We have all had projects where we were able to apply a new twist or flair to give the project owner something to differentiate from the masses. Our tilt-up industry is filled with people who think outside of the box to find solutions for some seemingly crazy structural or architectural scheme. We admire the creativity of others, especially when watching the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) awards be presented. In the near future you will be able to see more awesome examples with the presentation of this year’s group of projects. Whether you are a part of the team on these projects or not is immaterial. You can envision the challenges that the designers and contractors went through in order to successfully complete these projects.

Creativity does not need to be a total trial and error endeavor. Learning from peers around the world lets you catapult you organization and the industry forward. Two years ago the convention was in Houston, a market that has bigger users, bigger floor plates, bigger cranes and generally bigger buildings. I was able to see six-story buildings constructed with four-story-tall panels with two-story panels set on top of them braced back to the fourth floor deck. This method seems commonplace in Houston, but I guarantee you it is not commonplace in eastern Washington. This year, my company was able to use the concept of stacking multistory load-bearing panels to gain a cost and safety advantage on a project. While it was not the first solution the design team considered it was well received and eventually designed using this stacking technology.

I challenge each of you to find something relatable in the work of others to use to enhance your market. If your market utilizes tilt-up as only warehousing, consider introducing single-story office or retail. If you are producing multistory and think you are capped out in height based on braces and cranes, consider stacking panels. If you only paint the exterior of your buildings, offer up sandblasting, brick, polishing or form liner. If you continue to see your buildings insulated using furring and fiberglass, offer up the durability and superior performance of insulated panels. The opportunities are endless when it comes to using tilt-up concrete as the structural and architectural building solution.

Find solutions that can benefit your market and in turn your company. It is with this quest that our industry keeps getting better. Remember, it is not the size of your project, it’s what you do to make it great that matters. Let your creativity flow.