Colorado Springs, CO (February 19, 2010) – Stresscon Corporation recently hosted a plant tour and load test presentation for eleven people from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Carson Division. Following the tour of Stresscon’s main plant in Colorado Springs, Major Himes of the Corps of Engineers commented, “Our group found the entire event extremely educational and informative. I know you guys run a good operation and offer some tremendous products.”
The tour emphasized Stresscon's commitment to product quality and showcased their extensive architectural precast manufacturing capabilities. The Corps of Engineers had an opportunity to view the production of some of Fort Carson's newest buildings, scheduled for completion in the fall of 2010. According to Stresscon’s Manager of Business Development, Dave Mahan, “You will always see a structure in a different perspective once you have witnessed the product being manufactured.”
In addition to the plant tour, Stresscon included a load test of a prestressed double tee. The member, a 10DT24, was 10 feet wide, 24 inches deep, and approximately 70 feet in length. The double tee was designed per code to carry a typical roof load of 30 psf. The initial load represented the design roof load, but after little to no visible impact, additional load was applied. This additional load doubled the design load to a total of 60 psf. Under this non-typical loading condition, the double tee deflected approximately 14 inches. Although cracks appeared in the stems, the double tee held strong. Once the load was removed, the member rebounded to its original shape. This test continues to demonstrate that prestressed concrete can resist overload conditions without sustaining permanent damage while providing ample warning through the noticeable deflections.
About Stresscon Corporation
Stresscon Corporation designs, fabricates, and erects quality structural and architectural precast concrete structures for the construction communities of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Founded in 1967 and a member of the EnCon Companies since 1993, Stresscon is PCI certified and specializes in institutional and commercial applications. Stresscon’
