Tilt Up Construction : An Old Method With New Conceptions For The Modern Builder

By John Stevens

Ideally a tilt up construction job will start by firstly putting all the necessary components needed to form a slab together on site. Footholds will be prepared round the slab area were the panels will be hoisted or lifted up once they are formed.

Ordinarily, the form is created with wooden tacks that are joined together. The forms resemble a cast for the cement panels. These forms will allow for the panels' accurate shape and size to be molded, for openings for doors and windows, and ensure the panels meet the design specs to enable them to correspond with each other.

Next the workers will start connecting the steel grid of reinforcing bars into the form, to intensify the strength of the panels. Inserts will be placed as well as embeds to enable the panels to be hoisted safely and without damage to the structures. They will also be attached to the footing and the roofing and eventually tied to each other. The work area underneath the form is cleaned and all debris must be taken away to render the area spotless for the concrete pouring.

This is where phrase tilt-up construction get's it's name:

Accepting that the slabs have neatly set into concrete forms and the desired shape, and formed within the desired specifications, the wooden forms will now be removed. Once that has taken place, the crew will start hooking the cables onto the inserts and likewise, hook the cables onto the crane. A crane will always be heavier than the slabs so that it would not topple over.

Now the crane will gently lift the panel from the slab into a perpendicular position above the footholds. Workers will continually help guide the concrete panel into position while the crane adjusts it into place. Quickly they join the braces of the panel to the slab and attach the embeds to the footing, and unhook the cables from the crane. This tilt up construction process is repeated until all panels are in place. - 31366

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