Elemental mineral ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings (in short: mineral grid ceilings) usually consist entirely of non-combustible parts and have good acoustic properties. They allow access to the ceiling cavity at any time and represent a particularly economical option for the production of suspended ceilings with a short construction time. There are design possibilities through the choice and orientation of the element grid, through the joint formation and the soffit of the mineral cover elements, which is already finished at the factory.
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The main possible applications for mineral grid ceilings are new construction and renovation projects in the public and commercial sectors:
This is where their advantages (cost-effectiveness, non-combustibility, acoustics, revisionability of the ceiling space at any time, fast construction time) come into their own.
Requirements for planning: Depending on the project, a wide range of technical and design requirements can be placed on ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings:
Requirements and test methods for suspended ceilings are specified in particular in DIN EN 13964.
Fire protection: Ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings must meet requirements for the fire behaviour of the building materials used in certain installation situations (e.g. flame retardant, no burning droplets/drops). However, requirements for fire resistance as a room-enclosing component, alone or in combination with the raw ceiling above, can also be met by appropriately approved mineral grid ceilings.
Resistance to wind stress: In accordance with DIN EN 13964, suspended ceilings inside the building must be able to absorb wind loads by means of suitable constructive measures if they are to be expected, e.g. through open doors and windows. They must remain stable and unharmed and, in particular, must not fail or collapse. Top layers that tend to lift off in critical areas such as entrance halls, in the corners and upper floors of multi-storey buildings and near open windows and doors must be clamped in place in accordance with DIN EN 13964. In the case of larger building openings, e.g. large doors, suspended ceilings in open entrances or multi-storey car parks, the resistance to wind pressure and suction must be demonstrated separately.
Joint formation: Mineral grid ceilings usually have a visible regular joint grid. Depending on the design of the top layer elements, the substructure is also visible, concealed or partially concealed, see also lexicon article ►Grid ceilings, mineral, joint formation.
Module dimensions according to DIN EN 13964: Usually, module dimensions for suspended ceilings are based on a multiple of 100 mm, submodules on a multiple of 50 or 25 mm. This applies equally to all top layers, i.e. to square grid ceilings as well as to longitudinal panel ceilings.
Lighting: There are numerous luminaire systems that are matched to the grids of mineral grid ceilings. Both elongated and square formats can be integrated exactly into the module dimensions of the matching grid ceiling, without unsightly cuts of the adjacent top layer components.
Ceiling mirror: When planning mineral grid ceilings, the creation of a ceiling mirror is usually useful or necessary. This must also specify the exact location of the ceiling grid for each room, i.e. whether it is to be aligned in the middle of the room or at existing room edges.
The ceiling mirror must contain all the information that is important for the production of the suspended ceiling , including all attached, surface-mounted and built-in parts. This enables an overall planning of the suspended ceiling , including the consideration of laterally adjacent components, height differences and technical elements such as recessed luminaires and ventilation outlets. Often, a layer is provided in the middle of the top layer component (in the middle of the grid) for built-in parts. It can also be useful to define axes, e.g. in the middle of the room or to door/window openings, which determine the position of built-in parts across all trades. For more information, including the example of a ceiling mirror, see the encyclopedia article on ceiling mirrors.
Top layer: The top layer of mineral grid ceilings usually consists of highly compacted, synthetic resin-bonded rock wool panels.
Substructure: The substructure of a sub-slab with mineral grid elements usually consists of basic profiles (load-bearing profiles) that are mounted in a grid that is determined by the size of the top-layer elements. Often, the basic profiles form a grate together with transverse additional connection profiles. The basic profiles are attached to the raw ceiling above by means of hangers. Hangers are available in galvanized wire, spring steel, threaded rods, aluminum or sheet steel. Fastening in the ground must be carried out with fasteners approved for the respective building material (e.g. dowels, setting bolts). In the case of ceiling cladding made of mineral grid elements, the top layer is attached directly to the raw ceiling, by gluing or dowel mounting. In contrast to a suspended ceiling, this usually requires a flat surface.
