Product knowledge
Product knowledge, built around the questions projects actually ask.
Most product questions don't start with a datasheet. They start with a wall, a floor, a façade — and someone asking whether the product in front of them has the evidence to sit there.
The Bench maintains structured product evidence records for the product areas we work with, as part of a controlled evidence knowledge base. These pages set out the questions we most often see for each product area, the evidence commonly reviewed, and how to get a written review moving.
Independent evidence review. Not certification, Building Control or design sign-off.
A starting point for product-level evidence questions
This section of the site is for anyone holding a product-level question: manufacturers preparing for scrutiny, contractors and specifiers checking a proposed build-up, technical managers responding to a query that has already landed.
For each product area we cover, you'll find the typical questions, the documents that usually matter, and the evidence areas they connect to. If your product or question isn't listed, the review route is the same — send the question and the documents you have.
First product knowledge areas
Ramco Hicem fibre cement board
Sheathing, carrier board and external build-up evidence questions — racking, render and brick slip carrier roles, moisture behaviour and reaction to fire evidence.
- Does the racking evidence match the frame, fixings and board thickness proposed?
- Does the reaction to fire classification cover the intended build-up?
Ramco Hilux calcium silicate board
Fire performance and build-up evidence questions — board-level versus assembly-level evidence, linings, and where the board sits in tested build-ups.
- Is board-level fire evidence enough, or does the question need assembly evidence?
- Does the tested lining build-up match the project detail?
Protherm Light
A premixed, lightweight thermal-insulating plaster for fire protection — substrate, applied thickness and build-up evidence questions.
- Does the applied thickness match the tested configuration?
- Is the project substrate covered by the fire test evidence?
More product areas will be added as the knowledge base grows.
The product areas above include products manufactured or supplied by Ramco Industries UK and Edilteco Group. Logos identify the product areas our evidence records cover. They do not imply certification, approval, endorsement or guaranteed acceptance of any product or build-up.
Organising evidence for your own products?
Want your product evidence to be easier for designers, contractors and technical teams to understand? The Bench can help manufacturers and suppliers organise product evidence records, common questions and review routes — without turning evidence into a sales claim.
Inclusion in product evidence knowledge does not mean certification, approval or a guarantee of project suitability.
The questions that usually bring people here
Does this product have evidence for this use?
The product is named, the build-up is drawn — and someone needs to know whether the evidence covers the way it's being proposed.
What will Building Control or the project team expect to see?
A query has landed, and the response needs to be organised around the right documents rather than a datasheet alone.
Which evidence closes the gap between datasheet and specification?
The datasheet says one thing and the specification asks for another — the question is which evidence connects the two.
Can evidence transfer between systems or build-ups?
Evidence exists for one configuration, and the project proposes another. That read-across is a review question, not an assumption.
The documents that usually decide product questions
- Test evidence and classification reports
- Declarations of performance and CE/UKCA documentation
- Technical datasheets and installation guidance
- System or build-up assessments, where the product is one component of a tested assembly
- Project-specific details and the question as actually raised
Available evidence can be reviewed against the intended use — that comparison, between what the documents cover and what the project proposes, is where most product questions are actually decided.
Evidence-led review support, in writing
- Review the available product evidence against the intended use
- Help identify evidence gaps before someone else finds them
- Help organise the evidence route — what exists, what's missing, what to request
- Put the position in writing: a review note, gap register or evidence summary the project team can use
The Bench does not certify, approve or replace project-specific design responsibility. Those decisions remain with the appointed competent person or organisation for the project.
Where product questions usually resolve
Product questions almost always resolve into an evidence area. The most common routes from these pages:
- Fire performance — reaction to fire and resistance evidence
- System build-ups — evidence for assemblies rather than components
- Racking and sheathing — structural board use in framed walls
- Thermal and U-values — thermal performance evidence
- Façades and external walls — external wall and façade build-ups
Holding a product evidence question?
Send the question, the product and the documents you already have. No charge to submit an enquiry — we quote before any written work starts.