The SRP strongback ceiling system has long been a strong and cost-effective solution for modern suspended ceiling design. Steel Rollformed Products' 0.55BMT 22mm batten is a simple profile that makes plasterboard fixing easy with its wide face and great spanning capabilities.
The concern amongst some installers is that the 22mm batten in 0.55BMT is less suitable for the greater wind loads on the exterior of buildings when the system is being used to line soffits. This is especially popular in high rise projects above balconies or external spaces. SRP's solution to the greater wind loading and thinner gauge concerns is to offer a 0.75BMT 22mm batten aimed specifically for use where screw pull-out is an issue.
In-house testing shows the standard batten to have a 115kg pull-out force when using bugle head plasterboard screws. In the same testing conditions, the new batten shows a resulting pull-out force of 153kg when using the same spec of screw and torque specs.
The 22mm batten is part of the SRP Strongback ceiling system. Clipfix clips can still be used on the higher BMT batten so there are no extra steps when specifying the system.
SRP still retain their 3-5 day lead time to make ordering and project deadlines as simple as possible.