Benefits of Structural Insulated Panels
Discuss about the Shells Made of Composite Structural.
In the Current world civil engineers, architects and contractors are faced with the urgent duty of achieving high-performance and energy-efficient building enclosures. Structural Insulated Panels offers an alternative to part of the building construction that assist in achieving these goals. Structural Insulated Panels are a high-performance building system for light commercial and residential construction. The panels contain an insulating foam core which is sandwiched between two structural facings, usually oriented strand boards. They are produced under industry controlled conditions, and therefore they can be fabricated to fit any building design (Edminster, 2012). Usually, the SIPs can be utilized as a wall, roof/wall, and roof/wall/floor component systems of various construction projects.
The Structural Insulated Panels plays a significant role in slowing down the transfer of air, vapour, and heat through the building. They also radically reduce the drying potential of the building, reducing its ability to recover from unintended water intrusion. Such airtight building with high thermal resistance can result in achieving a durable and high-performance building if built and detailed correctly, or at the same time can result to rapid decay and rot of the building structure if built is built Michael et al. (2013) incorrectly.
There are many benefits which are associated with Structural Insulated Panels such as; they increase the structural integrity of the building because they are a two-in-one product. SIPs offer interior comfort in that they block moisture and wind, reduce the noise levels in the building and maintain a constant indoor climate. The Structural Insulated Panels constructs energy efficient buildings in that they are airtight and outdo the traditionally framed buildings in energy efficiency. The figure below shows the structure of a Structural Insulated Panels.
The aim of the research proposed is to investigate how Structural Insulated Panels have been used for commercial and residential construction projects in order to achieve high-performance and energy-efficient buildings .
The objectives are set to assist in achieving the main aim of the research for this case the objectives of the research are as follows;
- To have a summary of Structural Insulated Panels
- To find out the merits and limitations of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
- To evaluate the properties of Structural Insulated Panels
- To find out the various uses of Structural Insulated Panels in the civic and construction industry.
The findings of the research will contribute greatly to benefit the society considering that construction of residential and commercial buildings plays a very important role in the modern day life. The greater demand for graduates with vast construction background justifies the need for high-performance and energy-efficient buildings. This kind of buildings will significantly contribute to environmental conservation by reducing the amount of carbon emission and at the same time aid in reducing the demand for residential and commercial buildings in various parts of the world (Elhajj, 2017).
Limitations of Structural Insulated Panels
With a growing emphasis in the architectural and home construction industry on alternative versatile, economical and eco-friendly, building materials. Structural Insulated Panel Systems are a perfect example of those materials. Consist of two timber panels of Oriented Strand Board and an internal layer of Expanded Polystyrene, the desirable acoustic and insulating properties of the material combined with the fast site-adaptability and construction make SIPS an attractive alternative to traditional construction materials and technologies. The scope of the research is to investigate various ways the Structural Insulated Panels have been used for commercial and residential construction projects in order to achieve high-performance and energy-efficient buildings.
The research will be restricted to the various ways through which the Structural Insulated Panels have been used for commercial and residential construction projects. The researcher will be restricted to study.
The requirement for an innovative cost technology is high in the present residential construction industry. One such underutilized innovative building technology is structural insulated panels (SIPs). They are among the most efficient construction methods which are useful. Further, it falls under the category of prefabrication, where the parts of a home are manufactured in an offsite manufacturing unit, then transported and thereafter fitted at the construction site, providing a clean working environment (Ledford, 2010).
The fully finished panels are an integrated building product, they act as a structural component they are able to withstand severe weather conditions .The strength of the SIPs is attributed to the Oriented Strand Boards which are put in place to protect the foam and at the same time to offer support
The sandwiched foam between two Oriented Strand Boards offers higher insulation values than many other insulation materials which are used in the traditional construction methods. Due to the fewer gaps which in the SIPs the Buildings constructed from the SIPs have in many proved to be less draft. The figure below shows the sand witched foam Uddin et al (2014).
The Structural Insulated Panels are usually joined together quickly and quickly by use of inset splines .All the entire elements of a building are quickly fixed together which makes it one of the best materials to use in construction Nasim et al. (2014).
There are many benefits which have been attributed to the use of the structural insulated Panels in the construction industry such as:
- The residential and commercial buildings that are constructed by the use of SIPs are generally stronger, energy efficient, more airtight and quieter than the older technologies of construction such as the brick veneer construction. The nature of airtightness means that there is fewer noise penetration into the building, fewer drafts, and an essential lower energy bills, hence there is a general reduction in the emission of CO2.
- The Structural insulated panels are produced in factory conditions which ensure there is very high level of accuracy, and due to that the SIPs can be fabricated for any building design, and at the same time the elements of the building are constructed somewhere and then they are assembled together on site which reduces the number of wastes and less waste to be landfilled(Morley, 2014).
- The Oriented Strand Board which is utilised in the manufacture of Structural Insulated Panels is obtained from the sustainably harvested spruce. The usage of OSB reduces the amount of timber utilised in the buildings constructed from Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) by up to 35 percent Mullens et al. (2016).
- Due to the nature of the Structural Insulation Panels, they facilitate quick construction of buildings, and thus they reduce the overall onsite costs because of reduction of the following; project management, temporary accommodation, cost of hiring scaffolding, plant, security and safety equipment .it also facilitates earlier cash recovery, increased capacity, and improved cash flow. The figure below shows how a SIPs building is assembled.
- The Structural Insulated Panels are lightweight making them quicker and more comfortable to assemble on site. Nevertheless, Structural Insulated Panels are also known for their superior strength. Buildings which are constructed form SIPs have the ability to withstand harsh weather and climate conditions.
