Our Tensyland facilities make all kinds of prestressed beams and hollow core slabs for auditoriums, shopping centres, schools, universities, etc. But what does prestressed mean? Why is this construction method used and not another? What are the advantages of prestressing?
Prestressed concrete consists of eliminating the traction forces of the concrete by introducing artificial compression tensions before applying the exterior loads and assuring that, when superimposed, the total permanent tensions should lie between the limits which the material can bear indefinitely. The use of this technique in building all kinds of architectural and engineering projects is today unquestionable and completely standardised thanks to its great benefits.
The principal advantages of prestressing concrete in construction are the following:
STRUCTURAL STRENGTH
The use of the prestressed technique in concrete gives it greater strength, by providing an internal compression force which counteracts the traction force produced by the loads of the structural elements.
DURABILITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION
One of the great benefits of the prestressed beams is the elimination of cracks from all of the load stages. This absence of cracking supposes the structure’s greater capacity to withstand loads, impacts, vibration and knocks, while minimising the possibility of corrosion in the steel, thus increasing the durability of the construction.
SAVING
The use of the tensile concrete allows for large spans in construction due to the length of the pieces, while providing saving in material and greater lightness. We find an example of this in the use of tensile prestressed beams for enclosing large spaces, such as industrial warehouses, while providing greater luminosity. In covers for car parks, for example, the use of concrete plates allows greater separation between the loading columns and therefore better use of the space and considerable savings in material.
DESIGN
Prestressed concrete pieces give more efficient and beautiful architectural elements, while providing infinite possibilities in construction.
LARGE PRODUCTIONS
Thanks to technology like Tensyland, the serial production of prestressed beams and hollow core slabs giving solutions to all of the phases of the process allows greater quality control, cost reduction and high production, so it provides a solution to large architectural projects.
SPEED IN CONSTRUCTION
Faster construction by attacking various fronts at the same time or building different parts of the structure simultaneously. This generally gives significant economic benefits in a full economic and financial analysis of the work.