The Stress-Con Post Tension System uses a high strength seven strand steel cable with a coating of lubricant and plastic.



The cable is installed inside the concrete form boards according to engineering specifications. A typical installation includes cables running 90 degree to each other to form a reinforcement grid. The cables are held in place by cast iron anchors secured to the form boards with nails. Plastic chair supports hold the cables at the proper height for the depth of concrete being poured.

After the concrete has been poured and hardened to meet specifications, the tensioning process, called stressing, is applied to the cables. The stressing operation is accomplished by using a hydraulic jack which attaches to the protruding cable end after the forms have been removed. The lubricant inside the plastic liner allow the cable to slide while the pressure is being applied. After the cable has been stretched to proper specifications it is locked in place by steel wedges in the anchor. After all cables are stressed, the slab is in a state of compression, applied at the anchor points of each cable end.



The residual compression distributed through the slab supports the structure on top and actively resists soil movement occurring under the slab. The Stress-Con System exponentially increases stability in the normal life of the structure.