As the focus for construction procurement shifts increasingly from cost to value, certainty over building performance levels is becoming an increasing priority – particularly for Education buildings.
Customers want greater confidence that design specifications for thermal and acoustic performance will be delivered in practice. They also want reassurances over structural stability and durability to minimise whole-life costs.
Built-in thermal and acoustic performance is a significant and well-established advantage of SIPs. This eliminates any performance variability (and time penalties) that come when additional treatments have to be applied on site to traditional materials.
Now, building on proven technology, the unique, award-winning i-FAST System developed by Innovaré sets new standards in thermal, acoustic and structural performance in large format panels.
Low Sound and Heat Transmission
The staggered stud arrangement minimises the transmission of sound and heat through the panel, giving a modelled standalone Rw value of 56dB ( panels give a modelled Rw value of 51dB with brick and plasterboard). This can be upgraded to RW 60-62 dB with an additional gypsum layer on one or both sides.
Meanwhile, the in-built thermal performance achieves exceptional U-values from 0.28 – 0.12 W/m²K ( U-values range from 0.25 – 0.10 W/m²K) depending on the panel thickness, cladding and lining.
Of course, theoretical values are one thing. Real-world performance can be quite different in traditional building systems owing to a lack of quality, fit or precision. An overriding advantage of SIPs is that they are made in a modern manufacturing facility to exact tolerances. They fit together tightly to achieve excellent airtightness, which is further enhanced by the factory fitted vapour control layer.
The inherent strength and rigidity of the panels means they can be used to form the entire building structure, as well as providing a fully quality-assured option for infill of concrete or steel framed buildings. The double boarded panel construction provides excellent racking stability and resistance to wind loads.
i-FAST offers a faster, more predictable way to create thermally insulated, non-combustible and watertight buildings. There can then be more confidence in the time and cost of the building programme and in the performance of the completed building.
