SIPs = High Tech SolutionA Little History of Structural Insulated Panels
A 21st century building product, the SIPs concept dates back to 1935 when they were developed by the Forest Products Laboratory in Wisconsin. Custom manufactured to exacting standards, the panels are typically made by sandwiching EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam between two sheets of OSB (oriented strand board) plywood. In the 1930's and 1940's, Frank Lloyd Wright experimented with structural insulated panels in his Usonian houses. 
As the United States recovered from the Great Depression, Wright's goal was to provide affordable shelter for ordinary people. He felt it would become the prototype of the American middle class family. In this time of increasing costs and diminishing resources, it is time to revisit the lessons of the Usonian house. Average Energy Bill for a SIP built home is 50% less than stick built equivalents.
Structural Insulated Panels are engineered to minimize thermal bridging. Its solid foam core and its large panel size means there are fewer gaps and heating/cooling loss due to air infiltration. The test results produced by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory study documents that Structural Insulated Panels outperform stick built by a wide margin. 
Structural Strength, Safety, and SecurityStructurally, a panel can be compared to a steel I-beam. The core acts as the web, while the skins act as the flanges. The skins are in tension and compression, while the core resists shear and buckling.The two OSB skins, stiffened by the polystyrene foam between them, can outperform a conventionally built wall of similar dimension 
in carrying typical light-frame loads - axial loads transferred by floors, walls, and roof above and wind, or transverse loads generated during storm conditions.
With an exacting combination of properly attached dimensional lumber splines and hardware, designers can provide solidly engineered structures for wind hazard areas and risky seismic zones. This can be accomplished without increasing the wall thickness. 
Conserves ResourcesThe OSB skin is an engineered wood product made from plantation grown trees that are sustainably harvested.The EPS core is mostly air and requires only a small amount of petroleum byproduct to produce. Waste is virtually eliminated as the panels are delivered ready to assemble and clean waste generated in the plant can be recycled. Cost EffectiveA recent Time and Motion study conducted by RS Means shows that residential builders can reduce their framing labor needs by as much as 55 percent by using structural insulated panels instead of conventional framing.Because the electrical chases are pre-installed, electricians reduce wiring time by 11 percent. Read more about the results of this study commissioned by BASF. To learn about your project with SIPs, click here.
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