PRESTRESSED

CONCRETE
(BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5)

REINFORCED CONCRETE:
Concrete is strong in compression weak in tension.
Steel in strong in tension
Reinforced concrete uses concrete to resist compression

and to hold bars in position and uses steel to resist tension.

Tensile strength of concrete is neglected (i.e. zero )
R.C beams allows crack under service load.

WHAT IS PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE?
Definition:
Pre-stressed concrete is a form of reinforced concrete that builds in
compressive stresses during construction to oppose those found when in
use.

In other words it is a combination of steel and concrete that takes

advantages of the strengths of each material.

CONCEPT OF PRE-STRESSING:
i . The concept of pre stressing was invented years ago when metal brands were
wound around wooden pieces to form barrels.
ii . The metal brands were tighten under tensile stress which creates compression
between the staves allowing them to resist internal liquid pressure.

ADVANTAGES OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE:

Prestressed member is free from crack,so the resisting impact, shock and reversal of stresses is
much more than reinforced concrete.
It is more durable than reinforced concrete.
The section of prestressed concrete member is less compared to RCC member as it utilizes the
maximum tension and compression of concrete, so it reduces the cost.
Prestressed concrete can be used in long spans as the section of member can be reduced.
As the sections are lighter, they can be transported easily.
The concrete diagonal tension can also be reduced.
Shear resistance can be increased using curved tendons.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE:

The major problem with prestressed concrete is that it needs specialized
construction machineries like jacks anchorage etc.
Advanced technical knowledge and strict supervision is very important.

For concrete prestressing, high tensile reinforcement bars are needed which costs
greater than generally used mild steel reinforcement bars.
Highly skilled labor is needed for prestressed concrete constructions.

PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE: METHODS

There are two basic methods of applying pre-stress to a concrete
member
Pre-tensioning most often used in factory situations
Post-tensioning site use

2 MAIN TYPES OF PRESTRESSED

CONCRETE:
Pre-tensioned Concrete - is when the steel reinforcement is stressed prior to
concrete being placed around the steel.

Post-tension - is a method of reinforcing (strengthening) concrete or other materials

with high-strength steel strands called tendons.

PRE-TENSIONING

IN PRE-TENSION, THE TENDONS ARE TENSIONED AGAINST SOME

ABUTMENTS BEFORE THE CONCRETE IS PLACE. AFTER THE CONCRETE
HARDENED, THE TENSION FORCE IS RELEASED. THE TENDON TRIES TO
SHRINK BACK TO THE INITIAL LENGTH BUT THE CONCRETE RESISTS IT
THROUGH THE BOND BETWEEN THEM, THUS, COMPRESSION FORCE IS
INDUCED IN CONCRETE. PRETENSION IS USUALLY DONE WITH PRECAST
MEMBERS.

ADVANTAGES OF PRETENSION
Pretension is the easiest controlled of the bonded stressings with the least chance of
error in the bonding process.
Tension caused by the steel is spread throughout the length of the concrete since it is
bonded within the concrete along the length of the member.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRE-TENSION
Difficult to perform at site. Only done in precast yards.
There is greater loss of prestress due to shrinkage of concrete.
Concrete and steel tendons are in direct contact. So any moisture that slips through
cracks in concrete will cause corrosion in steel.
Tendons can only be straight, harped or circular.
Since the compressive forces are transferred over a certain length of bond, they are
less prone to anchorage failure.

POST-TENSIONING
In Post tension, the tendons are tensioned after the
concrete has hardened. Commonly, metal or plastic
ducts are placed inside the concrete before casting.
After the concrete hardened and had enough strength,
the tendon was placed inside the duct, stressed, and
anchored against concrete. Grout may be injected into
the duct later. This can be done either as precast or
cast-in-place.

ADVANTAGES:
Take full advantages of high strength concrete
and high strength steel
Need less materials
Smaller and lighter structure
No cracks
Use the entire section to resist the load
Better corrosion resistance
Good for water tanks and nuclear plant
Very effective for deflection control

Better shear resistance

DISADVANTAGES:
Need higher quality materials
More complex technically
More expensive
Harder to re-cycle

APPLICATION:

Bridges
Slabs in buildings
Water Tank
Concrete Pile
Thin Shell Structures
Offshore Platform
Nuclear Power Plant
Repair and Rehabilitations

2 TYPES OF POST TENSION:

Bonded post-tensioned concrete: unstressed pre-stressing steel is placed with in
the concrete and then tension stressed after concrete has harden to required strength
Un-bonded post-tensioned concrete: differs from bonded post-tensioning by
providing the pre-stressing steel permanent freedom of movement relative to the
concrete.

BONDED POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE

Process
Concrete is casted around a curved
duct (usually corrugated), to allow room

for the Tendon to be inserted.

After the concrete has hardened the
tendons are pulled in tension and then
wedged.
The duct is then injected with gout

ADVANTAGES
Tendons are less likely to de-stress in accidents
Tendons can be easily 'weaved' allowing more efficient designs
Higher ultimate strength due to bond generated between the strand and concrete
No issues with maintaining the anchor

UN-BONDED POST-TENSION
In post-tensioning, the steel in the concrete is stretched after the curing process.
Unlike bonded, un-bonded provides tendons freedom of movement by coating each
tendon with grease and covering it with a plastic sheathing

Tension on the concrete is achieved by the cables acting against the steel anchors
that are buried in the perimeters of the concrete

UN-BONDED POST-TENSION

ADVANTAGES
Post-stress grouting is eliminated
Ability to de-stress the tendons
Economical
Replaceable
Simple stressing equipment