Gypsum industry news
Albér Gypsum develops sprayable gypsum ‘board’
22 June 2023US: Albér Gypsum has developed an adhesive gypsum-based plaster ‘board’ product that can be used in place of traditional gypsum wallboard. Using the new process gypsum powder is first mixed with water into a mixture lightweight cement sprayer. The company has also designed a special spray gun for this purpose. The plaster is then sprayed onto the wall construction or/and insulation, evened out and left to dry for up to six hours. A patent is currently pending for the new method.
The developer says that the gypsum-based plaster product eliminates air pockets in a wall, covers electrical wires and tubes thereby reducing fire risk and is stronger than traditional wallboard. It takes half the installation time of regular wallboard and does not require fittings such as bolts or nails. The company says that the sprayable plaster creates less waste, is easily recyclable and does not use paper. Not using paper also prevents any cases of black mould. The gypsum mix used can be modified to create a harder or softer surface depending on the desired room acoustics.
US: Fertiliser company Mosaic is seeking approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to test using phosphogypsum on a pilot road project at its New Wales site in Mulberry, Florida. It hopes to test using the substance in three 60m sections of road, according to correspondence seen by the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. The proposed test road will use a mixture of sand with up to 50% phosphogypsum in a 25cm base. The road will then be monitored over the next 18 months.
The EPA originally approved the limited use of phosphogypsum in road construction in 2020. However, this was then subsequently blocked. Local legislation in Florida allowing the Florida Department of Transportation to study the use of phosphogypsum in road construction has been approved by the Florida Senate and House of Representatives but is yet to be signed off by Governor Ron DeSantis.
The Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute estimates that around 1Bnt of phosphogypsum is stored in over 20 sites in the state. Over 25Mt/yr of phosphogypsum is generated, typically from fertiliser production. Environmental groups in the state have opposed Mosaic’s proposed use of phosphogypsum in road building due to its higher level of radioactivity compared to other forms of gypsum.
US: The US gypsum wallboard industry produced 623Mm2 of gypsum wallboard during the first quarter of 2023, down by 1% year-on-year and by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter. The industry exported 20.1Mm2 of gypsum wallboard in the quarter under review, corresponding to 19% year-on-year growth. Canada received 19Mm2 of the product, 94% of total exports for the quarter.
United States Geological Survey (USGS) data show 4% year-on-year growth in US gypsum wallboard imports. The country imported 23Mm2 during the year, 20.9Mm2 (91%) of it from Mexico and 1.84Mm2 (8%) from Canada. Total calcined gypsum consumption was 4.66Mt in the US in the first quarter of 2023, up by 9.9% year-on-year from 4.24Mt in the first quarter of 2022.
US: USG has announced a strategic partnership with construction robotics company Canvas. The agreement intends to bring together USG’s expertise in building materials and Canvas’ experience in on-site robotics, notably in gypsum wallboard finishing. The companies hope to address industry issues such as labour shortages, schedule and budget overruns, quality inconsistencies and productivity and safety issues through their collaboration.
Canvas introduced its wallboard finishing machine to contractors in 2022. It can apply both level 5 and level 4 wallboard finishes. In contrast to manual application, the robot applies a single layer of joint compound over wet tape and telescopes to around 4.5m to do the vast majority of the work at height. It also reduces repetitive motion injuries and captures the majority of the dust produced by sanding.
Jonathan Hughes, USG’s Vice President of Estimating at Daley’s Drywall & Taping, said “As an early adopter of the Canvas machine, we see three clear benefits of the system: 1) it makes work safer for our tapers by eliminating dangerous dust, minimising repetitive motion injuries and reducing accidental falls; 2) the finish is amazing and consistent; and 3) the machine makes the work much faster, improving our productivity metrics and making us much more competitive.”
In March 2023 Canvas said that construction equipment manufacturer, Hilti, would now produce its robotic machines.
US: Georgia-Pacific has appointed Andy Konieczka as Executive Vice President of Building Products. He will report to the company's president and chief executive officer (CEO) Christian Fischer.
