Prestressed Concrete

PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE
Engr. Gabriel Gamana
1. Principles of Prestress
2. Flexural Design of Prestressed
Concrete Elements
3. Partial Loss of Prestress
4. Shear and Torsional Strength
Table of Contents Design
5. Camber, Deflection and Crack
Control
6. Prestressed Compression and
Tension Members
1
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Comparison with Reinforced Concrete
1.3 Economics of Prestressed Concrete
1.4 Historical Development of Prestressing
1. Principles of 1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing
1.6 C-Line Method
Prestress 1.7 Load-Balancing Method
1.8 Method of Prestressing
1.9 Materials for Prestressing
1.1 Introduction
2
1.1 Introduction
• Concrete is strong in compression, but weak in tension. Due
to such a low tensile capacity, flexural cracks develop at early
stages of loading.
• In order to reduce or prevent such cracks from developing, a
concentric or eccentric force is imposed in the longitudinal
direction of the structural element. This force prevents the
cracks from developing by eliminating or considerably
reducing the tensile stresses at the critical sections at service
load, thereby increasing the capacity of the section.
• Such an imposed longitudinal force is called a presstressing
force i.e., a compressive force that prestresses the sections
along the span of the structural element prior to the
application of the loads.
1.1 Introduction
Considering a row of books. Each book is a discrete element
but, if they are stacked closely together and an axial
compressive force is applied at each end of the stack, it is
possible to lift the whole row as a single unit.
3
• Prestressed Member
 The permanent stresses in the prestressed structural
member are created before the full dead and live loads are
applied, in order to eliminate or considerably reduce the
net tensile stresses caused by these loads.
 Downward deflections of beams and slabs under service
loads may be avoided or greatly reduced.
• Nonprestressed Member
 It is assumed that the tensile strength of the concrete is
negligible and disregarded. Cracking and deflection are
therefore essentially irrecoverable in reinforced concrete
once the member reached its limit state at service load.
 The reinforcement does not exert any forces of its own on
the member, contrary to the action of prestressing steel.
7
4
• Prestressed Member
 By controlling the amount of prestress, a structural system
can be made either flexible or rigid without influencing its
strength.
 Fatigue resistance (i.e. the ability to resist the effect of
repeated live loading due to, for instance, road and rail
traffic) is considerably enhanced.
• Nonprestressed Member
 Such flexibility in behavior is considerably more difficult to
achieve if considerations of economy are to be observed
in the design.
1.3 Economics of Prestressed Concrete

• Advantage
 In general, the depth of a prestressed concrete member
is usually about 65 to 85% of the depth of the equivalent
reinforced concrete member. Hence, the prestressed
member requires less concrete, and about 20 to 35% of
the amount of reinforcement.
• Disadvantage
 Unfortunately, this savings in material weight is balanced
by the higher cost of the higher quality materials needed
in prestressing.
 Regardless of the system used, prestressing operations
result in an added cost.
 Formworks is more complex, since the geometry of
prestressed sections is usually composed of flanged
sections with thin web.
10
5
• In 1872
 P. H. Jackson, an engineer from California, patented a
prestressing system that used a tie rod to construct
beams or arches from individual block.
11

• In 1888
 C. W. Doehring of Germany obtained a patent for
prestressing slabs with metal wires. But these early
attempts at prestresssing were not really successful
because of the loss of the prestress with time.
• In the early 1900s
 R. E. Dill of Alexandria, Nebraska, recognized the effect
of the shrinkage and creep of concrete on the loss of
prestress.
 He subsequently develop the idea that successive post-
tensioning of unbonded rods would compensate for the
time-dependent loss of the stress in the rod due to the
decrease in the length of the member because of creep
and shrinkage.
12
6
• In the early 1920s
 W. H. Hewett of Minneapolis develop the principles of
circular prestressing. He hoop-stressed horizontal
reinforcement around walls of concrete tanks through the
use of turnbuckles to prevent cracking due to internal
liquid pressure, thereby achieving water tightness.
• 1926 through 1928
 Linear prestressing continued to develop in Europe and in
France, in particular through the ingenuity of Eugene
Freyssinet, who proposed methods to prestress losses
through the use of high-strength and high-ductility steels.
 In 1940, he introduced the now well-known and well-
accepted Freyssinet system comprising the conical
wedge anchor for 12- wire tendons.
13

