Post-Tension Concrete: a Technique for Concrete Reinforcement

In the constantly changing real estate industry, properties have to be properly maintained and periodically remodeled to keep up with the latest trends.

This is especially true for urban real estate; town homes, condominiums, high rises, and skyscrapers are constantly tended to and updated to suit changing tastes. To that end, contractors are sorely needed who know how to handle the materials these buildings are constructed with.

One such material is post-tension concrete , a special type of concrete slab that should only be handled by experienced contractors. This material requires careful handling and the use of specialized equipment in order to retain structural integrity and avoid collapses and injuries to you and your team.

If your next contract involves post-tension concrete slabs, there are a few things that you should know:

ConcreteNetwork.com defines post-tension concrete as a type of concrete slab where steel cables are stretched from one end of the slab to the other and stretched, increasing the load capacity of the slab, reducing shrinkage, and increasing the possible length of the slab without increasing thickness. It also reduces the occurence of cracks, and keeps cracks held tightly together to preserve structural integrity. It is an extremely useful building technique often used in urban construction.

Post-tension concrete reinforcement can be used for:

• Slabs on ground where soil is likely to move. Most often this is seen in housing projects and even tennis-courts to produce crack-free surfaces.
• External upgrades to strengthen existing structures against earthquakes.
• Bridges, primarily to allow for longer spans of concrete and to keep cracks tight.

In the event that a slab of post-tension concrete needs to be drilled, cored, or cut, it must be handled with extreme caution by an experienced professional. Because of the plastic coating surrounding the cables within the concrete, the cables themselves do not bond to the concrete, meaning that if the cable is damaged or cut, it loses effectiveness over the entire length of the slab. This compromises the stability of the slab, and could be disastrous for the structural integrity of the building as a whole. Work can only be safely performed after using x-ray or GPR equipment to verify the location of the cable within the concrete. Even then, any cutting or drilling must be done with extreme care and caution in order to avoid the marked cables while still making the necessary adjustments to the slab.

Cobra Concrete Cutting Services Co. is the leading concrete sawing and drilling company in the Chicago area, and is superiorly equipped to handle any post tension slab drilling, sawing, or cutting to suit your needs. When it comes to post-tension concrete, leave it to the professionals. Hiring ill-equipped teams or taking on a project without proper training, experience, and equipment increases the risk of structural collapse and team-member injury.

Don’t waste time and risk injury with a less qualified team. Contact us to get the best people for your concrete drilling and cutting needs.