A concrete girder which utilizes steel tendons that have a tensile force placed on them, thereby increasing internal compression and reducing or eliminating stresses due to tension once the beam is loaded.

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Multiple Choice

A concrete girder which utilizes steel tendons that have a tensile force placed on them, thereby increasing internal compression and reducing or eliminating stresses due to tension once the beam is loaded.

Explanation:
Prestressed concrete is made by introducing compressive stresses in the concrete through tensioned steel tendons, so the member already carries some compression before any external load. This pre-compression counteracts the tensile stresses that occur when the beam is loaded, reducing or even eliminating cracking in the tension zone. The description fits a prestressed girder, since steel tendons are put under tensile force to compress the concrete. The tendons might be tensioned before casting (pretensioned) or after casting (post-tensioned), but the general idea is prestressing. Precast refers to how the member is manufactured, not the prestressing concept itself, so it’s not the primary descriptor here.

Prestressed concrete is made by introducing compressive stresses in the concrete through tensioned steel tendons, so the member already carries some compression before any external load. This pre-compression counteracts the tensile stresses that occur when the beam is loaded, reducing or even eliminating cracking in the tension zone. The description fits a prestressed girder, since steel tendons are put under tensile force to compress the concrete. The tendons might be tensioned before casting (pretensioned) or after casting (post-tensioned), but the general idea is prestressing. Precast refers to how the member is manufactured, not the prestressing concept itself, so it’s not the primary descriptor here.

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