- By use of the Structural Insulated Panels, there is limited Cold Bridging because of the continuity of the thick insulation within the system which offers improved thermal efficiency, which in turn can offer a platform to achieve the set standards of home McIntosh et al. (2013).
Even though the SIPs has many advantages, there are many limitations which are also associated with their applications. The disadvantages in most cases result to the increase in the construction costs, and they can take their troll to the comfort of the occupants of the enclosure some of the limitations of use SIPs include;
Research Objectives
The safety and health of the occupants of the SIPs buildings can be compromised with due to lack of ventilation. In this cases, the Structural Insulation Panels require particular ventilation system in order to achieve the permitted standards of ventilation. The special ventilation systems in most cases are very expensive to put in place Mohammad et al. (2013).
The SIPs comes in standard dimensions which were manufactured in factories and due to that during the design and planning stages of construction one needs to take keen focus on the location of the openings such as doors and windows as they will be greatly influenced by the SIPs which will be used as the construction materials. The standard dimensions of the SIPs redistrict the design of the building as most of them come in specific shapes and dimensions and due to that, the design of the SIPs are greatly affected.
One of the biggest limitations of the SIPs is moisture resistance. The Structural resistance Insulation Panels can be affected by moisture. Due to that, the SIPs calls for special attention so as to protect them from the damage from moisture and that can call for installation of an extra panel or waterproof surface so as to protect them from moist. The installation of an additional surface or panel can be an added cost to the client.
The inability of the Structural Insulation Panel to resist the pests is another limitation of the Sips. Most of pests and rodents move to the middle foam which is sandwiched between in the structural components to breed and due to that it becomes a very big challenge to control them. Due to that, the Structural Insulated Panels require special control of the pests such as treating them with the insecticides before use which is very expensive.
The SIPs are usually cut accurately according to the CAD drawings submitted to the manufacturing plant. Due to that, there is a need for the manufacturer and the architect to work very closely with one another to ensure that the Structural Insulated Panels produced are accurate and will work perfectly once at the site.
Unlike the hollow blocks which facilitate quick installation of services the SIPs pose a great challenge when it comes to wiring and passing other services in the building such as water and fibre cables due to that it calls for special technologies to be applied in order to have the services in place and due to that the overall cost of construction in most cases increases beyond the set Michael J. (2013).
Methodology
The information which is contained in this chapter regards to the research methodology which will be employed in the research .The literature review approach which will be employed in the research provides substantial information regarding to the benefits and limitations of using SIPs. The information which will obtained from the literature review will be analysed in depth by using the various case studies that were selected. The research methods that will be used are discussed below.
Residents of Residential and commercial buildings constructed from SIPs can be interviewed about the benefits and limitations they have observed as compared to the normal buildings which are constructed from other construction materials. The questions that will use during the interview will be clear, focused and encouraged open-ended response which greatly made the interview process on being very successful.
This involves the study of various construction and civil engineering projects which have constructed from Structural Insulated Panels. By learning the various ways in which SIPs have been used in construction.it can be much easier to identify how the SIPs have contributed to achievement of high-performance and energy-efficient commercial and residential buildings.
This will involve reviewing previous research works that have been carried out by other scholars on the topic of research. With that various publication such as journals, books, magazines and other publications will be reviewed in order to give an in-depth understanding of the topic of research.
The research proposed is intended on utilizing case study investigation as a suitable system to carry out the research. Case study technique encourages a researcher to keenly examine the information relating to a particular setting that is a specific topographical territory chose as a topic of study. Additionally, a case study investigation strategy allows a researcher to pick up top to bottom information and illustrate the aspects of a proposed research topic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Structural Insulated Panels plays a significant role in slowing down the transfer of air, vapour, and heat through the building. They also radically reduce the drying potential of the building, reducing its ability to recover from unintended water intrusion. Such airtight building with high thermal resistance can result in achieving a durable and high-performance building if built and detailed correctly and there is need to use them for the construction of residential and commercial buildings to achieve high-performance and energy-efficient buildings.
References
Edminster, A. V. (2012). Energy Free: Homes for a Small Planet. Chicago: Green Building Press,
Elhajj, N. R. (2017). Prescriptive Method for Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) Used in Wall Systems in Residential Construction (4th ed.). London: The Office.
Ledford, B. T. (2010). Comparison of Conventional Light-framed Wood Construction and Structural Insulated Panels. Texas: Kansas State University.
McIntosh J. and Guthrie C. (2013), Structural insulated panels: A sustainable option for house construction in New Zealand. Int. Journal for Housing Science, 32 (1) pp. 15-27
Michael J. (2013), Load-bearing, single-wall constructions from Shanties to Structural Insulated Panels. Journal for Construction History. 28 (1), pp. 49-63
Mohammad P., Abang A.L and Yen L. V. (2013), Structural Insulated Panels: Past, present, and future. Journal of Engineering, Project, and Production Management, 3(1), pp. 2-8
Morley, M. (2014). Building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): Strength and Energy Efficiency Through Structural Panel Construction. London: Taunton Press.
Mullens, M.A and Arif M. (2016), Structural insulated panels: Impact on the residential construction process. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 132 (7), pp. 786-794.
Nasim U. and Wenfeng D. (2014), new thin shells made of composite structural insulated panels.
Uddin N., Vaidya A., Vaidya U. and Pillay S. (2014), Thermoplastic composite structural insulated panels (CSIPs) for modular penalized construction. Journal of Developments in Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites for Civil Engineering. 34 (1), pp. 302–316
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