Determining the Seismic Performance of Structural Insulated Panels for New Zealand Buildings

Abstract

New Zealand has an urgent need for quality housing that can be built quickly and affordably. Using structural insulated panels (SIPs) is one possible solution. SIPs are sandwich panels made of two face layers and an insulating inner core. They can be prefabricated and assembled quickly on site for walls, floors and roofs and are one potential solution which could be used to increase construction speed and reduce overall building cost. While SIPs have been widely used overseas, less is known about their performance in a New Zealand context.