Saint-Gobain Construction Products Vietnam (a.k.a. Saint-Gobain Vietnam) -- a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain group of companies, headquartered in France -- has recently been involved in lawsuits with several local enterprises. Huy An Pte. Ltd. -- one of a few major distributors of Gyproc gypsum products in Vietnam until the middle of 2014 -- launched their legal claim to the People's Court of Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh city in December 2014. A year later, Tong Hy Co., Ltd. -- another selective distributor of Gyproc gypsum products in Vietnam up to Quarter 1 of 2015 -- also raised their voice against Saint-Gobain Vietnam. There have been a couple of reconciliation settlements between Huy An and Saint-Gobain Vietnam but the result is null. A recent verdict from the People's Court of Nha Be district seems in favour of Saint-Gobain Vietnam. As a result, Huy An Pte. Ltd. has lodged its appeal to the higher court of justice -- the People's Court of Ho Chi Minh city. Obviously it's a not-so-nice situation for Saint-Gobain Vietnam since most of their long time committed friends are now becoming foes.
Until the middle of 2015 Saint-Gobain Vietnam has restricted the number of its distributors of Gyproc gypsum products in Vietnam to a mere 4 - 5. Among them are (1) Vinh Tuong Industrial Corp. (abbr. VTI); (2) Thanh Binh Co. Ltd., (3) Tong Hy Co. Ltd., and (4) Huy An Pte. Ltd. Of which VTI is always Saint-Gobain Vietnam's most favour distributor due to a special deal since late 2007 / early 2008.
Thai Gypsum PLC started the mass production of plasterboards in the late 1960's in Thailand. Their products became popular to the Vietnam construction building industry in the early 1990's via its initiator -- Huy An Pte. Ltd. In late 1999 BPB group of companies, UK base -- the largest gypsum board manufacturer in the world with its renown Gyproc trademark -- controlled Thai Gypsum PLC. In late 2005, BPB group was fully acquired by Saint-Gobain group. In late 2007, Saint-Gobain group made their stronger presence in Vietnam by acquiring 100% the gypsum wallboard manufacturing plant from VTI located in Hiep Phuoc industrial park, Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh city. From early 2008 until end of 2014 -- via BPB Placo SAS, a French founded subsidiary of Saint-Gobain group -- the global giant has about 15% stake at VTI's business. In early 2015 Saint-Gobain group increased their holdings in VTI to 57%, thus actually controlling the biggest distributor of gypsum boards and metal frames used for drywall partition and ceiling systems in Vietnam.
Over the years, Saint-Gobain Vietnam have roughly maintained a nearly 50% market share of gypsum boards sold in Vietnam. Its major competitor in Vietnam is Lafarge Boral Gypsum in Vietnam (from 2007-2011) -- a 100% foreign invested firm -- whose name later changed to Boral Gypsum Vietnam (2012-2013), and finally converted to USG Boral Gypsum Vietnam (2014-now). By end of 2015, the estimated market share in Vietnam is split among three manufacturers: USG Boral Gypsum Vietnam (50 - 55%), Saint-Gobain Vietnam (40 - 45%), and Knauf Gypsum Vietnam (less than 5%).
You may be well aware of drywall partition and ceiling systems with high sound insulation performance (due to the fact that sound waves when striking the hard surface of walls and ceilings will normally bounce back). Now, you are introduced with drywall and ceiling systems with high sound absorption features (when striking the surface of walls and ceilings the energy of sound waves will be highly absorbed). Initially, it seems contradictory because materials with high sound reflection ability generally have poor sound absorption, and vice versa. Hence, what is the secret for gypsum plasterboards to have high sound insulation in one case and present good sound absorption in another case, when used as a lining board for partitions and ceilings?
High sound insulation drywall partitions and ceilings are often lined with two or more layers of gypsum boards that have smooth surfaces (either Standard Core or Fire Resistant or Moisture Resistant or Impact Resistant plasterboards can be used). Whereas, good sound absorption drywall partitions and ceilings are lined with perforated plasterboards that have numerous punched-through holes over their surfaces (the hole shape can be either round or square or long-narrow rectangular or polygonal). Depending on the holes' shape, holes' size, distribution pattern of holes over the plasterboard surface, types of sound absorption membrane/batt placed over the back of the plasterboard, and the air gap thickness behind the wallboard, each drywall partition or ceiling system will exhibit its own weighted sound absorption coefficient. In theory, the NRC index (Noise Reduction Coefficient - under American standard ASTM C473) or the aw index (Weighted Sound Absorption Coefficient - under European standard EN ISO 11654) may have the value from 0.0 (the tested surface will totally reflect sound waves) to 1.0 (the tested surface will fully absorb sound waves' energy). Better sound absorption partition or ceiling system surely has higher weighted sound absorption coefficient.
Until recent days, very few building projects in Vietnam are equipped with sound absorption partition or ceiling systems lined with perforated wallboards. The Sound Recording Studio at the Hochiminh city Television Broadcasting station, and the Ben Thanh theatre in Hochiminh city are among the exception. As a result, local architects, interior designers, and building contractors rarely have access to these special acoustic systems. Luckily, a tiny miracle has just happened! You are invited to visit TONG HY showroom to witness the impressive sound absorption walls lined with Gyptone wallboards (a special perforated gypsum board of SAINT-GOBAIN group with 4 tappered edges, punched-through holes, acoustic fleece integrated at the back liner), and meet with our experts, discussing in details about practical solutions and systems of sound insulation and sound absorption for building components.
