Tilt-Up Construction 101: Process, Products, & Perks
Posted on June 1, 2021
Tilt-up is a building system where large slabs of concrete are cast on-site and lifted into place with a crane. This method is very popular in the building of large warehouses and distribution centers—it is also used in medical office buildings, schools, churches, and even residential homes!
Process & Products
Tilt-up can be used for any type of commercial building including offices, schools, churches, and even civic buildings. Let’s take a look at the process and the products that will be needed for your tilt-up project.
Slab Construction
A quality slab is important not only for the finished floor of the building, but also for the casing bed to build the walls. Products needed at this point include:
- Rebar or wire mesh,
- Reinforcing supports,
- Embed plates,
- Joint dowels and baskets,
- Tools for concrete placing and finishing, and
- Curing material and bond breaker.
Tilt-Up Panel Forming
Many forming systems exist for building slabs that will be tilted into place to form the walls of the building. Products needed at this stage include:
- Forming lumber or steel forms,
- Panel insulation,
- Panel reinforcing and supports,
- Lifting and bracing inserts,
- Door frames and embeds,
- Reveal strips and form liners.
Panel Placement
When the time comes to erect the tilt-up panels you will need the following:
- Brace inserts and bolts,
- Lifting hardware,
- Panel braces, and
- Drills and grinders.
Engineering
Each panel is engineered for the stresses that occur as it is being erected. Panel books can be provided that include:
- Placement of inserts for lifting and bracing;
- Additional rebar needed for lifting;
- Embed layouts; and
- Location of reveals and embeds.
At Barton Supply, we carry all the materials needed for each step of the tilt-up process and can quickly complete your project with ease. Tilt-up construction is a simple and quick process that will ultimately save you time and money—here are a few reasons why you should use tilt-up construction for your commercial project.
Benefits to Tilt-Up Construction
Tilt-up construction is quickly replacing traditional building because of its many benefits— go green and save energy with tilt-up.
No Waste
Unlike most materials that are ordered in bulk and cut to size, tilt-ups are not wasteful. Tilt-ups are built with pourable and moldable concrete that only uses enough material to fill the forms of the pre-established design. If there is any leftover product, it usually goes back to the plant and becomes large, semi-regular blocks.
Energy Efficient
Concrete walls and rooms hold interior heat in the winter and absorb exterior heat in the summer. The insulation used creates a barrier between the outside and inside temperatures, reducing HVAC energy by 29%!
Recyclable
Concrete is always going to be recyclable—it can be broken up and used in place of whole rocks or reused as new road bases. Biowaste technology also enables plants to burn trash to fire cement kilns, keeping it from feeding landfills.
Ageless
All old European cities used concrete to build—this is because other building materials such as wood and metal rot, burn, and rust. Concrete structures ultimately save money and time on future replacements and never add toxic particles to the air from combustion.
Start your Tilt-Up Project Today
At Barton Supply, we want to help you see every benefit to tilt-up construction. We are ready to help you learn more and get you the materials you need to start your commercial project! Contact us today to speak with an experienced member from our team to learn more about the tilt-up process.