Insulation for wall panels is necessary, primarily in order to keep energy costs down. This is so for conventional buildings as well as pre-fabricated buildings made from steel and metal. With preengineered steel buildings becoming more and more popular, insulated wall panel manufacturers are turning to alternative sources of materials.

Insulated wall panels have been around since the 1930's and serve multiple purposes. "Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) shares the same structural properties as an I-beam or I-column. The rigid insulation core of the SIP acts as a web, while the Oriented Strand Board (OSB) sheathing exhibits the same properties as the flanges. SIP's combine several components of conventional building, such as studs and joists, insulation, vapor barrier and air barrier." (Wikipedia .org)

In 1947, research and development of wall panels included the use of different kinds of materials such as corrugated paperboard cores with different types of covers such as plywood, tempered hardboard and treated paperboard (Wikipedia .org)

Since 1967, the most widely used panels consist of polystyrene core and paper overlaid with plywood skins. (Wikipedia .org)

When a builder is asked for the R-value the response involves the "resistance to heat flow in a given medium." (sips .org)

The conventional stick and bat wall framing method - i.e., post and beam mode of construction using wood, diminishes the strength of the wall (R-value) due to the studs, nails, screws and wiring, by 30%. The usage of insulated wall panels only decreases the R-value by 3%. (sips .org)

In order for you to know which wall panel is best suited for your steel building project you need to know about the different profiles available.

AW

M

Reversed Rolled M

R-Vee

(Illustrations and text courtesy of Rigid Building Systems.)

STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANELS (SIP)

The purpose of installing structural insulated wall panels in steel buildings is to improve energy efficiency while at the same time increasing the R-value of the structure. (raftertales .com)

(Photo courtesy of pareeerica, Flickr.)

EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EPS) INSULATED PANELS

The term "sandwich" is generally used for this type of metal building's wall panels. This type of construction system consists of "Foam-ControlREPS (Expanded Polystyrene) insulation laminated between sheets of structural sheathing." (r-control .com) While the benefits include having a tighter seal all around the building envelope with walls providing greater insulation, the drawback lies in the fact that with time the structure will have a shorter life cycle due to the normal deterioration materials suffer caused by the environment.

(Photo courtesy of Matt Grommes, Flickr.)

POLYURETHANE PANELS

Companies selling this type of wall panel will tell you that they are excellent for homes being built in areas where high winds are prevalent. You may also choose wall panels for your steel buildings made from polyisocyanurate, which is a polyurethane derivative.

Unfortunately, these types of panels are extremely detrimental to our environment and, therefore, are no longer as popular and are more costly. "The most significant pollutant found in plastic insulation materials is chlorine-based chemicals that destroy the earth's protective ozone layer. Prior to 1993, CFC-11 was the only foaming agent for polyisocyanurate, polyurethane, and phenolic foam. In mid-1993, these industries moved to a less damaging foaming agent, HCFC 141b. While HCFC's are only 5% to 11% as damaging to the ozone as CFCs (because they do not last as long in the atmosphere), they are almost as damaging for the period of time when they are there. All HCFCs are significant greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming." (aaamsa.co .za) HCFC 141b was phased out in December 2002.

(Photo courtesy of homedesignss, Flickr.)

METAL PANELS

Metal panels come in three types - insulated, preformed and metal composite materials (MCM).

The insulated metal panels use spray-on foam as the insulating material. Such expands to fill every nook and cranny of the panel and dries hard.

The preformed panels are manufactured from different types of metals including steel, aluminum, copper and zinc, with steel being still the most popular material.

Panels made from metal composite materials are very flexible and can be bent or curved to assume any shape you wish. (metls span dot com)

OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

A newer kind of technology for wall panels in steel buildings involves cementitious or fibrous core insulating materials. This material is composed of fiber reinforced cement, to replace the plastics used in the polyurethane panels.

DecarocR Mineral Wool panels developed by Isocab, a ThyssenKrupp Steel company, are yet another innovation in the steel building wall panel market. The company boasts that this material affords up to 120 minutes of fire resistance. The mechanical characteristics of these panels involve "a rockwool core of extremely produce especially designed for sandwich panels. That's why a subdivision in types is made according the mechanical characteristics' fire resistance and not only according the density of the rockwool." (frimatex-isocab .com)

Yet another technology involves steel reinforced concrete wall panels. "The panels are a blend of cement, limestone, cellulose fiber and additives including some recycled material, extruded to form a panel which is 600mm in thickness and cut to any length up to 8m. The high density cored design offers excellent sound absorption and the hollow core allow concealed installation of services.are non-combustible and offer excellent fire resistance levels for insulation and integrity." (infolink .com. au)

In Australia, the company PanelTech has come out with a special type of insulated wall panel making them highly fire retardant - ".insulated structural sandwich panel consisting of metal outer surfaces bonded to an insulating core of fire-resistant expanded polystyrene foam with a purpose designed thermosetting structural adhesive." (paneltech .com)

Though not new, other materials and technology used for insulated wall panels in steel buildings include "plywood, pressure-treated plywood for below-grade foundation walls, steel, aluminum, cement board such as Hardibacker, and even exotic materials like stainless steel, fiber-reinforced plastic, and magnesium oxide. Some SIPs use fiber-cement or plywood sheets for the panels, and agricultural fiber, such as wheat straw, for the core." (Wikipedia .org)

Companies like Rigid Global Buildings are able to offer you not only the standard wall panel model, in metal, but also panels coated with StuccoPlus and StuccoLite, which "combine the many advantages of light weight insulated panels with the architectural appearance of sprayed stucco to create a high strength, factory finished panel that is energy efficient and fast to install." (Rigid building .com) If opting for StuccoLite, you may chose from 24 colors such as Steel, Emerald, Cocoa and Surrey Beige to give your project an innovative and distinctive look.

RW-5000 Embossed Panels

Another product offered by Rigid Building Systems, these panels are also coated with the patented formula AztecoR, which gives the panels the appearance of masonry stucco. (rigid building .com)

RW-2000 Ribbed Panel

This basic ribbed wall panel is ideal for those projects where you wish to retain the look of simplicity and elegance - i.e., where "less is more".

RW-3000 Shadowline Panel

Slightly similar to its predecessor the RW-2000, this type of panel has very slight groove striations, which add strength to the panel. (rigid building .com)