What building material has been around since 6500 BC and is still the most widely use material on earth? Concrete.
Whether you’re building a multi-story parking lot, healthcare facility, food processing plant, or any other commercial structure, chances are your builder will use concrete. Build just about anything and you’ll probably use some concrete.
It’s just that useful. While we wait for your next project’s foundation to cure, let’s dig into how concrete is used in construction.
Concrete’s Versatile Role in Commercial Construction
It’s not a fluke or a conspiracy. Concrete is highly used for very valid reasons. It;s the go-to choice for building foundations due to its ability to bear immense weight and resist environmental factors like moisture and soil pressure.
Concrete’s durability and resistance to corrosion also make it an ideal material for constructing culverts, ensuring long-term functionality and reliability in this extremely important part of society’s infrastructure.
Commercial facilities heavily rely on loading docks and truck pads for efficient logistics operations. Concrete surfaces provide the necessary strength and durability to support heavy loads, withstand vehicle movements, and resist abrasion.
Concrete’s smooth surface and ability to withstand heavy foot traffic and vehicular loads also make it a practical choice for high-traffic areas such as sidewalks and aprons.
Expanding commercial spaces often require additional levels or mezzanine floors to accommodate growing operations. Concrete offers the best solution for constructing these elevated platforms, providing stability and load-bearing capacity.
There’s so much it can do. We even use it to build walls.
Concrete Tilt-Up Construction Explained
Tilt-up construction is a popular method that has gained prominence for its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, particularly in commercial and industrial projects.
In tilt-up construction, precast concrete wall panels are cast horizontally on the ground (typically at or near the construction site) and then lifted into position using cranes. This method eliminates traditional formwork and allows for rapidly constructing large wall sections.
The Role of Precast Concrete in Tilt-Up Construction
Precast concrete plays an important role in tilt-up construction, offering several advantages over traditional cast-in-place methods:
- Quality Control: Precast concrete panels are cast in a controlled environment, ensuring consistent quality and adherence to specifications. This results in fewer defects and greater structural integrity.
- Speed of Construction: Prefabricating concrete panels offsite allows for simultaneous site preparation and panel production, reducing construction time significantly. Tilt-up construction accelerates the building process further by enabling rapid installation of precast panels.
- Cost Efficiency: While initial investment in precast molds and equipment may be higher, the overall cost savings from reduced labor, shorter construction schedules, and minimal onsite material waste make precast concrete a cost-effective choice in the long run.
- Design Flexibility: Precast concrete panels offer various design options, including various finishes, textures, and architectural details. These panels can be customized to meet the aesthetic and functional requirements of virtually any project, from sleek modern facades to standard industrial exteriors.
- Durability and Sustainability: Concrete is inherently durable and resistant to fire, moisture, and pests, making it an ideal building material for long-lasting structures. Additionally, precast concrete production can incorporate recycled materials and optimize energy efficiency, further enhancing its sustainability credentials.
Choosing a Builder for Your Concrete Construction
One of the foremost factors to consider when choosing a builder for your concrete construction project is their expertise and experience in the industry. As an independent commercial general contractor, GALBRAITH stands out for our proven track record in constructing food processing plants, hospitals, and medical facilities.
We are proud of our certifications: the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) Certified Healthcare Constructor Certificate, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Certificate, and Safe Quality Foods (SQF) Certificate. Through these programs, we work hard to provide accurate, safe, reliable concrete construction across commercial and industrial clients. As a Butler Builder®, we’re part of Butler Manufacturing’s™, network of trusted builders, bringing you top-quality building components for sustainable and efficient designs.
GALBRAITH Pre-Design Inc. is ready to turn your vision into a reality. Get in touch with us today.
