2006/673/EC: Commission Decision of 5 October 2006 amending Decision 2003/43/EC establishing the classes of reaction-to-fire performance for certain construction products as regards gypsum plasterboards (notified under document number C(2006) 4360)   (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2006-10-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: building materials, building safety, fire protection, plaster, product safety, safety standard

7.10.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 276/77

COMMISSION

COMMISSION DECISION

of 5 October 2006

amending Decision 2003/43/EC establishing the classes of reaction-to-fire performance for certain
construction products as regards gypsum plasterboards

(notified under document number C(2006) 4360)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2006/673/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

(4)

The measures provided for
accordance with
Committee on Construction,

the

in this Decision are in
Standing
the

of

opinion

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Annex to Decision 2003/43/EC is amended as set out in
the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 5 October 2006.

For the Commission

Günter VERHEUGEN
Vice-President

Having regard to the Treaty
Community,

establishing the European

Having regard to Council Directive 89/106/EEC of 21
December 1988 on the approximation of
laws, regulations
and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to
construction products (1), and in particular Article 20(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Commission Decision 2003/43/EC (2) establishes classes
of reaction-to-fire performance of certain construction
products, namely wood-based panels.

Decision 2003/43/EC will be adapted to take account of
technical progress concerning gypsum plasterboards.

Decision 2003/43/EC should therefore be amended
accordingly.

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989, p. 12. Directive as

last amended by

Commission Decision 2006/190/EC (OJ L 66, 8.3.2006, p. 47).
(2) OJ L 13, 18.1.2003, p. 35. Decision as amended by Decision

2003/593/EC (OJ L 201, 8.8.2003, p. 25).

L 276/78

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

7.10.2006

ANNEX

In the Annex to Decision 2003/43/EC, Table 2 and the note is replaced by the following:

‘TABLE 2

Classes of reaction — to — fire performance of gypsum plasterboards

Gypsum
plasterboard

Nominal board
thickness (mm)

Density (kg/m3)

Reaction to
fire class

Gypsum core

Conforming to
EN 520
(except
perforated
boards)

≥ 6,5 < 9,5

≥ 800

A1

≥ 9,5

≥ 600

Paper
grammage (1)
(g/m2)

≤ 220

> 220 ≤ 320

≤ 220

> 220 ≤ 320

Substrate

Any wood-based
product with density
≥ 400 kg/m3 or any
product of at least
class A2-s1, d0

Any wood-based
product with density
≥ 400 kg/m3 or any
product of at least
class A2-s1, d0
or any insulating
product of at least
class E-d2 mounted
according to
method 1

Class (2)
(excluding
floorings)

A2-s1, d0

B-s1, d0

A2-s1, d0

B-s1, d0

(1) Determined according to EN ISO 536 and with no more than 5 % organic additive content.
(2) Classes as provided for in Table 1 of the Annex to Commission Decision 2000/147/EC.

Note: Mounting and fixing
The gypsum plasterboards (hereinafter — “gypsum boards”) shall be mounted and fixed using one of the three following
methods:

Method 1 — Mechanically fixed to a supporting substructure

The gypsum boards, or (in the case of multi-layer systems) at least the outermost layer of boards, shall be mechanically
fixed to a metal substructure (made from components detailed in EN 14195) or to a timber substructure (in accordance
with EN 336 and EN 1995-1-1).

When the substructure provides supporting members in one direction only, the maximum span between the supporting
members shall not exceed a dimension equal to 50 times the thickness of the gypsum boards.

When the substructure includes supporting members in two directions the maximum span in either direction shall not
exceed a dimension equal to 100 times the thickness of the gypsum boards.

The mechanical fixings shall be screws, staples or nails, which shall be fixed through the thickness of the gypsum boards
into the substructure at centres not exceeding 300 mm measured along the length of each supporting member.

Behind the gypsum boards may be an air space, or an insulating product. The substrate may be:

(a) any wood-based product with density ≥ 400 kg/m3 or any product of at least class A2-s1, d0 in case of gypsum

boards of ≥ 6,5 mm and < 9,5 mm nominal thickness and ≥ 800 kg/m3 core density, or

(b) any wood-based product with density ≥ 400 kg/m3 or any product of at least class A2-s1, d0 in case of gypsum

boards of ≥ 9,5 mm nominal thickness and ≥ 600 kg/m3 core density, or

(c) any insulating material of at least class E-d2 in case of gypsum boards of ≥ 9,5 mm nominal thickness and

≥ 600 kg/m3 core density.

7.10.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 276/79

Each joint between adjoining gypsum boards shall have a gap width ≤ 4 mm. This provision applies for any joint
regardless of that the joint is or is not supported directly by a substructure supporting member and regardless of that
the joint is or is not filled with a jointing material.

In cases (a) and (b) each joint between adjoining gypsum boards, which is not supported directly by a substructure
supporting member and which has a gap width > 1 mm, shall be fully filled with a jointing material as specified in
EN 13963 (the other joints may remain unfilled).

In case (c) all
EN 13963.

joints between adjoining gypsum boards shall be fully filled with a jointing material as specified in

Method 2 — Mechanically fixed to a solid wood-based substrate

The gypsum boards shall be mechanically fixed to a solid wood-based substrate with density ≥ 400 kg/m3.

There shall be no cavity between the gypsum boards and the substrate.

The mechanical fixings shall be screws, staples or nails. The distance between the mechanical fixings shall correspond to
the rules given above for method 1.

Each joint between adjoining gypsum boards shall have a gap width ≤ 4 mm and may remain unfilled.

Method 3 — Mechanically fixed or bonded to a solid substrate (dry lining system)

The gypsum boards shall be fixed directly to a solid substrate with a reaction to fire classification of at least class A2-s1,
d0.

The gypsum boards may be fixed using screws or nails fixed through the thickness of the gypsum boards into the solid
substrate or may be bonded to the substrate using “dabs” of a gypsum based adhesive as specified in EN 14496.

In either case the screw or nail fixings or the adhesive “dabs” shall be positioned at maximum 600 mm vertical and
horizontal centres.

All joints between adjoining gypsum boards may remain unfilled.’