Fire-Resistant Building Panels

A fire-resistant building panel which, in use, defines a part of an external wall of a building, said building panel comprising a rectangular frame which borders a quantity of high density thermally insulating material and comprises upper and lower generally horizontal frame members each coated on at least one side with a solution including an intumescent material and each connected to generally vertical side frame members also coated on at least one side with a solution which contains an intumescent material, said building panel further comprising a plurality of equally dimensioned sheet members each coated on at least one side with a solution which includes an intumescent material and each adhered to its neighbouring sheet or sheet members, each sheet member being secured to said frame members and dimensioned to match the dimensions of the rectangular frame along the horizontal sides and one generally vertical side of the frame but to extend beyond the other vertical side of the frame to define a channel open to receive an additional vertical frame member of width and depth substantially equal to the width and depth respectively of the channel, the panel sheets on one side of the panel comprise an OSB panel, sheets of plasterboard and a sheet of cement board located between the plasterboard sheets and the panel sheets on the opposing side of the panel comprise a OSB panel, a lining of silicon cloth and a sheet of cement board, the arrangement being such that, if damaged, one or each outermost sheet member can be removed from the panel and replaced by a fresh sheet member without significant damage to the surface of the underlying panel.