While construction is a timeless industry, there is always room for innovation. Oftentimes, innovation leads to substantial cost-savings on the job site as well as improved safety, efficiency and quality. Tilt-Up construction is one such innovation.
What Is Tilt-Up Construction?
Tilt-up construction utilizes large concrete panels, formed on-site, and lifted into place by a crane to form the walls of a commercial building. As in all construction processes, the pre-construction phase, including site evaluation and engineering, is critical to the project’s overall success. Errors in this phase can lead to delays later in the project.
Ideally, every job site would be large, open and level allowing equipment and materials to be staged easily and efficiently. Because tilt-up construction requires large concrete walls to be formed and poured on-site, contractors use the floor slab as a staging area for wall construction. Once cured, these walls are then lifted into place by a crane and held in place with braces while additional walls are formed and placed. Spread footings work best for a tilt-up construction project, but pier footings can work as well, depending on the details of the project. Careful site evaluation and management allow for the staging of additional materials and heavy equipment, even on the most crowded site.
Tilt-up construction is best suited for large warehouse or industrial buildings that are one to two stories in height, larger than 50,000 square feet and have less than 50 percent wall opening space. Climate conditions throughout the southeastern and southern United States contribute to this type of construction as the concrete is poured and cured outdoors.
Time Lapse of Our Tilt-up Project – New Vision Properties
Advantages of Tilt-Up Construction
Tilt-up construction methods offer several benefits over traditional construction methods:
- Cost-savings. Tilt-up construction projects realize cost savings through the use of local materials and labor. Rather than purchasing premade materials and having them shipped, on-site construction reduces transportation costs and requires less labor. Additionally, due to economies of scale, the larger the building, the greater the savings.
- Increased safety. Most of the construction in a tilt-up project takes place at the ground level, rather than utilizing scaffolding, which greatly increases worker safety.
- Compressed construction schedule. Utilizing local labor and materials greatly reduces the risk of transportation and delivery delays common in large projects. Creating walls in a tilt-up project is faster than in a traditional construction project and trades can begin work earlier. All of these factors work together to compress the construction schedule and deliver a superior product on a faster timeline.
The benefits of tilt-up construction continue after the project is completed. Buildings constructed in this manner have superior fire safety, reduced operating costs, and lower insurance premiums.
A successful tilt-up construction relies on an experienced team of engineers, designers, and contractors. Live Oak Contracting’s preconstruction services combined with a team of valued subcontractors means that we can deliver your project on schedule and within budget. Contact us today to see how we can help you with your next commercial project.
