10 reasons to speci fy ti l t-up concrete construction today

TILT-UP
www.rcc-info.org.uk
The benefits of tilt-up
External wall line
Tilt-up wall panel cast
Iace down on Iloor slab
Tilt-up panel
liIted by crane
Tilt-up panel in
position to Iorm
structural wall
External face
External face
1. Flexible finishes and architectural expression
Tilt-up offers exciting new architectural opportunities as a variety of aesthetic
effects is easy to achieve. Tilt-up panels can be plain and smooth or visually
rich. Grooves, texture and colour can be employed creatively by the architect,
while plain-finished or painted panels are used for a more subtle effect. Brick
and stone can also be cast into tilt-up concrete, or brick used as an outer leaf
for a more traditional appearance.
2. Short and long term financial gains
Tilt-up is highly competitive with traditional construction for a wide range of
building types. Costs start from around 40 - 50/m
2
; fully-insulated sandwich
panels can be erected and finished for just 80/m
2
(current at mid-2000).
For external walls, tilt-up can be at least 50% cheaper than insulated metal
cladding systems. Perimeter columns are eliminated by loadbearing tilt-up
panels, which can support clear spans of over 20m. The inherent fire resistance
and security of tilt-up walls may also result in lower insurance premiums for
owners and occupiers.
3. Energy savings all year round
Tilt-up walls can be insulated economically to give the required U values,
from a normal building to cold stores. Sandwich tilt-up panels incorporate
insulation and minimise follow-on trades. This combination of concrete and
insulation builds in useful thermal mass, which can reduce temperature
fluctuations by up to 7
o
C and provide a durable internal and external finish.
4. Robust, easily-sealed surfaces
Tilt-up is sealed easily, making it ideal for controlled environments such as
hospitals, laboratories, food storage, timber preservation, high and low
temperature regimes including cold stores, and clean rooms for food, drug
and electronics manufacture. The low number of joints in a tilt-up building
means exceptional airtightness is achievable.
The tilt-up technique - step by step
What is tilt-up?
Tilt-up construction involves site casting the concrete walls of
a building on its floor slab or on a separate casting bed and
then tilting and lifting them into position by crane. The result
is rapid construction arising from a well planned process more
akin to a factory production line, but retaining the flexibility of
in-situ concrete work. Tilt-up is used for low-rise projects in
New Zealand, Australia and particularly the USA, where over
7,000 tilt-up buildings are constructed every year. Tilt-up has
been used in the UK, Ireland, France and Hungary, and in
over 150 countries worldwide.
Tilt-up sandwich panels being erected to form a cold
store plant room in Wolverhampton
Decorative tilt-up walls create an imposing entrance
to this family centre in the USA (photo courtesy of
the Tilt-up Concrete Association)
concrete construction
5. Significant sound and noise reduction
Buildings in a noisy area, such as near an airport or roads, can benefit from the
sound reduction properties of tilt-up concrete. The mass of the concrete walls
absorbs the sound rather than letting it through as can occur with lighter
forms of construction. Noisy processes within buildings are isolated easily and,
for airborne sound, tilt-up walls can provide a sound reduction index of at least
52dB compared with about 20 - 30dB for lightweight cladding.
6. Fire resistant walls
Concrete is an obvious first choice for fire resistance. Tilt-up panels can be
designed easily for up to 4 hours resistance and are particularly cost effective
as fire separation/compartment walls. A 160mm thick wall, for example, can
provide up to 2 hours fire resistance, and costs around 50% less than metal
stud and plasterboard walling. Tilt-up sandwich panels do not suffer the problems
of fire spread associated with some metal cladding systems.
7. Secure envelope
Tilt-up concrete is frequently used for security walls and prisons because the
panels are virtually impossible to penetrate, unlike metal-clad buildings. In the
USA, concrete insulated sandwich panels are used for penitentiary buildings
where the benefits of stabilised internal temperatures and protection against
mechanical damage are particularly valuable features of tilt-up concrete.
