A new approach to friction loss calculations in prestressed steel is presented. Tendon profile is converted into equivalent external loads as in load balancing. Friction forces are then obtained by multiplying the normal components of equivalent loads by the coefficient of friction. The method is applicable for any measurable curvature, intended or unintended. Losses can be calculated for intermediate points along the length of the tendon as well as the total length. The approach gives very close results with the classical friction loss method.
