https://tension1.com/blog Post-tension slab design, detailing and field practice. en-us Tension One LLC 60 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 19:00:04 -0500 https://tension1.com/post-tension-tendon-corrosion-chloride-protection https://tension1.com/post-tension-tendon-corrosion-chloride-protection Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:58:00 -0500 Chlorides corrode post tension slab tendons out of sight. How they reach the steel, how to assess the risk on an existing slab, which repairs exist, and how to design against it. Problems and Solutions Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/anchorage-placement-post-tension-slab-load-distribution https://tension1.com/anchorage-placement-post-tension-slab-load-distribution Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:57:00 -0500 Where anchors sit decides where a post tension slab gets its precompression. Anchorage zones, drape and balanced load, punching shear, and the layout rules we apply in the field. Installation and Process Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/is-it-safe-to-drill-into-post-tension-slab https://tension1.com/is-it-safe-to-drill-into-post-tension-slab Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:08:00 -0500 Drilling into a post tension slab without locating the tendons is never safe. The force in one strand, what ACI 318-19 expects, five mistakes that cut cables, and what to do first. Problems and Solutions Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-earthquake-resistance-vs-conventional-rc https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-earthquake-resistance-vs-conventional-rc Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:35:00 -0500 Is a post tension slab more earthquake-resistant than an RC slab? How each behaves as a diaphragm and at the column, what ACI 318-19 changed, and how seismic category decides. Problems and Solutions Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/visible-signs-post-tension-cable-failure https://tension1.com/visible-signs-post-tension-cable-failure Thu, 28 May 2026 13:12:00 -0500 How to recognize a post-tension cable failure in a post tension slab: blowouts, directional cracks, sagging floors, rust and grease stains, and which signs mean stop and call an engineer now. Problems and Solutions Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/mistakes-cutting-post-tension-slab https://tension1.com/mistakes-cutting-post-tension-slab Tue, 26 May 2026 14:06:00 -0500 Cutting into a post tension slab without a plan can sever a stressed tendon. The five mistakes we see most often, and the checklist that prevents them, for owners and contractors. Installation and Process Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/pt-vs-rc-slab-high-rise-efficiency https://tension1.com/pt-vs-rc-slab-high-rise-efficiency Thu, 21 May 2026 13:46:00 -0500 Why the gap between a post tension slab and an RC flat plate widens with every floor: thickness, load balancing, punching shear, floor cycles, and when RC still wins. Cost and Comparison Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-cantilever-architectural-design https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-cantilever-architectural-design Tue, 19 May 2026 13:05:00 -0500 Three award-winning projects, two in Dallas, show how post-tensioning makes large cantilevers possible. See why deflection governs, how the designs were controlled, and what goes wrong on site. Definition and Function Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/iot-sensors-post-tension-slab-monitoring https://tension1.com/iot-sensors-post-tension-slab-monitoring Thu, 14 May 2026 12:58:00 -0500 Embedded sensors can watch a post tension slab from the inside, but each measures one thing. See what strain, maturity, corrosion and acoustic sensors detect, and when monitoring pays off. Definition and Function Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-alternatives-builders-guide https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-alternatives-builders-guide Tue, 12 May 2026 13:00:00 -0500 When a post tension slab is ruled out, which system replaces it? Conventional RC, steel, precast and hybrid options compared, with the constraints that legitimately exclude PT. Cost and Comparison Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/cut-post-tension-tendon-emergency-protocol-repair https://tension1.com/cut-post-tension-tendon-emergency-protocol-repair Thu, 07 May 2026 10:00:00 -0500 A cut tendon releases its force along most of its length. Here is the four-step protocol for the first hours, the four repair paths, and what each one costs. Maintenance and Repair Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-parking-garage-roi-spans-depth https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-parking-garage-roi-spans-depth Tue, 05 May 2026 13:39:00 -0500 Why parking garages suit a post tension slab: longer spans, recovered clear height, lighter foundations and a real take-off showing 229 yd3 less concrete, plus the durability rules for chloride exposure. Cost and Comparison Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/safety-protocol-checklist-locate-avoid-post-tension-cables-before-drilling https://tension1.com/safety-protocol-checklist-locate-avoid-post-tension-cables-before-drilling Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:57:00 -0500 Before you core or drill a post-tensioned slab: how to confirm it is post-tensioned, how scanning locates the tendons, and the seven-step checklist we follow before every penetration. Installation and Process Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-embodied-carbon-vs-reinforced-concrete https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-embodied-carbon-vs-reinforced-concrete Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:00:00 -0500 A post tension slab can cut slab embodied carbon by about a fifth, mostly through less concrete. See the worked numbers with U.S. EPD data, the limits, and what reviewers ask for. Definition and Function Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-stressing-safety-protocols https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-stressing-safety-protocols Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:15:00 -0500 A field protocol for post tension slab stressing: what OSHA 1926.701(c) requires, how to set the live-end zone, check the jack and gauge, load in stages and accept elongations. Installation and Process Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/roi-post-tension-slab-savings-materials-formwork-timeline https://tension1.com/roi-post-tension-slab-savings-materials-formwork-timeline Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:50:00 -0500 Is a post tension slab worth the premium? Calculate its return across concrete, mild steel, formwork cycles and building height, with published benchmarks and our own project evaluations. Cost and Comparison Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-expansive-clay-soils https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-expansive-clay-soils Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:55:00 -0500 Expansive clay swells and shrinks under every Texas foundation. See how a post tension slab is designed for center and edge lift, and the field details that keep it flat. Definition and Function Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-repair-cost-per-square-foot https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-repair-cost-per-square-foot Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:07:00 -0500 Post tension slab repair runs $3 to $90 per square foot in Texas depending on scope, but tendon work is priced per anchor. See the ranges, the hidden costs, and when replacement wins. Maintenance and Repair Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/maximum-span-residential-post-tension-slab https://tension1.com/maximum-span-residential-post-tension-slab Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:41:00 -0500 How far can a residential post tension slab span? First-pass span-to-depth ratios, what ACI 318-19 really limits, practical span ranges and four variables that push or pull the answer. Installation and Process Joseph Touriri https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-green-advantage-carbon-footprint https://tension1.com/post-tension-slab-green-advantage-carbon-footprint Tue, 07 Apr 2026 13:26:00 -0500 A post tension slab cuts concrete and mild steel at once. See the CO2e math with NRMCA and CRSI benchmarks, a parking case study and where the savings stop. Cost and Comparison Joseph Touriri