James Hardie Introduces New Hardie™ Gravis™ AAC Panel

The new autoclaved aerated concrete product highlights James Hardie’s evolution from a fibre cement manufacturer to a building products company

Building materials company James Hardie has today announced the launch of a new autoclaved aerated concrete solution to its product portfolio.

Hardie™ Gravis™ AAC Panel enters the market at a significant time for the Australian residential construction industry, with builders under increasing pressure to meet housing demand whilst being compliant to the National Construction Code (NCC).

The new product integrates seamlessly with James Hardie's range of fibre cement products to provide builders, installers, designers and architects with the speed, efficiency and design flexibility needed to deliver modern mixed-material homes with a single market-leading brand. The addition of Hardie™ Gravis™ AAC Panel highlights James Hardie’s evolution to becoming a provider of a broader range of exterior solutions under the one brand.

With James Hardie already regarded as the premier cladding brand in Australia, the introduction of an AAC product to the company’s product portfolio provides builders with a singular, trusted source for lightweight materials. The introduction of Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel comes in response to changing modern home design demands, with James Hardie recognising the need to support Australia’s housing growth with innovative and high-performance solutions.

The new lightweight Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel is set to allow builders to achieve a rendered look with a simplified and efficient building process. Importantly, the substrate panels can be finished in a variety of ways to suit different architectural styles depending on the chosen coating, delivering the modern aesthetics and performance that contemporary projects need.

“With demand for new homes moving at a rapid pace, it was important for us to bring a product to market that would help to deliver homes faster. We’ve developed Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel to be compliant with all key Australian construction certifications and backed it up with a 25-year warranty,” said John Arneill, APAC President at James Hardie.

“We want tradespeople and homeowners to be reassured that they can build truly resilient homes without compromising on their creative vision. Designed to work seamlessly with our existing Hardie™ fibre cement cladding range, Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel and Hardie™ fibre cement cladding will deliver modern mixed material facades homeowners want.”

James Hardie is already seeing strong interest from leading Australian builders, including Henley Homes, who are incorporating Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel into their approach to modern home construction.

“We’re proud to be an early adopter. For our customers, it means greater choice, improved build outcomes and the reassurance that their home is being constructed with materials designed for today’s conditions and lifestyles.”

Offering both types of products under the trusted brand, with clear joint and junction details to combine both Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel and Hardie™ fibre cement cladding in projects, will help remove uncertainty around practical application and enable efficiencies in the installation process.

Robust and easy to install, Hardie™ Gravis™ Panel will be available in both wall and floor panels for application in external walls, intertenancy walls, and flooring. The panels are reinforced with corrosion protected steel, while the aerated structure also offers excellent thermal performance, insulation, sound reduction and fire resistance.