Steel SIP manufacturers
Straight_Curves
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
Anyone know of steel SIP manufacturers on the west coast? Or Hawaii?
I can’t seem to find any there.
Thanx
B
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Replies
Brian,
Do you mean as in "cold storage"? Steel SIPs were originally designed and are mainly used for cold storage facilities but have been used in residential. They are typically made with 26 gauge steel skins and an EPS core.
Word of caution using the panels in residential use. In some countries like New Zealand the steel SIPs have been deemed extremely dangerous to both occupants and fire fighters. Studies show that the panels can fail very quickly and catastrophically in small fires. EPS melts at 230F and once that happens the steel skins will de-laminate and pull away, causing the entire structure to collapse. In a fire, a standard wood frame structure is much safer than a steel SIP structure. A steel SIP can melt and fail within seconds causing catastrophic collapse of the structures roof and/or walls. A wood SIP is actually safer because the OSB provides a thermal barrier. Steel is the absolute worse thermally conductive material out there. A steel SIP transmits any and all radiant heat through it onto the EPS core.
Read this study: http://www.civil.canterbury.ac.nz/fire/pdfreports/RNelligan06.pdf
If you read the fine print on cold storage steel SIPs, they all advise to use fire sprinkler systems in their applications. Follow local code and use 5/8" or Type X drywall. I would not leave the panels exposed as they do in cold storage applications.
Brian,
the short answer is yes, http://www.Permatherm.net will supply and distribute to Hawaii via Long beach California.
Peter L. has some sort of ax to grind for steel SIPs to state that a wood structure is safer is absolutely ludicrous. he can only point to a catastrophic industrial fire to support his claims. He cannot support his theory in residential use, I have been in the steel SIP business for 21 years , lived in them for 19 years , have never heard on on instance of delamination during a fire, what I have heard is that the houses are so tight that the fire is oxygen starved and snuffed its self out. In Florida the insurance companies view steel SIPs as (all steel fortified) NC and provide lower rates .
SIPs were first used by Frank Loyd Wright , thousands of wood and steel SIPs are used in homes and light commercial use , steel SIPs are particularly beneficial in tropical areas, for hurricane and termite resistance. feel free to email me directly at [email protected] and I will email you more information. also visit http://www.southermsips.com and http://www.permathermsips.com for mant steel SIP projects in the US and Caribbean