10 Aug, 2015
Concrete is the most widely used man-made building material offering excellent opportunities for both time and cost savings, with innovative concrete construction methods being employed to further reduce project time frame and costs.
Tilt-up concrete construction and precast concrete construction are two non-traditional building methods which are widely used due to their potential for rapid project completion, economy and versatility.
Today, we take a closer look at precast and tilt-up construction to see some of the similarities and differences between the two.
Process
The location where the concrete panels are formed makes up the main difference between the tilt-up and precast methods.
Tilt-up panels are poured on the building site, with the floor slab commonly used as the casting bed and erection platform. After the concrete elements have cured, the tilt-up panels are lifted into place using cranes, to form the building’s exterior walls. As the panels are formed on the construction site, there is no need for transport.
Precast concrete panels are formed off-site, by casting the concrete in reusable molds or slabs, and cured in a controlled environment which is very often a factory environment. The slabs must then be transported to the site.
Design
Tilt-up offers wonderful opportunity for customisation, with the ability to create a unique building that meets the client’s unique specifications. Tilt-up can be poured on-site, into molds that form shapes which meet the owner and designer’s vision and style.
There is less opportunity for customisation with precast, as it is restricted to the mold shape in which the slabs are formed. This results in somewhat limited design flexibility.
Tilt-up and precast offer a variety of panel finishes, with many different textures and colours available.
Panel Size
As precast concrete is formed in a factory, the concrete panels must then be transported to the building site; this means that the size of the panels can be limited, in order to make transport possible. Transport costs for moving the panels is also a consideration.
The Tilt-up method offers great versatility for panel size and shape. Tilt-up buildings can be designed and formed to suit many requirements, with the ability to form extremely large or tall panels.
Economy and Speed
The economy of tilt-up and precast lies in the simplicity of the construction process. The modularity of precast elements allows for great speed in the installation of buildings.
Weather conditions
Precast panels are constructed in manufacturing facilities, and are not affected by adverse weather conditions. As tilt-up buildings are formed outside, the method is more suited to favourable weather.
Uses of Precast and Tilt-up panels
Both precast and tilt-up concrete can be used for a variety of applications, and they both offer solutions for durable buildings with a rapid time frame for completion and low costs.
These methods are perfect for the construction of industrial, commercial and residential buildings.
Sustainability
Although concrete has a high initial embodied energy, this can be offset due to its incredibly long life span. Both tilt-up and precast concrete structures can last for up to 100 years, and there is opportunity for recycling of materials when a building is no longer viable.
Tilt-up and precast construction offer many benefits to both the builders and owners who embark on a building project. For a discussion around your next building project, contact Adam on (08) 9248 5272.
