Structural Insulated Panel
Structural insulated panels (or structural insulating panels), SIPs, are a composite building material. They consist of an insulating layer of rigid polymer foam sandwiched between two layers of structural board. The board can be sheet metal, plywood, cement or oriented strand board (OSB) and the foam either expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), polyisocyanurate foam, or polyurethane foam.
SIPs share the same structural properties as an I-beam or I-column. The rigid insulation core of the SIP acts as a web, while the OSB sheathing exhibits the same properties as the flanges. SIPs combine several components of conventional building, such as studs and joists, insulation, vapor barrier and air barrier. They can be used for many different applications, such as exterior wall, roof, floor and foundation systems.
Read more about Structural Insulated Panel: History, Materials, Benefits and Drawbacks, Dimensions and Characteristics, Standardization and Design
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