New Construction Materials

In early February 2004, the International Code Council’s Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) approved the use of structural insulated panels (SIPs) on the West Coast where high-risk seismic zones exist (Seismic Categories D1, D2, and E.)  This was good news for building professionals of all types and home buyers who want a stronger, safer home with the inherent energy savings and comfort homes built with SIPs provide. Fusion is now expanding these technologies and applying them to the controlled environment agriculture movement.

In a collaborative effort facilitated by SIPA on behalf of the industry, partnered with Premier Building Systems, Tolko Industries, the ICC-ES, and the APA – The Engineered Wood Association (APA) proposed the revision to the current Acceptance Criteria, AC04, and established a testing protocol in concert with the other collaborators. In APA’s initial testing, it completed a series of cyclic shear wall tests on SIPs, repeatedly subjecting them to varying degrees of load magnitude and amplitude. Then it compared those results to code-accepted, conventional wood framed shear walls. The results show that SIPs have cyclic performance characteristics similar to or better than stick-built walls.

SIPs have been used for many years to build homes, commercial buildings, high-tech assembly rooms and cold storage facilities.  SIPs can provide the frame, insulation, moisture barrier and exterior sheathing.  For grow facilities, the interior and exterior wall surfaces are finished with the same thermally protective materials. The simplicity of the design provides a superior structure and it also greatly streamlines the construction process.

FEATURES:

Tom Williamson, APA’s vice-president of quality assurance and technical services, explains, “We did cyclic testing and found that it did provide for what’s permitted by the codes for residential construction, and therefore at the last ICC-ES hearing it was approved as part of the Acceptance Criteria. Now SIPA members can approach testing laboratories such as APA to conduct this test on their structural insulated panels.”

“The APA testing protocol will enable SIPA member manufacturers to demonstrate that their panels meet the cyclic load test criteria adopted by the ICC-ES,” According to Bill Wachtler, SIPA’s Executive Director. “Now SIPs can be used everywhere in the U.S., including the previously inaccessible West Coast states and Alaska. That’s good news for our members and for their customers.”

• The PFF structural panel has been evaluated & approved for structural use in locations adhering to the 2007 Florida Building Code except for those sections of the code relating to HVHZ
• The PFF panel has been evaluated for use in actual hurricane conditions with regards to windborne debris
• The PFF panel has been evaluated for durability after multiple Missile Impacts and many hours of wind pressure differential cycling……repeated bending of the panel in opposing directions

Fusion SIPS vs Concrete Block and Wood Framing

The creation of concrete building systems, such as concrete block, when created was a fair choice. Over time new, innovative, Green products started to evolve. The issues with concrete block were many. Concrete block is a porous material and often has issues with sealing. To address this concern one has to add additional material. There are high costs to install, slow construction method, poor R-value without additional insulation, weather dependent during installation. With reference to Wood Framing one has more concerns. Fire, Mold, Termites, price swings, labor intensive, quality suspect as wood shrinks and warps. As for energy efficiency the concrete and wood structure would be throwing away $22.00 of every $100.00 dollars.

Fusion Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are high-performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are produced by permanently bonding a core of rigid thermal insulation between two proprietary skins. SIPs are manufactured under factory controlled conditions and can be custom designed for each facility. The result is a building system that is extremely strong, energy efficient and cost effective. Building with SIPs will save you time, money and labor.

Advantages of SIPS Panels System:

• Performance SIPS – have been used in tens of thousands of structures since 1950 Speed of
• Construction Using SIPS – reduces construction time by 50% – 70%
• Energy Saving – A continuous insulation & vapor envelope reduces energy use significantly.
• System Strength – Our SIPS Panel System will receive local approval in any jurisdiction.
• They save energy, reduce air pollution, and minimize jobsite waste.
• Cost Savings – SIPs SAVE MONEY!