Most construction is “ground-up” for obvious reasons. Contractors and subcontractors begin at ground level, then build up until the project is topped off. However, there is another method of building that could save time and money while promoting sustainability: the Termohlen-Thornton Method (also known as a “top-down” building construction method).
Recently reported in Urban Land magazine, this top-down procedure can help reduce materials and labor costs while improving sustainability during construction. The process entails building the core; developing the roof and each floor less than six feet off ground level; raising floors with heavy duty hydraulic jacks; extending solid steel bars from central cores which are inserted into holes at periphery of floors before permanently bolting them into place.
According to TGE (the company formed by Charles H Thornton -of Thornton Thomasetti structural engineering firm -and inventor David Termohlen), who offer their own TGE Top DownSM System, this process offers several benefits such as structural weight reduction leading to higher concrete & steel efficiency resulting in total weight cut down by half compared to conventional constructions; column free interiors & exteriors due to reliance on central cores offering more design flexibility along with increased safety performance since workers don’t have work on scaffolding from elevated positions or need tower crane operations for completion of projects . Additionally , it also leads to time savings due its standardized procedures , material reduction & ground floor constructions .
In 2017/2018 TGE completed a 1.2 million square feet project in Bangalore India ; licensed their system out LIFTbuild (a Barton Malow subsidiary) who used it complete The Exchange – 16 story $64 6 million dollar Detroit’s Greektown neighborhood development ; currently they are working Ubuntu Partners Real Estate designing eVolve – mixed use apartment hotel retail Arapahoe Square District Denver Colorado . According Charles Thornton speaking Urban Land magazine “We came 25 percent less expensive high rise cast place flat plate concrete project”.