• Between 1930s and 1960s
 P. W. Abeles of England introduced and developed the
concept of partial prestressing.
 F. Leonhardt of Germany, V. Mikhailov of Russia, and T.
Y. Lin of the United States also contributed a great deal to
the art and science of the design of prestressed concrete.
 Lin’s load-balancing method deserves particular mention
in this regard, as it considerably simplified the design
process, particularly in continuous structures.
14
7
1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing
The prestressing force P that satisfies the particular conditions of
geometry and loading of a given element is determined from the
principles of mechanics and of stress-strain relationships.
=± ±
where = flexural stress

= Prestressing force
= Cross-sectional area
= Moment
= distance from the centroid
= Gross moment of inertia
15
=− + −
=− − +
In General, minus sign is used for compression and plus sign

for tension.
16
8
=− − +
• The equation above indicates that the presence of

prestressing force-compressive stress is reducing the tensile
flexural stress to the extent intended in the design, either
eliminating tension totally, or permitting a level of tensile
stress within allowable code limits.
• The section is then considered uncracked and behaves
elastically, the concrete’s inability to withstand tensile stresses
is effectively compensated for, by the compressive force of the
prestressing tendon.
17

=− + −
• The compressive stresses in equation above at the top fiber

of the beam due to prestressing are compounded by the
application of the loading. Hence, the compressive stress
capacity of the beam to take a substantial external load is
reduced by the concentric prestressing force.
• In order to avoid this limitation, the prestressing tendon is
placed eccentrically below the neutral axis at the midspan, to
induce tensile stresses at the top fibers due to prestressing.
18
9
Harped Draped
• Since the support section of a simply supported beam carries

no moment from the external transverse load, high tensile
fiber stresses at the top fibers are caused by the eccentric
prestressing force.
• To limit such stresses, the eccentricity of the prestressing
tendon is made less at the support section than at the
midspan section, or eliminated altogether, or else a negative
eccentricity above the cgc line is used.
19

Previous equations can be modified and simplified for the use in
calculating stresses at the initial prestressing stage and at the
service load levels.
=
where; = residual prestress factor

= Initial prestressing force (Before stress losses)
= effective prestressing force (After losses)
20
10
=− + − =− − −
=− − + =− + +
where; = radius of gyration

= section modulus for top fiber
= section modulus for bottom fiber
= moment due to self weight
21

Subsequent to erection and installation of the floor or deck, live
load acts on the structure. The intensity of such loads normally
occurs after the building is completed and some time-dependent
prestress losses have already taken place. Hence, the
prestressing force have to be effective prestressing force.
=− − −
=− + +
where; = total moment due to gravity loads
22
11
Problem 1.1 (CE Board, May 2012)
The section of a prestressed double-tee concrete floor joist
shown in the figure. The prestressing force in each tee is 750
kN. Unit weight of concrete is 23.50 kN/m3.
The properties of the double-tee sections are

A = 220,000 mm2 L = 8.0 m
I = 1890(106) mm4
23

Problem 1.1 (CE Board, May 2012)
Service loads on floor; Dead load = 2.5 kPa
Live load = 6 kPa
a) Determine the initial stress at the bottom fibers due to
prestressing force alone.
b) Determine the stress at the bottom fibers due to service load
and prestressing force. Assume that there is a loss of
prestress of 20% at service loads.
c) Calculate the additional load, the floor can carry so that the
stress at the bottom fibers at the midspan is zero.
Answer
a. =− .
b. =− .
c. = . 24
12
25
1.6 C-Line Method

• In this line-of-pressure or thrust concept, the beam is
analyzed as if it were a plain concrete elastic beam using the
basic principle of statics.
• The prestressing force is consider an external compressive
force, with a constant tensile force T in the tendon throughout
the span. In this manner, the effects of gravity loads are
disregarded. Equilibrium equations ∑ = 0 and ∑ = 0 are
applied to maintain equilibrium in the section.
26
13
1.6 C-Line Method
Problem 1.2
Solve Problem 1.1 for final service-load condition by C-line
method.
Answer
=− . 27
1.7 Load-Balancing Method

