You are here:      Home / Blog / tilt-up

Tag Archives: tilt-up

Pine Hills Warehouse: A Collaborative Build by Seretta and Nox-Crete

As the demand for industrial space continues to rise, the Pine Hills project represents a smart, growth-driven solution—brought to life by two industry leaders: Seretta Construction and Nox-Crete. Located adjacent to an existing warehouse owned by the same client, the new structure was built out of necessity—the original facility simply couldn’t keep up with operational demands. The result is a 112,107-square-foot tilt-up concrete warehouse designed and constructed with speed, quality, and long-term performance in mind.

The project began in January 2025 and was delivered in just six months. Seretta Construction, a seasoned tilt-up contractor, led the execution of 91 concrete panels under general contractor Miller Construction Company. The team also included CLI Architecture and Mendieta Structural Consulting, ensuring a cohesive effort from design through structural engineering. From the earliest stages, Seretta had Nox-Crete’s solutions in mind when developing a plan that balanced construction efficiency with architectural appeal and panel performance.

What made this project stand out was the thoughtful integration of architectural formliners into the panel design, giving the building’s exterior a unique textured finish. These design details required precision during construction—a challenge that Seretta met with technical skill and the support of Nox-Crete’s specialized concrete solutions. To ensure clean, reliable panel separation and prevent surface defects, Seretta used Nox-Crete’s Silcoseal® Select bondbreaker, a trusted product known for consistent release performance across a variety of conditions. For sharp, uniform reveals throughout the panel layout, Clean Line Reveal™ 3 was used to create crisp lines and elevate the overall appearance of the warehouse.

The panels were poured using a 4,000 psi concrete mix with Type 1L cement, enhanced with slag and a water reducer to improve workability and compressive strength. Seretta’s seven-person crew utilized cranes, forklifts, ride-on trowels, laser screeds, and a backhoe to streamline construction and maintain quality at every stage. Nox-Crete’s field team provided ongoing support to confirm proper application of materials and ensure compatibility with the selected formwork systems—especially important when using architectural features like formliners.

For Seretta, the Pine Hills project was also an opportunity to build a new relationship with general contractor Miller Construction. The positive outcome and smooth coordination helped establish a strong foundation for future collaboration. For Nox-Crete, the project reinforced the value of being an active partner on the jobsite—helping to ensure that chemistry and craftsmanship come together seamlessly.

The Pine Hills warehouse stands as a clear example of what’s possible when experienced construction professionals and high-performance materials are aligned from start to finish. Through close collaboration, Seretta and Nox-Crete delivered a structure that not only met the owner’s operational needs but also showcased the best of modern tilt-up design and execution.

Building Smarter with Tilt-Up: Inside the Logistics 429 Project

The Logistics 429 development in Apopka, Florida, is a powerful demonstration of what can be achieved when precision chemistry and tilt-up expertise work in tandem. This two-building warehouse complex—measuring over 260,000 square feet—was brought to life by Seretta Construction with the use of chemicals and accessories by Nox-Crete Inc. which ensured speed, precision, and quality throughout every phase of the project.

Completed in just seven months starting in December 2024, the project involved the construction of more than 225 tilt-up panels across Building 100 and Building 200. Seretta Construction led the on-site execution while working under general contractor Welbro, with design by C4 Architecture and engineering by Mendieta Structural Consulting. From the outset, Nox-Crete played a critical role in supporting the tilt-up process with high-performance concrete solutions tailored to the job’s complex requirements.

Building 100 spanned 116,275 square feet and used 105 panels, while Building 200 measured 146,740 square feet and included 122 panels. Beyond panel erection, the scope of work covered paving, sidewalks, dolly pads, stairs, and ADA-compliant ramps. What set this project apart were the challenging spandrel panels and 8-foot return leg panels, which required exacting placement, consistent surface quality, and close coordination between construction crews and materials suppliers.

Seretta deployed two eight-person crews operating a range of equipment—including cranes, forklifts, ride-on power trowels, laser screeds, and backhoes—to maintain momentum without compromising craftsmanship. The team used a 4000 psi concrete mix with Type 1L cement and #57 stone aggregate, 20 percent fly ash and omitting air entrainment to achieve the desired strength and finish characteristics.

To support the integrity and appearance of every panel, Nox-Crete’s Silcoseal® Select bondbreaker was applied to all casting beds, providing consistent separation and reducing surface defects across both buildings.

Throughout the build, Seretta had to adapt to environmental conditions—particularly during the colder months. With early-morning pours subject to freezing temperatures, the team utilized a non-calcium accelerator to ensure the concrete cured properly and the schedule stayed on track.

The result was a high-performance set of buildings that delivered on both structural and aesthetic goals. Architectural features like corner treatments and entrance panels added design value and visual interest, elevating the project beyond standard logistics facilities. The strong attention to detail by Seretta and trusted products by Nox-Crete ensured these finishing touches were executed with consistency and care.

