Drywalls can chop wood usage

Drywall systems can replace traditional wood in construction. They offer multiple advantages in terms of application, utility and aesthetics.

Most building codes and fire-safety norms do not permit installation of stand-alone wood panelling. Most codes require replacement of wood panelling with fire-resistant products such as drywall.

Toxicity of wood finishing products is a problem with wood use, apart from environmental degradation and illegal logging, among others. Although awareness has increased in recent years, leading to a surge in use of less harmful chemicals, building teams must be armed with the relevant information. Public awareness and health policy have spurred the development of alternative wood finishes, including water-based coatings that contain no VOCs and closely resemble traditional wood coatings in appearance.

An alternative to using wood in interior construction space is gypsum, which is used as plasterboard to create false ceilings and high performance drywalls and partitions. Gypsum plasterboard systems are lightweight and can provide huge structural savings. These systems are easier to erect and provide huge labour saving and flexibility in construction.

Globally, reinforced gypsum wall panels are used as a replacement for wood, brick and mortar construction and for screeds to be used on floors.

Drywalls make a natural case for themselves for interior partitioning from a practical as well as an aesthetic point of view.

Drywalls is a dry construction technique to build walls that are lighter and faster to construct. A drywall consists of a steel framework (studs, floor and ceiling channels) fixed to gypsum plasterboards on either sides. They are finished using a joining compound and paper tapes for a monolithic look. Between the metal stud partitions is an air gap, which can be filled with glass wool insulation to get higher fire and acoustics performance ratings

Drywalls are made of gypsum that can be sourced from natural reserves and is found abundantly in various parts of the world. Also, another variant is Phosphogypsum which is generated as a by-product of the phosphoric acid based fertiliser industry. Furthermore, gypsum is a fully recyclable material.

Time can be saved not just by faster installation of drywall but also with installation of lighting and plumbing.

Faster installation

The thumb rule is that drywall systems can be 3-4 times faster than traditional masonry systems to construct. The reason for the fast construction using drywall technique is the simple sequencing followed in the ready-to-fit products and the ready conduit available for services.

Key requirements for tall buildings are lightweight materials that can reduce the dead load on the structure, are easy to use and durable, meet stringent fire safety norms and offer more acoustic comfort all which make traditional construction materials obsolete. These requirements are met by gypsum plasterboard based drywall solutions.

Superior acoustics performance in terms of sound absorption and insulation comes from right room design and building material. Studies have shown that acoustically designed spaces increase productivity by enabling better concentration in people working in offices, clearer communication in schools, facilitate a disturbance free environment in hospitals.

Designing buildings to control noise effectively can make homes and offices much more pleasant places to live or work. The effective control of this sound from one area to another is called sound insulation.

Given the fact that masonry walls offer poor sound insulation, it is important to look at alternative lightweight construction forms, like drywalls, to achieve high levels of sound insulation.

(The author is Managing Director, Saint Gobain Gyproc India.)

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