Green Building Elements: Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
Fast becoming staples of the green building industry are pre-assembled structural insulated panels, or SIPs, which replace conventional framing and offer greater energy efficiency, reduced lumber usage, and quicker construction. SIPs are polystyrene foam sandwiched between oriented strand boards that provide structural framing, insulation, and exterior sheathing in one piece. They can be used as floors, walls, and roofs and provide much greater energy efficiency than insulation in stud walls with an R-value improvement of 15% to 40%. The oriented strand boards are made from wood of fast growing trees and emit very low levels of urea-formaldehyde. The polystyrene foam can also consist of recycled content.
