Structural behaviour of structural insulated panels (SIPS)

The Structural Insulated Panel System (SIP system) has recently attracted continuingly growing interest since it is strong, energy efficient, easy to use in construction and hence has a potential to become a new alternative building material. It is anticipated that Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) are required to withstand loads in various directions either individually or in combinations, e.g., the axial, racking and transverse loadings. Very few publications report the performance of SIPs when subjected to loads in multiple directions. Moreover, when applying SIPs as a load bearing material, there is another major concern related to their long-term performance, mainly caused by creep. This research presents studies on structural behaviours of the SIPs under both short-term and long-term loadings under single and multi-axial loadings together with two typical joint designs i.e. mini-SIP and dimensional timber spline joints with and without openings by experimental, analytical and numerical investigations. It has been demonstrated that the developed numerical models can well predict the initiation of failure load and the failure mode of SIPs. Interactive failure load curves between axial and transverse loadings have been developed by carrying out a parametric analysis for SIPs with/without openings by using two types of joint construction.