Abstract

This talk discusses the major impact of post tensioning as a powerful tool, which has yet to be fully exploited at the design stage by the structural engineer To support this idea three different topics of the on going research are presented 1 – Post tensioned masonry structures This research claims the high potential of masonry as a primary load bearing material when combined with post tensioning.Both the design and the construction of a reduced scale arch footbridge are presented 2 – Post tensioned free form structures Non structural design criteria (e g usability, architectural needs, aesthetics) often prevents the selection of a bending free shape This research illustrates how external post tensioning can convert any geometry into a bending free one This opens up new possibilities for designs that combine high efficient solutions with architectural freedom 3 – Post tensioned responsive structures External post tensioning has proven to be an effective solution to introduce intermediate supports in structures in order to decrease their spans. However, the maximum system efficiency is only achieved for a specific loading. This research presents the possibility of using a responsive external post tensioning system, where the responsive behaviour is materialized through an actuator located between the beam and the post tensioning system. In summary, post tensioning offers to the designer the ability to control the structural behaviour and, as a natural consequence, may provide a considerable level of innovation in structural engineering