Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
(OP)
Please be careful of Post Tension Foundations in expansive clay soil, and especially in the unincorporated areas of Texas. There is no licensing of homebuilders in Texas, and no inspections required in Counties outside of City Limits. We may have a huge problem in the future with the thousands of houses being built in the Counties of Texas.
Some builders cut corners, ignore codes, standards, any existing regulations, and just plainly don't care about good workmanship, just the $ for a finished product.
Our Post Tension Foundation is labeled by our Engineers as "extremely non-uniform" and "economically uncorrectable".
Our builder tried to cover up the defects of our 5 year old Model home.
We have found one tendon that was not stressed, and of course broke when the Post Tension Co. tried to stress it after 5 years, one tendon too deep in the slab, and the r-meter cannot find any other tendons, re-bar, or mesh anywhere in the foundation.
Therefore, we have interior and exterior differential settlement which Post Tension is supposed to at least minimize if constructed correctly.
The State of Texas and Texas Counties are certainly remiss in not regulating homebuilders and inspections of new construction in unincorporated areas.
Professional Engineers and/orASHI Inspectors should seal all new foundations whether Post Tension or regular residential Slab on Grade.
Any discussion?
Some builders cut corners, ignore codes, standards, any existing regulations, and just plainly don't care about good workmanship, just the $ for a finished product.
Our Post Tension Foundation is labeled by our Engineers as "extremely non-uniform" and "economically uncorrectable".
Our builder tried to cover up the defects of our 5 year old Model home.
We have found one tendon that was not stressed, and of course broke when the Post Tension Co. tried to stress it after 5 years, one tendon too deep in the slab, and the r-meter cannot find any other tendons, re-bar, or mesh anywhere in the foundation.
Therefore, we have interior and exterior differential settlement which Post Tension is supposed to at least minimize if constructed correctly.
The State of Texas and Texas Counties are certainly remiss in not regulating homebuilders and inspections of new construction in unincorporated areas.
Professional Engineers and/orASHI Inspectors should seal all new foundations whether Post Tension or regular residential Slab on Grade.
Any discussion?





RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
http://www.texasce.org/DocumentReview1.cfm
RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
:eek:
RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
My question to this forum is whether there is any technique in slab leveling that can take advantage of the post tension technology? Can existing cables be removed and new cables restrung and tensioned to pullup the slab to a uniform level in all directions?
RE: Post Tension in Expansive Soil, etc.
Even if you are lucky enough to have a design plan for your PT foundation, you cannot be assured that the cables are in their proper location or depth.
If your framing is built to the highs and lows in the foundation, forget trying to level for sure.
Our home has no design plan, one of our cables was never stressed and broke when the supplier tried to stress it after 5 years, the other cables are either too deep or do not exist.
This scenario exists often in the unincorporated areas of Tx. where no required permits or inspections are in place.
It took our home about 5 years to begin cracking and separating both interior and exterior.
Hire a Geotechnical Engineer ASAP.
Good luck to you.
(ponder)