The new Coors Golden Distribution Center, built by general contractor Saunders Construction, utilizes THERMOMASS insulated tilt-up panels and is now the largest insulated concrete wall panel building in Colorado.

The THERMOMASS Building Insulation System helps the owners of this facility save money on their cooling costs. Because THERMOMASS insulated panels have excellent thermal storage properties, this facility experiences reduced total load requirements.

Owners of THERMOMASS distribution facilities take advantage of this by purchasing multiple smaller HVAC units, allowing them to stage compressor usage. These facilities are also able to shift the HVAC load requirements to off peak hours, thus reducing energy costs by as much as 50%.

For this project, a 275-ton crawler crane was used to set the building's 121 panels. The largest panel, 45'-6" tall by 28'-6" wide, weighed 177,000 lbs. and is the heaviest panel ever erected in the state.

In addition to setting new tilt-up records, the building's construction schedule is also worth noting. The entire foundation system, slab-on-grade and wall panel system were constructed in just 12 weeks. More than 13,000 cubic yards of concrete and over 100,000 sq. ft. of panel were erected in just nine days.