8. Fast programme to completion
This is often a major reason for choosing tilt-up - one contractor uses tilt-up
regularly to save 4 to 6 weeks on cold store buildings. After the floor slab is
placed, the typical elapsed time from starting to form panels until the building
shell is completed may be only 4 to 5 weeks. Materials for wall panels are
procured easily with minimal lead times, allowing a fast start to this assembly
line process, which progresses while any products with a long lead-time (such
as roof steel) are being fabricated.
9. Safe and simple construction process
With a tilt-up building, much of the work is on the ground; there is no vertical
formwork, no scaffolding, and since the floor slab is poured first, workers have
a safer working surface. This uncomplicated method reduces labour costs.
Working at low level also means that good quality, well-compacted concrete is
attained readily. The short and uncomplicated project cycle presents less
opportunity for accidents, minimising health and safety risks.
10. Low maintenance, durable buildings
Tilt-up offers reliable durability, as attested by buildings dating back to the
1940s. The wider panels also minimise the number of joints and length of
sealant, thus reducing maintenance costs. Visual concrete (fairfaced, textured,
profiled, tooled and exposed aggregate finishes) and cast applied facings (inlaid
stone, brick etc.) require little attention, and modern paints have long life
spans. Concrete surfaces are resistant to mechanical damage, and are easily
washed down (sandwich panels are particularly effective in this respect since
they provide insulation and two hard surfaces).
Commercial and industrial
offices, shops, warehouses and factories
Recreational buildings
sports halls, churches and cinemas
Housing and hotels
Other structures
prisons, retaining walls, laboratories, plant
rooms, fire-walls, silos and tanks
What is tilt-up used for?
This striking finish gives a modern and elegant
appearance to an office/warehouse building
Finishes such as brick, stone or other textures can
be incorporated easily in a tilt-up panel to create
architectural interest
Looking to the future
Massive market potential for tilt-up
In the USA, tilt-up has helped contractors expand in both new and established
markets. Recent figures show the use of tilt-up has increased there by 38%
in 1998 on top of the 24% growth in 1997. Now, several major UK retail and
industrial clients and developers have been actively exploring the possibilities
offered by tilt-up. There is also great potential for contractors to innovate
and broaden their range of services. To date, tilt-up has been used in the UK
for plant rooms, fire separation walls, offices, residential buildings, factories,
auditoria and a ready-mixed concrete plant, but there is scope to use this
construction method for many other building types. The RCC is keen to help
anyone interested in using tilt-up for new building projects.
The Tilt-Up Group
The Tilt-Up interest Group (TUG) has been formed to encourage the efficient
and effective use of tilt-up concrete construction in the UK. Members include
architects, clients, project managers, developers, structural engineers,
contractors and tilt-up specialists; new members are always welcome. Please
contact the Reinforced Concrete Council for further details.
Reinforced Concrete Council information
A comprehensive guide for tilt-up is available from the RCC: Tilt-up Concrete
Buildings: design and construction guide brings together worldwide experience
of tilt-up into one document suitable for the UK. The examples shown have
been selected to demonstrate the versatility of tilt-up and provide the
necessary information for its wider adoption in the UK. The contents will
appeal to all those involved with the procurement of low-rise buildings from
clients and architects to design engineers and contractors. Copies are available
from the Concrete Bookshop on 01344 725704. Further information can be
found on the RCCs website (www.rcc-info.org.uk); a video and a
Powerpoint presentation are also available on CD.
International information
Some illustrations in this brochure are courtesy of the Tilt-up Concrete
Association (TCA). Further images, award-winning projects, an introduction
to tilt-up and further information on tilt-up in the USA can be found at
www.tilt-up.org
Contact
The Reinforced Concrete Council
Century House
Telford Avenue
Crowthorne
Berkshire
RG45 6YS
Tel 01344 725733
Fax 01344 761214
Email rcc@bca.org.uk
Web www.rcc-info.org.uk
97.380 First published 2000
British Cement Association
Graphic design by Haroula Balodimou
Email: moolife@hotmail.com