Using appropriate equipment and technology with expert craftsmanship is essential in modern commercial buildings. Construction teams use prefabricated components more often to expedite the building process and provide the project owner with the desired functionality.

Two popular types of prefabricated commercial building materials are tilt-up and precast construction. Is one better than the other, and where should each be used? As experts in the precast/prestressed concrete industry, this is how we see it.

The Difference Between Precast vs. Tilt-up Construction

Concrete wall panels include tilt-up and precast varieties. They both function as supports for numerous stories, offering strong outside and internal walls. The locations and methods used to generate each vary: 

• Precast walls are manufactured, constructed, and cured at a factory before being delivered to a building site and put up. 

• Tilt-up panels are created with forms constructed on the building site, filled with concrete, allowed to cure, and then lifted into position using a crane.

What is precast concrete construction?

Precast concrete construction entails constructing buildings and/or concrete elements offsite and moving the finished structures or parts to their intended locations. Individual walls, beams, columns, and other structural components can be made with precast concrete. Alternatively, it may be used to create monolithic building modules ready to use after being transported and assembled at a job site.

The manufacture of precast concrete has several significant benefits. Because each precast component is cured in a controlled environment without needing to take into consideration inclement weather, precast concrete components or entire structures may be made for a larger range of worksites. Steel reinforcements and other materials can also strengthen precast concrete constructions.

What is tilt-up concrete construction?

At the installation site of a structure, tilt-up concrete construction entails pouring concrete into predetermined forms and letting it cure. After the concrete has cured, cranes and other equipment are used to raise the panels to their permanent locations.

In certain circumstances, this kind of concrete building may be beneficial. For example, it does away with the requirement of transporting full-size concrete pieces.

Factors To Consider When Deciding on Precast or Tilt-Up

Selecting between tilt wall and structural precast concrete building techniques for your project means you need first to assess your project's demands.

Location

When choosing between tilt wall and precast construction, the location of your project is a crucial consideration. Usual weather patterns won't impact the capacity to cast tilt wall panels on-site with a little preparation. On the other hand, severe weather can make casting at the project site impossible. All precast components are made offsite in quality-controlled manufacturing facilities and are unaffected by weather conditions. Additionally, many precast concrete suppliers are positioned strategically nationwide to offer affordable precast components.

Site Limitations

The ideal approach will partly depend on the site's limitations. Space for casting and curing is required to construct tilt walls on-site. Since precast is manufactured, cured, and cast in one location before being transported, it has few site restrictions. 

Schedule

Precast concrete must be transported to the construction site from quality-controlled, roofed manufacturing plants with their own batch operations. Nonetheless, most precast manufacturers working in the construction industry nowadays can plan, cast, and deliver the precast promptly with ease. Tilt walls can provide shorter lead times since they may adapt to design modifications demands as the project progresses.

Structure

Tilt-up walls and precast concrete panels require more than just the concrete to finish a structure.  Steel components are generally used alongside these construction materials to complete a building.  Steel and precast concrete can be combined into one component, which means fewer trades on site. Precast can also be used to build all parts of a building, including the floor, roof, columns, and beams, making this option even more advantageous in terms of time and money savings.

Construction Sequencing

If the precast walls do not support any weight on the steel, steel can be installed ahead of the prefabricated walls. In this instance, the precast wall panels don't require bracing. They are immediately weldable to the steel frame. Typically, tilt walls are built first and require bracing to remain in place until the steel frame is constructed. 

Budget

Each approach has financial advantages. Compared to other building processes, precast demands cheaper overall installation costs because of its short installation time and the requirement of less labor on site. Tilt walls can achieve strict deadlines while maintaining low prices but can add more time to the project schedule. 

Building Size

Tilt wall panels can be broader than precast. Fewer panels to elevate means less manpower and equipment needed for the finishing trades, including caulking and repairing, though there will be a need for more labor to make the panels.  Because precast needs to be transported, these components will have width limitations based on the jurisdictions they travel through.  However, precast panels of up to 15 feet wide can be transported using tilt racks. 

Tilt-Up Panels vs Precast Concrete Panels

Although tilt-up panels have become more capable, these structures will often be somewhat basic compared to the numerous applications for precast concrete panels. In other words, tilt walls generally are good for simple, box-like structures with minimal design elements.  Precast, however, can be completely customized for any shape, size, or style a client may need for their structure. Because precast panels may be produced year-round, project designers can anticipate reduced prices and shorter lead times. Precast offers design freedom to project teams.

Precast concrete panels and tilt-up panels can bear weight, which allows them to efficiently move the weight from the walls, floor, and roof. Usually, load-bearing walls allow you to maximize the internal space in your building by removing the need for extra columns.  

When you contrast precast with tilt-up construction, you'll find that the former is a more resilient building material. Tilt-up panels typically have psi values of about 4,000. In contrast, precast concrete panels have psi levels of at least 5,000 and occasionally more.  As a result, you should anticipate that precast concrete panels will require less ongoing upkeep.

Thermal Efficiency & Insulation

Concrete has a relatively low R-value in the absence of insulation. So, it's important to ensure insulation is involved if the structure being built will be a workplace, school, or other building where people will be working regularly. 

The insulation within the backup wall determines the thermal efficiency of tilt-up construction. This additional phase in the construction process will make walls heavier and thicker. 

With precast construction, thermal efficiency is attained naturally. Wherever it is feasible, precasters can add insulation to wall panels.

Effective thermal efficiency offers long-term savings and a high return on investment. It enables owners to better regulate the temperature for particular items or keep their occupants comfortable. In the end, precast concrete panels have been proven to reduce heating and cooling expenses by up to 25%.

Misconceptions About Precast Construction

Some people worry that masons and other conventional building specialists may lose their employment to precast construction. The truth is that there is a labor shortage at the moment, which makes it challenging to locate enough qualified personnel to finish big projects on time. When precast building materials are used, a construction business can use fewer workers while adhering to budgets, schedules, and quality standards.

There is also a misperception that precast buildings are ugly and uninteresting. On the contrary, precast can have a variety of color treatments, including limestone, brick inlays, and other architectural design elements, making it appear like the "real thing."  Precast can also contain long-lasting architectural elements like window frames and sills. Precast construction is sometimes seen as just a large gray box, but it can also be a creative method to create a beautiful facility while saving money and time. Below are just a few examples of the versatility of precast.

For some, flexibility is an issue as well. Precast construction might not seem to be ideal for future growth at first. This myth emphasizes how crucial it is to collaborate with a construction manager who can help with master plan development. Precast panel systems can be planned with knockout panels and well-placed doors to handle future building expansions. 

Precast Concrete Has Many Benefits Over Tilt-Up Concrete

Site managers and other executives must understand the key distinctions between tilt-up and precast concrete building processes to select the best construction style for their requirements. The advantages of precast concrete buildings make it a better option for many worksites and has the added benefits of increased resilience, versatility, and sustainability compared to tilt-up concrete.