Corrugated Fibre-Cement Sheet

A corrugated fibre-cement sheet is a large roofing panel made from cement reinforced with fibres and formed with regular corrugations for stiffness. It is widely used on barns, livestock buildings, warehouses, factories and garages, and in some regions on houses.

History

Corrugated sheets were among the main products of the asbestos-cement industry founded on Ludwig Hatschek's patent of 1900, and profiles such as "Super Six" became a familiar sight on farm and industrial buildings. The material was popular because it was fireproof, did not rust and was cheap. From the 1980s, asbestos fibres were replaced with cellulose and synthetic fibres, and asbestos-free corrugated fibre-cement sheets are still widely made by companies including the Eternit brand owner, Etex.

Characteristics

• Non-combustible cement-based body.
• Does not rust, unlike unprotected steel sheet.
• Heavy and brittle: sheets are heavier than metal or plastic sheeting and can crack under point loads. Such roofs should be treated as fragile and never walked on without crawling boards or staging.

Identifying old asbestos sheets

Corrugated cement sheets installed before the asbestos bans (for example, before 1999 in Great Britain or 2003 in Australia) may contain asbestos. Owners should have suspect sheets tested before drilling, cutting, cleaning or removing them, and follow local rules on removal and disposal. Pressure-washing old sheets can release fibres and is prohibited in some places, such as Queensland.

Today

Asbestos-free corrugated fibre-cement sheets remain common on agricultural and light industrial buildings worldwide, alongside alternatives such as profiled steel, corrugated bitumen and translucent plastic sheets.