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the area of steel, and then the net area has to be supplemented by a transformed steel to concrete area equal to n
times the steel area.
In older days of prestressed concrete, the effect of the
more precise transformed section was not considered because prestressing forces were smaller and electronic computation tools, such as spreadsheet programs, were not
available. Thus, it was conservative to ignore the differences
between gross concrete section, net concrete section, and
transformed concrete section.
Since the analysis being considered is a linear elastic
analysis, it only affects service limit states. The most important stress limit is the concrete tension at final condition due
to full loads plus effective prestress. For bridges in particular, the limit cannot exceed 6 fc , and a number of states
limit it even further. Transformed section analysis reduces
the bottom fiber tensile stress due to gravity loads and thus
reduces the demand for prestressing in order to meet the
code stress limit.
Prestress loss estimates by AASHTO formulas were
based on the assumption that gross section properties are
used in the concrete stress analysis. Unless these formulas
PCI JOURNAL
Fig. 3. Dimensions
of the composite
section.
November-December 2002
A (sq in.)
767
760
1419
1395
805
802
1454
I (in.4)
545,894
539,362
1,089,063
1,064,857
577,779
575,765
1,167,708
Yb (in.)
36.60
36.89
54.59
54.59
35.20
35.29
53.42
= 1 + A*ep*ep /I
2.2377
2.2648
3.9530
4.0147
2.1142
2.1216
3.6874
b = 1 + A*ep*yb /I
2.5263
2.5569
4.3801
4.4484
2.3869
2.3952
4.0858
Note: 1 in. = 25.4 mm; 1 sq in. = 645 mm2; 1 in.4 = 416,231 mm4.
M (kip-in.)
17,258
19,915
6480
25,666
Concrete stress at
centroid of strands (ksi)
3.061
0.981
0.256
1.016
Elastic loss/gain
18.90 ksi
5.72 ksi
1.50 ksi
5.92 ksi
Prestressing strands:
48 1/2 in. dia., 270 ksi, low-relaxation strand, Aps =
7.344 sq in., yps relative to bottom fibers = 6.92 in., Eps =
28,500 ksi, fpi = 202.5 ksi
Precast girder:
f ci = 5.8 ksi, Eci = 4617 ksi, ni = Eps /Eci = 6.17
f c = 6.5 ksi, Ec = 4888 ksi, n = Eps /Ec = 5.83
C.I.P. deck:
f c = 4.0 ksi, Ecd = 3834 ksi, nd = Ecd /Ec = 0.78
Relative humidity = 70 percent
There are two options for calculating elastic loss or gain
due to various effects: Option A, using transformed section
analysis, and Option B, using an iterative net section analysis. Using Option B with gross section properties used to approximate net section properties is the common practice at
present. The values for this example are summarized in
Table 3. The initial elastic loss of 18.90 given in Table 3
was calculated using transformed section properties. The
elastic shortening loss of 18.60 ksi reported in the BDM,
which was calculated iteratively using gross precast section
properties, is slightly different.
The prestress loss according to AASHTO LRFD Specifi4
Cause
Initial prestress
Self-weight
Deck weight
SIDL
Long-term loss
LL
Net
Transformed
section (exact) (ksi)
4.410
1.051
1.221
0.294
1.074
1.166
0.397
1.303
0.137
Net (ksi)
4.410
1.051
1.221
0.294
1.074
1.166
0.397
1.335
0.323
0.323
0.844
0.844
1.278
1.278
0.488
* Includes long-term losses and elastic gains due to deck weight, superimposed DL, and LL.
Note: 1 ksi = 0.006895 kN-mm2.
based on the concrete modulus of elasticity at time of prestress transfer. Disregard the LRFD formula for elastic loss
at transfer. Then calculate the stress due to deck weight applied to the precast transformed section at time of deck
placement (i.e., using Ec of the girder) and the stress due to
superimposed dead load (SIDL) applied to the transformed
composite section. The stresses due to these three loading
cases should be calculated at the bottom fiber and again at
the centroid of the strand. The stresses at the centroid of the
strand should then be used to calculate the LRFD long-term
loss. Before the long-term loss is used in concrete stress calculation, elastic gain due to deck and SIDL must be excluded (increasing the quantity you assign to long-term
loss). The long-term loss should be applied to the net precast
concrete section (which is very close to the gross section).
Since the LRFD long-term loss does not explicitly give a
breakdown of the loss before and after composite action occurs, it is reasonable to apply the entire long-term loss to the
precast-only section. Finally, calculate the concrete bottom
fiber stress due to live load using the transformed composite
section.
The approximate solution currently used in common prac-
November-December 2002