THE 2015 TILT-UP CONCRETE ASSOCIATION (TCA) INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO FEATURE A FULL DAY OF SEMINARS AND EVENTS COVERING THE BASICS OF THE TILT-UP BUILDING SYSTEM.

The workshop, scheduled for September 29, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, N.J. and sponsored by HD Supply Construction & Industrial – White Cap, will provide those contractors and design professionals unfamiliar with the system, or those looking to firm up their comprehension, an in-depth base of knowledge to build upon. The 2015 TCA International Convention will be the first in many years to offer this introductory material.

“A major function of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association in the ‘90s and early 2000s was training,” said Mitch Bloomquist, executive director for the TCA. “There was a concentrated effort to increase the number of qualified contractors offering tilt-up construction to accelerate the proliferation of the method into new markets. Ensuring the availability of fundamental tilt-up education is essential to the wellbeing of the entire industry.”

According to Bloomquist, as the method matured and advanced beyond the simple box, member contractors and design professionals called for more advanced education opportunities. Since then, TCA Convention has focused on presenting advanced seminars for the experienced tilt-up professional. While the 2015 Convention continues to focus on advanced topics and applications of tilt-up, the Tilt-Up 101 workshop opens a door to those looking to build or grow a business in the tilt-up industry.

“The material to be presented during Tilt-Up 101 offers a step-by-step introduction to the philosophy, process and performance of tilt-up construction,” stated James Baty, technical director for the TCA. “While tilt-up is often assumed to be an intuitive and adaptive construction method, there are basic fundamentals that many contractors see as barriers to the market. This coursework will remove any hesitation to making the decision to become involved in this major segment of the construction industry.”

“With the improving economy and continued growth of the tilt-up industry, the TCA has received many requests for this material,” said Bloomquist. “While geared toward the novice, I could see many experienced tilt-up professionals showing up a day early for this opportunity to brush up on fundamentals.”

The material, which will advance in complexity throughout the day, will include discussion of tilt-up as a building system, training crews for tilt-up construction, project administration, safety, quality control and more.

The day will end with an outdoor demonstration, constructed by Lithko Contracting, Inc., where attendees will get a close-up, hands-on look at tilt-up in action.

“As the largest specialty distributor to professional contractors in the U.S., HD Supply Construction and Industrial – White Cap is delighted to partner with TCA for this year’s show,” said Ian Heller, vice president, marketing. “Like TCA, training is extremely important to us and we look forward to sharing our expertise and learning from the tilt-up contractors attending the annual convention.”

For more information on the 2015 Tilt-Up Concrete Association International Convention (September 29 – October 1, New Brunswick, N.J.), presented by A.H. Harris & Sons, please visit www.tilt-up.org/convention.

ABOUT THE TILT-UP CONCRETE ASSOCIATION

The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) is the international nonprofit trade association for the global tilt-up concrete construction industry and was founded in 1986 by a dedicated group of contractors, professionals, and manufacturers with the interest of improving the quality and acceptance of tilt-up construction, a building system whereby large concrete elements (walls) are cast on the building slab or elsewhere on site and then lifted (tilted) into position. The mission of the Tilt-Up Concrete Association is to expand and improve the use of tilt-up as the preferred building system by providing education and resources that enhance quality and performance. For more information, visit www.tilt-up.org or contact TCA at 319-895-6911