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Tilt-up Construction Benefits |  |
Why do Design / Build Contractors Choose Tilt-up Construction?
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| The
moble crane lifts the panel and tilts it into position over the footing. Workers
help to guide the panel and keep the braces from getting tangled in the lines.
The process for putting up tilt-up
panels goes quickly; an experienced crew, like this work crew in Dallas / Ft.
Worth, Texas, can tilt up as many as 30 panels a day. |
| Tilt-up construction provides
numerous advantages over steel buildings or traditional construction for warehouses,
call centers, distribution centers, retail stores, office buildings, storage facilities
and other types of industrial and commercial projects. Generally speaking, a one-
to two-story structure larger than 50,000 square feet with less than 50% wall
opening space is an excellent candidate for tilt-up construction. But
what are the advantages? - Savings in Construction
Costs - Tilt-up provides numerous construction cost savings. This method of
construction uses locally available materials rather than ones that must be manufactured
and shipped in. This means that raw material costs are lower, available when needed
and less prone to price fluctuations. Tilt-up work crews are typically smaller
than the crews used in traditional construction and are normally comprised of
local labor. That translates to reduced labor costs. Because of the economies
of scale, the larger the footprint for the building, the more these savings improve
the project's total cost.
- Fast Construction
Schedule - Tilt-up offers several opportunities to "compress" the
schedule and deliver the building very quickly. Erecting the walls with tilt-up
panels is faster than building walls using traditional construction techniques.
The trades can begin work earlier in the process on a tilt-up project, which allows
greater overlapping of project phases. Because the building is made of ready-mix
concrete from local sources, the project is less likely to be affected by transportation
delays as well. All these factors provide for a faster, more predictable schedule
with fewer opportunities for delays and associated cost overruns.
- Safety
- Tilt-up is a proven, safe method of construction. The vast majority of the project
takes place on the ground rather than on scaffolding, reducing many of these risks
normally faced by workers.
- Aesthetics
- Tilt-up buildings are not prefabricated. Each one is custom-designed for the
client's needs and preferences. A full range of building finishes, wall textures
and adornments, colors, even curved walls, are available with this method. Tilt-up
provides architects and designers with virtually unlimited flexibility in crafting
a building that is functional, durable and aesthetically pleasing.
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| Once
the panel is set in place, the crew attaches the braces to the slab to keep the
panel standing until it is attached to the other tilt-up panels and the roofing
system. | | The
benefits of a project built with tilt-up construction continue long after it is
completed: - Durability - Tilt-up buildings are
extremely durable. Many structures created in the 1940s are still in operation
today, with little apparent wear. A testament to the strength of tilt-up construction,
general contractors in earthquake-prone California now use this method for 90%
of their one-story industrial building projects.
- Fire
Safety - The concrete used in tilt-up panels meets the fire-resistance standards
of even the most demanding building codes. For example, a 6.5" concrete wall
offers a fire resistance rating of four hours or more. Tilt-up panels are also
frequently used in the building's interior as fire walls. Tilt-up buildings offer
real protection and safety for their tenants' employees, property and ongoing
operations.
- Ease of Maintenance - Tilt-up
buildings require little in the way of ongoing maintenance, outside of periodic
cleaning and repainting as desired. Concrete is impervious to insect or rodent
infestation, so this problem becomes a relative non-issue as well.
- Repairs
and Expandability - In the event a wall is damaged by a forklift or truck,
damages are typically more localized on a panel than in other types of structures,
like steel buildings. Also, the modular design of the panels allows for easier
repairs and expansion of the building.
- Security
- Facilities that require positive security and management of the interior environment
- prisons, classified manufacturing facilities, businesses with clean rooms -
will appreciate the strength and control afforded by concrete and tilt-up buildings.
- Reduced Insurance Premiums - Because tilt-up
buildings have superior fire resistance ratings and have been proven to withstand
severe weather and earthquakes, these buildings typically enjoy better insurance
rates than steel buildings or other types of structures.
- Reduced
Operating Costs - Concrete provides excellent insulation, reducing the ongoing
heating and cooling costs for the tenant. This insulation extends to sound as
well as temperature. Workers in a tilt-up office building located in a noisy area
will be less affected by the environment. By the same token, a manufacturing business
that generates noise will have less effect on its neighbors and will find it easier
to comply with local noise ordinances.
With a better
understanding of these benefits, it's easy to see why many design / build contractors,
construction managers and savvy building owners are opting for tilt-up over steel
buildings or traditional construction. Delivering value, speed and responsiveness,
quality, durability, reduced construction costs, and ongoing cost savings in operating
expenses, tilt-up construction is the best choice for a wide range of commercial
construction projects. Return
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