Contractor’s Notes; Alternative Building Materials; HIP Panels
Vitruvian HIPS panels being assembled.
During the design phase of the Hay Barn/Grooms Quarter’s the Architect, Thomas Brajkovich; Paragon Designs ( http://www.paragonarchitects.com), arranged a tour with Duane Heil, Owner of Vitruvian Built Systems, at his manufacturing facility in San Luis Obispo. Duane has developed a system using Extruded Polystyrene Foam and light gauge tube steel to create structural wall and roof panels (www.vitruvianbuilt.com). First we toured his home made from this system. As a builder with straw bale construction experience I first noticed the thick walls. Duane explained that typically the walls are 7 inches thick, and roof panels are 12” thick, but you can specify the thickness to anything you want. Exterior and Interior wall finishes can be standard building materials which are attached to the tube steel studs. Duane did mention that he likes to add a plaster coat for interior surfaces to smooth out bumps an add some mass to the interior space. Next we toured the manufacturing facility which is a large barn. The heart of the operation starts in the office area where CAD drawings are entered into a computer and the structure is “built” digitally. This process allows not only manipulation of the building to maximize the efficiency of the materials but also will allow precise shop drawings that can be used in the field for assembly. The CAD drawings are then sent to a large CNC machine that Vitruvian has developed specifically for the HIP panels’ production. The CNC machine carves out grooves in the Foam panels for the tube steel and shapes the panels to the buildings exact dimensions. A crew then attaches the tube steel and the panels are ready to be shipped to the site. Panel are raised similar to a SIPS building or even a concrete “tilt-up” system. Panels are fastened together, which could allow for disassembly vs. demolition at the end of the buildings life, and then the roof panels are installed. Plumbing and electrical conduit channels are cut out of the foam using a hot knife. For the most, installation of all other finish materials is no different than standard construction.
We have begun assembally of the panels. The first couple weeks we fought a steep learning curve, but now that we are to the roof panels things seem to be moving quickly. I am holding final judgement on the system until the project is finished. However, check in periodically and I will be sure to tell you the things I like and don’t like about the HIPS system.
-Frank Cullen
President, Cullen Construction, Inc.
