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Posted: 2/18/2024 6:39:46 PM EDT
My house is paid off in 7 more months, and I am thinking of replacing my 3400 sq.ft home with a tilt up building. I am on ten acres and in the woods. The house is basically a rectangle and two story. So nothing super fancy here other than I would like half of the lower dug out for a secure room. I put a call in to a local contractor but he has not responded to my message, maybe he thinks that I am not serious?? The website shows some of their exterior finishes and they are really nice..I particularly like the brick facade. Anyways, I am really curious what something like this would cost estimate. anyone? I would love to start this project and document it here. |
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I tried to go this route and also got crickets. The VAST majority of contractors/home builders do not have experience in this construction type and will drive you towards stick. Find a legitimate concrete ICF builder. Be patient and don’t settle.
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i don't think you'll find a residential contractor to do a tilt up. i could be wrong. but i have only seen commercial buildings put up that way.
i'm sure you can find a builder to do poured walls. but if you are willing to go that route. ICF as mentioned above would be a good thing to look into. |
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Might have better luck looking for pre-cast supplier.
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I knew a guy who built his whole house out of Precast “foundation” panels.
https://www.superiorwalls.com/about-superior-walls/contact-superior-walls/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-qGX6re3hAMVQTKtBh3lCwkREAAYASAAEgL5E_D_BwE This is the company, no hot link. EIFS (stucco) on the outside. https://www.stocorp.com/eifs-stucco/ The house was amazingly quiet. |
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Short version- your building is too small. Way too small.
Tilt walls require a large enough floor slab to use to form up the walls that are cast on top of them. Otherwise you have to pour slabs to use as casting beds, which is a waste of money. Oh, and then you’ll need to erect stud walls inside for insulation, GWB, and wires. You could conceivably find a precaster that would do what you want and do insulated precast, but I would be surprised in this current market if they would take on something like this. Go ICF and clad it with brick or thin brick if that’s what you want. Much simpler and geared to the type of construction you’re looking at. |
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Originally Posted By Eagle46: Short version- your building is too small. Way too small. Tilt walls require a large enough floor slab to use to form up the walls that are cast on top of them. Otherwise you have to pour slabs to use as casting beds, which is a waste of money. Oh, and then you’ll need to erect stud walls inside for insulation, GWB, and wires. You could conceivably find a precaster that would do what you want and do insulated precast, but I would be surprised in this current market if they would take on something like this. Go ICF and clad it with brick or thin brick if that’s what you want. Much simpler and geared to the type of construction you’re looking at. View Quote This |
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You might have better luck finding a contractor to do poured in place reinforced concrete in residential construction. That's what I did and I'm not disappointed.
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What benefit is tilt up over other methods?
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Originally Posted By BobbyHill: What benefit is tilt up over other methods? View Quote I too would like to know this. I'm been doing construction for 23 years. The only benefit I see is the lack of extensive formwork as you can reuse the forms. If you are simply wanting to harden your existing home, it's a simple matter of forming up concrete cladding against your existing walls. I'd do 6" thick in 11 1/2" rises until your desired height. Literally save 500k. If I was building a concrete structure from scratch with a tight budget or an unlimited one, I would not do a tilt up. |
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Seems like a good place to ask this question. Years ago there were magazine articles about a new idea in concrete construction. Basically it was a whipped aerated concrete. It was supposed to be lighter, but just as strong, while having better insulating qualities. Anyone know if it ever took off?
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"Go low, go slow and preferrably in the dark", the old Sarge.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad. |
Originally Posted By jeepnik: Seems like a good place to ask this question. Years ago there were magazine articles about a new idea in concrete construction. Basically it was a whipped aerated concrete. It was supposed to be lighter, but just as strong, while having better insulating qualities. Anyone know if it ever took off? View Quote 20 something years ago, I saw a house in Florida made with the lightweight concrete blocks. I don’t know how durable but the blocks were crazy light. |
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I don't know how this works, but I nominate Joker and Fluffy for arfcom sainthood.
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You can do poured walls from aircrete, that is the very light weight foamed concrete. Its not as strong as normal concrete esp if you go for very light weight stuff. Its not normally used ( as in cant be ) for structural stuff, but a steel building that uses aircrete panels could be very interesting.
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2021 just said to 2020, hold my beer and watch this. Poster formally known as Iam4
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looked and read several articles about AAC concrete panels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoclaved_aerated_concrete |
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Tilt-up concrete construction was introduced as a cost saving measure in commercial construction. Buildings, such as large single-story warehouses, used it to save money on forming costs. Basically the walls are poured flat on the concrete floor slabs, and then raised up to become a wall sections. Not very practical in residential construction.
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Lots of experience with tilt-up, CIP, and virtually every other construction type.
As someone else said, your project is too small. Also, tilt wall requires professional engineering (concrete sucks at tension stresses and these are introduced during the “tilt”). All things outside a residential contractor’s skill set. Someone mentioned Superior Wall. Avoid these type of products. I’d look at ICF with engineered reinforcing. The reinf’g required by most residential codes is absolutely laughable. |
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Originally Posted By Greybeard: looked and read several articles about AAC concrete panels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoclaved_aerated_concrete View Quote Completed an entire building out of autoclaved concrete in 2004. I specified it once. Haven’t used it again. It’s basically concrete EIFS. My panels were 8” thick, and we could fairly easily penetrate thru it. CIP reinforced concrete is going to be the OP’s best construction type. Use of ICF (insulated leave in place) forms is a reasonable solution too. Again, actually designing the reinforcing is key. If it were my residence, I would design to commercial standards. Virtually every One and Two Family Dwelling Code ('residential building code') I’ve reviewed (example: IRC) grossly under represent lateral load resistance, etc. NOTE: I am neither proffering nor rendering professional advice or judgement. All commentary is intended to be conversational and interpreted as layman regardless of the provider’s professional status. Consult a licensed design professional in your jurisdiction. |
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First, I work at a construction firm and we build a lot of tilt up buildings. Tilt up has its place and residential is not it. For tilt up to be competitively priced the building must be at a minimum 12,000 sf. There will be a caulk joint every 20’ at the panel to panel connection which will need to be re-caulked every 20 years. Other code considerations are that the walls will need to have continuous insulation which will add cost.
My home is constructed with Insulated Concrete Form (ICF). The exterior walls are 6” thick, reinforced concrete plus 4” of extruded polystyrene insulation. The polystyrene insulation is on the inside and outside giving one heck of an insulated home. My electric bill in the summer is less than $200/ month for my 2600 sf, Florida home. |
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My house is ICF. 8 inch thick concrete to the eaves. The basement was existing and I poured the concrete above that. Still working on it as funds allow.
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Go ICF as others have suggested.
Done many projects with ICF. 8" thick, 12" total thickness. Proper preparation before the pour is essential. Lots of exterior finish options. Stucco, t111, brick, lap. |
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