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For most of the 20th century, asbestos cement boards provided builders with robust solutions for simple roof and siding projects. Although these products are inexpensive to manufacture and purchase, their true cost appears in the form of fatal asbestos-related diseases a few years later.

Asbestos cement products, including asbestos cement boards and pipes, currently account for about 90% of the world's asbestos production. The vast majority are used to make asbestos roofs. Although the production of asbestos cement board in the United States ended in the 1980s, it is still legal to import the product from other countries.

Fiber asbestos cement is more durable than drywall and easier to use than concrete. It has many applications in construction, including roofing and siding. Today in the United States, the fibers in cement boards are usually made of cellulose, a substance found in plants, but they have been mainly made of asbestos for the past 80 years.

These panels are installed in homes, military bases, public buildings, industrial environments and workplaces. Asbestos cement board used to be synonymous with "fiber cement board" and was also collectively referred to as "AC board" and "fiber". American companies stopped producing these types of asbestos products, but asbestos cement board is still a popular building material in developing countries such as India and China. These products are dangerous because over time and damage, they become fragile or break easily, which may release asbestos fibers.

Fiber cement creates a simple and economical alternative to corrugated metal sheets, which have little insulation and will inevitably rust over time. Corrugated asbestos boards are used for roofs and sidings of all types of buildings, especially in factories and farms.

Because fiber cement is more waterproof than drywall, asbestos cement slabs are used as wall and floor cushions into the interior of homes and businesses.

Asbestos board is also called cement wall board and asbestos grinding board, asbestos cement board is produced in sheet form. They are used as fireproof materials around boilers, heaters and wood stoves. Asbestos boards are also used in automotive engine hood linings and gaskets and gaskets in electrical applications.

Also called asbestos cement sheath, "asbestos wood" is not made of wood at all. Instead, it is marketed as a high-quality alternative to wood. It is fireproof and non-conductive, but still soft enough to work like natural wood. Asbestos wood is used as the basis for roofing and siding materials (such as shingles and fake brick finishes).

As we all know, asbestos products are difficult to identify visually. The best way is to test suspicious products. Workers should assume that older corrugated roofs and slabs are likely to contain asbestos.

American asbestos cement board brands include:

Other companies producing asbestos cement board include:

The manufacture and use of asbestos cement boards may result in exposure to asbestos. A study conducted in Thailand in 2009 found that the use of asbestos-cement boards was widespread. The study found that roof finishing polishers suffered the highest level of asbestos exposure when using asbestos-cement boards. Workers involved in the manufacture of asbestos cement boards have also experienced high-exposure treatment of asbestos fiber bags.

Asbestos exposure to cement slabs is known to cause asbestos-related diseases, such as:

If you have used asbestos cement boards before, you should monitor your health to see if there are signs of respiratory or gastrointestinal disease, including difficulty breathing and bloating. Anyone diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease should seek expert advice to obtain innovative treatment methods.

People at risk of exposure to asbestos board include:

Asbestos manufacturers are liable in US courts for diseases caused by their products because they are aware of the danger and choose not to protect or warn workers and consumers. Decades of lawsuits disclosed internal company documents, confirming that these companies knew they put employees and the public at risk.

Many former businessmen and factory workers, including asbestos cement board workers, have sued manufacturing companies for occupational asbestos exposure. 

In addition to personal injury lawsuits and negligent death lawsuits, anyone who has been injured by asbestos products can file a claim against the asbestos trust fund established by the bankrupt company to seek settlement. As part of its bankruptcy reorganization plan, the asbestos company must establish a trust fund for victims of asbestos exposure. 

For example, a series of company mergers and sales have made Armstrong World Industries responsible for all asbestos exposure caused by Keasby & Mattison, including its asbestos cement board. Today, claimants can seek compensation from Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Trust, which has paid hundreds of millions of dollars in claims since 2006.

It is important to talk to a qualified mesothelioma lawyer to understand the litigation and trust funds that your case may be eligible for. You may also be eligible for other forms of compensation, such as VA claims, treatment and travel allowances, workers' compensation, and social security disability insurance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers asbestos corrugated cardboard as a Class II non-fragile material, which means it is dangerous and should be reduced before being demolished or refurbished. Although designated as not fragile, the sheets will become fragile over time and damaged. 

If the material is not damaged, it can be removed by passing the nail through the sheet or cutting off the nail or screw head. However, damaged asbestos boards need to comply with stricter regulations.

Each piece of corrugated cardboard or sheath should be completely removed and kept moist to prevent asbestos dust from entering the air, and all materials should be handled in accordance with the laws of each state. As a general rule, the agency recommends that all asbestos-containing materials be reduced by licensed professionals.

By the 1980s, personal injury lawsuits caused by diseases such as asbestososis and mesothelioma were on the rise, forcing manufacturers to finally phase out the production of asbestos cement products in the United States. However, despite the notoriety of asbestos in developed countries, a quick search on the Internet reveals that asbestos cement board is still widely sold in other parts of the world, and it is still legal to import into the United States. 

In the 1950s, the National Gypsum Company added a corrugated asbestos roof to its Gold Bond series of products, which consolidated the building material’s popularity among home builders, farmers, and factory owners. 

In 1907, Keasby & Mattison became one of the first companies to produce corrugated asbestos board. Workers use heavy pressure to press the mixture of cement, water and chrysotile between the metal plates to squeeze out the excess water and form a corrugated pattern, which appears as a series of parallel ridges that increase the strength of the cement board. K&M named its corrugated paper brand after the town of Ambler, Pennsylvania where its factory is located. 

The company promotes the "relative lightness, ease of application, weather and fire resistance, pleasant appearance and durability" of Ambler roofs and siding. Early customers include Draper in Massachusetts, Shenango Furnace in Pennsylvania, and Bell Asbestos Mines in Canada. When a fire broke out in one of the Bell factories, it was reported that asbestos siding and roof contained the fire, supporting K&M's claims.

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