Development of a test method to monitor creep behavior of structural insulated panels under load

Abstract

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are an important construction material that has been developed through many years of research at the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. There are concerns, however, related to the in-service performance of this important construction material. More data are needed to determine creep performance of these panels to help the industry address these concerns. This report describes a test method that was developed to measure the creep performance of SIPs. Topics covered in this report include a summary of the development of sandwich-type structural products for use in wood-frame housing, the method used to establish load levels for creep testing, and the creep test setup and data acquisition system. This test system was used to collect creep behavior for a long-term study of SIPs that will be reported on at a later date, but information about the test design and system itself will be useful for researchers conducting other studies.

Citation

Seale, R.D.; Senalik, C.A.; Shmulsky, R.; Ross, R.J.; Khademibami, L.; Mohammadabadi, M.; Williamson, T. 2024. Development of a test method to monitor creep behavior of structural insulated panels under load. Research Note FPL-RN-0426. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory. 19 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/FPL-RN-426