Konieczka previously worked as the president of Structural Panels at Georgia Pacific since 2019. He has worked for Koch Industries and subsidiaries, including Georgia-Pacific, since 1992. In 2006, he joined Georgia-Pacific, holding strategy, optimisation and management roles in wood, fibre and building products. Konieczka serves as a member of the board of directors for the APA - The Engineered Wood Association.
US: Eagle Materials reported sales of US$2.1bn in 2022, up by 15% year-on-year from 2021 levels. The producer's earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 19% to US$782m. Its light materials sales, including gypsum wallboard, rose by 22% to US$981m. Sales volumes of gypsum wallboard rose by 4% to 87.8Mm3, while it raised prices by 17% to US$8.46/m3.
President and CEO Michael Haack said "Looking ahead, we anticipate continued attractive fundamentals in our markets, despite headwinds relating to higher interest rates and affordability constraints in single-family residential construction. Among the favourable demand factors we expect will affect our results in future periods are projected funding increases for infrastructure projects and healthy demand for heavy industrial projects and multi-family residential construction. We remain well-positioned to capitalise on these conditions, given our geographical footprint across the (Central) US Heartland and fast-growing Sun Belt (Southern US) and our financial strength and flexibility."
Canada: USG Corporation subsidiary Canadian Gypsum Company (CGC) plants to restart operations at its 2Mt/yr-capacity Little Narrows gypsum quarry in Nova Scotia. Construction Canada News has reported that the company expects the commissioning to take until early-mid 2026. Work includes the construction of a new crusher and conveyor systems, as well as a dock and ship loader, and the purchase of new mining equipment, including drills, loaders, excavators and haul trucks. When operational, the quarry will ship gypsum to markets along the east coast of North America, including Montréal, Québec.
USG Corporation CEO Chris Griffin said “This investment will cement our long-term commitment to the Canadian market and our dedication to providing the best experience for our customers across North America. CGC has a proud history of operations at the Little Narrows gypsum quarry, which was active from 1954 to 2016. We are deeply connected to Little Narrows and Cape Breton, and thrilled to return to drive economic growth and support the local community as a neighbour and partner.”
US: Gold Bond Building Products plans to spend US$90m on an upgrade to its Mount Holly gypsum wallboard plant in North Carolina. The project will include installing a railway line and related infrastructure to aid logistics, according to the Gaston Gazette newspaper. It is expected to create 11 new jobs at the site. Construction on the project is expected to be completed in 2024. The affiliate company of National Gypsum has operated a plant at Mount Holly since 2007.
CertainTeed Gypsum recognised for smart energy management system at Buchanan wallboard plant
14 April 2023US: CertainTeed Gypsum has received the 2023 Better Project Award from the Department of Energy for the company’s smart energy management system at its Buchanan wallboard plant in New York state. The system at the plant, which was designed in-house and consists of over 180 energy meters, allows the staff to track and contextualise energy data, forecast future energy use and tackle actual losses once identified. Within the first three months of installation, the system helped identify several opportunities to reduce energy usage and enabled the plant team to scope process changes and projects to address them. The subsidiary of Saint-Gobain now plans to deploy similar technology at sites throughout North America.
Jay Bachmann, Vice President and General Manager of CertainTeed’s Interior Product Group, said “In a dynamic, continuous production facility like our Buchanan plant, it is essential to have real-time, in-depth data that can help us reduce our energy consumption, and our smart energy management system does just that.” He thanked workers at the Buchanan plant for their efforts.
The Better Project awards recognise manufacturers who improve energy efficiency and competitiveness in the industrial sector. To be considered for an award, projects must deliver significant waste or energy savings and must be discreet, innovative, and replicable in similar industrial facilities.
US: Advanced materials producer Xeriant plans to enter trial production of its recycled plastic-based gypsum wallboard alternative, NEXBOARD. Plastic products company TMF Corporation will support production by agglomerating post-industrial plastic waste and densifying it, along with different eco-friendly flame retardants, for use as feedstock.