Test of Post‐Tensioned Flat Plate with Banded Tendons

This investigation was undertaken to observe the strength and behavior of a one-half scale, nine panel, flat plate with banded arrangement of unbonded tendons. The test slab had three 10-ft spans in each direction and 2.5 ft overhangs on two edges with the nominal thickness measured at 2.75 in. The slab was designed with a low P/A stress level of 135 psi. The overall performance of the test slab at service load level (50 psf) was quite satisfactory. The slab behaved elastically and deflection was fully recovered upon releasing the applied load. The slab before failure was very ductile, with large deflections observed in all tests to failure. The failure load was observed at 160 psf, which was in excess of the designed factored load. The punching shear failure was secondary to the flexural failure: thus, the punching shear load was equal to flexural failure load. The minimum bonded reinforcement of 0.15% of the column strip area provided very good crack control up to the failure load.