Design of Prestressed

Concrete Structures
Dr. Amr Abdelrahman
Associate Professor, Ain Shams University, Egypt

April 2006

References
M. Collins and D. Mitchell, Prestressed
Concrete Structures, Response
Publication, Canada, 1997, 766p.
Canadian Prestressed Concrete Institute
(CPCI), Design Manual Precast and
Prestressed Concrete, 1996.

Design of Flexural Members

1. Choose cross section
Span to depth ratio

Span to depth ratio

40

20

40-50

20-30

23-32

18

Design of Flexural Members

2. Assume
prestressing forces
cable path
3. Check stresses at service
Initial Stage

Final Stage

In compression

0.6 fci

In compression

0.45 fc

In tension

0.25 fci

In tension

0. 5 fc

Design of Flexural Members

4. Check ultimate limit states
flexure
shear
5. Check serviceability
deflection
camber
crack width (partial prestressing)
fatigue
(partial prestressing)
vibration
6. Design end block

Example 1
Dead load = 6.2 kN/m
Live load = 6.2 kN/m
fci = 30 MPa
fc = 40 MPa
Pj = 1200 kN
Pi = 1100 kN
Pe = 1000 kN

20,000

It is required to:
1.
2.

Check the stresses at the critical section

Calculate the area of prestressing steel

1000

400
200

Example 1 (contd)
Transfer Stage
310 kN-m
1.6

(-)

ft = - Pi /A + (Pi e)/zt Md/zt

= - 1.6 MPa
fb = - Pi /A - (Pi e)/zb + Md/zb
= - 9.4 MPa

Allowable stresses
fc = 0.6 * 30
ft = 0.25 * (30)1/2

9.4

= -18 MPa
= +1.37 MPa

Example 1 (contd)
Working Stage
ft = - Pe /A + (Pe e)/zt Mt/zt
= - 11.6 MPa
fb = - Pe /A - (Pe e)/zb + Mt/zb
= +1.6 MPa

Allowable stresses
fc = 0.45 * 40
ft = 0. 5 * (40)1/2

620 kN-m
11.6
(-)

1.6

= -18 MPa
= +3.16 MPa

Example 1 (contd)
Area of prestressing steel
Aps

= Pj /fpj
= 1200,000 / (0.75 * 1860)
= 860 mm2

Example 2
Dead load = 12 kN/m
Live load = 6 kN/m
fci = 40 MPa
fc = 50 MPa
Pj = 2500 kN
Pi = 2250 kN
Pe = 2000 kN

12,000
100

It is required to:
1.
2.

Check the stresses at the critical section

Calculate the area of prestressing steel

150
1000

200

Steel stress-strain behavior

0.9 low-relaxation strands

7-wire steel strand

fpy / fpu = 0.85 stress-relieved strands

0.8 deformed prestressing bars

1600
For low-relaxation strands
High strength bars

1200

Permissible tensile stress at jacking =

0.8 fpu < 0.9 fpy

800
Deformed reinforcing bars
400
0
0

8
12
Tensile strain (%)

16

Concrete stress-strain behavior

f c

Stress

Tensile stress (MPa)

2000

compression

tension

fctr

c = 0.002

cu =

0.003

Strain

ULS of Flexure
cu =

0.003

dp

Tp
Strain

Stress

Forces

Mr = { Tp (dp a/2) }
Mf = 1.4 Md + 1.7 ML

M r > Mf

ULS of Flexure
cu =

0.003

dnp

dp
Tp
Tnp
Strain

Stress

Forces

Mr = { Tp (dp a/2) + Tnp (dnp a/2) }

Mf = 1.4 Md + 1.7 ML

M r > Mf

ULS of Shear

Web shear
crack

Flexural shear
crack

Vcw = (0.29 fc + 0.3 fpc) bw d + Vp

(Web shear)

Vci = (0.05 fc + 0.3 fpc) bw d + V Mcr (Flexural shear)

M

Losses of Prestressing Forces

Short-term

Long-term

Elastic shortening
Anchorage slip
Friction (post-tension only)

