Seamless gypsum board ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings consist of a substructure made of metal or wood and cladding as a finished ceiling soffit. They have a wide range of possible applications: as a visually high-quality upper room closure, they can change the room proportions, create space for technical installations, improve room acoustics or serve to meet soundproofing, thermal insulation or fire protection requirements. In many cases, there is also an insulating layer of mineral wool above the cladding, e.g. to meet thermal insulation, sound insulation or fire protection requirements.
substructure:
construction height: The construction height of the ceiling cladding/suspended ceiling results from the cladding thickness, the height of the substructure and, if applicable, the suspension. For the clear dimension in the false ceiling, e.g. as an installation space for technical cables, the cladding thickness and the height of the substructure must be subtracted. In the case of suspended suspended suspended ceilings, the suspension height can be freely selected from the specified minimum dimension and can thus be optimally adjusted, for example, to the required space requirement in the false ceiling or to external connection heights. Construction heights from approx. 70 mm are possible for all systems.
Partition wall connection: In order for a ceiling cladding/suspended ceiling with fire resistance requirements to be able to connect to a rising partition wall as a room-enclosing component in accordance with the approval, at least the same fire resistance must be proven for the partition wall as for the suspended ceiling .
Sound insulation: Ceiling cladding/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 checked and calculated in each individual case, taking into account the specific installation situation, and, if necessary, evaluated in accordance with VDI 3755.
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, e.g.: ►Knauf Room Acoustics Calculator
Exposed ceiling under fire protection ceiling: Often a ceiling system alone cannot meet all requirements (e.g. acoustics and fire protection) at the same time. A two-level version is then carried out: the acoustic ceiling is installed under a ceiling cladding/suspended ceiling with classified fire resistance. Both systems must be coordinated with each other and approved accordingly. In particular, the substructure of the fire protection ceiling must be designed and approved for the additional load caused by the acoustic ceiling.
Curved ceiling surfaces: Plasterboard can also be used to create evenly curved ceiling surfaces. The panels are either attached to the curved substructure when dry: bending radii ≥ approx. 2.75 m are possible with a 12.5 mm thick gypsum board (GKB/GKF). Or the boards can be bent wet, wetting the side to be compressed evenly with water, then bending the board on a prefabricated template and fixing it until completely dry: bending radii ≥ approx. 1.00 m are possible with a 12.5 mm thick gypsum board (GKB/GKF).
Moulded parts: Specially prefabricated (milled and folded) moulded parts, e.g. for light coves or upstands, can be used to accentuate/upgrade larger ceiling surfaces. Especially in combination with curved ceiling surfaces, this results in creative possibilities for interior design.
Damp rooms: According to DIN 18181, gypsum products are generally not suitable for applications in rooms with persistently high humidity. However, they are suitable for rooms in which the humidity only rises briefly due to use and due to sufficient ventilation options, e.g. in sanitary rooms within apartments. DIN 18181 recommends gypsum boards classified according to DIN 18180 (type GKBI/GKFI) or DIN EN 520 (type H2) for damp room applications.
Suspended ceilings are divided into load classes A-D in terms of their suitability for damp rooms in accordance with DIN EN 13964 Table 8. The ceiling or component supplier must specify which class the suspended ceiling or component fulfils:
Inspection flaps: In addition to inexpensive inspection flaps made of white powder-coated sheet steel, there are also inspection flaps with a plaster insert, which are only visible as a thin joint in the ceiling when installed. If necessary, the inspection flap must have the same fire protection classification as the suspended ceiling . The exact size and position of all inspection flaps should be determined in a ceiling mirror in coordination with the technical equipment to be inspected.
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. As a rule, ball impact resistance in the case of ceiling cladding/suspended ceilings with plasterboard requires a reduced centre distance of the support profiles.
Radiation protection requirements: There are appropriately approved suspended ceiling systems. For more information on the requirements, see also the encyclopedia article ► Radiation protection requirements for space-limiting components.
Information in the building documents: according to DIN 18168-1, the building documents must specify the use of gypsum board ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings, including their anchoring and the attachment of light partition walls to them. Any necessary measures for fire, heat and sound insulation must also be specified.
Storage of plasterboard: The storage of plasterboard should be horizontal and even, i.e. e.g. on dry pallets or tightly lying lumber. When storing plasterboard, the permissible static load limit of the ceiling is quickly reached. The panels must therefore be stored taking into account the weight of the panels and the permissible ceiling load-bearing capacity, with as much distance as possible between the individual pallets.
Processing of gypsum boards: Gypsum products must be protected from the effects of moisture on the construction site during transport, storage and installation. Gypsum boards in particular are quickly damaged by moisture, but also by deformation. Material delivery and processing should therefore only begin when the façade envelope including the roof offers functioning protection against moisture/precipitation. After installation, gypsum boards should not be exposed to prolonged humidity above 80%. Sufficient ventilation must be ensured, especially when interior plastering or screed work is carried out at the same time, in order to avoid damage to the drywall walls due to increased humidity.
Plasterboard filling: According to DIN 18181, plasterboard should only be filled at room temperatures ≥ 10° C.
Analogous to the four quality levels Q1 – Q4 defined in DIN 18550 for interior plaster surfaces, these are also specified for gypsum boards in Leaflet No. 2, Filling of gypsum boards, see also Lexicon article ► Filling of plasterboards, quality levels. The quality level is to be selected depending on the further coating/cladding of the wall.
It should be noted that markings in grazing light can never be completely avoided due to the handcrafted production of the smooth wall surface. However, they are significantly reduced when an increased quality level (Q3 or Q4) is executed. At quality level 4, they are minimized within the scope of the craftsmanship possibilities, but an absolutely flat and shadow-free execution is not feasible. For an optimal result, comparable lighting conditions should already be available during the execution of the filler work as during acceptance or later use.
DIN 4102-2, fire behaviour of building materials and components; Components, Terms, Requirements and Tests
DIN 6812, Medical X-ray Systems up to 300 kV - Rules for the Design of Structural Radiation Protection
DIN 18041, Audibility in Rooms; Requirements, recommendations and notes for planning
DIN 18168-1, plasterboard ceiling cladding and suspended ceilings - Part 1: Requirements for the design
DIN 18180, plasterboard - types and requirements
DIN 18181, gypsum boards in building construction - processing
DIN 18182-1, accessories for the processing of plasterboard - Part 1: Profiles made of sheet steel
DIN 18340, VOB Procurement and Contract Regulations for Construction Services - Part C: General Technical Contract Conditions for Construction Services (ATV) - Drywall work
DIN EN 520, Plasterboard - Definitions, requirements and test methods
DIN EN 13964, Suspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods
DIN EN 14195, Metal profiles for substructures of plasterboard systems - Definitions, 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
Building rule lists, Building rule list A, Building rule list B and List C, published by the ► German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt)
Construction site conditions, Leaflet No. 1, Notes and guidelines for drywall construction work with gypsum board systems, published by the gypsum board industry group in the Federal Association of the Gypsum Industry e.V.
Filling of gypsum boards, leaflet no. 2, surface qualities, notes and guidelines for drywall construction work with gypsum board systems, published by the gypsum board industry group in the Federal Association of the Gypsum Industry e.V.
Gypsum Board Constructions, Joints and Connections, Leaflet No. 3, published by the Gypsum Board Industry Group in the Federal Association of the Gypsum Industry e.V.
Source: bauwion
