MetalSandwichPanel
High-efficiency self-supporting prefabricated element. Two thin pre-painted steel or aluminium skins bond to an insulating core of polyurethane foam (PIR) or rock wool. Combines structural strength, extreme thermal insulation and rapid dry installation, setting the standard for industrial, logistics and cold-store construction.
The sandwich behaviour: separating two steel skins with a PIR core enormously increases the moment of inertia. The screw disappears in the joint labyrinth, protecting the facade from weather with zero thermal bridges.
The sandwich panel is the apotheosis of composite engineering. Copying the structural principle of the IPE beam, it transforms two floppy half-millimetre steel sheets and a fragile foam into a self-supporting wall capable of withstanding hurricanes and providing cold-store insulation.
When wind pushes on the facade, the outer skin goes into compression and the inner skin into tension. Without the foam, the two skins would slide over each other and immediately buckle. The polyurethane core absorbs the shear force, locking the relative movement and forcing the skins to act together. This generates enormous flexural rigidity, allowing a 100mm-thick lightweight panel to span 6 metres between steel columns with no intermediate supports.
Panel performance depends on the sandwiched material. Polyisocyanurate (PIR), the evolution of classic PUR, offers unrivalled thermal insulation (lambda = 0.022 W/mK), ideal for cold chains, controlled logistics and roofing. When the critical factor becomes fire resistance (compartment walls) or acoustic insulation, a Rock Wool core with oriented fibres is used. This material is totally non-combustible (Euroclass A2) and absorbs sound waves, guaranteeing REI resistance up to 120 minutes.
Standards
European and international references applicable.
Physical properties
Usage environment
BOWING EFFECT: a dark external skin (anthracite) can reach 80 degrees C in summer while the internal skin stays at 20 degrees C, seasonally bowing the panel outward. Always calculate to avoid fixing screw tear-out on large vertical panels. CUT-EDGE: always use cold cutting tools, never an angle grinder. The bare steel edge must be sealed with finishing paint to prevent corrosion.
Documented applications
TAV. DLogistics and Industrial Facades
Horizontal or vertical installation on large spans to quickly clad warehouses (typically PIR 100-120mm).
Profiled Roofing
Roof-specific panels: the upper skin has deep ribs for rapid water runoff and foot traffic resistance.
Fire Compartmentalisation
Internal partition walls using Rock Wool core panels to separate high-risk areas (REI 120).
Cold Stores
Panels up to 200mm thick, vapour-sealed, with stainless steel liners for food storage at -25 degrees C.
Envelope Installation Speed (m2 per person/day)
TAV. EThe worldwide success of the sandwich panel is not only thermal but temporal. Installing 1000 m2 of facade (structural envelope + insulation + weatherproof finish in one) takes just days, eliminating scaffolding costs.
Used in these systems
TAV. SOperational documents from this sheet
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