• A third useful approach in the design (analysis) of continuous
prestressed beam is the load balancing method developed by
Lin.
• This technique is based on utilizing the vertical force of the
draped or harped prestressing tendon to counteract or
balance the imposed gravity loading to which a beam is
subjected.. Hence, it is applicable to non-strainght
prestressing tendons.
28
14
• Consider a parabolic tendon as shown in figure above

represent the tendon drape.
• The force T denotes the pull to which the tendon is subjected.
29
• Clearly, the two sets of equal and opposite transverse loads

cancel each other, and no bending stress is produced.
• This is reasonable to expect in the load-balancing method,
since it is always the case that C has to cancel T to satisfy the
equilibrium requirement that ∑ = 0. As there is no bending.
• The beam remains straight, without having a convex shape,
or camber, at the top face. 30
15
• The concrete fiber stress across the depth of the section at
midspan becomes.
=− =−
• When the imposed loads exceeds the balancing load such

that an additional unbalanced load is applied.
= ; =− ∓
8
=− − ; =− +
31

Problem 1.3
Solve Problem 1.1 for the final service-load condition after
losses using the load-balancing method.
Answer
=− . 32
16
Prestressing tendons may be tensioned before the concrete is
placed (pre-tensioned) or after the concrete has hardened (post-
tensioned). The resulting prestressed concrete members are
also frequently described as being either pre-tensioned or post-
tensioned.
33

1.8.1 Pre-tensioning
• Here the tendons are tensioned and anchored between fixed
supports before the concrete is placed around the tendons.
The concrete is either cast in moulds or formed by an
extrusion or slip-form process to provide the required cross-
section. When the concrete has achieved sufficient strength,
the tendons are slowly released from the support at one end.
• The prestressing force is transferred from the tendons to the
concrete by the bond existing between the hardened concrete
and the tendons. The transfer of force occurs over a short
transmission length at each end of the concrete, as the
tendons outside the concrete revert to their original
untensioned condition. The elastic shortening of the concrete
that occurs at this stage causes a corresponding reduction of
the tendon force.
34
17
35
36
18
37
38
19
39
40
20
41
42
21
43
44
22
1.8.2 Post-tensioning
• Here the tendons, which may be located inside or outside the
concrete, are tensioned after the concrete has hardened.
Internal tendons, which are contained within ducts or sheaths
to prevent them from bonding to the concrete, can be
arranged to follow the curvature of the structure and provide
the most appropriate profile to suit the applied loading.
External tendons can be arranged as a series of straight
lengths with changes of direction.at specific positions. In
cylindrical structures, external tendons may be placed directly
against the surface of the concrete.
• In all cases, after the concrete has attained sufficient strength,
the tendons are tensioned using jacks that bear upon the
exposed face of cast-in anchorages at the ends of the tendon.
When the required force has been attained, the tendons are
made secure at the anchorages.
45
46
23
Conventional Tendons
External Tendons
47
48
24
49
50
25
• It is important to consider the physical properties of both the
concrete and the tendons in order to understand the effect
that each has on the other, particularly with regard to the
losses of prestress that occur at various stages.
• Some losses occur immediately, due to friction during the
tensioning of the tendons and elastic shortening of the
member during the transfer of prestress to the concrete. Other
losses occur over an extended period of time, due to steel
relaxation and creep and shrinkage of the concrete.
51
Millau Viaduct
Tallest Bridge in the World
Height (343 m)
Ultra-High-Strength Concrete (f’c = 199 MPa)

52
Water-Cement Ratio = 0.22
26
1.9.1 Concrete
• Concrete is a mixture of sand, gravel, crushed rock, or other
aggregates held together in a rocklike mass with a paste of
cement and water. Sometimes one or more admixtures are
added to change certain characteristics of the concrete such
as its workability, durability, and time of hardening.
• Particular factors that are important in relation to prestressing
are the strength of the concrete and the deformations that
occur before, during and after the transfer of prestress.
53

1.9.1.1 Concrete Strength
• Generally, the term concrete strength is taken to refer to the
uniaxial compressive strength as measured by a compression
test of a standard test cylinder, because this test is used to
monitor the concrete strength for quality control or acceptance
purposes. For convenience other strength parameters, such
as tensile or bond strength, are expressed relative to the
compressive strength.
• The standard acceptance test for measuring the strength of
concrete involves short-time compression tests on cylinders 6
in. in diameter by 12 in. high, made, cured, and tested in
accordance with ASTM Standards C31 and C39. ACI Code
now also permits the use of 4-by-8-in. cylinders tested in
accordance with the same ASTM standards.
54
27
55
56
28
57

