While metal SIPs for industrial/commercial are available here it looks like finding one that’s certified for California residential (not the ones with the framing inside the panel) is going to be difficult but I am curious about something. If a metal SIP or MIP was mounted to a light gauge steel framed wall by screwing from inside the stud flange into the interior skin(22g) on an engineered fastener schedule would it perform structurally similar to a Sureboard shearpanel? I have a feeling the answer is no because of bowing from thermal expansion but I might be missing something more obvious. Anyway, alot to learn and I’m just starting.

Hey, Unfortunate to see no one has engaged with this post. I have some of these questions myself. I am planning on building in AZ using an LGS structure with IMP( not SIPS). I am thinking along the lines of Kingspan or Nucor, but there are others out there. The idea is that instead of using the SIPs to create the building envelope you are using the steel frame and drying it with the IMP, that way there is no need for other insulation or exterior cladding. I have only seen one company actually using this in residential and it's mostly in California, they are called EcoSteel. If you are aware of anyone using this building method in AZ i would love to connect with them.

Try Thermalsteel, although they are in Virginia they ship everywhere and last time I checked they were fairly priced. It is a prebuilt steel-framed wall with EPS already cast in it. # wall thickness and R values. You send them drawings and they make engineering and build the wall portions for you. Easy and fast to build with a small team, hurricane rated up to 220mph, and earthquake rated as well. Once is fully built and everything screwed in on its tracks, it is just a fully insulated steel frame structure. They claim that you can clad directly on their studs since the panels are air and vapor barrier ready although I would put sheathing panels on or at least some wrapping.

Posted By sebastian on 30 Jan 2022 05:25 PM
Try Thermalsteel, although they are in Virginia they ship everywhere and last time I checked they were fairly priced. It is a prebuilt steel-framed wall with EPS already cast in it. # wall thickness and R values. You send them drawings and they make engineering and build the wall portions for you. Easy and fast to build with a small team, hurricane rated up to 220mph, and earthquake rated as well. Once is fully built and everything screwed in on its tracks, it is just a fully insulated steel frame structure. They claim that you can clad directly on their studs since the panels are air and vapor barrier ready although I would put sheathing panels on or at least some wrapping.

, ThermaSteel is not a SIP- it has no skin

From Wikipedia: ......A structural insulated panel, or structural insulating panel, (SIP), is a form of sandwich panel used in the construction industry. SIP is a sandwich structured composite, consisting of an insulating layer of rigid core sandwiched between two layers of structural board, used as a building material. The board can be sheet metal, plywood, cement, magnesium oxide board (MgO) or oriented strand board (OSB), and the core can either be expanded polystyrene foam (EPS), extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), polyisocyanurate foam, polyurethane foam, or be composite honeycomb (HSC). SIPs share the same structural properties as an I-beam or I-column. The rigid insulation core of the SIP acts as a web, while the sheathing fulfills the function of the flanges. SIPs combine several components of conventional building, such as studs and joists, insulation, vapor barrier and air barrier. They can be used for many different applications, such as exterior wall, roof, floor and foundation systems.