Thirty years of measured prestress at Swedish nuclear reactor containments

The main function of the reactor containment, i.e. to ensure tightness at a major internal accident, depends directly on the prestressing system. To secure that the prestress level is sufficient, the tendon force has been measured during the whole time of operation. The general results from these measurements show that the loss of prestress 30 years after tensioning is between 5 and 10%. This is much lower loss than predicted initially at the design stage. More advanced and today commonly used models for predicting prestress loss show better agreement with the results. The main reasons for the relatively low loss are assumed to be: (1) the confirmed slow drying process of the concrete and (2) the high concrete age at the initial tensioning. The results also indicate that the temperature has a major influence on the loss of prestress.