• The upward force exerted by a curved tendon acts against the applied loads.
The deflection of the floor is, therefore, lower because it corresponds to the net difference between the applied downward load and the upward force from the tendons.
The drape of the tendons and the prestressing force can be tailored to control deflection where so desired. It is possible to design a post-tensioned floor which will have no deflection under a given load, although this is unlikely to result in economical use of prestressing T