The New Trend for Multi-Storey Buildings With Tilt-Up Construction

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The Sky’s the Limit for Tilt-Up Construction

Tilt-up construction has been used for everything from homes and single-storey businesses to expansive industrial distribution centres and big-box retail stores. Now the sky really is the limit on what tilt-up can do as engineers and architects are improving their understanding of tilt-up’s ability to not only go wider, but higher, than ever before.

Taking Tilt-Up to New Heights: Muskoka Bay Resort

Tilt Wall, Ontario’s premier tilt-up construction company, recently completed the extraordinary Muskoka Bay Resort’s five-storey condominium. Construction was on time and on budget:

  • October 24, 2018 – Tilt Wall received contract
  • March 2019 – Began panel construction
  • April 2019 – Completed foundation
  • May 2019 – Completed underground and floor slabs
  • June 2019 – Began panel erection
  • July 18, 2019 – Installed last panel

Today, Muskoka Bay Resort is a crowning example of how to effectively do multi-storey tilt-up construction.

Why Was Tilt-Up Construction Chosen for This Complex Build?

Flexible Design

  • The fluidity of concrete allows for many wall shapes/angles
  • All design work is done on the ground
  • Larger panels create fewer unsightly seams
  • Panels can span the height of a floor or an entire building
  • Panels are load bearing, so beams and columns are not needed
  • Concrete form liners allow a wide variety of finishes: stone, brick, wood grains etc.
  • Unlimited colours can be applied to concrete

Energy Efficiency

  • Insulated air-tight walls reduce a building’s energy use
  • Concrete’s thermal mass absorbs and releases heat energy to moderate temperatures
  • Large panels have fewer joints needing to be sealed
  • Rigid insulation between concrete panels retains its R-value for a long period of time

Construction Speed

  • Panels can be larger than the size of a flatbed trailer since they are cast on site
  • Less engineering time means more construction time
  • Tilt-up construction requires fewer lifts and no perimeter steel
  • Footings and foundation work are simpler
  • Panels are built to include insulation and air/vapour barriers, saving trades’ time
  • Temporary casting slabs can be built, further reducing expediting construction
  • 90% of the work happens at ground level, reducing time needed for scaffolding and aerial work
  • In the case of Tilt Wall’s Muskoka Bay Resort condominium, the Tilt Wall team took only 1.5 months to erect the panels, helping to ensure the project’s completion.

Cost Efficiency

  • Fewer trades on site means reduced labour costs
  • Fewer materials are required since panels are built of concrete, insulation foam and rebar
  • Simplified construction processes mean smaller crews
  • Expensive steel columns are eliminated
  • There are no costly details around openings, parapets and transition points in construction material
  • Interior panels resist wear and energy consumption costs for building owner
  • Crafting panels on site reduces transportation costs (This is especially true for multi-storey structures that require a large amount of resources)

Progressive architects are just beginning to understand the possibilities available with multi-storey tilt-up construction. From resorts to retirement homes to downtown offices, the design flexibility, energy efficiency, construction speed and lower costs of tilt-up construction benefits architects, builders and owners alike.

Intrigued? Take the Next Step

Tilt-up construction is making huge impacts in multi-storey construction.

To learn more about how Tilt Wall can assist your next tilt-up project, visit TiltWall.ca or call 1-519-602-2990. Tilt Wall’s team would love to give you a customized presentation that will show you more about how tilt-up construction can benefit your next multi-storey project.