Terminology

• Fibre cement: British spelling; the usual term outside the US
• Cement board / backer board: fiber cement sheet used behind tile in wet rooms
• Hatschek process: sheet forming on a cardboard-making machine
• Type A (ASTM C1186): flat sheet for direct exterior exposure to sun, rain, or snow

History and demand

Invention

• Late 19th century: Austrian Ludwig Hatschek invented fiber cement, forming sheets on a cardboard-making machine
• Original mix: about 90 percent cement and 10 percent asbestos fiber, mixed with water

First uses in construction

• Asbestos-cement was common as low-cost residential siding
• Asbestos was linked to asbestosis and mesothelioma by the 1970s and phased out; cellulose fiber became the main alternative

Sourcing

• Market research names James Hardie, Etex, Nichiha, Cembrit, and CSR as the leading fiber cement makers; no country production shares were found

Composition and production

Raw materials

• Portland cement matrix with reinforcing fibers; cellulose is the main modern fiber
• Some boards also contain sepiolite or other inorganic fibers

Manufacturing process

• Fiber and cement slurry formed in thin layers on a Hatschek machine, then cured

Product forms

• Exterior: flat sheets, corrugated sheets, slates, planks, soffits, wall copings, underroofing
• Interior: tile backer boards, partitions, ceilings, floors, window sills, fire protection

Properties

Fire behavior

• Flat sheets can be classed A1, A1FL, or A2 under EN 12467:2012+A2:2018 (noncombustible or limited combustibility)
• Some sheets test less well, and some products are not tested by accredited laboratories; check the product's test report

Durability

• Rot- and insect-resistant cementitious body

Standards

Material specifications

• ASTM C1186: non-asbestos flat fiber-cement sheets; two types by exposure (Type A for direct exterior exposure), four grades by flexural strength; C1186-26 issued 2026
• EN 12467: fiber-cement flat sheets, including reaction-to-fire classes

Uses in buildings

Building elements

• Wall Cladding: siding planks, panels, and shingles
• Ceramic and Porcelain Tile: backer board in wet rooms

Pros and cons

Pros

• Rot-resistant, and classed noncombustible or limited combustibility in many products
• Replaces asbestos-cement with cellulose reinforcement
• Available as planks, panels, slates, and backer boards

Cons

• Fire performance varies by product and testing
• Asbestos fibers can be released when old asbestos-cement is machined or weathers
• Newer boards may contain other fibers or additives; check product data

Sustainability

Health

• Legacy asbestos-cement products release fibers during machining and weathering; modern non-asbestos boards avoid this, but dust control while cutting remains standard practice

Manufacturing and cost

Main manufacturers and suppliers

• James Hardie
• Nichiha
• CertainTeed
• Allura

Sources

• Wikipedia: Fibre cement, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibre_cement
• Normservis: ASTM C1186-26 listing, https://eshop.normservis.sk/norma/astm-c1186-26-1.4.2026.html
• Technické normy: ASTM C1186-22e01 listing, https://www.technickenormy.cz/en/astm-c1186-22e01-standard-specification-for-flat-fiber-cement-sheets
• Wikimedia Commons: Fiber Cement cladding on Mercury Tower.jpg, photo by Marcin Floryan (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fiber_Cement_cladding_on_Mercury_Tower.jpg
• Spherical Insights: top 15 companies in the global fiber cement cladding and siding market, https://www.sphericalinsights.com/blogs/top-15-companies-in-global-fiber-cement-cladding-and-siding-market-2024-2035-spherical-insights-analysis