Fibrocim / Fibrociment
Fibrociment was a major French asbestos-cement manufacturer producing pipes, roofing, and tanks for France and North Africa.
Description
Fibrociment (also known as Fibrocim) was one of France's major producers of asbestos-cement products, operating from the early 1920s until France's comprehensive asbestos ban in 1997. The company was part of the broader Eternit group network that dominated the global asbestos-cement industry for most of the 20th century.
Fibrociment manufactured a wide range of asbestos-cement products including water and sewage pipes, corrugated and flat roofing sheets, rainwater goods (gutters, downpipes), water storage tanks, and building facade panels. The primary asbestos fiber used was chrysotile (white asbestos), typically comprising 10% to 15% of the product by weight, bound in a Portland cement matrix.
The company's products were installed extensively across metropolitan France and widely exported to France's former colonies and protectorates in North Africa, including Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. In these countries, Fibrociment pipes form a significant part of aging urban water infrastructure, and corrugated roofing sheets remain common on older buildings.
France's relationship with asbestos became a major national scandal in the 1990s, known as the "scandale de l'amiante." Despite growing evidence of health risks from the 1970s onward, French authorities were slow to act, influenced by the Comite Permanent Amiante (CPA), an industry-backed lobby group that promoted "controlled use" of asbestos. The CPA's tactics delayed a French ban by at least a decade, resulting in thousands of additional preventable deaths.
France finally banned all forms of asbestos on January 1, 1997, one of the earlier comprehensive bans in the European Union. The health toll has been severe — France records approximately 1,100 mesothelioma deaths per year, many attributable to products from Fibrociment and other manufacturers. Compensation for French asbestos victims is available through FIVA (Fonds d'Indemnisation des Victimes de l'Amiante), a state-funded compensation scheme established in 2001.
Today, vast quantities of Fibrociment asbestos-cement products remain installed in French buildings and infrastructure, presenting an ongoing challenge for renovation, demolition, and urban renewal projects.
Countries where commonly found
Commercial brands
How to identify
Fibrociment products typically bear the "FIBROCIMENT" or "FIBROCIM" name stamped or embossed on the material. Pipes display circumferential markings including the manufacturer name, diameter, pressure class, and production date. Roofing sheets may carry the name on the underside. The material is a dense, grey cement composite characteristic of asbestos-cement products. In France, any cement pipe, roofing sheet, or water tank manufactured before 1997 should be presumed to contain asbestos unless tested. In North African countries, infrastructure installed during or shortly after the French colonial period is particularly likely to contain Fibrociment products.
Health risk & friability
This material has a risk level of 2 out of 5.
It is classified as non-friable, meaning the asbestos fibers are tightly bound within the material matrix. When in good condition and left undisturbed, the risk of fiber release is low. However, cutting, drilling, sanding or breaking the material can release dangerous fibers.
What to do if you find this material
If you suspect Fibrociment asbestos-cement products in a building or infrastructure in France, do not cut, drill, or break the material. Under French regulations (Code du travail and Code de la sante publique), any work that may disturb asbestos-containing materials requires prior assessment by a certified diagnostician (diagnostiqueur certifie). If asbestos is confirmed, removal or encapsulation must be performed by a certified asbestos removal company (entreprise certifiee). An asbestos removal plan (plan de retrait) must be submitted to the inspection du travail at least one month before work begins. For buildings in North Africa, consult local environmental authorities for applicable regulations. Compensation for health effects may be available through FIVA in France.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fibrociment the same as Eternit?
When did France ban asbestos?
Are Fibrociment water pipes still in use?
How do I get compensation for asbestos exposure in France?
Related materials
Other asbestos-containing materials you might encounter.
Asbestos Cement Pipe
Pressure and drainage pipes made from asbestos-reinforced cement, widely used for water mains and sewers.
Asbestos Cement Corrugated Sheet
Corrugated roofing and cladding sheets made with chrysotile asbestos fibres bound in Portland cement.
Asbestos Cement Water Tank
Cold water storage tanks made from asbestos cement, typically found in loft spaces of older homes.
Eternit
Eternit was the world's largest manufacturer of asbestos-cement roofing, pipes, and facade products.
Need professional help?
Browse verified asbestos professionals near you. Testing, surveys, removal — direct contact, no middleman.
Browse the directory