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Knauf GIFAFloor FHB Self-Supporting Gypsum Fibreboard - Structural Screed Board

Verified by manufacturer 1 day ago

FHB 18 - Single-layer System

Access Floors Distribution Variant:
Product certifications:
  • EPD

    EPD

    Certificate type

  • Indoor Air Comfort – Eurofins

    Indoor Air Comfort – Eurofins

    Certificate type

Load-bearing tongue & groove gypsum fibreboard screed panels, providing strong, non-combustible, sustainable flooring installed over spanning objects such as cradle & batten.

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BOS
01480 367096 Website

Application

The Knauf GIFAfloor FHB Self-Supporting System is suitable for a wide variety of commercial and residential applications where a robust, sustainable, and non-combustible flooring solution is required.

Typical Applications

  • Residential floor build-ups – delivering solid, stable, and safe flooring for apartments, houses, and multi-residential schemes.
  • Floating floor systems – compatible with spanning structures such as CLT, cradle & batten, or joists.
  • Acoustic flooring – high-density composition reduces airborne and impact sound transmission.
  • High-rise buildings – non-combustible A1 fire rating supports compliance with stringent regulations.
  • Office buildings & commercial spaces – capable of supporting heavy use with minimal maintenance.
  • Modular buildings – lightweight and quick to install, ideal for off-site construction projects.
  • Underfloor heating systems – excellent thermal conductivity enhances heating efficiency.
  • Finishes – suitable substrate for ceramics, porcelain, natural stone, micro cement, or other hard finishes, without the need for de-coupling layers.

This flexibility makes GIFAfloor an ideal choice for modern construction, where programme efficiency, fire safety, acoustic performance, and sustainability are equally important.

Description

The Knauf GIFAfloor FHB Self-Supporting System is a structural dry screed flooring solution designed to deliver strength, stability, and sustainability across a wide range of building applications.

Material Composition

Panels are manufactured from gypsum fibreboard, a blend of:

  • Wholly recycled paper fibres
  • Natural gypsum
  • Flue gas desulphurised (FGD) gypsum

This engineered composition creates a non-combustible A1-rated calcium sulphate panel with outstanding durability and environmental credentials.

Manufacturing Process

Produced through a controlled lamination and pressing process, GIFAfloor panels achieve optimum density for consistent quality and inherent strength. Engineered tongue-and-groove (T&G) edge profiles provide robust interlocking, creating a monolithic, load-bearing floor once installed.

Performance Benefits

  • Load-bearing capability suitable for structural flooring.
  • A1 non-combustible fire rating for compliance and safety.
  • High density & dimensional stability minimises movement.
  • Thermally transparent – excellent heat conductivity, ideal for underfloor heating.
  • Quick installation – walkable within hours, no drying time required.
  • Excellent acoustic performance due to high mass.
  • Suitable for hard finishes – natural stone, porcelain, ceramics, or micro cement can be applied directly.
  • Sustainability – manufactured from highly recycled content, with EPD certification, low embodied carbon, and 100% recyclability at end of life.
  • Indoor Air Quality Gold – Eurofins Certified.
  • Warranty – covered by a building lifetime warranty.

Advantages Over Traditional Systems

Compared to wet screeds or timber boards, GIFAfloor provides:

  • Faster programme times – no drying delays.
  • Improved environmental impact – reduced embodied carbon.
  • Greater structural reliability – inherent strength and stability.

Note on Raised Access Floors

While this product is optimised for self-supporting applications, a pedestal-based system is also available. Please refer to “Knauf GifaFloor FHB Hollow Floor System – Pedestals” on NBS for further details and installation guidance.

