BYLD Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
What are SIPs?
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) in their current form are an alternative building method to the conventional “stud” insulation structure. While insulation-core panels have been used for construction in the U.S. since the 1960s, we believe SIPs are a vastly under-utilized building method given their insulation and structural abilities. BYLD SIPs combine a stud frame and insulation into one continuous panel with a layer of poly-styrene foam sandwiched between two Oriented Strand Boards (OSB).
Insulation
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “SIP-built houses provide superior and uniform insulation compared to more traditional construction methods.” This superior insulation ability can be seen in a 12 to 14% reduction in energy costs.
Using the traditional measure of thermal resistance, the R-Value of SIPs consistently outperforms the traditional stud wall in creating a thermal barrier. A 6-inch SIP Panel wall has an R-Value of 21.6 compared to a 6-inch stud wall R-Value of 13.7.
Aside from thermal resistance, SIPs are far superior when blocking outside air-leakage which accounts for 40 percent of heat or cooling loss in the average home. In a test by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, two 2,600 square foot homes were built, one with SIPs and one using a stud frame. A comparison of the two homes air infiltration found that SIPs are 15 times more airtight than the traditional stud frame home. SIPs houses easily achieve <2 Air-Changes per Hour (ACH), outperforming the code requirement of 3 to 5 depending on climate zone.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA)
Weatherproof
Structure
In a study by the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, SIPs walls were found equivalent to wood-frame walls in ICC seismic categories D, E, and F. This demonstrates SIPs superior ability to withstand earthquake forces.
Due to the way SIPs distribute energy across a continuous panel, they have a higher load bearing capacity than traditional stud-frames. A 4” thick 8’x8’ panel can support a 6000 pounds of force per feet, an 8’ 16” on center stud wall will only support around 2000 pounds per foot.
SIPs have been put through a range of testing to prove their ability in most extreme weather conditions.
In independent studies, SIPs are shown to withstand winds of 150 mph. This establishes the safety of SIPs well within the Established Fujita (EF) 3 range and surpassing the average tornado wind-speed in the U.S.
In a “missile test” required for construction in Florida’s High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ), SIPs were set apart as a safe barrier for wind-debris. After launching 8-foot 2x4 was launched at a SIP panel, air and water infiltration were still within acceptable limits.
Source: SIPA