Structural insulated panel for building construction

Abstract

A structural insulated panel (SIP), such as 8 foot×24 foot, is made with a foam plastic core, oriented strand board on each face, and structural paper on either side of that, all bonded together. The oriented strand board capped with structural paper provides a particularly strong wall structure. Also, the structural paper provides a finished surface as manufactured. SIP-to-SIP joints are created using an insert sandwiched between end portions of in-line-joined SIP panels.

1 . A structural insulated panel comprising:
 a foam plastic core and oriented strand board (OSB) attached on either side of the core to form board faces, the board faces being capped with a structural paper that provides a finished surface; the core, OSB and structural paper all being securely bonded together.   
   
   
       2 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 1 , wherein a prime paint is applied to the outer face of the structural paper. 
   
   
       3 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive used to bond the paper to the OSB is waterproof and adds to the fire resistance. 
   
   
       4 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plastic foam core is one of Expanded Polystyrene, Extruded Polystyrene, or Urethane. 
   
   
       5 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 1 , wherein the OSB has added chemicals to reduce the edge swell and increase the fire resistance. 
   
   
       6 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 5 , wherein the OSB is at least about 2½ inch thick to provide good fire resistance. 
   
   
       7 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 1 , where the panel size is very large, such as 8 foot by 24 foot, to eliminate the need for many small panels with numerous junctures. 
   
   
       8 . A building comprising a plurality of the structural insulated panels defined in  claim 7 , the plurality of panels being attached together to form walls without wood framing, whereby the interconnected arrangement of large panels speeds erection of the building, improves building structure, and reduces energy loss through the building walls once constructed. 
   
   
       9 . The structural insulated panel defined in  claim 1 , where a panel substantially forms a structural wall or roof of a building. 
   
   
       10 . A building wall comprising:
 two structural insulated panels positioned in-plane and end edges adjacent; each panel including a foam core, an OSB facer on each side, and structural paper on each side; each panel including an end portion with the OSB facer extending beyond an outer surface of the foam core to define a cavity; and   an insert positioned between the end portions and extending into the cavity; the insert including a foam core and OSB facer on each side, the OSB facer on the insert fitting inside the OSB facer on the panels; and   fasteners fastening each panel to the insert.   
   
   
       11 . The building wall defined in  claim 10 , wherein the fasteners include shafts that extend through at least one of the OSB facers on the insert and through an adjacent one of the OSB facers on the panels.