Comparison
ICF or SIP panel: how they differ
Both are industrialized construction and both have built-in insulation, but they solve the wall in different ways. This table sets out what is documented for each system, dimension by dimension.
Dimension
ICF / iForms
Panel SIP
What it is
ICF / iForms
EPS forms that are filled with reinforced concrete and stay built into the wall.
Panel SIP
Two OSB boards with an EPS core, bonded with structural adhesive.
How the structure works
ICF / iForms
Horizontal sections act as beams and vertical ones as columns, with reinforcement per the structural calculations.
Panel SIP
The two boards work together with the core they hold between them.
Where the insulation goes
ICF / iForms
It is the formwork itself. It is not added later: it stays inside the wall.
Panel SIP
It is the panel's core, between the two boards.
On-site execution
ICF / iForms
Wet: the concrete is poured on site, inside the form.
Panel SIP
Dry: the panel arrives manufactured and cut to size, and is assembled.
Size
ICF / iForms
12 and 18 cm forms.
Panel SIP
1.22 × 2.44 m panels, in eleven thicknesses from 69 to 210 mm.
Utilities
ICF / iForms
Plumbing and electrical lines are integrated into the outer face of the forms.
Panel SIP
There are board variants prepared for electrical conduit.
Finish
ICF / iForms
Accepts any cladding.
Panel SIP
Besides OSB/OSB, there are versions with the outer face already finished.
Standards and backing
ICF / iForms
DATec No. 045-A (IPT / SINAT), ABNT NBR 15575 and approval from Caixa Econômica Federal.
Panel SIP
NCh 3393:2015, IDIEM mechanical certification No. 289247 and article 4.1.10 of the OGUC.
Where it comes from
ICF / iForms
The iForms system, from the Grupo ICF network in Brazil.
Panel SIP
Trupanel, in Colina, Región Metropolitana, Chile.
Which one suits depends on the project
Neither system is better than the other in the abstract. ICF gives a monolithic reinforced concrete wall, with the insulation inside and the services integrated into the form. SIP gives an envelope that is closed in dry, with components that arrive made to measure. The choice is made with the project in front of you: structure, schedule, finishes and site conditions.
What cannot be compared yet
For the SIP panel, the supplier does not publish these data. We are requesting them before committing to them on a project, and until then they do not appear here:
- Thermal transmittance (U-value) by thickness
- Acoustic performance in decibels
- Weight per square meter
- Structural capacities by thickness
- Warranty and service life
We would rather leave the gap visible than fill it with catalog figures that do not belong to this specific system.
Shall we assess which one fits your project?
Let’s talk
Let’s take your project to the site.
Tell us where the land is, the approximate floor area, and what stage it is at. We will reply with an initial assessment of the system for your case.