Name for aluminum-coated styrofoam?

September 12, 2007 5:38 PM

What do you call this popular Chinese building material?

(asking this question for my husband, an engineer)

In Shanghai, temporary structures such as construction workers' housing, guard booths, sheds, and barriers are often made of an interesting material. It is large, plywood-sheet sized (~4' by 8', or even longer) pieces of styrofoam, about 2 inches thick, covered with either sheet aluminum or sheets of plastic. The end result is a lightweight, structural, waterproof material that I assume is also really cheap. It can be held together with screws and washers, wire, pop rivets, glue, or other fasteners. Does anyone know what this stuff is called? Is it made in or imported to the U.S.? Any problems with U.S. fire codes, etc.?

posted by piers to technology (6 comments total)

I've heard them referred to as sandwich panels by my husband, if you mean what I think you do - like that ridged blue board. They may have a more technical name though.
posted by iconomy at 5:53 PM on September 12, 2007

Sounds kind of like insulated panels, apart from using aluminum on the outside.
posted by wanderingmind at 6:13 PM on September 12, 2007

Try aluminum structural panels, composite panels, or aluminum laminated panels. Also: expanded polystyrene instead of styrofoam. Here's one place that sells them.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:39 PM on September 12, 2007

It's not much help because I don't recall the issue or the article, but I've read about this in Dwell. I am pretty sure, however, that they said this stuff is available in the U.S.
posted by altcountryman at 8:20 PM on September 12, 2007

Structural Insulated Panels or SIPs. They're becoming more popular in the US, but still aren't widespread, since they require different equipment and techniques to build with them.
posted by electroboy at 10:13 AM on September 13, 2007

Most SIPs are plywood laminate- it's kind of a pain to search with that term if you're looking for aluminum laminate.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:26 AM on September 13, 2007