Building with Tilt-Up | Frequent Questions

FAQ: Engineering

The TCA Technical Committee provides answers to common questions about Tilt-Up construction as well as some tips and techniques.

What is the best method for analyzing a panel in a two story or multistory building design?

It is conservative and perhaps most common to design multi-story Tilt-Up panels as simple spans between supports while accumulating axial loads from the stories above. However the lateral wind and seismic forces transferred from the panels to the floors and roof should be calculated using a continuous span. A simple span assumption will result in an unconservative calculated connection force. The engineer should also make sure not to forget to add the connection force due to thermal bowing restraint at the floor connections.

When designing multi-story panels one must also consider the design of the panel for loads during construction. Typically when a panel is on braces, the span of the panel to the brace point is probably considerably more than the final design span. This condition many times will control the reinforcing design of multi-story panels.

 

About the TCA

Founded in 1986, the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) strives to improve the quality and acceptance of site-cast Tilt-Up construction, a method in which concrete wall panels are cast on-site and tilted into place. Tilt-Up construction is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, combining the advantages of reasonable cost with low maintenance, durability, speed of construction and minimal capital investment. At least 10,000 buildings, enclosing more than 650 million square feet, are constructed each year using this construction method.

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