|
Structural Insulated Panels or SIPS
New pressures to reduce erection cost
and meet insulation standards has resulted in the development
of new panel designs that no longer suffer from the problems
of damp penetration and decay characterised by some earlier
UK products. Westbury Homes has set up a new factory to produce
up to 5000 homes per year using these techniques. This approach
is dealt with under our new section
"Prefabricated_buildings".
Dow Chemical was one of the first American companies to
suggest using a foam insulating core bonded to wooden skins
in the early 1950's. There are now many companies producing
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) typically consisting of
shear-resistant foam polystyrene or polyisocyanurate core
bonded to a treated plywood skin. This creates a beam that
places tension on the surface skin when bent and results
in a rigid lightweight and good insulating medium. Some types
of board can be used as foundations in the wet and underground.
These have been rated to have a 100 year lifespan in some
parts of the US.
| 
