In building or manufacturing container units, modular buildings or office units, the floor is the most important component, as it bears the direct loads of everyday use. If the floor is not strong, it affects the stability of the structure and overall living conditions. Viva Board is therefore chosen as the main flooring material because of its unique properties, which perfectly combine the strength of cement with the flexibility of wood.

Viva Board is a cement-bonded particle board (Cement Bonded Particle Board), a building material made by mixing wood scraps or wood chips (Wood Chips) with Portland cement (Portland Cement) and certain chemicals, then pressing them under high pressure.

The result is a board with outstanding properties that combine wood and concrete, giving it many advantages that other materials do not have.

Key properties of Viva Board

Strong and durable: very strong because cement is its main component, so it withstands impact well and carries loads well when used as a flooring material.
Moisture-resistant: resists moisture well and does not swell or rot as easily as ordinary plywood, making it suitable for both interior and exterior use.
Fire-resistant: has good resistance to the spread of fire (Fire Resistant) because cement is its main component, which increases the safety of the structure.
Termite- and insect-proof: safe from termites, wood borers and insects, as the cement content means insects cannot damage it.
Insulating: provides a degree of heat and sound insulation because it contains wood, which helps reduce heat transfer better than other rigid materials.
Easy to work with: can be sawn, drilled or nailed like ordinary wood, and has a surface ready for painting or decorative finishing.

Viva Board mainly comes in different forms and uses, and can be classified by thickness and surface finish to suit the type of construction work.

1. Classification by thickness (Thickness)

The thickness of Viva Board is the main factor that determines the board’s strength and load-bearing capacity, and affects its suitable uses:

8 mm – 10 mm: ceilings and interior walls (where high impact resistance is not required)

12 mm – 16 mm: interior and exterior walls that need more strength and weather resistance

18 mm – 20 mm: flooring (used as a subfloor or lower floor board) requiring high strength to support loads and impact from use

24 mm: flooring requiring maximum strength, or for areas that must carry concentrated loads

2. Classification by surface finish (Surface Finish)

Viva Board is produced with several surface finishes, so it can be used either with the material exposed (Industrial Look) or covered with another finish:

Smooth surface (Smooth Surface):
- Characteristics: a smoother surface that has been sanded to a certain degree.
- Use: suitable for walls to be painted or covered with other decorative materials such as wallpaper, or for furniture.
Rough/wood-grain surface (Wood Grain / Textured Surface):
- Characteristics: the surface clearly shows the pattern of the wood chips (Wood Chips) it contains.
- Use: popular for work that wants to show the raw material (Raw Material Look) or in Loft (Loft) and Industrial (Industrial) styles, usually with a clear coat or left in the natural cement colour.

3. Classification by specialised use (Specialized Use)

Although not a main category, some Viva Board models may have additional modified properties:

Tongue-and-groove edge models (Tongue and Groove – T&G): specifically for flooring, with grooved edges so boards join tightly and joint gaps are reduced.
Models with improved moisture/fire resistance: some manufacturers may offer models with special additives to further increase moisture or fire resistance.

Main uses of Viva Board

Viva Board is a versatile material widely used in many types of construction, especially work that requires resistance to weather and moisture:

Walls: used for lightweight walls, interior walls or exterior walls.
Floors: used as a subfloor (Subfloor) to be covered with other materials, or as a prefabricated floor.
Ceilings: used for exterior ceilings that need good moisture resistance.
Modular structures: a popular material for the floors and walls of knock-down houses and container office units.

The unique properties of Viva Board

1. Solving the “floor” problem in steel structures

The original floors of container units are often plywood or timber boards that can rot or trap moisture. Viva Board serves as a high-performance subfloor (Subfloor):

Strength and load-bearing: Viva Board has high density and excellent structural strength. It can securely carry heavy furniture and everyday activities, so the floor does not sag or feel springy when walked on.
Moisture- and termite-resistant: areas where container units are installed may have moisture from the ground or from cleaning. Viva Board resists moisture well and does not swell, and its cement content means termites and insects cannot eat it. This is an investment in long-term floor stability.
Built-in sound insulation: the structure of Viva Board absorbs impact sound (Impact Sound) to a certain degree, making working or living spaces in modular units quieter and more comfortable.

2. A base for finishing (Finishing Foundation)

Viva Board is designed to be the perfect base for all types of surface finishes:

Level and even: the surface of standard Viva Board is smooth and even, ready for the final floor finish (Finishing Floor) to be installed easily.
Supports a variety of materials: whether you choose laminate wood flooring for Biophilic Design aesthetics, vinyl tiles for durability in offices, or ceramic tiles in bathrooms, Viva Board works well as a base that bonds with adhesives and various materials.
Fast installation: as prefabricated boards, they allow the team to install the entire floor on the steel frame of the container unit quickly, in line with Container to Build’s Speed Construction concept.

3. Sustainable value of the material (Sustainable Flooring Choice)

Using Viva Board is in line with the sustainability mission of modular projects:

Environmentally friendly material: Viva Board uses natural materials and leftover wood from agriculture, reducing the use of new resources and supporting the use of recycled materials.
Less on-site waste: because the boards are standard sizes and easy to cut to size, very little waste is produced during installation, reducing the environmental impact at the construction site.

Investing in Viva Board as the base of a container office unit is therefore an investment that helps make the steel structure cooler, strong and durable under heavy use, and gives the perfect feeling of walking on the floor of an ordinary building.

About SBT Worldwide Product
SBT Worldwide Product: a major Thai manufacturer and distributor of container units, knock-down houses and prefabricated office units for more than 25 years

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Container units remain an endlessly creative trend. When many people decide to build an office unit or a container unit house, their first priority is the design and the construction process, but there is another step that is just as important: “transport”. If you have questions about new and unusual designs, or want to share your experience of using a container unit or container office unit, feel free to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to follow our next article, which will take a deep dive and clear up your questions about container units and container office units so that you stay continuously inspired.