Indirect methods for determining the state of prestressing
Jakub Kraľovanec, Jozef Prokop
Abstract
The assessment of the resistance and remaining service life of precast prestressed concrete structures is becoming a crucial aspect of civil engineering. This fact is even more significant in the light of the first generation of precast prestressed concrete bridges’ failures in northern Slovakia. Recently, the collapse of a footbridge in Spišská Nová Ves underlined the need for proper diagnostic and assessment of existing prestressed concrete structures in Slovakia and abroad as well. Problematic precast prestressed concrete bridges of the first generation have been in service for more than sixty years, and thus knowledge of the current state of prestressing is the base for later determination of their load-carrying capacity. Hence, the present paper aims to introduce an overview of the present-day knowledge of indirect destructive and non-destructive methods for determining the state of prestressing in existing structures. Finally, the pros and cons of the mentioned techniques are discussed and compared.