Tilt-Up Concrete Association Highlights Ten Excellence in Achievement Projects for 2011 Achievement Awards

The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) announced the recipients of the 21st Annual Tilt-Up Achievement Awards. The awards honor projects that represent an increasing diversity of building types constructed with site-cast Tilt-Up concrete as well as those that advance industry technology, apply innovative form and provide unique solutions to building programs. This year, among the 33 award winner, the 10 projects detailed below were selected as Excellence in Achievement winners.

High Point Academy

• 48,152-square-foot educational facility in Aurora, Colo.
• Submitted by: Saunders Construction, Inc. of Centennial, Colo.
• Other TCA member involvement: Christensen Concrete Construction, Inc.
• Products for this project supplied by: Meadow Burke, White Cap Building Supply and Thermomass.

The exterior design composition of shapes and forms and window shapes uses geometries to emphasize the math and technology educational focus for the building, as well as to maximize daylight. To meet the schools budget and schedule, the contractor encouraged the use of Tilt-Up concrete panels for the wall structure. This material allowed for a super insulated building envelope as well as a flexibility of shapes and forms that are not as achievable with other exterior building materials. The material's flexibility supported the design team's challenge to keep pace with the creativity of the client and maintain their budget requirements. Taking advantage of the plastic properties of concrete, Tilt-Up panels became textural and sculptural design elements in the interior hallways surrounding the gymnasium, as well as at the exterior through geometric, sloping, and canted forms. The Tilt-Up concrete walls further allowed for varying textures through the use of form liners and reveals to create visual interest and a unique fenestration design throughout the exterior elevations. The raw surface of the concrete panels enabled the playful use of paint and bold colors to enhance the design and provided a method of way finding and identifying age levels of students. With a seven-month construction schedule, the project was completed one month early and under budget, which allowed the school to purchase amenities for the building and playground.

Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex – Subterranean Trainer

• 5,962-square-foot special project in Butlerville, Ind.
• Submitted by: AML, Inc. of Floyds Knobs, Ind.
• Products for this project supplied by: Dayton Superior.

Originally conceived as a pre-cast pipe tunnel system, the site contractor asked if a tunnel system could be constructed by the Tilt-Up method to achieve the earthen look and feel the U.S. Army wanted. The panels were cast with a natural looking earthen surface, using the actual earth itself as a casting bed. As a result, when placed, the finished surface was already done. The floor made of earthen backfill was placed before the roof panels were installed; none of this would have been possible using precast pipe. And the headroom is consistent from wall to wall, although it varies in height depending on the section of the tunnel system. The structure consists of a maze of 1,111 lineal feet of tunnels with cross section areas of 6 feet by 6 feet, 4.5 feet by 4.5 feet and 3 feet by 3 feet. It also includes two "command" rooms." There are two main entrances that are exposed facing wooded areas and four access hatches, as well as lighting and a ventilation system. The structure is backfilled and covered 2 feet to 4 feet below the finished grade. There is now a mock village above the tunnel system serving the dual purpose of hiding the tunnel's ventilation system vents and offering another training environment.

Marine Corps Support Facility

• 411,000-square-foot office building in New Orleans, La.
• Submitted by: Woodward Design+Build of New Orleans, La.
• Other TCA member involvement: Sunshine Structures and LJB Inc.