In a tilt-up construction project, the building’s walls are poured directly at the jobsite in large slabs of concrete called “tilt-up panels” or “tiltwall panels”. These panels are then raised into position around the building’s perimeter forming the exterior walls. The video below shows a tilt-up panel being stood into place.
Tilt-up construction allows general contractors to build a wide range of commercial buildings more quickly and with lower construction costs than what is typical for traditional masonry construction projects. Texas, California and Florida are currently the most popular states for tilt-up concrete construction. In northern states with more severe winter climates, Precast concrete buildings are more popular.
Precast concrete buildings are buildings constructed using precast or prefabricated concrete wall panels. Precast construction is similar to tilt-up construction, except that the concrete wall panels are formed at a manufacturing facility and transported to the job site by trailer, rather than fabricated directly at the site. This prefabricated panel process, provides a more controlled environment for consistent quality, insulated panels and weather protected scheduling. An offset is required close proximity from jobsite to manufacturing site and higher final in-place costs.
In some regions the term tiltwall is used interchangeably with the term tilt-up. Tilt wall is a compound word using the terms “tilt-up” and concrete “wall” panels. In Texas, tiltwall is the most commonly used term for the more proper term tilt-up.
