Understanding Construction Stakeholders’ Experience and Attitudes toward Use of the Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) in New Zealand

Jeremy Harris, Serdar Durdyev, Serik Tokbolat, Syuhaida Ismail, Nurmurat Kandymov and Saeed Reza Mohandes
Additional contact information
Jeremy Harris: Ara Institute of Canterbury, 130 Madras Street, 8011 Christchurch, New Zealand
Serdar Durdyev: Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia
Serik Tokbolat: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
Syuhaida Ismail: Green Cities and Construction Research Group, Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Yahya Petra, Kuala Lumpur 54100, Malaysia
Nurmurat Kandymov: Department of Civil Engineering, Paragon International University, Phnom Penh 12510, Cambodia
Saeed Reza Mohandes: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: New Zealand faces a housing shortage with construction struggling to meet demand. Structurally insulated panels (SIPs) have been demonstrated internationally as a method of construction which could reduce construction time frames, improve the standard insulation in housing, as well as reduce the amount of waste generated on construction sites. However, anecdotal evidence shows that the SIPs’ adoption is lacking, which is, perhaps, attributed to its industry-wide acceptance level. Thus, in this study, the construction stakeholders, such as architects/designers, builders, territorial authorities and homeowners were targeted to shed light on current status of SIPs use, benefits offered and any barriers inhibiting its industry-wide implementation. This was done through a survey, which was designed to understand the construction stakeholders’ experience levels regarding SIPs use in New Zealand as well as their opinions about any problems associated with the SIPs adoption. Although the stakeholders were happy with the thermal performance offered by SIPs, the results indicate that lack of familiarity and understanding are one of the main barriers to the widespread use of SIPs in New Zealand. Moreover, proper training and clear design information are reported to be crucial to make the building and consenting processes efficient, which will ultimately improve the cost-effectiveness. Despite the barriers (to SIPs adoption) documented by stakeholders, the common belief is that SIPs offer wide-range of benefits to improve performance of the built environment; hence, the stakeholders expressed their willingness to design/build/recommend SIP homes. It is hoped that the findings of this study will guide the industry practitioners in investing their efforts in wider adoption of SIPs in New Zealand.

Keywords: structural insulated panels; drivers; residential construction; New Zealand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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