

The fact that the RAB Board is weather-resistant and dimensionally stable means that the site could be closed in faster and enabled more flexibility in managing the build. The product also acted as temporary weather protection during the construction process, as it can be left exposed for up to 180 days after fixing and will not warp or shrink.

In addition to its superior acoustic performance, RAB Board also provides fire performance.

Friar concludes, “The 9mm RAB Board draws on technology from James Hardie’s 80 years of experience in New Zealand. The exceptional benefits it imparts to both builders and homeowners, alongside its ease of use, means that it is an ideal solution that helps new builds to stand the test of time.”

If you want to find out more about RAB Board or other innovative fibre cement products, visit James Hardie on ArchiPro or visit their website.