Tilt Up Construction vs Pre-engineered Steel

Which One is Ideal for My Building?

In the building industry, there is a long-running debate surrounding large buildings. 

Two main methods of construction have often been pitted against each other, with the discussion surrounding which is ideal often coming down to the specific buildings involved. 

Read on to compare pre-engineered steel and tilt-up construction in a few key areas, and find out which is likely to be ideal for the project you have envisioned.

Insulation and Thermal Performance 

It's important to understand the heat efficiency of not only a completed building but every part of the structure. When it comes to the base structure of a building, tilt-up construction has clear benefits.

With a comprehensive concrete shell, there are very few "cracks" or joins that could cause heat to escape from the property. This ultimately means that your structure can keep heat in without being complete and before all of the fittings are in place.

By comparison, pre-engineered steel buildings are significantly less thermally sound. Since there are gaps in the metal construction, you can see a significant amount of heat leaking out from the foundations of the building.

This can lead to the thermal efficiency of the building as a whole being much lower and costing a lot more in the long run.

Protection from the Elements

When you're erecting a structure, one of the most important things to consider is how well it will stand up to inclement weather.

This includes events such as:

- Strong winds
- Lightning
- Heavy rain

In this regard, tilt-up construction has a very clear advantage. The concrete structure means that there is an incredibly thick barrier between the inside and outside of the structure, protecting it from any potential harm.

By comparison, pre-engineered steel made of multiple components can suffer from gaps being exploited by the weather, pulling your structure apart. Tilt-up construction, on the other hand, uses much tougher construction to keep the building secure.

Cost Effectiveness

Tilt-up construction can be far more cost-effective than pre-engineered steel. Pre-engineered steel requires a lot of work to be completed off-site prior to the creation of the structure, with dozens of experts needing to be paid for their time and every stage needing to be done meticulously in the right order.

By comparison, tilt-up construction is a much more forgiving method, offering investment-grade properties at an affordable price point.

Which is Better?

Ultimately, tilt-up construction has significantly more benefits than pre-engineered steel. Although pre-engineered steel may be ideal for warehouses, you can achieve similar results at a much higher standard by making use of the more structurally sound tilt-up construction.

Offering a concrete shell, you'll retain as much heat as possible whilst having the security of a more solid build.

If you're interested in making use of tilt-up construction, get in touch 0438 272 749 with the McCoy Concreting team today.

We can offer quality tilt-up services for your project, so talk to one of our team members to find out what we can do for your construction job.