Wasserfeste Wandelemente aus Gips

Gypsum is an economy-priced building material which is particularly advantageous for the indoor application featuring a variety of positive physical properties, but it is not moisture-resistent. Thus, gypsum building materials are not suitable for outdoor application. At the Fraunhofer Institutes for Silicate- and Wood Research, Germany, a gypsum front panel was developed which is also suitable for outdoor application. One of the special feature of this panel is the multi-layer design. The carrier panel consists of a gypsum matrix containing mass hydrophobing agents and eventually reinforcing fibers. On the outside is applied a functional layer open to water vapor and at the same time imper-meable to water. A method which is wide-spread in the manufacture of modern texti-les. The functional layer consists of a glass fiber mat and an incorporated micro-poriferous structure with hydrophobic properties. The weathering resistance of the pa-nel was proved by artificial weathering in a facility for climatic simulation. The mechanical properties of the gypsum front panel are typical for gypsum. If the construction is adjusted to the panel also a static load carrying will be possible. Moreover, the panel is non-combustible and, therefore, it can be applied p. ex. in high buil-dings with special fireproofing requirement