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It is mainly made of design and testing, taking into account not only technical performances but also installation needs.
This activity is continuously carried out for different targets:
- improving of existing products
- introduction of new products
- validation of existing products for specific projects
All these aims and the usual procedure of design and testing apply to all of the Tensacciai products.
Activities are carried out for post-tensioning, stay cables and ground anchors.
Soon after completion of design phase, testing activity follows two different stages:
- preliminary stages are carried out internally, in our factory and in small Italian laboratories, where small scale pieces are subjected to testing
- further stages are carried out on full scale samples in International Laboratories, worldwide known, whose international credibility qualifies our products in respect of the Engineering world, according to International Specifications and Standards.
As reference, Tensacciai has moved, in his history, to:
- EMPA laboratories in Zurich (Switzerland)
- Structural Engineering laboratory of the Politecnico University in Milan (Italy)
- Structural Engineering laboratory of the Politecnico University in Turin (Italy)
- TUM laboratories in Munich (Germany)
- RUHR Universitat laboratories in Bochum (Germany)
- LCPC laboratories in Nantes (France)
- JRC European laboratories in Ispra (Italy)
- DIST laboratories in the University of Naples (Italy)
- TNO laboratories in Delft (The Netherlands)
A huge activity of testing has been recently carried out over stay cables, with research on fatigue performances and behaviour under cyclic transverse loading actions.
Test on full scale models have been possible through installation inside the bigger testing facility now available in Europe, the machine of the European JRC (Joint Research Center) in Ispra (Italy).
Here it has been possible to test a 91 strands stay cable (around 24.000 kN of breaking load) under a double action of axial and transverse loads for 2 million cycles before bringing it to failure.
Extremely positive results led to the installation of this system on the cable stayed bridge over the Po river in Italy, bridge designed for the high speed train line between Milano and Bologna.
Further imposing test campaign has been recently carried out for the European Technical Approval over the post-tensioning system.
The smaller, medium and highest tendons in the entire range of cables have been tested to efficiency, fatigue and load transfer giving satisfactory results, fully complying with European Guideline ETAG013.
All tendons have been capable of sustaining 2 million cycles with a stress range of 80 MPa and a higher load level of 65% Fpk (nominal breaking load of the tendon) without wire breakages.
Static load tests have led to brilliant results, successfully overcoming at failure 95% Fpm (real breaking load of the tendon).