Villa builders urged to turn backs on concrete

SIPS have been used to build the 'greenest' building in the world

Developers or builders working on structures of three floors or less should be shunning traditional materials such as concrete and steel.

Structural insulated panels (SIPS) are cheaper, faster, cleaner, hardier and greener alternatives, Green Builders general manager Mohamad Nasreldin told the audience at the Construction Week Building Sustainability into the Middle East conference in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

“SIPS cost 10% less than concrete or steel and have a lower environmental impact than both. They are load-bearing walls and the construction times involved with SIPS could never be repeated using steel or concrete,” said Nasreldin.

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“The panels are precision-made in a factory using AutoCAD cutting technology, achieving more accuracy and a cleaner jobsite but the average villa – which would take 60 to 90 days to construct using concrete – can be done in just seven days in total with SIPS.”

Nasreldin highlighted the environmental benefits of the building material, claiming that four million new trees were planted daily with a two or three year rapid growth cycle.

“This is a business. Why build cement factories when you can plant trees?” he asked.

“In 2000, the first Platinum LEED building was constructed using SIPS and, in 2007, the Aldo Leopold Centre was opened as an example – the greenest building in the world. That too was built using SIPS. That building has the highest Platinum LEED score in the world.”

Nasreldin maintained that as much as AED 440 (US $120) could be saved in electricity bills per month for a Dubai villa and then went on to address audience members' worries as to the durability of SIPS and how it would react to the extreme heats of the Middle East.

“In 1995, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Kobe, Japan, destroying all the homes except one constructed from SIPS, which just had some drywall cracking. Much the same happened when a tornado hit Tennessee.

“Wood actually heats less than concrete and steel, plus we can impregnate SIPS with treatments guarding against everything from heat to mould. The Aldo Leopold Centre is build to last 100 years, from cradle to grave, and SIPS are guaranteed for 20 years.”

The only limitation, he claimed, was in build height. As load-bearing panels, SIPS could be used for structures of up to three or four storeys, but structural wood – frames and beams – would be required to go higher.

 

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