Industry Guide
Post-Tensioning Concrete: The High-Strength Technique Behind Most Modern Parking Garages and Flat Slabs
Post-tensioning (PT) uses high-strength steel tendons stressed after concrete cures to create compression that resists service loads. PT enables thinner slabs, longer spans, and open floor plans that conventional rebar can't match. But PT requires specialty trades, specific sequence, careful tendon installation, and post-installation grouting that if done wrong creates serious long-term problems. Understanding PT is essential for GCs working on parking garages, podium slabs, office buildings, and other PT-heavy structures.
Marcus Reyes6 min read