Innovations in Tilt-up Construction Help Contractors Overcome Challenges

http://www.tiltup.com/commercial-construction-articles/tilt-up-masonry-brick-construction-costs/

Although not directly related to our assignment or course content I found this article particularly interesting. Not sure I am completely sold by the finished result as I don’t really like products that are used to imitate other materials. However it is an example of how new technology can create some innovative products.

The case study investigated in the article is the Northern Tool & Equipment Company's retail store in Lewisville, Texas. It was decided early on in the design stage that tilt up construction would be used. This was primarily because it provided a cost effective solution and would also allow for a quick construction to meet the building schedule. Steel framing could have proved an alternative in terms of value and time of erecting, however local zoning regimes did not allow for metal structures of this nature.
Local building requirements also raised another issue – all new commercial buildings must have 100% masonry facades. Building an masonry façade along the walls removes all the benefits of tilt up construction. It also increases cost and time.

The solution for this case study was found in the form of a product called Brick Snap. This allows the façade to be applied to the panels as they are cast as opposed to constructing a façade and then attaching to the erect panels. Individual masonry tiles (as opposed to the depth of bricks) are placed in the concrete panels. The panels are then poured, left to cure, stood up and secured to the form of the walls. This took me a while to figure out – but in effect thin slithers of brick are cast in the concrete. This makes them purely aesthetic as they look very realistic yet only acting as a façade and it is in fact still the concrete panel that is taking the entire load.

“The Brick Snap system is another example of how the construction industry is driving innovations to manage costs and schedule without undercutting quality - the key benefits of tilt-up concrete construction. As these creative solutions are improved and implemented, tilt-up construction will continue to evolve into the construction methodology of choice for an ever-growing circle of commercial building applications.”
Although I think this is a clever solution to the problem imposed by the regulations and it is sometimes necessary in an industry that is constricted by cost and time. I’m still not convinced by the idea of creating an illusion to the users. Do we really want to live in a world that is, in a sense, fake?