September 2001 Another Tiltbilt ®  Success.   As an engineer stated last week on site tilt-up has gathered enormous popularity over the last 5 years.  The developers and financiers are realizing how cost and time effective this building technique is, at the same time providing a maintenance-reduced structure. Imagine a building 18 metres high where a client requires the building envelope to be constructed in 4 weeks. There are 4 alternative methods available.      1.                    Poured in place concrete    2.                    Concrete block.    3.                     Brick.    4.                     Tiltup. Why was tilt-up the preferred method? If you use poured in place concrete you are forming two walls to build one.  In addition you must install all the scaffolding, frames and coverings to prevent materials falling from the work site.  Whereas all the panels comprising the external walls for tilt-up are completed at ground level.  In other words a tilt site is a much safer work site. Brick and Blockwork have the same problems as poured in place concrete, with the need for scaffolding, hoists and stair access necessary to place materials and labour into the structure. As stated previously, 4 weeks to have the building envelope standing is an outstanding achievement. So is it any wonder that the popularity of this building technique has grown since 1982, when Advanced Building Systems introduced the first ground release clutch into the market. What impressed the owner was the way in which the 18 metre panels were temporarily braced until the roof members were installed.  Advanced Building Systems had designed by their American Franchisor a new bipod brace, which supported the 18 metre panel without knee bracing. The panels weighed 42 tonnes, yet the braces maintained a working load limit of 32kN.   You did that with Tilt-up?  There are many unusual architectural statements made in tilt-up today, both here, Malaysia, South Africa and South and North America.  Some of these designs are seen as we drive down our expressways, in the sound barrier walls. What should be remembered is that tilt-up is not restricted to factory and warehouse buildings any more.  There have been some very attractive office complexes and shopping malls completed.  There are trends now towards housing and multi-storey residential apartments.  For those who demand to have their structure completed in traditional materials such as brick it has been achieved in the Western Suburbs where the façade of the building was completed with a brick biscuit, which had been placed in a special made polystyrene form liner.  The reinforcement was then put into place together with the lifting and bracing inserts. The concrete was then poured and finished and when cured the panel was then lifted and put into place on its foundation. So if you as a designer are still determined to have a brick building but with the cost and time benefits of tilt-up it can be achieved.  John Burke, principal of Burke Engineering Services of East Maitland, was the engineer who carried out all the design and workshop drawings upon which the building in Bomaderry was completed.  Tilt contractor was O’Carroll Constructions from Newcastle.  Advanced Building Systems supplied all the tilt-up components through its agent in Newcastle, CDA Products. The next big leap will be for wineries as tilt-up can offer the insulation in the walls that is required to have a climate-controlled building. Advanced Building Systems have, in conjunction with a country builder designed rice, grain and wheat storage buildings where all the grain can be stored in a vermin free structure, yet all grain can be easily removed. Why not Contact us for a product bulletin.