Logistics 429 stands as a testament to what’s possible when experienced builders and trusted product partners join forces. With Seretta Construction’s craftsmanship and Nox-Crete’s construction chemical solutions working hand-in-hand, the project sets a new benchmark for modern tilt-up construction in the region—and a model for future builds.

ASTM C309: Modern Conversations on an Established Standard

ASTM C309 has long been the standard by which membrane-forming concrete curing compounds are judged.

While applicable for its time and still a valid indicator when dealing with rougher finished concrete, the preparation method prescribed by ASTM C156 and then tested by ASTM C309 does not take into account current finishing techniques involved with today’s steel troweled floor slabs. To understand why this is relevant, the preparation procedures for the test itself need to be understood to make a comparison to the specific type of finish being discussed here.

Continue reading →

Easy Work Practice Solutions That Reduce Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust

OSHA’s new Respirable Crystalline Silica Dust Standard sets very strict standards for exposure, and contractors across the United States are developing their compliance playbook to mitigate risk. Employers must limit access to high exposure areas; provide training and respiratory protection; develop written exposure control plans; and begin to measure exposures starting in 2018.

The Nox-Crete team thinks the best way to prevent health problems related to silica dust is to avoid silica dust altogether. Several of our high-performance chemical and accessory solutions reduce the need for grinding and sanding Tilt-Up wall panels. Less grinding, less dust.

Reduce Grinding Requirements to Limit Exposure

Several products in the Nox-Crete Tilt-Up segment can be implemented as dust control work processes to meet the new OSHA requirements. First, chemically active Silcoseal cure and bondbreaker products deliver uniform and consistent panel separation. Clean panel separation with Silcoseal reduces wall panel grinding and patching requirements, thereby reducing worker exposure to silica dust.

Adding TP-Joint as a preventative work process will eliminate the traditional grinding of concrete “fins” on erected wall panel surfaces. TP-Joint is a pre-molded, flexible temporary floor joint filler that easily fits into saw cut floor/casting slab floor joints to prevent concrete seepage. Easy to install, TP-Joint is also easily removed without the use of any special tools or the need for resawing.

Better Reveals Reduce Dust

Rustication and reveal products made with wood, or porous blown PVC have a tendency to stick in Tilt-Up wall panels, which requires grinding along the entire length of each strip. Grinding, patching, sanding and sealing every inch exposes the team to unacceptable limits of silica dust.

Nox-Crete offers Clean Line Reveal, a high density extruded PVC rustication and chamfer strip. Because Clean Line Reveal won’t cause sugar retardation or expand like wood - you get a full surface contact and tighter joints that release clean from tilt-wall panels. Using Clean Line Reveal will greatly reduce the exposure to silica dust.

Use Smooth Textured Patching and Finishing Compound to Minimize Sanding

Creamy Panel Patch from Nox-Crete repairs minor surface defects on tilt-up wall surfaces, such as: air voids (bug holes), honeycombs, spalls, gouges, chips and scratches with no grinding and only minimal sanding prior to painting. With a unique blend of Portland cement, acrylic polymer modifiers and ultra-fine aggregates, high strength Panel Patch trowels out smoothly to a feather-edge thinness without any coarse, gritty feel.

Panel Patch delivers an exceptional bond to concrete and masonry surfaces, and is color-blended to match natural concrete. Because it dries in as little as 15 minutes, Panel Patch can be painted the same day.

Include Preventative Work Processes in Written Control Plans

The new rule requires employers to have a written exposure control plan that describes the following:

  • The tasks that could expose workers to silica dust
  • A description of the engineering controls, work practices, and respiratory protection used to limit exposure for each task
  • The housekeeping measures and restricted work area procedures used to limit exposure

Your written exposure control plan can also include anything else you think is important about keeping your employees safe from respirable crystalline silica at your worksite. Use Nox-Crete dust control products as a preventative work process to avoid grinding concrete.

Change is inevitable, but staying ahead of this new regulation doesn’t have to kill your profits. In fact, by taking advantage of next generation solutions from Nox-Crete, your operations can run more efficiently to give you an edge on your competition.

Key Dates For Construction Industry Compliance

  • September 23, 2017 - Comply with all obligations of the standard, except methods of sample analysis
  • June 23, 2018 - Comply with methods of sample analysis

Resources

Silica: The Nitty Gritty

  • Workers who inhale very small crystalline silica particles are at increased risk of developing silicosis, an incurable and sometimes fatal lung disease.
  • About two million construction workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica in over 600,000 workplaces.
  • Respirable crystalline silica is a worker safety issue, which has big implications on recruiting and retaining new construction workers.

Independent Testing Confirms Duro-Nox Abrasion Resistance

Concrete floors are subjected to continuous wear, from heavy equipment in the manufacturing world to the retail industry’s constant foot traffic. In response, many design professionals use liquid floor hardeners or densifiers to increase protection against potential damage and premature wear of the slab surface.

Continue reading →