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.

PAS 670:2021

Magnesium oxide-based boards for use in buildings. Specification

Current

Published:

30 Sep 2021