Relaxation of steel
Creep of concrete
Shrinkage of concrete

Pj

Pi
Short-term losses

Pe
Long-term losses

Elastic Shortening

1/2

1/2

s = / L

fs = s Es

Loss of prestressing force =

fs Aps

Friction Losses
dead
end

Jacking
end
Anchorage
seat

Px

Px = Pj e-( + kx)
d

Pj

P-dP

dP

K = 0.002 0.003 /m

curvature frictional loss

wobble frictional loss

= 0.2 to 0.3

Creep of concrete

Shrinkage of concrete

strain

Time dependant

to

cr

Curing (moist steam)

sh = 200 400 x 10-6

time

Creep coefficient = cr / o = 2 to 3

End Block
N

compression

Force in x direction

tension

Force in y direction

10

End Block
tension

tension
Prestressing
force

End Block

3T12 @ 100
3T12 @ 100
4T12 L=700

4T12 L=700

100

100

200

Live end

200

3T12 @ 100

3T12 @ 100

Dead end

11

Jacking Ends

Mono-strand
Multi-strands

Anchor head

Multi-strands

Flat Anchorages

Multi-strand

Mono-strand

12

Dead Ends

13

Fire
Duration of fire (hours)

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

3.0

4.0

simple beam
Min.
dimension continuous beam
(mm)
slab (simple/cont.)

120

120

150

200

240

280

120

120

120

150

200

240

80

100

110

130

150

170

simple beam

20

20

30

45

60

70

continuous beam

20

20

25

40

50

60

simple slab

15

20

25

35

45

55

continuous slab

15

20

20

25

35

45

Min.
concrete
cover
(mm)

Problems?

Prestressed frame

Multi-storey building
Frame

14

Necessary Documents for Construction

System of construction including

Steel strands
Anchors
Ducts
Equipments
Sequence of tensioning cables
Concrete stress at time of stressing
Jacking forces
Extension of strands
grouting

Necessary Documents for Construction

Structural drawings

Distance between cables

Profile of cables (coordinates)
Jacking stress
Number and diameter of strands per duct
Friction coefficients, , k
Detail of end zones

Minimum radius (horizontal and vertical)

Calculation sheet

15

Quality Control
Compressive strength of concrete
Before prestressing (or at release)
After 28 days

Grout
Compressive strength
Flowability

Prestressing steel
Test certificates
yield and ultimate tensile stress
Ultimate tensile strain

Ducts

Quality Control
Calibration of jacks before prestressing
Stressing
Concrete after prestressing

Camber
Deformations
Cracks
Connection between prestressed and other elements

Grouting

16

Why Partial Prestressing (PPS)?

Reduction in camber
Reduction in prestress force, which may
allow increase in the tendon eccentricity
Reduction in prestress losses due to creep
and relaxation (where PPS is achieved using lower
tendon stress)

Reduction of cracking at the end zone

How to achieve it?

Provide non-prestressed reinforcement
Reduce the effective prestress below the
maximum stress level (useful in
pretensioned applications)
Mcr > Md + Msd

17

Behaviour of PPS Beams

FPS

Load

PPS

Service
load

1
2
(+)

(-)

Deflection

Crack Width Calculations

Z = fs

fs =

dc A

Ac

Ms Mdc

dc

(Ap + As ) d

A = Ac / n

(-)

Zero stress

Mdc

18

Camber and Deflection

Camber and Deflection

P e L2
M L2
+ kp e
Ec Ig
Ec Ig

= ks

After cracking:

M L2
l = ks
Ec Ie

Ma

Icr

Mcr
Moment

Before cracking:

Ie
Ig

where

Ie =

Ma

M cr
Ma

M cr

M cr

M
a

Ig + 1 -

= 1 -

tl

Deflection

Icr

Calculated
Calculated
using Ig
using Icr
Calculated using Ie

- f r
f

f tl = final calculated total stress in the element

fl = calculated stress due to live load

f tl
Stress
distribution

Cross
section

19

Long-Term Deflection

Moment

Fatigue of prestressing steel

fp at a crack
fp

S
= 0.95

fp

= 0.5
= 0.05

Log N

20