prestress
/priːˈstrɛs/
noun
- The state of being prestressed; the internal stress deliberately introduced into a material before it is loaded.
- The prestress in the concrete helps it withstand the weight of the traffic above.
- Without proper prestress, the building's foundation might fail under tension.
- Engineers calculated the exact amount of prestress needed for the bridge's support beams.
verb
- To apply a compressive force to a material (such as concrete or steel) before it is put into use, in order to make it stronger and more resistant to tension.
- To increase the lifespan of the structure, workers prestress the metal supports during construction.
- The bridge was built using a technique that prestresses the steel cables before pouring the concrete.
- Engineers prestress the concrete beams to prevent them from cracking under heavy loads.
Synonyms