Two Wisconsin Tilt-Up Projects Earn Awards

Newcomb Construction Company, Madison, WI, has earned achievement awards from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) for two buildings the company constructed using site-cast tilt-up concrete panels.

The TCA is a nonprofit organization serving the tilt-up construction industry.

This year, the judges recognized 44 projects from more than 100 entries.

One of Newcomb's honored projects was the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation's 200,000-square-foot office building in Madison.

Because the site sits on a silty marsh and is supported by pipe piles, the weight of the tilt-up panels — many nearly 57 feet tall — was reduced by maximizing window openings and by reducing the amount of concrete in each insulated panel.

Newcomb's other TCA award winner was a 145,000-square-foot addition to the Vision Fitness building in Lake Mills, WI.

Because the 145,000-square-foot addition had to match the 7-year-old existing building, Newcomb carefully chose integral colors for the insulated, exposed-concrete panels.

To allow power cables to connect easily to workstations, the 25,000-square-foot office portion of the building was designed with a raised floor, which meant the slab at the open office area had to be recessed so the floor elevations would match.