For any type of construction efficient pre-planning is important. With tilt-up it is even more so. Without a carefully worked out schedule of operations, a tilt-up job can deteriorate into a nightmare of confusion. The planning should, in effect, visualize the site not in the traditional sense of a central point around which all operations are dedicated to raising the structure from foundations up, but more in the sense of a production factory through which a continuous work flow must be maintained. CPM- the Critical Path Method- is a new planning device, long badly needed for tilt-up construction. Using CPM, it is now possible to separate the planning from the scheduling and do each operation separately. The use of network planning and critical path scheduling does not mean that site layout and provision of construction services can be overlooked. But these items will be influenced by the provision of an efficient casting layout. For many jobs the floor slab of the building will provide the best casting platform, and work is then frequently scheduled to get the floor slab completed first so that wall panels can be cast on it. The best way to establish the proper casting layout an schedule of operations for a particular job is by means of a scale model. A sheet of cardboard should be cut to represent slab size. Smaller pieces should be cut for each of the various components. The location of expansion joints or other irregularities in the floor slab should be noted on the scale model and observed when planning to avoid flaws in the bottom finish or a clash with other construction operations. A decision can then be made as to where to best locate the wall panels so that other operations can proceed with maximum ease.