General information

Color

Grey

Beige

Material

Fibre-reinforced

Gypsum

Shape

Rectangle

Square

Length

1200 mm

600 mm

Width

600 mm

Height

18 mm

25 mm

28 mm

32 mm

38 mm

Warranty description

Lifetime

Uniclass

Pr_25_71_35_30 Fibre-reinforced gypsum floorboardsPrimary

CAWS

K11/60 Board

K11/15 Battened plywood floating floor

K41/315 Floor panels

K20/20 Battened timber board floating floor

K11/20 Battened particleboard floating floor

K41/315 Floor panels

K21/130 Battened wood floating floor

K11/295 Floating floor system

K11/275 Acoustic separating floor system

K11/125 Battened particleboard floating floor

K11/115 Battened plywood floating floor

K20/150 Battened timber board floating floor

Specification data - Fibre-reinforced gypsum floorboards

Classification data

Thickness

18 mm.

Edges

Tongued and grooved.

Panel size

1200 x 600 mm.

Guidance for specification option:

As standard.

Density

To EN 15283‑2, ≥1500 kg/m³.

Water vapour resistance

30/50 μ.

Strength

To EN 13892‑8, ≥1.0 N/mm².

Manufacturer guidance

Adhesive tensile strength.

Hardness

≥40 N/mm².

Guidance for specification option:

Internal specification.

Manufacturer guidance

Surface hardness (Brinell).

Water absorption

To EN 15283-2, ≤300 g/m².

Flexural strength

≥8.7 N/mm².

SpecificHeatCapacity

>1000 J/kg∙K.

ThermalConductivity

0.44 W/m·K.

Guidance for specification option:

In conjunction with underfloor heating systems 0.30 W/(mK) λ10.

Coefficient of thermal expansion

12.9∙10^-5 1/K.

Panel weight

29.01 kg/m².

Guidance for specification option:

20.89 kg per 1200 x 600 mm panel.

Reaction to fire

To EN 13501‑1, A1 non-combustible.

Fire resistance

Refer to manufacturer.

Guidance for specification option:

Tested 1200 mm centres whilst 2 kN/m² was applied.

Impact sound reduction

Refer to manufacturer.

Accessories

GifaBond blue panel adhesive.
Knauf Acoustic Isolating Strip.
Knauf Acoustic Edge Strip.
GifaFrame access frame.

Guidance for specification option:

Available in both 600 x 600 mm pre-made hatches or lengths of 3 m profile with corner fixings to make up the desired hatch space required.

Consult manufacturer for details and insert requirements.

None.

Sustainability data

Contains Red List materials

No

Country of material origin

Germany

Country of product manufacture

Germany

Manufacturing plant location

Material

Fibre-reinforced
Gypsum
Carbon dioxide equivalent

Carbon dioxide equivalent, as defined in BS EN 15804

Certified

Stage
Normalised unit (kg CO₂ eq/kg)
Declared unit (kg CO₂ eq/m²)
Stage:A1–A3 ('Production stage')
Normalised unit :
Declared unit : 1.22

Lower emissions

Recyclability

100%

Expected Life

Lifetime

Product certifications

BIM objects

BOS

NBS BIM Object Standard

This BIM object has been authored to meet the requirements of the NBS BIM Object Standard.

Find out more about the NBS BIM Object Standard.

Platform Compatible Version
Revit
-

1

IFC
-

1

Product certifications

EPD

EPD

Knauf GifaFloor FHB EPD 2023

Indoor Air Comfort – Eurofins

Indoor Air Comfort – Eurofins

Indoor Air Comfort Gold – Eurofins - VOC Emissions

Literature

Knauf GifaFloor FHB Brochure 2023

Knauf GifaFloor FHB Brochure 2023

Knauf GIFAfloor - Self-Supporting System

Knauf GIFAfloor - Self-Supporting System

Knauf GifaFloor Sustainability Information 2023

Knauf GifaFloor Sustainability Information 2023

Knauf GifaFloor FHB - F19 Technical Document - Self Supporting System

Knauf GifaFloor FHB - F19 Technical Document - Self Supporting System

Case studies

Kings Cross Residential Acoustic Flooring System

Kings Cross Residential Acoustic Flooring System