Tilt-wall (also called tilt-up) construction has become the dominant method for warehouse, distribution center, and industrial building construction along Greenville's I-30 corridor due to speed, cost-efficiency, and structural performance. This construction technique involves casting concrete wall panels horizontally on the building's floor slab, then tilting them into vertical position using mobile cranes once the concrete cures. Tilt-wall buildings in Hunt County typically range from 50,000 to 500,000+ square feet, with panels up to 40 feet tall and 60 feet long supporting roof structures and providing the building envelope.
The foundation and floor slab serve dual purposes in tilt-wall construction - they must support the building's operational loads while also providing a flat, level casting surface for wall panels. This demands exceptional flatness tolerances (typically within 1/8 inch over 10 feet for the casting area) and proper curing before panel casting begins. We embed steel plates, angles, and inserts into the slab at surveyed locations to receive panel connections after erection. Slab design must account for concentrated loads from crane outriggers during panel lifting, often requiring localized thickening or reinforcement pads.
Hunt County's expansive clay soils present unique challenges for tilt-wall construction. The slab-on-grade foundation must resist significant soil movement through post-tensioning, proper base preparation, and moisture management. We typically use post-tensioned slabs with 250,000+ pounds of compression force to prevent cracking and maintain the flatness required for panel casting. Panels themselves are typically 5.5 to 9.5 inches thick, reinforced with welded wire fabric or rebar, and may include architectural finishes, window openings, and door bucks cast integrally. Panel connections use embedded steel angles welded to building structure and floor connections.
Crane operations require careful planning and coordination in Greenville. Large mobile cranes (often 200+ ton capacity) position each panel, with rigging attached to embedded lifting inserts cast into panels. Safety is paramount - panels weigh 40,000 to 100,000+ pounds and must be carefully lifted, rotated to vertical, and set precisely on foundation connections. Weather conditions affect crane operations; wind speeds above 20-25 mph typically halt panel erection for safety. Once erected and braced, panels are welded to embedments, checked for plumb and alignment, and permanently connected to roof structure. The entire building envelope can be erected in days rather than weeks required for conventional construction.