LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED

FCCE

PRESTRESSING
PRINCIPLE
Prestressing is a deliberate creation of known permanent stresses in a member or
structure before the full, dead and live loads are applied. These stresses are always primarily
compressive and in the vast majority of cases they are created by means of high tensile
tendons, which are tensioned and then anchored to the member being prestressed.

APPLICATION OF PRESTRESSING
1. Bridges and long span beams
2. Framed structures
3. Marine and waterside structures
4. Railway sleepers, Prestressing piles
5. Water tanks and other liquid containers
6. Pipes, Poles, Masts, Towers, Tall structures
7. Roads, Runways
8. Nuclear power reactors
9. Floating structures

TYPES OF PRESTRESSING SYSTEM

Prestressing can be broadly classified into two types
1. Pretensioning
2. Postensioning
They are again classified into two types as
1. Mono pull stressing
2. Multi pull stressing

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PRESTRESSING

PRE TENSIONING

POST TENSIONING

BONDED TENDONS

UNBONDED TENDONS

WIRE / STRAND / BARS

PROCEDURE FOR POST TENSIONING AT SITE

The procedure that should be followed at site for prestressing
Sheathing laying & Profiling
1. After completion of the bottom reinforcement, mark the profile as per the drawing
and weld the support with the reinforcement.
2. Lay the sheathing along the support and fix it properly using wires.
3. The sheathing shall be joined with suitable coupler and be sealed with wrapping
adhesive tapes, tightly.
4. Fix the grout vents as per the drawings at high points.
5. Fix the live end anchorage at appropriate location with the sheathing and sealed
with wrapping adhesive tapes, tightly.
6. For single end stressing bulb has to be made at one end and anchorage has to be
fixed at other end. Later anti bursting reinforcement has to be fixed at the
stressing end and dead end as per the approved drawing.
7. A Pre-Fabricated recess former, made out of Thermocole, shall be fixed at live
end anchorage for block out.
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Strand cutting, bulbing and threading

1. H.T Strand shall be uncoiled using coil dispenser.
2. Ensure the straightness of the strand and cut the strand as per the required length
using disc Cutter / cutting Wheel.
3. Mark the bulb location and make bulb using flower jack.
4. Thread the cable from rear end of the sheathing, i.e. opposite side of the live end.
5. Ensure the position of strand as per the drawing, at dead end.
6. Seal the sheathing at dead end using wrapping adhesive tapes, tightly
7. Ensure the profile of tendon (sheathing with strand) and correct it, if required.
Concreting
1. Concrete vibration has to be taken care at the anchorage zone, as weak concrete
may lead to bursting while stressing.
2. Recess former correctness shall be checked while concreting.
3. Any reinforcement rod fouling with anchorage has to be shifted locally.
4. Vibrator needle shall be used in such a way that it does not disturb the laid tendon
profile.
5. All the strands projecting outside the slab shall be covered with either gunny bags
in order to protect it from the foreign materials coming in contact.
Stressing
1. Jacks used for stressing have to be tested for its efficiency
2. The strands projecting outside the anchorages shall be cleaned with petrol /
kerosene.

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3. Wedges shall be checked for even seating, by placing it in bearing plate position
holes.
4. All stressing equipments shall be cleaned and checked before put into operation.
5. Stressing shall be done only after concrete has attained 80% of the specified
characteristic strength.
6. Stressing Jack shall be placed at live ends of the cables and check proper seating of
jack master wedge.
7. Simultaneous stressing shall be done for double end stressing as per specifications.
8. Cable shall be stressed to required load / elongation as per the sequence given in
the drawing.
9. All stressing values shall be recorded in the specified format, which shall be duly
signed by Prestressing Engineer /Agency / consultant / client.
10. Strands shall be cut after 12hrs from completion of stressing operation.
11. Strands protruding beyond wedge shall be cut to 25 mm away from wedge face
using cutting wheel.
Grouting of tendons
1. Grouting shall be done as per Appendix 1800 - III/IRC 18-2000.
2. After the stressing and trimming of strands are completed, sealing of tendons shall
be done at live ends using Nit mortar-S / Rendroc-S2 or any approved filler as per
specifications.
3. Before starting grouting take trial grout mix and test it in site laboratory.
4. Fix the grout hose at inlet end.

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FCCE

5. Water shall be potable, free from impurities and cement shall be fresh and free
from any lumps.
6. Water and cement shall be mixed as per the details given in the drawing using
mixer and agitate the mix continuously.
7. The ratio shall be kept as 0.4 and mixing time of grout shall be 2 3 minutes and
approved non-aluminium based expanding agent may be added as per
specifications.
8. Grout shall be collected in a collection drum after passing through 2x2mm wire
mesh.
9. Grout in the collection drum shall be kept in continuous slow agitation by means
of agitator until pumped into the duct.
10. Grout shall be pumped into the duct by means grouting pump.
11. Start filling the duct with the specified grout mix, consistency of the grout has to
be checked from the dead end grout vent, and if it reaches close the vent, repeat the
same for other vents.
12. Build the grout pressure up to 5kg/cm2 and maintain the pressure for about 1
minute.
13. The inlet shall be closed and pressure shall be released from grout pump by
releasing the return valve in the grout.
14. Same procedure shall be adopted for remaining cables.
15. Plugs / ball valves shall be removed after the setting time of the grout.
16. During grouting workers shall wear protective goggles, helmets, and hand gloves.
17. All the data shall be recorded in the format.
18. Flowability test shall be conducted for grout at site, 10% of total tendon in a slab.
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f) Records:
1) Prestressing material quality reports.
a. Test Certificates.
2) Calibration certificates for Pressure gauges and measuring instruments.
3) Jack efficiency report.
4) Stressing records.
5) Grouting records.
6) Non-conformity reports.

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