Do SIPs have design limitations compared to stick framing?

Yes. SIPs have specific constraints around spans, point loads, and where structural elements like ridge beams are required. Understanding these early prevents costly redesign later in a project.

How do SIPs get approved through building code?

Most SIP systems are approved through an ICC-ES evaluation report specific to that manufacturer's product, along with engineering documentation for the specific project. Code officials typically require both.

What does "project-specific" mean in SIP design?

It means the panel system and structural design are engineered for that particular building's loads and layout, rather than relying on generic specifications that may not apply to the actual project.

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Designing with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) requires decisions that don't come up in conventional framing, from span limitations and point loads to how a project pathway satisfies code officials. This section is written for architects, engineers, and code officials who need to understand SIP-specific design constraints before a project reaches construction, not after. Independent guidance from Joe Pasma, PE, drawing on decades of SIP structural design and code review experience.

Blog

SIP Span Tables Explained: How Far Can a SIP Roof or Wall Really Span?

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Most SIP span tables look like simple lookup charts, but the numbers behind them come from full-scale panel testing, not a formula. Here's how spans are actually calculated, and why no two manufacturers' tables ever quite agree.

SIP Design and Code Compliance

SIP Fire Myths: What's True and What's Not

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Think SIPs burn like foam cups? Real forensic evidence from a house fire investigation shows why that's not how it actually works.

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Why Ice Dams Still Form on SIP Roofs (Even Airtight Ones)

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Why do ice dams still form on a tight, well-insulated SIP roof? A PGS Consulting engineer breaks down the real physics, in plain English, and explains the fix for heavy-snow climates.

SIP Design and Code Compliance

How SIPs Perform in Wildfire Zones

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Wildfires don't spare buildings because of what they're made of, they spare buildings because of how well the details were done. Here's what actually determines how SIPs hold up against embers, radiant heat, and direct flame, and the roofing and siding choices that make or break wildfire resilience.

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Do SIPs Need an Engineer? Prescriptive vs. Engineered Design, Explained

SIP Design and Code Compliance

Structural Insulated Panels are code-recognized, but that doesn't mean every SIP project can skip an engineer. Joe Pasma, PE breaks down exactly where the IRC's prescriptive tables stop working, what actually triggers engineered design, and what an ICC-ES ESR does and doesn't prove about your building.

SIP Design and Code Compliance

SIP Design and Code Compliance

PGS Consulting LLC