Enhanced-efficiency Building Systems

By Kenton Shepard

The following systems are thermally-efficient, but by the time an inspector arrives they will usually be hidden behind exterior and interior wall coverings. It may be possible to confirm their presence by removing electric cover plates or the dead front covers of electrical service panels.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIP's)

Structural Insulated Panels are high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs in residential and light commercial buildings. They’re an alternative to conventional framing methods.

The panels are made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB). Other skin material can be used for specific purposes. SIPs are manufactured under factory controlled conditions and can be custom designed for each home. The result is a building system that is extremely strong and energy efficient because there are no wall studs to transmit home heat to the outside. Panels are available in a variety of sizes, thicknesses and core/skin materials.

SIP's panels are somewhat expensive and are pre-ordered to fit a particular structure design, so they generally work better with relatively simple designs. Mistakes can be costly and work may be delayed while waiting for more panels to arrive. Inspectors should look carefully at complicated wall or roof sections.

Source: Kenton Shepard

Structural Insulated Panels (SIP’s)

Insulating Concrete Forms  (ICF’s)

Insulating Concrete Forms are forms for poured concrete walls which are designed to remain in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly.

The forms, made of foam similar to styrofoam, are pre-formed, hollow, interlocking blocks. As blocks are assembled rebar is installed, then concrete is poured to fill the cavities, so that once the concrete is dry it forms a post and beam grid inside the blocks.

In addition to providing a continuous insulation and sound barrier, the foam forms have plastic strips embedded which provide a means for attaching interior and exterior wall coverings.

Source: Kenton Shepard   

                      ICF block showing re-bar supports                                 ICF foundation with a brick ledge  

Source: Kenton Shepard

An ICF wall assembled with steel reinforcement bar installed

Although all ICF’s work on an identical principal, different brands offer differing cavity shapes.

ICF’s may be hidden behind wall coverings and confirming their presence may require removal of electrical covers.

Cempo

Cempo Forms are a hollow, component building system similar to ICF’s. The panels are created from a mixture of Portland cement and recycled polystyrene to create a stay-in-place concrete form. The name Cempo stands for CEMent POlystyrene. The panels have interior channels which run horizontally, vertically and diagonally throughout the forms. The channels, spaced 16 inches on center, are filled with structural concrete grout and rebar to create a post and beam matrix inside the composite, making it strong and energy-efficient.

Source:VaST Architecture

Cempo panels being installed