Tilt-up tutor
John Gaines/The Hawk Eye
Tim Seibert, left, vice president of operations with Carl A. Nelson & Co., explains the till-up construction process to structural engineer
David Poland of QUincy, III. Nelson hosted a number of architects and designers last week at the site of the new Tom's Marltet and Meats to
explain the procedure.
Nelson shows off innovation
Construction company helps
bring tilt-up to the Midwest
By BOB HANSEN
Jar The Hawk Eye
A building technique rarely used in the
upper Midwest is being employed by
Burlington's Carl A Nelson & Co. in the
construction of 'Ibm's Market and Meats
grocery store at the corner ofDivision and
Sixth streets.
The large concrete panels that comprise
the building's outer shell are being formed
on site and then placed into pesition using
heavy cranes in a process called "tilt-up"
construction.
The process is employed on coasts, but
few architects and engineers in the coun-
try's mid-section use this technique. But,
the local construction company has used
the method on projects outside the area
and is now attempting to make building
designers aware ofthe option.
On Wednesday, three engineering and
architectural firms braved inclement
weather to visit the downtown site and see
the procedure being used.
Ryan Harris, Nelson's project manager,
explained tilt-up panels can be cost effec-
tive when access to thejob site is restricted
or transpertation costs make the purchase
of precast concrete panels from a concrete
supplier too expensive. But, forming the
panels on site is technically demanding
and trade associations require that super-
visors and technicians using this method
be certified and tested.
Panels to be used on the new Burlington
grocery store will range from 9,000
peunds to 90,000 peunds and some will
measure 25-by-38-feet. A 210-ton truck
crane will lift the massive walls into place.
The panels at the 'Ibm's Market site
have a number of layers and begin with a
"The idea for the tilt-up
method is certainly not new,
but it is something that has
been largely ignored in
construction in this area."
Ryan Hams,
Carl A. Nelson project manager
"thin brick" layer being placed in the job
site concrete form. This application will
give the erected panel a brick facing with-
out the expense of laying the brick by
hand.
A layer of concrete will then be peured
into the form atop the brick. Before the
concrete dries, reinforcing ties will be pesi-
tioned and a layer of insulation is placed.
In the final step, another layer ofconcrete
See Tilt page 4D
Tilt An example of a
till-up concrete
panel at the new
Continued from page 1D downtown gro-
will be poured atop the insulation cery store site.
creating a sandwich of two ce-
ment layers, brick and insula-
tion.
"The idea for the tilt-up
method is certainly not new, but
it is something that has been
largely ignored in construction in
this area. We have used the
method in other parts. of the
country and believe it should
have an application here," Harris
said. "It can be both cost effective
and can reduce construction time
but your personnel has to be
trained in the procedure.
He said Nelson employees Jim
Amann, the project supervisor,
and Derek Boecker, the project John Caines/
foreman, each have been certified The Haw" Eye
and are experienced in the tilt-up
process. on a 700,OOO-square-foot Heilig- chitects aware of the benefits of
The company first used the Meyers distribution facility. this type of concrete panel," Har-
tilt-up process in Moberly, Mo., "Now, we have to make the ar- ris said.