<i><p></p></i><p><i></i></p><p><b>Among the raft of building materials currently under the EN standards&amp;’ microscope is plasterboard. But there&amp;’s no cause for immediate concern, reports Andrew Leech, since the changes are likely to be rolled in gradually and manufacturers are well prepared</b><br><b> In less than two years EN 1363-1 will take over from BS 476 and, according to the Gypsum Products Development Association, the severity of plasterboard fire testing in the UK will increase. It means that the performance of a basic Type 1 wallboard partition, for instance, will be downgraded. Plasterboard&amp;’s acoustic performance will also be under EN standard scrutiny. </b><br><b>In the meantime leading manufacturers such as British Gypsum, Knauf, Lafarge and Gypsum</b><br><b>Industries are all well up to speed on the implications of possible change.</b><br><b>Brian Haynes of the British Board of Agr&amp;ément explains: &amp;“Basically there is a move to harmonise fire testing, fire classification, acoustic and thermal performance across Europe. At the moment there are a number of European Standards that are running parallel with British Standards. This is an essential period of co-existence.</b><br><b>&amp;“As far as I am aware there is no definitive date for changeover - it&amp;’s sort of a rolling process. Where plasterboard is concerned there are a number of …