Bridge Strengthening with Additional Prestressing

The application of additional prestressing tendons has been widely used in the rehabilitation and strengthening of bridges in recent years. Additional prestressing tendons can extend the serviceability of a bridge. Furthermore, unacceptable levels of deflection and cracking can also be avoided by prestressing forces. Additional prestressing is unlikely to bring prestressed steel to the point of yielding. Additional prestressing forces may actually have a positive influence on the axial forces in an element, as well as on its resistance to shear and torsion.