Construction height: The construction height of suspended ceilings results from the thickness of the top layer, the height of the substructure and the suspension. For the clear dimension in the false ceiling, e.g. as an installation space for technical cables, the thickness of the top layer and the height of the substructure must be subtracted.
The construction height of ceiling cladding with mineral grid elements is usually determined solely by the thickness of the top layer, as no substructure is designed for ceiling cladding.
Sound insulation: Closed ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings usually significantly improve sound insulation to the building areas above. However, it is not possible to make any general statements about the improvements, as too many boundary conditions, in particular the design of the flanking components and the raw ceiling, play a role. The exact extent of the improvement must therefore be examined, calculated and, if necessary, evaluated in accordance with VDI 3755 in each individual case, taking into account the specific installation situation.
Sound absorption of acoustic ceilings: The installation of acoustic ceilings improves the so-called reverberation times of a room, which depend not only on the volume of the room, but above all on the sound absorption capacity of the room surfaces. Reverberation times that are incorrectly or not taken into account for the respective use can lead to the unusability of the room in certain rooms, e.g. gymnasiums, if, for example, communication is unreasonably difficult due to excessively long reverberation times.
Important information for hearing in rooms is contained in DIN 18041, which divides rooms into groups A and B. Group A includes rooms in which voice communication must be ensured over medium to long distances (e.g. conference rooms, banquet halls, community halls, classrooms and conference rooms, lecture halls, group rooms in kindergartens and day-care centres, day-care centres for the elderly, sports halls and swimming pools). Group B are rooms in which voice communication takes place at a short distance (e.g. sales rooms, restaurants, bank counters, consultation rooms in doctors' offices, offices, operating theatres, treatment rooms, hospital rooms, workrooms, public traffic areas, libraries and reading rooms).
According to DIN EN ISO 11654, the sound absorption capacity is divided into six classes A (highly absorbent, > 90% sound absorption) – E (low absorbency, 15 – 25% sound absorption). In the assessment according to VDI 3755, a class F (reflective, ≤ 10% sound absorption) is also provided.
The manufacturer specifies the sound absorption coefficients and sound absorption classes for the individual acoustic panels. Some manufacturers also offer free room acoustics calculators online for the uncomplicated calculation of reverberation times.
Damp rooms: Mineral grid ceilings can be used in certain damp rooms such as indoor swimming pools, if the corresponding suitability is confirmed by the manufacturer and the specified boundary conditions, in particular the maximum permissible humidity, are observed. The suitability for damp rooms must be specified by the manufacturer, assigning the suspended ceiling system to one of the load classes in accordance with DIN EN 13964, see also the encyclopaedia article on the suspended ceiling, load class in accordance with DIN EN 13964. In particular, ceilings in rooms with increased humidity and corrosive impurities, e.g. salt or chloride pollution in a swimming pool, require increased corrosion protection of all metal components of the substructure, depending on the load class and material, e.g. by anodizing, electrolytic galvanizing, coil coating or organic coating.
Ball impact safety: If ball impact safety is required, e.g. in gymnasiums, it must be checked whether the selected suspended ceiling system is suitable and approved for this.
Installation: The surface of the mineral top layer elements, which are already finished at the factory, is very sensitive to dirt. The installation must therefore be carried out with appropriate care, in particular clean gloves must be worn.
Start of installation: Annex A to DIN EN 13964 contains (informative) requirements for the construction site that must be met at the start of installation of suspended ceilings, unless deviating conditions are specified by the manufacturer:
Flatness/design tolerances: Permissible design tolerances and the required flatness of suspended ceiling systems are regulated in DIN EN 13964 (Tables 3/ 4/ 5 and Annex A.5.2).
DIN 18041 Audibility in rooms; Requirements, recommendations and notes for planning
DIN 18340 VOB Procurement and Contract Regulations for Construction Services - Part C: General Technical Contract Conditions for Construction Services (ATV) - Drywall construction work
DIN EN 13964 Suspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods
DIN EN ISO 11654 Acoustics - Sound absorbers for use in buildings - Assessment of sound absorption (ISO 11654)
VDI 3755 Technical rule, sound insulation and sound absorption of suspended suspended ceilings
Source: bauwion
