By Peter W. Blaich
A new construction material, structural insulated panels (SIPs), is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout New York State. The Materials and Equipment Acceptance (MEA) Division of the Department of Buildings will have to evaluate it as it appears more and more New York City structures.
Inspection Reveals Use of SIPs
While inspecting a building, ladder company members informed the supervising officer that lightweight building material was being stored in the basement of a midtown Manhattan high-rise hotel. A subsequent investigation revealed that, because of the building engineer’s omissions, this material was used for floor joists in the recently renovated penthouses occupying the 31st and 32nd floors of this commercial high-rise class J-2 hotel. Investigating further, the supervising officer spoke with the building’s managing agent and confirmed that in fact SIPs were used when the penthouse was constructed.
Unaware of this material’s legal use for commercial construction, the lieutenant began to research the material’s adoption into the New York City Building Code. Research revealed that this material is not acknowledged in either the 1938 or 1968 building code, but is acknowledged in the New Building Code under Energy Efficiency Construction. In addition, the new code directs users to the “Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State,” which has been delegated oversight for new “Green Construction” within the New Building Code. Moreover, the Energy Conservation Construction Code of New York State allows for SIPs only as structural load-bearing members for use in private dwellings; it does not acknowledge SIPs’ use in commercial structures. Ultimately, this new construction will continue to increase within the City of New York as the New York State offers tax abatements for its use to encourage Green Building Construction; studies show building with SIPs reduces framing construction labor by 55 percent.
Construction
SIPs are prefabricated insulated structural elements used in building walls, ceilings, floors, and roofs. They provide superior and uniform insulation compared to more traditional construction methods, offering energy savings of 12 to 14 percent. When installed properly, SIPs provides a more airtight dwelling. SIPs not only have high R-value but also high strength-to-weight ratios. An SIP typically consist of between four- and eight -inch thick foam board insulation sandwiched between two oriented strand boards (OSBs) or other structural facing materials. SIPs can be produced in various sizes or dimensions. Some manufacturers can make panels as large as 96 × 288 inches that require a crane to erect. The quality of SIP manufacturing is very important to ensure a long life and performance. The panels must be glued, pressed, and properly cured to ensure that they don’t delaminate. The panels also must have smooth surfaces and edges to prevent gaps from occurring when they are connected at the job site. The majority of SIPs are manufactured with expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam board.
What To Do
When SIPs are discovered in a commercial building either class E Office Building or a Residential Class J-1 or J-2 high-rise, immediately have the administrative battalion chief respond and procure photos. The fire-retardant SIP materials shall not be used in any exit or corridor, or in occupancy groups H-1 and H-2. The acquired photos are necessary to accurately complete the new Department of Buildings Priority A-8, which the responding battalion chief submits through the department’s Intranet.
In addition, the responding company officer needs to update the building’s “Critical Information Dispatching System,” card to include lightweight construction material and forward an A-8 to the Bureau of Fire Prevention and memo to the surrounding fire department companies. Moreover, units are advised to issue a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the building owner or managing agent to produce a document from the manufacturer, certifying that materials shipped or delivered are equivalent to those tested and accepted for use, as provided for in section 27-131 of the New York City Building Code. Issuing an additional NOV is recommended to have the building owner or managing agent produce a certification that the non-load-bearing SIPs be accepted as having one-hour fire-resistance classification when installed in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and testing laboratory requirements. Furthermore, that installation must be in accordance with the New York City Building Code and used where allowed by that code.
Firefighting Concerns
Structural firefighting concerns involving SIPs include but are not limited to early collapse and potential backdraft because SIPs’ ability to make a structure more airtight. It is significant that even though the flame spread rating is zero, SIPs have a smoke developed rating of 35, which is high and will result in a heavy smoke condition. Additionally, a direct attack using a 2½-inch handline into a ceiling or floor made up of SIPs will surely break apart the interior sheathing materials glued to the foam core, further accelerating structural failure.
It seems that, fueled by monetary incentives, this new construction material has found its way into New York City; but it was ultimately brought to the attention of the Department of Buildings through the department’s proactive building safety inspection program, which is comprised of motivated and keen fire officers and firefighters.
Peter W. Blaich is a lieutenant with the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and is assigned to Battalion 8 of the 3rd Division in Manhattan. Previously he served as a firefighter in Ladder Company 123 in Brooklyn and was promoted out of Rescue Company 5 in Staten Island. He is a fourth generation FDNY fire company officer and World Trade Center survivor. He is an adjunct professor for the Fire Science Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he received his masters degree in Fire Protection Management.
Subjects: Building construction, firefighter construction hazards, structural insulated panels
