Why Construction Companies Should Add Tilt-Up Construction to their Capabilities

Construction projects have to balance speed, quality and cost. These three basics underpin how profitable a project will be, how durable the finished structure will be and how satisfied customers will be with a company's work. For all of these reasons, contractors should always be seeking out faster construction methods that satisfy the other two conditions.

That's where tilt-up panels and pre-cast concrete in general come in. In the past, tilt-up construction has been seen as a low-budget alternative to brickwork and high-quality formed concrete, but this is no longer the case. Modern tilt-up construction works brilliantly for urban projects that require large amounts of panelling in a short amount of time. It is ideal for structures as diverse as schools, warehouses, shops or even pool houses and home extensions. Here are some reasons why.

Flexibility for Clients

Panels can be sourced from specialist manufacturers for individual projects or formed on-site by your own skilled team. You can add different facades to mimic expensive brickwork, include embedded steel rods that reinforce the panels, and form the concrete into whatever shapes you wish via custom beds.

Ease of Use

Tilt-up panels emerged in the 1900s because they were so easy to erect. All they require is a crane, a small construction crew and a sound design. They can be installed on flat or sloped locations with no loss of structural integrity, and the whole process is quick and simple. This will appeal to more demanding clients with special requirements and tight schedules to meet.

Environmentally Friendly

Tilt-up construction isn't just easy to use, it's also easier on the environment than other concrete-based construction techniques. The use of steel reinforcement lattices means that less concrete is needed for each panel. As concrete accounts for 5 percent of the world's carbon emissions, this could have a significant environmental benefit if used in most Australian construction projects.

Early Occupancy

Tilt-up building is lighting fast in relation to ordinary building methods, which means that clients can occupy their properties as quickly as possible. If you are dealing with retailers or office businesses, this will enable them to see more rapid returns on their investments, which will always be a major selling point for tilt-up panels.

Lower Overheads

The cost of construction is another major advantage of tilt-up methods. For very small projects, the cost of sourcing equipment like cranes and raw materials is not usually competitive with steel construction. However, if your project is larger than around 50,000 square feet, tilt-up becomes unbeatable. The need for smaller cranes saves on rental overheads relative to other concrete construction techniques, while regulatory costs of protecting larger steel buildings against fire hazards are higher than concrete structures.

The final word always rests with clients, but having tilt-up construction in your portfolio will help your construction firm land contracts in a wider range of situations. Because of its versatility and cost effectiveness, using tilt-up panelling is a capability that all urban contractors should consider.

 

Share