For the most part, EIFS panels and field-applied EIFS are comprised of similar materials but EIFS panels differ drastically in engineering and by the fact that the system is applied to a structural panel in a manufacturing facility. They are then trucked to the job site and erected as completed panels.
The panels, in the case of the Tropicana, varied in size with some pieces measuring 10 feet by 40 feet and weighing about four pounds per square foot-considerably less than other competitive exterior wall claddings. This lightweight system allows the structure to be built using lighter weight steel or concrete at a cost savings to the project owner.