Prestressed Concrete Introduction Pre-stressed concrete is a form of concrete where initial compression is given in the concrete before applying the external load so that stress from external loads are counteracted in the desired way during the service period. This initial compression is introduced by high strength steel wire or alloys (called ‘tendon’) located in the concrete section. Why is Pre-stressed Concrete Required? Before get started let’s go back to some basics first. We know, concrete is good at compression but very weak in tension. And so we see after external loading, in the bottom part of concrete, a tension zone occurred. So, it tries to be elongated and guess what? It cracks. This is why we add some at the steel bars bottom section so that it can resist most of the tension and save concrete from cracking. This is our traditional RC structure. But what about some megastructures with larger beam span? Think about a flyover or famo...
Engineers Life Engineering has been shown to be one of the ‘happiest’ professions. A survey by Engineers Ireland stated that 94 per cent of members said they were happy with their career choice. A career with variety Variety is a key aspect of engineering, with a range of different working environments to choose from. A typical day as an engineer very much depends on the type of role and sector you are in. A designer may work on one project for a long period while a mechanical or applications engineer might have several projects on the go all at the same time. On a daily basis you will be asked to communicate or present your work and ideas to colleagues, management and/or clients. You will also be given plenty of responsibility and the opportunity to take on leadership roles. You may have the opportunity to travel, working for international companies or on overseas projects. The range of project locations could mean, however, that you end up travelling a lot and bei...