Asymmetric structural insulated panel

Abstract

An asymmetric structural insulated panel for building construction includes a generally planar insulating foam core such as of expanded polystyrene, urethane or polyisocyanurate plastic. Adhered to a first surface of the insulating foam core is an outer facing of a conventional building material such as wood, oriented strand board (OSB), gypsum composite or cement. Adhered to a second opposed surface of the insulating foam core by a conventional adhesive is a thin, high strength sheet of paper impregnated with plastic such as polyisocyanurate. The plastic impregnated paper provides a high tensile strength for the structural insulated panel to accommodate large transverse loads on the panel. Elongated “nailing” members may be affixed in a spaced manner to the inner or outer surface of the plastic impregnated paper to also provide this surface of the panel with high compressive strength and to permit the panel to withstand large axial loads. The nailer strips, which may be of wood or metal, also facilitate attaching the structural insulated panel to composite gypsum wallboard, commonly used in conventional building construction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.