Post-Tension Foundations

Very common here in the Greater Houston area, are Post-Tension Concrete Foundations.

Curious how it all works ?!?

Steel braided structural cables or tendons are encased inside of a plastic sheathing. They are laid out and installed according to strict engineering plans, placing the cables exactly where they are most needed to assist in supporting and tying in separate sections throughout a foundation. Once in place, they are fastened to the outer form boards to keep them in place. Shoes or cable supports are then added throughout to allow the cables to suspend above the compressed foundation pad floor. Intersecting cables are also connected with metal rebar ties.

What’s next …

Once all the rough plumbing, post-tension cables, supports, electrical and any other components needed are in place. Then it’s INSPECTION Time ! After the inspection report indicates present issues / concerns, the builder will remedy these before proceeding to pour the slab.

Boom Truck depositing concrete into slab form…

After concrete is all placed, the surface will be screed / smoothed out and finished with hand and machine trowels. The finished product ends up like…

Generally concrete cures rapidly in the first month, but some believe continues curing or aging throughout its life-span. Concrete reaches approx. 40% of its overall strength in just 3 days, and approx. 99% at just 28 days. So the best practice is to wait at least a week before proceeding to the framing stage. Included below, pretty neat video of how post-tension cables are stretched (Video Link)

Post-tension video

After approx. 7-10 days, a speciality hydraulic jack is utilized to stretch the cables roughly 3-6 inches from their original size. This short distance in turn applies anywhere from 30,000-40,000 PSI on the cables. Once the correct pressure is exerted, a retaining clip is installed to keep the cable secured in place. The remaining portion of exposed cable is then cut off. Then the circular opening is capped off / closed with concrete patch to help prevent rusting and deterioration of the cable ends from weather elements.

Veteran Led Business !

Happy Holidays , Hope everyone has a Blessed Thanksgiving !

Let us know if we can assist in any Home or Commercial Inspection Services you may have !

www.atexinspects.com

(281) 216-1171

Robert@atexinspects.com

#SmallThanks

Is It Time To Go Tankless ?! (Water-Heater)

Are you frustrated with running out of hot water? That would no longer be an issue with one of these space saving & energy efficient units.

Traditional tank style water heaters typically waste 40-50 % of the fuel used to power the unit. We constantly have to burn fuel to keep them powered 24/7 just to have hot water on command.

Typical units also hinder certain worries such as… Will they spring a leak? Could it be filled with energy nabbing sediment? Could it explode from the pressure ?!

New Compact tankless water heater supply hot water on demand with high energy savings & nearly no risk of damages from a potentially failing unit.

To start, the energy savings can be around 100$ a year. Though, it might not sound like a lot, after several years it could add* up to the cost of a new unit. Not only is it more efficient, its also safer. While not having to have a tank capacity for hot water on demand, it doesn’t run the risk of a large spill (30-40 gallons) as does a typical tank unit. Also without the pressurized tank, it doesn’t run the same risk of exploding.

Sounds like a no-brainer right ?! There are some minor drawbacks. They can be sensitive to low flow. What this means is that if you have mineral build up in the plumbing lines or the fixture strainers (below 0.3 GPM) then the unit can shut off. Also tankless units are quite expensive with average units being around $1,000 compared to $500 for typical tank versions. But with the energy savings, if they last their typical life-span, you would make the difference back before the unit expired.

All in all - should you switch to a TANKLESS water heater? If you are in the market for a new unit you might surely consider switching over. But personally, I wouldn’t make the switch until my current unit gave out !

If you have any questions concerning water heaters or anything with a house in general, feel free to ask !!