Architectural Design
Residential Homes
Energy-Efficient Home Design
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP)
A structural insulated panel (SIP) is thick rigid foam insulation, sandwiched between sheets of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) or other plant-based construction sheeting boards.
Effective adherence of the foam insulation to the boards works like a tetrahedral truss structure, making SIPs very strong.
SIP walls do not require interior walls or trusses for support, allowing for open interiors.
Figure 1:
SIP home construction in Denver.
Figure 2:
SIP roof in Hood River, Oregon.
SIPs are sized at the factory:
Figure 3:
SIP manufacturing plant.
SIPs are carefully attached to each other at the construction site:
Figure 4:
Attaching SIP roof panels with
foam adhesive.
Clifton Homes, 2013.
(3.2 MB)
Figure 5:
A double bead of sealant seals the seams between the SIP panel and spline.
TC Legend Homes, 2019.
(7.6 MB)
Figure 6:
SIP panels are stacked high, dry, and flat
before installation.
[BuildingAmerica]
Figure 7:
An all-terrain forklift is used to move and stage the panels.
[BuildingAmerica]
(1.6 MB)