Why Was Asbestos Used In Cement Roof Sheets

Since the cement sheets were fireproof manufacturers initially considered them safer as compared to wood.

Why was asbestos used in cement roof sheets.

It is mainly important as a roofing material. Asbestos cement genericized as fibro or fibrolite short for fibrous cement sheet and ac sheet is a building material in which asbestos fibres are used to reinforce thin rigid cement sheets. Cement sheets are one of the most commonly used roofing products that the mineral is found in and there are still a large number of buildings around the uk that have an asbestos cement sheet roof. The most common is corrugated asbestos cement sheets or a c sheets for roofing and for side walls.

Asbestos cement in roofing. At it s peak asbestos was used in over 3000 products from asbestos cement and insulation to mattresses and textured coatings. At its peak use in the 60 s and 70 s we were importing over 170 000 tonnes of asbestos to the uk a year. Advertised as a fireproof alternative to other roofing.

Further the cement sheet contains asbestos fibres and cement. Due to its fantastic thermal qualities and being extremely fire retardant it is not surprising that asbestos was extensively used in roofing and insulation in the 20 th century. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can be fluffed into a wooly consistency and mixed into building materials such as cement. Asbestos is a naturally occurring material found throughout the world.

Millions of homes factories schools or sheds and shelters continue to use asbestos. Although invented at the end of the 19th century the material rose to necessity during world war ii to make sturdy inexpensive military housing and continued to be used widely following the war as an affordable external cladding for buildings. In the production of cement sheet thin rigid cement is reinforced using asbestos to form cement sheets. Asbestos in cement walls both on exteriors and interiors of houses are made from asbestos cement boards or flat sheets.

The cement sheet is a building material made from asbestos fibres. Adding asbestos to the cement made the corrugated roofing sheets more heat resistant weatherproof and durable. Large flat asbestos cement sheets were available in sizes of twelve feet long by four feet wide and thicknesses ranging from approximately an eighth of an inch to one inch. Corrugated roofing sheets made of asbestos is common in uk homes constructed prior to 2000.

Asbestos cement flat sheets were at one time manufactured only in the typical gray color of cement and usually only accepted for industrial purposes. Commonly known as fibro asbestos cement boards were thin sheets used for cladding waterproofing and to line eaves.