Rock Nashville earns 2026 Tilt-Up Achievement Award

Rock Nashville has earned a 2026 Tilt-Up Achievement Award from the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, recognizing the project as one of the industry’s standout examples of innovative tilt-up concrete construction.

The TCA Tilt-Up Achievement Awards honor projects that use site-cast tilt-up concrete to introduce new building types, advance industry technology and solve complex building challenges.

Rock Nashville is a 55-acre, purpose-built production campus designed to support artists, crews, and vendors in Nashville’s live entertainment industry. The campus includes 515,000 SF across three tilt-wall buildings, including two studio towers reaching 94 and 84' tall.

The project was originally designed with precast concrete panels to provide the mass needed for acoustic performance. Faced with cost and lead-time challenges, Merus worked with Jay-Ton Concrete Construction Company, IC Design Services, and American Contractors Supply to develop a stacked tilt-wall solution that met the owner’s performance needs while saving seven figures in cost and months on the schedule compared with the precast option evaluated.

The project also required several complex engineering and construction solutions. Tilt panels were stacked up to three high and connected to the steel building frame, with the largest panel measuring 28' wide by 57' tall and weighing 159,101 pounds. More than 105,000 SF of casting beds were installed around the active steel structure for the two large studios, requiring careful sequencing and coordination throughout construction.

Beyond its technical achievements, Rock Nashville is expected to generate approximately 400 direct jobs and 85 support roles. The project also includes planned workforce development programs and community initiatives, including a $50,000 scholarship fund and ongoing support for local and minority-owned businesses.

Rock Nashville will be featured in Tilt-Up Today magazine and recognized during the Tilt-Up Awards Gala at the 2026 Tilt-Up Convention and Expo in Salt Lake City on October 21. The project is also eligible for the TCA’s Excellence in Achievement designation, which will be announced during the gala.