Investigation of Thermal Performance of Structural Insulated Panels for Northern Canada
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 21, Issue 4
Abstract
The thermal performance of structural insulated panels (SIP) and connections, developed and used to build 142 homes in Nunavut, Canada, was studied by subjecting the panels to steady-state cold climate conditions in a laboratory test setup. Testing was carried out using an inverted test hut, in which the panels were installed such that the interior of the hut was cooled down to outdoor conditions, and the ambient lab conditions served as the indoor climate. This inverted setup provides an alternative to using a large-scale environmental chamber when this is not available. Results showed the methodology used in this test is adequate to characterize the thermal performance at both the center of the panel and the connections. In carrying out steady-state thermal simulations on both the panel and connection cross sections using both one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) programs, it was found that while the 1D simulation could adequately predict the performance at the center of the panel, a 2D simulation was required to predict the performance at the connections. The SIPs themselves were found to provide good thermal performance.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded with NSERC Engage and Discover Grants. The Kott Group provided the design of the test hut, materials, and workforce to assemble the hut. The following students assisted in the test: Yichao Chen, Aude Couriol, Zhenyu Du, Jonathan Maisonneuve, John Scourias.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 21 • Issue 4 • December 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 2, 2014
Accepted: Mar 6, 2015
Published online: Jun 30, 2015
Discussion open until: Nov 30, 2015
Published in print: Dec 1, 2015
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