Hume Cemboard Industries (HCI), a leading Malaysian firm, is actively promoting its environmental friendly range of ceiling and partitioning systems keeping in mind the growing emphasis on green building systems in the region.

The ISO 9001: 2000 accredited manufacturer of building materials is coming to be known in the region for its range of cellulose fibre reinforced cement boards marketed under the Primaboard brand name with various sub-brands such as Primaflex, Primaliner, and Primaplank for specific applications.
Primaboard is a cellulose fibre reinforced cement board manufactured from premium grade cellulose fibre, finely ground sand, Portland cement, and water and is suited for external cladding and internal lining in residential, commercial and industrial applications, apart from being used for bracing, decorative elements and fencing.
The boards, which are available in standard thicknesses ranging from 3.2 mm to 12.0 mm and dimensions of 1,200 mm by 2,400 mm, can also be customised to different formulations, designs, finishes and even sizes.
HCI’s products have already been used on some of the leading projects in the region including the Burj Al Arab and The Palm in the UAE, and the company is confident that the product could find its way on to several more prestigious projects in the region.
Both the Prima Drywall and the Solidwall systems have been fire-tested from 60 to 120 minutes.
As costs of building materials and labour rise, HCI says it is realistic to source viable building systems that can assure both quality and performance. In addition to the fact that fibre cement products are very durable and require very little maintenance during lifetime, they do not suffer the traditional durability problems of timber or PVC-based cladding materials, HCI says, adding that it is also not unusual for these products to have service lives of over 50 years.
Commenting on the reasons behind the success of the products, HCI says that improved manufacturing, building technologies and experiences are factors that make Prima Solidwall System and Prima Drywall System to successfully replace brickwork applications, especially for high-rise buildings.
Since 2000, HCI’s plant has been fully converted to produce 100 per cent asbestos-free product for cellulose fibre reinforced cement board. Without the asbestos content, its boards are considered to be more environmental friendly and less hazardous.
The company’s products are autoclaved and manufactured from premium grade pulp, finely ground silica sand, Portland cement, water and additives.
Cellulose fibres required for the products are sourced from unbleached pine wood pulp logged from sustainable plantation timbers (Pinus radiata). This provides a cellulose fibre cement product that offers flexural strength, durability plus impact, termite and fire-resistant – all properties that are desirable to the building industry.
Primaboard has been used for projects in Malaysia such as the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), where Primaliner of a thickness of 6 mm has been applied for the wet area internal lining.
In the Gulf, the products have been used at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, where Primaflex boards of 6 mm have been used for the ceilings and wall linings, and at The Palm islands, where 6 mm Primaflex boards have been used for the ceilings and as soft linings. Primaliner boards with a thickness of 9 mm have been used for the external cladding works for the Central Bank of Bahrain headquarters in Bahrain.
Although HCI is yet to set up offices in the region, its products are widely distributed in the region through distributors who covers the markets of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, who import products directly from the company’s manufacturing facilities.
Currently the company has two Hatchek process plants, which are located in the two states of Selangor and Perak in Malaysia.
Primaboard is accredited with various standards right from service excellence to product excellence. Primaboard complies to international standards and requirements, namely, AS/NZS 2908.2 (Australia and New Zealand), BS 476 (U.K), BSEN 12467 (EU), ISO 8336, ASTM C1186 (US) & MS 1296 (Malaysia).
The boards are fire, water, moisture and weather-resistant and have excellent sound and thermal insulation properties.
The boards, which are strong and durable, are resistant to decay, rust, termite and rodent attack and also boast of good workability.