Are you investors, developers, architects or contractors involved in the building industry? If so, you may need to know the following information about major manufacturers of gypsum boards (wallboards, plasterboards) in the world. Data is recorded in 2009.
1) SAINT-GOBAIN (multi businesses, multi national, France base): with a production capacity at 1450 million m2, accounts for 15.85% of the world production capacity of gypsum boards, their manufacturing plants are located throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
In 2005, SAINT-GOBAIN acquired BPB group (UK base) and since then have become the world largest gypsum plaster products. The brand GYPROC (coined from Gypsum & Rock) stands for global top quality and prestige.
2) KNAUF (trans-national, Germany base): production capacity = 1200 million m2 = 13.11% of world production capacity. Started in 1932 in Germany, today KNAUF remains a family company with manufacturing plants in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
3) USG (USA): production capacity = 1125 million m2 = 12.30% of world production capacity. SHEETROCK is the most preferred brand name of gypsum plaster products in North America. Established in 1902, USG is the oldest gypsum board manufacturer in the world with manufacturing plants in North America (US, Canada, Mexico).
4) LAFARGE (multi businesses, multi national, France base): production capacity = 1035 million m2 = 11.31% of world production capacity. Their manufacturing plants are located in North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Australia.
5) NATIONAL Gypsum (USA): production capacity = 780 million m2 = 8.52% of world production capacity. Established in 1925 with the well-known brand name GOLDBOND. Their manufacturing plants are located in the US.
6) GEORGIA-PACIFIC Gypsum (subsidiary of GEORGIA-PACIFIC group, USA): production capacity = 540 million m2 = 5.90% of world production capacity. Their manufacturing plants are located in the US.
7) YOSHINO Gypsum (Japan): production capacity = 520 million m2 = 5.68% of world production capacity. Their manufacturing plants are located only in Japan. Their brand name "TIGER" is very popular in Japan.
8) BNBM (multi businesses, Chinese state-owned corporation): production capacity = 480 million m2 = 5.25% of world production capacity. Their manufacturing plants are located only in China.
9) LAFARGE BORAL Gypsum in Asia (joint venture between LAFARGE group, France and BORAL group, Australia): production capacity = 370 million m2 = 4.04% of world production capacity. Their manufacturing plants are located in Asia.
10) AMERICAN Gypsum (subsidiary of EAGLE Materials Inc., USA): production capacity = 320 million m2 = 3.50% of world production capacity. Their manufacturing plants are located in the USA.
11) Other manufacturers with a combined production capacity = 1330 million m2 = 14.54% of world production capacity.
In Vietnam, since 2007 gypsum plaster products of world #1 and world #9 have been produced via their subsidiaries, SAINT-GOBAIN Construction Products Vietnam (GYPROC brand) and LAFARGE BORAL Gypsum in Vietnam (LAGYP brand).
With a great advantage of low costs, gypsum plasterboards manufactured in mainland China have been exported to a lot of countries around the world, including Vietnam and USA in recent years. Why has the public in the United States since early 2009 paid great attention to Chinese wallboards?
Let's have a look at www.chinesedrywall.com to grab information about drywall partitions made of tainted wallboards that cause problems to electrical, air-conditioning systems and human health at some households in USA.
Press release from Florida authorities has revealed that gypsum core of tainted wallboards made in China and exported to USA has high concentration of sulfur and strontium.
On April 8, 2010, the court of Eastern district of Louisiana returned a verdict, by which TAISHAN Gypsum (Shandong province, China) is penalised a total amount of 2.61 million USD. This compensation amount is allocated to 7 families living in Virginia. It is known that drywall partitions and ceilings of their houses are lined with tainted gypsum boards produced by TAISHAN Gypsum and exported to the USA in the last few years.
Similarly, on April 27, 2010, by verdict of the court of Eastern district of Louisiana, KNAUF Plasterboard Tianjin (a subsidiary of KNAUF group, German base) is condemned for their tainted gypsum boards, by which they have to pay a total amount of 164 thousand USD to the Hernandez family living in Virginia.
For more than ten years till now, building contractors in Vietnam have been facing with the problem of cracks of wallboard joints in drywall and screw-up ceilings. Amongst many reasons, the use of calcite based wall putty might be the root. Obviously, it is a fundamental misuse since calcite based wall putty is specially formulated and manufactured for the finishing purpose of wall and ceiling surfaces made of bricks and concrete.
With outstanding features like good trowelbility, low shrinkage, high anti-cracking strength, wide range of working time from 20 to 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes, our gypsum plaster based jointing compound GYRO UB400 fully meets ASTM C475, hopefully is the right remedy for above problematic issue.
In addition, we have another gypsum plaster based compound named GYRO Cornice Adhesive with a 20 or 30-minute working time, specifically blended to bond gypsum cornices and ceiling roses to bare concrete and suspended gypsum ceilings, and to fix directly wallboards to masonry walls. GYRO Cornice Adhesive can also be used for wallboard joint treatment that needs very quick setting time products. In the latter case, drywallers should be well trained to meet relevant criteria of the drywall industry in the US, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
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