Anyone building new construction with tilt-wall?

[Russell Holmes]

This is basically an information gathering post, some things I've been turning over in my head. I've got a few clients considering new construction and I've connected with an architect/builder firm so I have a good feeling for the general process of site analysis, conceptual design plans, and final complete construction docs. However, I'm curious with all of the tech advances in recent times and ever changing code, has anyone found benefit to thinking outside of concrete block and wood frame? Concrete block is in demand here in FL for good reason. I've looked into ICF (insulated concrete forms) and believe it is a premium method that builds a "better" stronger and more insulated house, but at a higher cost. For my own house that may be great, but it's basically over-building for an investment. The area I live in is booming with residential, commercial, and light industrial growth. I'm starting to see lots of modern "California style" new construction residential: large uninterrupted vertical planes, crisp clean geometric design, single plane roofs as opposed to hip/gable, basic hard sharp lines, smooth stucco, etc. Not that all new builds are that way, but some large builders have added modern designs and smaller builders are in-filling with them. In the meantime, I've watched a couple 8-10k sqft warehouse spaces errected with tilt wall construction. Rather than basic boxes, they added some accent pieces that create architectural appeal, overhangs, and accent walls when painted to contrast, all made out of the poured tilt wall thickness and erected in the same manner. I've researched enough to realize the biggest hold up on residential is ensuring there is a large enough slab to pour the walls on, or if not that casting beds of thin concrete must fit around the perimeter of the build site to cast and tilt in rather than out (wasted expense I'm sure). I doubt it would be possible to build a small house 100% with tilt wall, but it seems an efficiently designed plan could be made to build the largest walls as tilt wall and stitch together with either block or formed concrete. I've found a builder or two in other states that say they do it, but has anyone here looked into it? I'm sure the architecture firm I've connected with could tell me what it costs, but I'm more so looking for personal experience. Thanks all!

[Jim Adrian]

I use cmu and precast wall panels all day long in my daily life as an architect.  Precast will run you around $18- $22 (in my region) per sq ft of wall area for just a plain gray insulated panel with a light sandblast finish.  You want a siding look to it, ok add a form liner,  want colored concrete or need white Portland cement, these are all extra.  You can figure $30 per sf of wall for a starting point for a nice architectural panel.  Crane rental extra.  Transportation cost can kill you as well. Now its no long price competitive for a house.  For comparison brick veneer with cmu back wall will run you around $25 a sf of wall area. 

You really need to be 30 ft tall with panels and have the same size panels to drive the cost down.  Precast panels are limited to a 10 wide panel spacing.  You may find 12' panels but not common.  You are limited on where windows and doors are placed within each panel.  Erection time is fast, no doubt about that. 

I have a 60,000 sq ft building going up right now and did this in about 3 weeks.   I did a little 1000 sf building in the middle of Wyoming and did a cost estimate on cmu, precast and insulated concrete forms (fox block) and cmu was cheaper by far. 

I typically work with Core Slabs https://www.coreslab.com/

I have done a precast concrete modular home (double wide) in florida in the everglades, Flamingo NPS.  Here is the company that bought out the mfr we used for the project.   

http://www.metromont.com/multi-family