Thoughts from a LEED AP
Jonathon Schuchmann is a Senior Engineer, Managing Principal at Steinbicker & Associates, LLC in Heathrow, Fla. He is also a LEED Accredited Professional. We’ve asked him to share his insights, as well as some advice about LEED and sustainable design in the Tilt-Up concrete industry. Schuchmann can be reached at 407- 829-4461 ext. 207 or […]
MIT’s New Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSH)
Concrete is the most widely used building material on the planet; however, the production of some of its component materials account for up to five percent of global carbon dioxide emissions annually. To address the sustainability and environmental implications of the use of concrete as the backbone of our housing, schools, hospitals and other built […]
Challenging Tilt-Up Design
By: Wendy Ward Recently, Mark Johnson, president of Johnson Structural Group, Inc., gave a presentation at the TCA Annual Convention in Amelia Island, Fla. Johnson’s presentation discussed the design challenges for some of Tilt-Up’s most recognizable and popular projects. He has more than 20 years of structural engineering experience in designing all aspects of new and […]
Surviving the Economy
By: Wendy Ward It is no secret that 2009 presented many challenges for members of the design and construction community. One of the best ways to develop ideas for how to weather an economic downturn is by speaking with those in the industry who have survived downturns in the past. A secondary theme to the 2009 TCA Annual Convention […]
Tilt-Up Finishes First in School Construction Comparison
By: Kimberly Kayler Constructive Communication, Inc. The construction of two new elementary schools by the Leander Independent School District (LISD) in Texas gives new meaning to academic competition. Each is being built using a different construction method, and the race is on for project success. According to Tim Cahalane, Project Director for American Constructors, Inc. […]
TCA Announces Winners of International Design Competition: The Sustainable Coffee Shop 2009
The Tilt-Up Concrete Association has announced the winners of The Sustainable Coffee Shop 2009, an international design competition. Students in the field of architecture, currently in graduate or under-graduate programs, were invited to present conceptual designs for a new coffee shop in an urban market, specifically designed with emphasis on practical sustainability using site-cast concrete […]
TCA Announces Completion of AFRL Research on Tilt-Up Wall Panels for Resistance to Blast Loading
TCA has announced the completion of all phases for research with the Air Force Research Laboratory. In conjunction with the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the wall tests series will define the resistance and failure mode of standard Department of Defense (DoD) compliant Tilt-Up concrete sandwich walls. “Once this study is complete, the test results will […]
Message From the President: With A Blink of An Eye
As I stood on my deck last night watching the last remnants of the day’s light hide behind the glorious mountains of Colorado, I felt a cold blast of wind pass across my face. I was reminded of nearly the same experience just eleven months ago, when I realized I was staring at potentially the […]
Message From the Director: TCA Considering Company Certification
You may not like it or agree with it, but our world is becoming more regulated each day. Every industry is regulated to some degree by some entity. Regulation, in principal, is a method of providing some measure of assurance regarding a product or process to get predictable results. Unfortunately, many regulations simply add cost […]
Message From the President: Do You Know Your Numbers?
Having been employed as a contractor for more than 18 years, 13 focused on Tilt-Up, I have never seen such economic times. I hear from the “old” guys about some of the bad times in years gone by, but the recession we are in now is testing all of us. Because of this, we find […]
Message From the Director: Convention Wrap-Up — Tips, Tweets, and Twittering
We can now close the books on the 2009 Tilt-Up Convention. It was the poorest attended convention or symposium in my 16 years of managing the TCA. After attrition (the money we pay for unused rooms that are booked 3 years in advanced) it was the first time we have ever posted a loss on […]
TCA Safety Corner: OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety Course Now Mandatory in Seven States
Seven states now have laws on the books that require construction workers to complete the OSHA 10- hour construction safety training course before they can work on certain construction projects. The states with an OSHA law already in effect are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and most recently, Missouri. The state of Nevada OSHA […]
