STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS (SIPS)
SIPs vs traditional construction
Ian Clay of SIPS@Clays offers a few points to consider when choosing the build method for your new home and why SIPs deliver the perfect solution compared with traditional brick and block construction
W
ith so many decisions to be made when building your home, the build method and
construction material you choose ultimately shapes the outcome both for the short and long-term.
As well as looking at the obvious elements of aesthetics, construction costs and energy efficiency, equal
consideration should be given to design flexibility, speed of build and space efficiency. So, when you’re choosing a construction method to deliver all of the above, then you should look no further than structural insulated panels (SIPs).
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
If you’re building an energy efficient, sustainable home requiring low U-values and superior airtight qualities or building to Passivhaus standards, then the inherent qualities of SIPs must be considered.
Each panel consists of two sheets of oriented strand board (OSB), sandwiched around a rigid insulation core. The panels provide ‘built-in’ insulation to create a home that will provide low energy running costs for the lifetime of the property.
When compared to brick and block construction, which requires insulation to be fitted between cavities during the build process and needs more complex and costly solutions to achieve similar U- values to that of a SIPs build, the benefits of SIPs far outweigh traditional construction.
Just like brick and block, extra insulation can be added to a SIPs build to improve thermal performance but to much greater effect. For example, the Kingspan TEK Building System which is supplied in 142 mm and 172 mm panels gives superior U-values of 0.19 W/m2
.K and 0.16 W/m2 .K respectively.
When additional internal insulation is added to either, the improved U-values
september/october 2019
far exceed what can be achieved with traditional construction for similar wall thicknesses.
While it is possible to increase the overall thermal performance of brick and block, by adding extra insulation, the negative effects of thermal bridging and resultant heat loss in traditional builds cannot be ignored.
The thermal conductivity of timber products is far lower than brick or block and SIPs in particular significantly reduce the effects of thermal bridging by creating an energy efficient airtight envelope. This results in superior airtight values, reduced heat loss and outstanding energy efficiency with minimal heating requirements.
SPEED OF BUILD
Time is money and the build programme of your project is critical. Traditional construction is subject to a variety of
DESIGN CAPABILITIES
There is a common misconception that SIPs structures have to be boxy and
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external factors such as availability of trades and materials, knock on delays and of course, bad weather. Projects can become seriously delayed by prolonged spells of rain, snow and freezing temperatures with interruptions to the programme, creating a ripple effect that wastes time and eats into your budget. Building with SIPs is not subject to fine weather, the availability of skilled wet trades or any other onsite delay. In fact, as the panels are precision engineered offsite and delivered to site ready for immediate erection (which typically takes between two and three weeks, depending on size and complexity of the build) an accurate programme can be created, ensuring both timescale and budget is adhered to.
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