Internal Partition

Drywall is a kind of factory made wall panel. It replaces the traditional brick and block dividing wall in buildings. It involves less labour and skill requirement, and provides a  shorter construction time, better product quality and higher flexibility for future layout changes. Full height panels are assembled and conduits can be easily installed through its preformed tubular spaces with minimal cutting, jointing and patching up. Its lightweight characteristic, at about half the weight of solid concrete block reduces the dead load imposed on the building structure. The surface of the wall panel can be easily finished with a thin coat of skim plaster in lieu of the thick cement sand plaster in traditional block wall. Much less wet trade work is involved in the assembly process and less construction waste is generated at the end.

In order to provide the solid feel and sense of security traditionally associated with masonry walls, dry wall plus infill can be adopted. For example, the “Hardiwall” Solid Wall System is an internal non-load bearing wall comprising light gauge galvanised steel stud framing, lined with fibre cement sheets and filled with a proprietary lightweight concrete core mix. It reduces structural design requirements due to lighter weight wall construction. Increased floor space can be achieved due to thinner walls. It is up to 3 times faster to install than a masonry wall. No wet trades are involved, which eliminates site mess on each floor, reduces site waste, and therefore waste removal and dumping costs. It provides a very smooth flat finish and eliminates the need for plastering to finish the wall surface. 

The cost is about HK$300 to 340 per square metre, ready for painting which includes material and labour, at July 2000 prices.

Low-Waste Buildings Technologies & Practices
Home