Structural Insulated Panel
From MaterialProject.org, the free architectural material catalog
Contents |
Material analysis
MasterFormat Number: 00 00 00
Definition
- Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are typically made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation (polystyrene or polyurethane) between two structural oriented strand boards.
Traditional uses
- Residential and light commercial buildings
- Floors
- Walls
- Roofs
Finish and aesthetic qualities
- SIP's are a structural material and can be finished with GYP board or other finish materials.
- Wall finishes can be applied to the SIP's just like to conventional wall systems.
Surface forms / shapes
- Panels can be customized to building plans
- Manufacturer's pre-designed plans avalible
Cost analysis
- Some manufacturers offer prefabricated SIPs home packages at costs approaching those for conventionally framed structures.
- While some panel modifications onsite are possible, they are usually more difficult and costly than for conventional framing.
Material properties
Primary structural use
- Manufacturers maintain a standard panel width of 4 ft. for transportation and handling. Wider panels are sometimes designed to accommodate door and window openings.
- Dimensional lumber is needed to frame out rough openings.
Material performance
- SIP's are very strong and highly resistant to wind damage and seismic forces.
- The increased insulation compasity can significantly reduce costs for heating and cooling and lower utility bills.
- Small remodeling projects are not easy but possible with SIP's.
Acoustic property
- sound insulation of more than 40 dB
Manufacturing process and assembly
- Wall panels are 4 to 24 feet wide and 8 or 9 feet high.
- SIP's are made in standard thicknesses of 4 1/2" to 6 1/2"
- The foam core is typically held back from the edge to allow the panel to accept 2x4 top and bottom plates.
- Thicknesses of up to twelve inches are avalible for roof panels were greater R-value is needed.
Environment and Life Safety
Environmental impact
- Structural insulated panels are one of the most environmentally responsible building systems available. A SIP building system provides high levels of insulation and is extremely airtight, meaning the amount of energy used to heat and cool a home can be cut by up to 50 percent.
- The high R-Value and low levels of air infiltration capable with SIPs enables the performance of other building systems, such as energy efficient HVAC equipment and photovoltaic cells, to be maximized.
- The OSB used in SIP skins is made from small, plantation grown trees that can be sustainably harvested. Because engineered wood products use wood more efficient than sawn lumber, it requires less forest acreage to build a SIP home than a conventional wood framed house.
- Expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane, and polyisocyanurate foam cores used in SIPs are made of mostly air and very little petroleum. The average SIP home saves nineteen times the energy it took to make the EPS insulation in the first year of installation.
- SIPs are primarily fabricated offsite, so there is extremely little jobsite waste disposal. Many manufacturers cut SIPs using optimization software that minimizes the amount of waste in the production process. Excess EPS waste created during the manufacturing process is recycled to make other EPS products. Jobsite waste can often be returned to the panel manufacturer for EPS recycling.
Flammability rating
- National standards like ASTM - E119, ASTM - E84 and UBC 17 - 5 have been met by protecting SIPs in a similar fashion as other wood based structures. ’One Hour’ fire resistive assemblies are achieved by combinations of underlying structure and protection of that structure by Gypsum Wall Board.
References
Notes
Student contributions
- Heather Gray, Spring 2009
External links
Leading manufacturers
- SIP School
- SHS (SIP Home Systems, Inc.)
- Alternative Building Concepts, Inc.
- Controlled Environment Structures, Inc.
