composite / Panelised / Insulated Panel
Structural Insulated Panel (SIP), fibre cement-faced (90mm, 110mm, 140mm, 165mm)
SIPs with fibre?cement faces use EPS cores and durable face sheets (density ?1.6 kg/dm?, flexural strength ~32 MPa, water absorption ~9% for fibre?cement panels).
Atlas code
COM-PNL-INS-004
At-a-glance signals
SIPs with fibre?cement faces use EPS cores and durable face sheets (density ?1.6 kg/dm?, flexural strength ~32 MPa, water absorption ~9% for fibre?cement panels).
Overview
Executive summary
Fibre?cement faced SIPs combine an EPS core with fibre?cement skins. Fibre?cement panel data list dry density ?1.6 kg/dm? (?1600 kg/m?), flexural strength about 4,640 psi (~32 MPa), and water absorption around 9%. These face-sheet properties underpin durability and impact performance; panel thermal performance depends on EPS core thickness.
Best when…
- 50-60% faster construction than traditional methods
- 40-60% energy savings on heating/cooling
- Superior thermal performance (R2.0-4.5)
- Fire rated FRL 30/30/- standard
- BAL-40 bushfire compliance available
- Termite and moisture resistant
- Reduced on-site labour requirements
- Minimal construction waste
- Excellent dimensional stability
- Integrated structure and insulation
Top advantages
- 01 50-60% faster construction than traditional methods
- 02 40-60% energy savings on heating/cooling
- 03 Superior thermal performance (R2.0-4.5)
- 04 Fire rated FRL 30/30/- standard
- 05 BAL-40 bushfire compliance available
Top limitations
- 01 Higher upfront cost ($130-170/m² vs $60-80/m² traditional)
- 02 Requires experienced installers
- 03 Limited modification flexibility post-installation
- 04 Electrical/plumbing routing requires pre-planning
- 05 Specialised fixing systems needed
Technical
Physical ·9
- Density
- Fibre?cement face density ?1.6 kg/dm? (?1600 kg/m?) kg/m³
- Specific gravity
- 0.28-0.45
- Porosity
- 2-5 %
- Water absorption
- ?9% (fibre?cement panel data) %
- Hardness
- 40-50
- UV resistance
- Excellent // qualitative rating
- Chemical resistance
- Good // resistant to most chemicals
- pH tolerance
- 6-11
- Surface roughness
- 5-15 µm
Mechanical ·7
- Tensile strength
- 0.08-0.12 MPa
- Compressive strength
- 0.15-0.20 MPa
- Flexural strength
- ?4,640 psi (~32 MPa) for fibre?cement panels MPa
- Shear strength
- 0.10-0.15 MPa
- Poisson's ratio
- 0.1-0.2
- Impact resistance
- Good // qualitative (ASTM D5420)
- Creep resistance
- 1-2% at 20% load // long-term deformation
Sustainability & Health
Embodied carbon & energy ·7
- Embodied carbon
- 8-12 // kg CO₂e/m² (cradle-to-gate)
- Carbon footprint
- 15-25 // kg CO₂e/m²
- Embodied energy
- 150-200 MJ/kg // MJ/m²
- Water footprint
- 50-80 L/kg // L/m²
- Recycled content
- 0-15 % // % (varies by manufacturer)
- Renewable content
- 5-10 % // % (cellulose fibres)
- Circular score
- 6/10 // moderate recyclability
Compliance & Fire
Fire performance ·6
- Combustibility class
- Group 1 // BCA classification
- Fire resistance level
- FRL 30/30/- // standard configuration
- Ignition temp
- 360 °C // °C (EPS)
- Flame spread index
- <25
- Smoke dev. index
- <450
- Heat release rate
- 100-150 // kW/m²
Cost & Lifecycle
Capex & lead time ·6
- Material cost (range)
- $130-170 // per m² (supply only)
- Material cost (per unit)
- $380-650 // per standard panel (2.98m²)
- Lead time
- 2-6 weeks // standard panels
- Lifecycle cost
- $180-250 // per m² (50 year NPV)
- Annual maintenance
- $2-5 // per m²
- Market availability
- Moderate // growing Australian market
Service life & durability ·3
- Expected lifespan
- 50+ // years
- Maintenance interval
- 5-10 // years (inspection/resealing)
- Warranty period
- 10-15 // years (manufacturer dependent)
Layer D
Where it's used
Residential wall systems
Commercial building envelopes
Modular and prefabricated construction
Bushfire-resistant construction (up to BAL-40)
Cyclone-rated buildings (Region D)
Educational facilities
Cold storage facilities
Acoustic barrier walls
Roof and floor systems
Rapid deployment structures