“Unfreezing Proof.” In the late 1990s, several new SIP panel homes in England survived a week without heating and were nowhere near freezing. The SIPA (Structural Insulated Panels Association) reported that on the night of January 13, 2011, a cold snap in Morrison, Illinois brought temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius. Mr. Terry Schroth thought the cold temperatures might damage the newly installed drywall and interior finish of his new 185 square foot SIP store. All he could do was plug in two small 1.5-kilowatt heaters and hope for the best. When he arrived the next morning, the temperature inside was about 16 degrees Celsius all night. No damage had been done to any of the finished work or equipment.
“Surviving natural disasters.”
Kobe, Japan 1995. In January 1995, a major earthquake – (7.2 on the Richter scale) – devastated the city of Kobe, southwest of Tokyo. Entire blocks of residential buildings were leveled to the ground. It was documented that all six three-story SIP homes located between 10 and 20 km from the earthquake epicenter were unharmed without structural damage.
Guam, 1993. On August 8, 1993, an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale-the world’s strongest earthquake in four years-hit Guam. Experts inspected many of the surviving houses built with SIP technology. They found no evidence of damage to any of the SIP buildings. The buildings withstood the quake so well that there were not even microcracks in the drywall.
Hurricanes:
In August 1992, Andrew -was the most destructive hurricane in U.S. history. It destroyed thousands of structures in Florida. However, at 125th Street, a church and residence built of SIP panels survived without structural damage. After ravaging South Florida, Andrew moved back to the Gulf of Mexico, recovered his category to 5th, moved northwest, and crashed into the Mississippi Delta on August 26, 1992. The city of Franklin had wind speeds above 160 mph for five hours. Houses built with SIP panels survived with minor damage, but no structural damage. In comparison, numerous homes were destroyed.
In September 1989, Hugo. Category 4 hurricane hit Charleston in 1989 with double the force, causing more than a billion dollars in damage to buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. Three floor-to-ceiling SIP cottages withstood the storm without structural damage while neighboring homes sustained severe structural damage, including the loss of roofs and walls.
In August 1998, Hurricane Bonnie blew for 24 consecutive hours with wind speeds more than 100 mph along the North Carolina coast. The house, which was built with SIP panels and was not yet finished, weathered the elements perfectly – the only loss to the house was a broken bathroom window and minor water damage. The 120 sq.m. ranch, (made of SIP walls and roof), didn’t even have its drywall repaired.
In September 2008, Ike. Galveston, Texas was building a beach house out of SIP panels. The roof was nearing completion when the third most destructive hurricane in U.S. history made landfall. Upon inspection, the interior was found completely dry and no structural damage was found. The neighboring houses were destroyed.
