Structural insulated panels for sustainable construction in New Zealand

Abstract

A recent nationwide public campaign has highlighted the issue of the serious health problems caused by New Zealanders living in damp and cold homes, an issue that has also gained international attention. Too many houses are damp and cold in New Zealand leading to colds, flu and aggravating asthma. Executive director of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, Jane Patterson said: "It is a tragedy that many of our homes are making us sick." Healthier homes help to reduce visits to hospitals, doctors and days off work and schools - and are more energy efficient, and therefore less costly for the home-user, and provide an improved lifestyle. Nearly half of our Kiwi houses have mould and are damp and cold - all leading to more health problems. New Zealand has one of the highest asthma rates in the world, according to recent research by the Wellington School of Medicine. THE WELLINGTONIAN, (www.hometech.co.nz), "Kiwi homes are too cold and too damp", the issue of the serious health problems caused by New Zealanders living in damp and cold homes, an issue that has also gained international attention, June 23, 2005, p14 In the same article BRANZ has shown that insulation significantly reduces exposure times to cold temperatures and high levels of humidity. Timber framed construction is complex; the material has to be treated and therefore is toxic for occupants. In other traditional methods of construction with concrete, stone/brick, the structure is heavy and tends to be more expensive in comparison to timber framed construction, and not necessarily making the house warmer. For instance, in the hot Crimea, Author's several years of experience in building industry in Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine where the buildings are mostly built from concrete/stone, the walls were not insulated enough to keep the day-heat out so during night it is too hot even too sleep, and to sleep under wet sheets is common. In winter it would reverse: it was too cold to normally live in.