whats a sip?
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are a high performance building system. The panels consist of an insulating foam core sandwiched between two structural facings. SIPs are manufactured under factory controlled conditions and the result is a building system that is extremely strong, energy efficient and cost effective.
Why a “BIO” SIP : Our team developed a custom designed SIP out of compressed fiber board and soy based insulation, creating the first ever environmentally conscious SIP wall system.
During Spring Break 2005, the CU Solar Decathlon Team gathered at a local warehouse to construct BioSIPs. Our teams designers had carefully detailed a set of BioSIP plans outlining the sizes and shapes of panels needed for construction of the CU BioS(h)IP Home.
In March 2005, the CU Team tested their BioSIP prototypes at CU’s structural laboratory. Test specimens were full-sized BioSIPs, measuring 8 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and 7 inches thick. Two types of tests were conducted. The first was an axial compression analysis using an MTS 1000-kip universal testing machine. The second was an in-plane shear analysis using an MTS 22-kip horizontal actuator. The BioSIP panel assemblies surpassed structural requirements for both tests, enabling the CU Team to use them as load-bearing members in their BioS(h)IP wall construction.
When constructing a house using SIPs think of it like building with Legos. All the building blocks are predesigned to fit perfectly into the final home. This dramatically reduces construction time and creates a much tighter final envelope that will reduce heating and cooling costs.