What is Tilt-up Construction?

Workers tie in the steel grid of reinforcing bars into the form. They install inserts and embeds for lifting the panels and attaching them to the footing, the roof system, and to each other. The slab beneath the forms is then cleaned of any debris or standing water, and workers pour concrete into the forms to create the panels. then now it comes the point where tilt-up construction, or tiltwall construction, gets its name.

Once the panels have solidified and the forms have been removed, the crew connects the first panel to a large crane with cables that hook into the inserts. The size of the crane depends on the height and weight of the panels, but it is typically two to three times the size of the largest panel. The crew also attaches braces to the panel. The crane lifts, or "tilts up," the panel from the slab into a vertical position above the footings. Workers help to guide the panel into position and the crane sets it into place. They connect the braces from the tiltwall panel to the slab, attach the panel's embeds to the footing, and disconnect the cables from the crane. The crew then moves to the next panel and repeats this process.