Was It Built With Post-Frame or Tilt-Up Construction—And Why?
Both post-frame construction and tilt-up concrete construction are popular construction methods for buildings of all types. But regardless of how a structure is built, the overall goals are similar: To create a building that meets all the needs for which it has been designed, while choosing building methods and materials that make the most financial and practical sense for the project. Let’s look at the production and cost factors between tilt-up concrete and post-frame construction.
In tilt-up concrete construction, the building’s walls are fashioned horizontally, similar to a classic barn raising. Workers place wood forms on the project’s floor slab and set up grids of rebar inside each form. Next, they pour concrete into the form and once the slabs have cured, the forms are removed, leaving large concrete panels. These panels are lifted with a large crane and essentially “tilted up” into position around the building’s slab, and held upright by critical connections to a relatively lightweight roof system. A professional, experienced tilt-up construction crew can erect as many as 20 or 30 concrete panels in a single day.