Tilt-up construction may still be the relative newcomer in the building industry, but the method has continued to increase in market share as the preferred building method in the private and public sectors. The tilt-up construction method continues to gain market share for several reasons: speed and ease of construction, advances in architectural treatments and adaptability to markets such as schools, retail centers and office buildings. These attributes not only provide great dividends to the end-user, but also serve as an attractive solution for today’s contractors and owners.

Today’s tilt-up is definitely a far cry from the early days. The same advantages that helped start tilt-up approximately 100 years ago still ring true, but the sophistication level and application to new markets continues to expand.

Today, we are creating smaller structures than we ever thought practical with tilt-up panels. Further, as innovation continues, innovative design and construction professionals are taking tilt-up to new heights, continually breaking records – with panels reaching nearly 100 feet in height and topping 300,000 pounds. And, with more than 753 million square feet of buildings – approximately 301 million square feet of wall panels – constructed using tilt-up in 2005 (the most recent statistics available), the industry continues to experience growth at a rate that outpaces other methods of construction.

Contractors Adapt
Testing the structural limits of tilt-up keeps tilt-up engineers challenged, and the expanding architectural options help architects create buildings once thought impossible for tilt-up to achieve. Smaller structures – personal residences, band pavilions and air control towers – are becoming more routine. At the beginning of this decade, the big-box market evaporated but many tilt-up contractors successfully adapted the fundamental efficiencies of tilt-up on significantly smaller footprints. As we see the traditional tilt-up markets re-emerge, we are left with a dramatic demonstration of tilt-up’s adaptability for buildings of all sizes.

Tilt-up also is a solution for the sustainability and green building trend. With the inherent properties of concrete and the natural energy efficiency of the method, more and more projects will benefit from sustainable design principles. Even if they are not officially certified as LEED buildings, tilt-up structures have a head start toward sustainable design.

As tilt-up construction continues to garner a larger and larger share of the building market, product manufacturers are following, and in some cases, leading the business. Makers of products devoted to architectural finishes are clamoring to get involved in the tilt-up industry by making their products easier to incorporate in the construction process. This trend not only benefits contractors by making their jobs easier, but it also benefits building owners by increasing their architectural options.  

Retailers across the country – both large and small – are capitalizing on the enhanced architectural options. They are beginning to recognize that the tilt-up method provides retailers with architectural options that accent their corporate or brand identity. Plus, tilt-up allows them to meet aggressive construction schedules in a cost-effective manner. Whether it is a large lifestyle mall or a single retailer, time and image equal success, so helping retailers get to market sooner and more professionally will keep them coming back to tilt-up.  

And, finally, schools will continue to be a booming market for tilt-up contractors. The benefits for school boards and their communities are endless – speed, economy, durability, energy efficiency, sound absorption, clear-span interiors and more. It’s no wonder so many schools are looking to tilt-up for quick, cost-conscious construction.

Positioned for Growth
Two overriding concepts that will also propel tilt-up construction to future growth are sustained quality and increased technology. The success of the American Concrete Institute/Tilt-Up Concrete Association joint certification program indicates positive steps toward quality construction. To date, more than 1,000 people have passed the certification exam. More than 850 certified technicians and 200 tilt-up supervisors are now working on tilt-up job sites around the United States and in Canada.

Still, increasing technology is of little value if it doesn’t improve the design or construction processes. As projects continue to become more and more complicated, it will be important to use technology to communicate between team members and explain the building process to owners.

Enhancing technology should facilitate coordination and add efficiency to the entire process, not bog the entire team down in details. Three-D modeling technology is one example of leveraging technological advancements to simplify coordination and better explain the details of a project.  

Technology is also impacting tilt-up in the field. Besides the expanding array of products for architectural treatments, the construction process is being enhanced with the introduction of adhesives for securing panel edge forms and rustication. New braces to support taller panels, larger cranes, temporary helical anchors and a wide array of communication and data transfer technologies are now available.

A number of other factors will also keep the tilt-up industry growing into the foreseeable future. After an over-saturation of the market, big-box warehouses will cycle back, as retailers face increasing demands for distribution space. Newer tilt-up markets, such as religious and education, will become established, reducing the resistance of building owners.