The sandwich panel has been used brilliantly by livestock contractors for several years now. Investors have realised that lead times are very important in the construction of new buildings. At the same time, the requirements for the maintenance costs of the facilities as well as the environmental requirements inside the poultry house are increasing year by year. Hence, the use of the sandwich panel, often in complex design versions - concerning the inner shell or the core of the panel - increases every year.

Poultry farmers are an excellent example. Both those who specialise in chicken and turkey production. In both cases, despite a few differences, they have understood the advantages of steel or steel-brick structures with sandwich panel cladding over the use of other types of technology. The awareness of investors is also changing, increasingly moving towards the use of sandwich panels with polyurethane foam infill instead of polystyrene or mineral wool.

One argument is the speed of installation - this affects costs considerably due to the rising price of human labour. The so-called sandwich (sheet, wool, metal sheet) requires much more time, which clearly increases costs. A sandwich panel with PIR filling is definitely a faster method. It only requires the erection of the structure and a single-layer cladding.

Another important element is longevity. If wool or polystyrene cores are used, the energy efficiency and aesthetics of such structures will decrease over time due to the rodents and insects that love to nest in such an environment.

Most turkey houses are designed with a so-called thermos formula (100 or 120mm thick board on the walls and ceiling) while 60mm thick sandwich board is used for the roofs. This allows the rearing space to be airtight and the air void above the ceiling and the 60mm thick core roof provides additional thermal comfort without the possibility of condensation.

This type of solution is also a guarantee of proper hygiene conditions, very important in the poultry production process. It is standard to use galvanised steel sheeting with Standard Poliester 25 coating, i.e. 25 microns of polyester varnish. These facings are hygienically certified by the PZH. Sandwich panels with facings of this type make it possible to wash them during production breaks, and also ensure that the sheet surface is protected against the aggressive environment prevailing inside the hall (Class C3), while the thinner SP15 coating has a Class C2 rating. Naturally, it is recommended to use coatings that are more resistant to corrosive environments, such as HDS (class C4) or HDX (class C5). It is always advisable to contact the manufacturer of the sheets in order to select a sheet according to the needs of the project.

For chicken producers, poultry houses are often still built using the so-called traditional method. However, in spite of the great respect for traditional seawall masonry, the roof is most often covered with a composite panel, or is covered with a so-called High Trapezoid, while the soffit, built from composite panel, is used for insulation.

It goes without saying that 100 or 120 mm thick panels are the most economical (high U-value, U=0.22W/m² respectively).²*K and U=0.18W/m²*K) which, with rising energy prices and high consumer demands, is slowly becoming the norm.