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tendon
A post tensioned tendon is a bundle of steel strands encased in grouted concrete and wrapped in a
protective sheathing and then tensioned. Post tensioning is a tehnique for reinforcing concrete.
According to Concretenetwork “Post tensioning is a technique for reinforcing concrete. Post-
tensioning tendons, which are prestressing steel cables inside plastic ducts or sleeves,
are positioned in the forms before the concrete is placed. Afterwards, once the concrete
has gained strength but before the service loads are applied, the cables are pulled tight,
or tensioned, and anchored against the outer edges of the concrete.” Without post
tension tendons large slabs of concrete would crack and collapse under load. Post
tensioned tendons are used in bridge construction, building construction, box girder
roadways, tennis courts, dams and other large concrete structures.
Once in place grouted post tension tendons are succeptible to corrosion and deterioration. Many of
these external post tension tendons that are in our bridges are exposed to chloride, air, salt water
and other elements that can aid in their corrosion. Regular infrastructure are imperative to keeping
the structure and the traveling public safe.
Up till now almost all post tension tendon inspections continue to be manual and subjective in nature
with very little quantitative data. Infrastructure Preservation Corporation’s has developed
TendonScan®. TendonScan® is a post tension tendon service that is composed of two services.
One that utilizes advanced magnetic flux leakage nondestructive testing technology and one that
utilizes magnetic flux leakage combined with robotics and interpretation software to peer through an
external post tension tendon and provide the asset manager with an advanced condition
assessment report to help budget for maintenance.
According to FHWA The MFL method can be used to detect the location and extent of corrosion in post-
tensioned and precast prestressed strands in concrete girders, and breakage of wires and strands in post-
tensioning tendons and prestressing strands. MFL is also commonly used to test the cables of suspension or
cable stayed bridges. MFL units can be clamped onto a cable as part of a climbing module or rolled across a
surface.
Where most mfl units cannot provide proper data for post tension tendons. IPC’s TendonScan® was
specifically callibrated with software written for the inspection of external post tension tendons.
Perfectly tuned to external post tension tendons, the software shows location and percentage of loss
of metallic area.
The unit has a speed indicator, headlamps for dark box girders and an indicator when an issue is
present. Wireless, Portable and Accurate.
Potable, light weight, wireless and accurate. IPC’s TendonScan® will locate loss of metallic area
inside an external post tension tendon.
According to The Subcommittee Magnetic Processes for Pre-stressing Steel Breakage Detection of
the Technical Committee for NDT in Construction of the German Society for Non-Destructive Testing
deals with the further development and dissemination of the procedure.
“Statements about the condition of prestressed steel reinforcements are not only important for
ensuring the stability and usability of structures under known load levels but also for the conversion
and renovation of structures. With the prestressing steel breakage detection based on MFL
technique it is possible to make nondestructive test statements. It is essential to coordinate with the
client regarding the possibilities and limits of the respective examination task”
Without designing a system and conducting the testing for a specific component the nondestructive
testing technology by itself will not give you the results required to properly assess the structural item
in question. Although the technology by itself is know to work. Every structure being inspected is
constructed differently. Even the grout being used today changes from batch to batch and
manufacturer to manufacturer. Without conducting the R&D and properly configuring software to be
specific to that component mfl would just not be a useful bridge inspections tool.
A research article written by Seunghee Park and Changgill Lee offers the Principals of Magnetic Flux
Leakage to help explain.