Post Tensioning Concrete Slabs
Post tensioning is the standard method of making concrete slabs today because of the strength and durability it provides. The building industry usually requires this method with any type of slab because of the assurance that the concrete will not fall apart. Here are a few things you should know about post tensioning.
Post tensioning uses cables inside of the concrete to provide strength in a slab. This ensures that the concrete will remain together longer and have less chances of crumbling or breaking apart. The advantage to using post tension cables is that the concrete slabs don’t have to be as thick as traditional slabs. They can be thinner which saves money in concrete and the time it takes for the slab to cure.
The primary reason to use post tensioning in concrete slabs is that concrete is extremely strong when compressed but very weak with tension. Without the cables, concrete is prone to cracking or bending. This occurs because the earth beneath concrete is soft from moisture and usually sinks and becomes unstable. When this occurs it can cause the concrete to bend and break in half. Expansive soil is the most common type of soil that causes structural damage to homes that have not been built with a post tensioning foundation. Today, builders are required by code to post tension a foundation to provide structural integrity.
Post tensioning provides a continuous structural integrity of the home because it uses a tight grid of steel cables that work hard to support the concrete slabs. These cables replace the traditional rebar that once was used in concrete. Rebar only worked to hold the slab in tact but it still cracked and had issues. Today, tensioning cables prevent the cracking and crumbling of concrete.
Post tensioning is the standard method of securing concrete slabs today because it ensures the integrity of a foundation, sidewalk, or any other concrete slab. These grid of steel cables are secure enough to provide a secure slab of concrete that will not fall apart and crack. Concrete is built to last when post tensioning is used and it is required with foundations for homes today.
