Life Cycle Analysis of SIPs
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Life Cycle Analysis, or LCA is quickly becoming a standard process applied to products and materials when they are considered for use in Green Building design. It’s a necessary exercise that gives a better understanding of how various products and materials are in balance with the goal of reducing carbon output of structures. It’s reported that in the US heating and cooling our home, commercial and institutional structures produces around 40% of our national carbon dioxide output. By using high performance products and materials that reduce heating and cooling energy demands of structures, carbon output is dramatically and positively lessened. Therefore, it is imperative to use high performing products and materials in our structures.
Prior to conducting a Life Cycle Analysis, a prequalification study must be made to see what constitutes a high performing product or material that can provide long term life cycle benefits. Selection of a high performing product or material must be based on: function for purpose, initial cost, and long term durability.
a.) Function – The product or material must possess the physical properties needed to work for its intended purpose. Example: Fibrous Batt insulations insulate, but do not have the physical properties to act as structural cores for SIPs. Rigid foam plastic insulations insulate and can be used as structural cores. Therefore, rigid foam plastic insulations function best as both insulation and cores for structural insulated panels.
b.) Cost – The product or material must provide the required performance at the most competitive cost. Structural Insulated Panels require a rigid core material. Rigid expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and polyurethane foams work very well as a core material for SIPs. All three provide the structural performance needed for a SIP, but expanded polystyrene (EPS) has a lower initial cost of material and is the preferred core material in the SIP industry.
c.) Durability – The product or material must deliver its promised performance over the life of the structure. Example – Fibrous Batt insulations in wall and ceiling application often become wet and dirt filled losing insulation performance over time. Rigid Foam plastic insulations are solid and do not allow moisture and dirt buildup so keep their insulating properties. Therefore – Rigid Foam plastic insulations exhibit durable long term performance.
This review of function, cost, and durability showed that rigid foam plastic insulations, and especially expanded polystyrene, are the product or material of choice for the insulation component of SIPs.
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Source by Todd Bergstrom