Getting approval
The city of Orono refused Walsh's first application for a building permit using below-grade SIPs, and recommended using a conventional poured or block foundation instead. The inspector was concerned about stability and water infiltration, since the cabin was being built on an island. The city told Walsh it had no experience with SIPs and considered them an untested and unapproved technology. Thus began a dogged campaign for the SIPs application.
With help from Panelworks Plus and Extreme Panels, Walsh then provided the city a letter from an engineer and a list of more than 20 SIPs installations in Minnesota. The city reviewed the documents but again denied the permit. The city did tell Walsh he could submit his request to a state review board. Fearing a delay of up to 60 days for state review, Stendel provided Walsh with additional examples of SIPs projects, this time with a list of city inspectors who had approved the SIPs construction. Walsh went back to the inspector's office a third time, armed with this information. The city made some calls, and a week later the permit was approved. City inspectors have been to the site since construction and now acknowledge the successful use of below-grade SIPs.
Technology Highlights
This project included the following PATH-profiled technologies:
This article is provided courtesy of PATH — the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Homebuilding.
