Industry Axis
Composite Concrete Panels - The Future for Tilt-up Walls?
As I have watched the tilt-up concrete construction industry develop over many years, I have appreciated the way it has become a preferred method of construction for many building types. This growth has been based on a number of improvements in construction and design technology, such as larger mobile cranes, the recognition and adoption of slender wall design in building codes, and a growing appreciation for the flexibility and speed of tilt-up methods. The widespread adoption of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) embraces the tilt-up industry, which already provides a fully code-compliant panel. The industry has the potential to make these panels more structurally efficient through the use of composite panels. This is a huge opportunity many designers and contractors may be missing.
To view the entire article published in the Summer 2017 Issue of Tilt-Up Today Magazine, visit http://tilt-up.org/tilt-uptoday/2017/08/08/composite-concrete-panels-the-future-for-tilt-up-walls/
About the author
Jeff founded Needham’s engineering division in 1989 and the firm has steadily grown under his direction. An expansion of the firm to vertically integrate steel building products, DBS, allowed the firm to focus on the design/build industry to bring products and services to general contractors. He was instrumental in developing the hybrid concrete and steel “hardwall” building system to allow the use of steel roof systems with concrete tilt-up walls.