Tilt-up, in its most basic form, is a two-step process. First, slabs of concrete, which most often comprise load-bearing sections of a building envelope or elevation, are cast horizontally on a concrete slab-on-ground. The slabs, referred to as panels, are then lifted (tilted) with a crane after the concrete has reached sufficient strength. The crane sets the panels, most often in a vertical orientation, on prepared foundations, thus forming the desired wall line from a series of consecutive panels standing next to each other.
The American Concrete Institute (ACI), publishers of concrete codes like ACI 318 along with many guide and report documents such as ACI 551.1R, describes tilt-up as "a construction technique for casting concrete elements in a horizontal position at the job site and then tilting them to their final position in a structure." This definition has been adopted through multiple committee and consensus development processes to establish a core idea for the method of creating a tilt-up concrete structure. Additionally, it is accepted that tilt-up is a form of precast construction both in ACI 318 and the International Building Code (IBC). Based on these definitions and descriptions, tilt-up construction may best be understood as a form of creating concrete elements in a job site environment other than in the final designed positions.
In addition to a world-class technical hotline available to members and an extensive products directory, the Tilt-Up Concrete Association maintains a library of publications, guidelines and technical documents to assist with the planning, design, engineering and construction of tilt-up buildings.
Home to nearly 2,000 tilt-up projects, the TCA’s Tilt-Up Project Database features an easy to use interface allowing users to search by building type, location, number of stories, finish, contractor, architect, engineer and more.
Projects are added each year through our Tilt-Up Achievement Awards program and can be added throughout the year by members using the project submittal feature.