Sep 10 2003
Modern modular housing is dominated by traditional timber framing but Building magazine has published an article reporting on a showdown in Sussex between timber frame housing and a new modular system using Structurally Insulated Panels – SIPS.
At the centre of the showdown is contractor Osborne Homes. In the village of Sompting, near Worthing, they are building a timber-frame terrace of four houses just a few yards from a three-house terrace using a SIP shell.
The traditional timber frames are highly popular but demand is outstripping supply and constraining the number of homes that can be built. The little known SIPs are a type of sandwich panel made from two boards with an expanded polystyrene filling and Osborne hopes they will allow faster and cheaper construction.
The two systems were given an even start in the contest with an insulated concrete base constructed and mechanically smoothed for both homes. Both teams started construction strongly but the SIPs team faced 2 frustrating days delay due to late deliveries and lifting problems due to powerlines. The end result was that both frames took 9 days to construct but the SIPs team believed that once familiar with the construction techniques they could reduce construction time by 25%. Taking off the 2 days delay they should be able to finish in 5 days while the timber frame will remain at 9 days.
SIPs are also simpler to identify on site than timber framed sections and an added plus is that if the design is changed by the client part way through construction, things like new window openings can be simply cut out. SIPs also have an environmental advantage. The boards they are made from use waste timber and the whole system can be recycled into their respective parts.
Source: Building Magazine