The Pros and Cons of Tilt-Up Construction

the pros and cons of tilt construction

the pros and cons of tilt construction

Pros and Cons of Tilt-Up Construction 2021

Tilt-up construction has become more popular since the 1920s when it was invented as a building method. This article, written by our Sacramento commercial contractors, discusses the pros and cons of tilt-up construction method. Headwaters Construction Inc. hopes this helps you decide whether or not tilt-up construction is something you’d like to use in your next commercial construction project.

THE PROS OF TILT-UP CONSTRUCTION

Tilt-Up Construction – Speed 

It takes just a few days for the poured concrete panels to cure and be ready for tilting or lifting into place. The speed of this construction method also switches into higher gear when you consider how quickly other skilled contractors, such as plumbers and electricians, can get to work at the site. The swift build-up of the walls means that those other professionals can begin their work sooner. So, the entire project will be completed after a shorter time than other construction methods.

Tilt-Up Construction – Cost Savings

The Sacramento tilt-up construction experts explain that it isn’t surprising that tilt-up construction is the method of choice for people who want to build big-box stores, industrial complexes, or even low-cost housing.

The method is cost-effective in many ways. For example, less labor is required since just a few people can pour the concrete panels and a crane or any other piece of lifting equipment, then tilts those cured panels into place. As any Sacramento Headwaters building and contracting expert will tell you, any reduction in labor results in significant cost savings for a builder.

Energy Efficiency

Reinforced concrete is a good insulator, and tilt-up construction allows buildings to enjoy higher levels of this energy efficiency since there are few joints or seams in the entire building.

You can also ask the Sacramento tilt-up construction company in charge of your project to add more insulation layers to the tilt-up panels. While this may raise your project cost, you will enjoy better energy-efficiency during the lifetime of the building. Our friends at Specialized AV, a distributed audio service in Sacramento adds that the additional savings can eventually cover the cost of adding that insulation.

Design Flexibility

In the past, tilt-up construction wasn’t a popular method for constructing smaller structures and buildings where esthetics were a major requirement. However, the maturation of design technology, such as 5-D Macro BIM, has increased the design possibilities for Sacramento tilt-up construction companies to the extent that round surfaces and curved walls are all possible using this building method.

The fact that each tilt-up building is customized to a particular client’s needs means that the fluidity of concrete can be taken advantage of in nearly countless ways.

Sound and Fire Resistance

Tilt-up construction also produces buildings with a high level of sound attenuation and fire resistance. People working in a tilt-up structure would not be affected by the noise from the building’s environs, just as a noisy manufacturing plant will not cause as much of a disturbance as would be possible if other methods of construction had been used.

Additionally, the tilt-up construction experts at Head Waters Construction, Inc. in Sacramento explain that the concrete used during tilt-up construction is formulated to meet the most stringent fire resistance standards. Building occupants can therefore work while safe knowing that they will be safeguarded until they can escape during a fire emergency.

Easy Access to Contracting Materials

It is also easy for Headwaters building and contracting professionals to access any required building materials, such as rebar and cement, from the local suppliers near the construction site. This is unlike what would happen if the contractor needed to order more complex materials from a far-away supplier.

THE CONS OF TILT-UP CONSTRUCTION

Upfront Coordination is Crucial

Tilt-up construction requires a high degree of upfront coordination between different professionals, such as electricians, HVAC technicians, and structural engineers. Any change that has to be made once the tilt-up walls are cured and lifted into position will be very costly and disruptive.

Cost Efficiencies Kick in Subject to Project Size

Tilt-up construction produces increasing cost savings as the size of a building becomes bigger. However, the reverse is also true as the square footage reduces, so you might be well advised to discuss with an expert from Head Waters Construction, Inc., about the cost implications of using this method if you intend to construct a building on the smaller side.

Hire a Professional Construction Company

As you can see, there are many pros to tilt-up construction. If you think that you could enjoy the numerous benefits of this commercial building method, contact Head Waters Construction, Inc. in Sacramento and let the experts chart a way forward to your dream building using tilt-up construction!

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.