Tilt up
Tilt slab is a type of building, and a construction technique using concrete. These buildings are also calles Tilt-ups.
In this method a flat concrete pad is poured that forms the foot print of a new building. The pad is allowed to cure and then the concrete walls are poured, lying down, on top of the pad. Once the walls are cured they are tilted from horizontal to vertical with a crane and secured.
Forming walls
Once the pad has cured, forms are built on top. A high quality plywood or fiber board that has at least one smooth face is used. Carpenters will work off architectural drawings to design and construct the forms on site. They will accommodate all openings (windows, doors, etc...) as well as style accents and any other desired shapes that can be molded into concrete. Studs, gussets and attachment plates are located with the form for embedding in the concrete. The forms are usually anchored into the pad with masonry nails. Special nail guns that are powered with .22 or .25 caliber shells are used.
Next, a release agent is sprayed on the forms and pad that will allow the wall to separate from the pad once it has cured. Failure to apply the release agent, or use of an inferior product can be disastrous.
A rebar web is constructed inside the form. Small blocks stand the rebar off the pad. The rebar size and spacing is generally specified by an engineer or building code.
The wall is poured and allowed to cure. The forms are removed and the wall is tilted into place.
Structure
Concrete walls are very heavy and need engineered joints to resist tipping over. These are usually accomplished by heavy steel brackets and studs that were anchored into the wall and pad when they were poured. The lower attachment points are bolted and sometimes welded. The upper attachment points are made to the roof trusses. Interior walls add additional stiffness.
Uses
Tilt slab buildings are generally used for industrial/warehouse applications. They do not lend themselves to more than one story, but can be made tall enough for two floors.
Tilt slab construction is becoming more popular for mid and large size business and warehouses. It is common to see entire industrial parks built with tilt slab techniques. The resulting buildings are strong and durable.
Appearance
Local building regulations usually require considerable expense and effort be invested into making the building attractive. Some techniques to achieve this are a faceted appearance of the exterior, molding of accent lines in the exterior of walls, painting and landscaping.