PAS 670:2021

What is PAS 670:2021 about?

Magnesium oxide boards (MgO board or mag board) have been used in construction for over twenty years because of their strength, performance when exposed to fire, and general workability. However, particularly in Denmark and Australia, incidents of boards degrading rapidly in humid conditions have drawn attention to the fact that no common standard existed for consistently verifying board quality. PAS 670:2021 provides a common standard for the selection, testing, and verification of the consistency of boards.

Who is PAS 670:2021 for?

• Building contractors
• Building element/component manufacturers/fabricators
• Manufacturers of mag board
• Distributors of mag board
• Architects
• Insurers

What does PAS 670:2021 cover?

It specifies requirements for flat sheet building boards manufactured using magnesium oxychloride or magnesium oxysulfate for the purpose of partitioning or internal and external lining of buildings, including the following characteristics:

• Dimensions and tolerances
• Physical requirements and characteristics
• Durability
• Release of dangerous substances
• Moisture movement
• Reaction to fire
• Performance in a humid environment
• Verification of quality management system (QMS), factory production control (FPC), and consignment inspection
• Product traceability

NOTE: The PAS does not apply to the use of boards as flooring, sarking, and roofing. It is not an installation guide. PAS 670:2021 doesn’t apply to specific applications for which additional testing is required to demonstrate fitness for the intended purpose, e.g. use of boards for racking resistance and as direct render substrates.

Why should you use PAS 670:2021?

This new PAS provides the sector with an agreed common standard for the selection, testing, and verification of mag board, thereby helping provide assurance about the quality of boards being supplied to sites. As a result:

• It can help manufacturers and distributors to increase confidence in their board and enter new markets
• It can help contractors and architects to identify and choose a board that they and their clients can trust
• By providing a platform of agreed good practice, it can help manufacturers to accelerate innovative product development
• It can help increase the willingness of insurers to provide cover where mag board is used
• By building trust in the fitness for purpose of this product it can potentially help open opportunities for mag board to be used more widely

PAS 670:2021 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 on building resilient infrastructure.