|
Tilt-up Construction Process |  |
What is Tilt-up Construction? How Are Tilt-up Buildings Constructed?
 |
| The
tilt-up panels are poured into forms that provide the exact size, shape and door
openings to meet the design specifications. The tilt-up panels can be massive;
this panel at a Fort Worth, Texas commercial building project weighs about 50,000
pounds. The largest panel used for a tilt-up construction project weighed six
times as much, over 150 tons. | |
A tilt-up project begins with job site preparation
and pouring the slab. During this phase of the project, workers install footings
around the slab in preparation for the panels. The crew
then assembles the panel forms on the slab. Normally, the form is created with
wooden pieces that are joined together. The forms act like a mold for the panels.
They provide the panels' exact shape and size, doorways and window openings, and
ensure the panels meet the design specifications and fit together properly. Next,
workers tie in the steel grid of reinforcing bars into the form. They install
inserts and embeds for lifting the panels and attaching them to the footing, the
roof system, and to each other. The slab beneath the forms
is then cleaned of any debris or standing water, and workers pour concrete into
the forms to create the panels. Now comes the point where
tilt-up construction, or tilt-up construction, gets its name. Once
the panels have solidified and the forms have been removed, the crew connects
the first panel to a large crane with cables that hook into the inserts. The size
of the crane depends on the height and weight of the panels, but it is typically
two to three times the size of the largest panel. The crew also attaches braces
to the panel. The crane lifts, or "tilts up," the panel from the slab
into a vertical position above the footings. Workers help to guide the panel into
position and the crane sets it into place. They connect the braces from the tilt-up
panel to the slab, attach the panel's embeds to the footing, and disconnect the
cables from the crane. The crew then moves to the next panel and repeats this
process. It's easy to be amazed as you watch the mobile crane
tilt up a panel from the ground and set it into its place. Massive panels weighing
50,000 to 125,000 pounds or more dangle from the crane's long lines. The crew
works as a team, setting the braces and guiding the panel with remarkable precision.
The speed of the process is also remarkable; an experienced tilt-up crew can erect
as many as 30 panels in a single day. Once all the panels
are erected, the crew apply finishes to the walls with sandblasting or painting.
They also caulk joints and patch any imperfections in the walls. From this point
the crew moves to the installation of the roof system and the trades begin their
work inside the building. Return
to articles index |
