USG Corporation announced today that its new product - SHEETROCK Brand UltraLight fire-rated panels are now available. This product is the industry's first lightweight UL Classified product for fire-rated partitions. The 5/8-inch panel is designed to be used for all fire-rated assemblies where type X board is required.

In addition to the new type X board, the company offers ½-inch SHEETROCK Brand UltraLight Panels and 5/8-inch SHEETROCK Brand UltraLight Panels FIRECODE 30 for nonrated and 30-minute fire-rated partitions.

"We are excited to begin shipping our latest innovative lightweight product," said James Metcalf, president and chief executive officer, USG Corporation. "This technology was developed in direct response to our customers' requests for lightweight wallboard in commercial construction. We are helping them to increase productivity and are once again differentiating USG in the marketplace with this new fire-rated wallboard innovation."

SHEETROCK Brand UltraLight Panels FIRECODE X are manufactured in Aliquippa, Pa., using propriety technologies developed at the USG Corporate Innovation Center in Libertyville, Ill.

Like USG's other lightweight gypsum board products, the new panels weigh less than competitive boards, perform better and are environmentally friendly. They score and snap easily with a higher strength-to-weight ratio and offer better sag resistance than the competition while delivering comparable sound performance and impact resistance.

SHEETROCK Brand UltraLight Panels FIRECODE X meet ASTM C1396 requirements for gypsum board, type X. The first lightweight gypsum panel listed for use in more than 130 UL fire-rated assemblies can be installed horizontally with nonstaggered horizontal joints on 25-equivalent-gauge studs in one-hour fire-rated partitions per UL Design No. U419.

Combined with the product's lighter weight, the horizontal installation option allows for faster wall completion and greater productivity for contractors and installers. For dealers, the lighter weight increases operational efficiencies and enables them to ship more panels per truck, reducing fuel consumption.