• Concretes with 28-day strengths in excess of 6000 psi (41.37
MPa) are referred to as high-strength concretes. Strengths
of up to 18,000 psi (124.1 MPa) have been used in buildings.
• Admixtures such as superplasticizers improve the dispersion
of cement in the mix and produce workable concretes with
much lower water/cement ratios than were previously
possible. The resulting concrete has a lower void ratio and is
stronger than normal concretes.
• The strength of hardened concrete, which increases with age,
is enhanced by good compaction and by reducing the
water/cement ratio. The condition at transfer, when the
prestress is applied, is normally critical, and requires concrete
with a high early strength.
58
29
• With pre-tensioning, it is important to be able to achieve a
high concrete strength at early age so that the prestressed
units can be lifted from the bed as soon as possible, since a
rapid turn-round is vital to the success of the production
process.
• Concrete at normal temperatures could take several days to
develop the required strength for transfer, but the process can
be accelerated so that the strength is reached in 8 to 16
hours. This can be achieved either by introducing saturated
steam into an enclosure containing the units or by circulating
hot water in pipes embedded in the stressing bed.
59

• The required concrete strengths depend on the type of unit
and the level of prestress applied.
 For flooring units, the cube strengths are typically 28 - 40
MPa at transfer and 50 - 60 MPa at 28 days.
 For standard bridge beams, the values are typically 40
MPa at transfer and 60 MPa at 28 days.
• With post-tensioning, the age at transfer is less critical and
accelerated curing is normally not necessary.
 For floors in buildings, where the level of prestress is low
and transfer takes place at 3 to 7 days, cube strengths are
typically 25 MPa at transfer and 40 MPa at 28 days.
 For other forms of construction, where transfer usually
occurs at a later stage, the cube strengths at 28 days are
typically 40 MPa for cylindrical I structures and 50 MPa for
bridges.
60
30
1.9.1.2 Concrete Deformation
When stress is applied to concrete, it undergoes dimensional
changes: an immediate elastic deformation followed by a
time-related creep deformation. These changes are in addition
to the shrinkage caused by changes in moisture content. Any
shortening of the concrete that occurs after the tendons have
been tensioned and anchored causes a loss of prestress that
must be allowed for in the design of the member.
61

Concrete shrinks over time by an amount that varies with the
initial water content of the mix, the thickness of the section and
the relative humidity of the environment. The shrinkage develops
rapidly at first and continues at a reducing rate for many years.
The resulting loss of prestress that occurs in the tendons
depends on the age of the concrete at transfer, and is greater
with pre-tensioning than with post-tensioning.
62
31
The loss of prestress due to the elastic deformation of the
concrete that occurs at transfer is greatest in pre-tensioning,
since the tendons are already anchored by bond, and all the
stress is applied to the concrete at the same time. In post-
tensioning, there is no loss if all the tendons are stressed at the
same time, since the elastic deformation takes place before the
tendons are anchored. When the tendons are stressed
sequentially, a progressive loss occurs in any tendons that are
already anchored. The total loss is then intermediate between nil
and half the value that occurs in pre-tensioning.
63

Concrete under applied stress also undergoes an inelastic creep
deformation. Like shrinkage, creep develops rapidly at first and
continues at a decreasing rate for many years. The creep value
depends upon the thickness of the section, the relative humidity
of the environment and the maturity of the concrete at transfer of
prestress. As a result, the loss of prestress that occurs in the
tendons is greater with pre-tensioning than with post-tensioning.
64
32
65

1.9.2 Tendon
Prestressing tendons are usually formed from high tensile steel
wires or alloy steel bars. The wires can be used singly or twisted
together to form strand (usually of seven wires). Several tendons
may be arranged in a group with a common anchorage to form a
cable.
66
33
1.9.2.1 Types of Tendon
1.9.2.1.1 Wire
Cold-drawn wire is produced in coil form from hot-rolled rod
which is heat treated to make it suitable for cold drawing. The
wire surface is initially smooth but may be indented by a
subsequent mechanical process. In the as-drawn condition, the
wire has a natural curvature approximately equivalent to the
capstan of the drawing machine.
67

• A final stress-relieving heat treatment to improve some of the
mechanical properties of the wire is carried out before it is
wound into large diameter coils. The stress-relieving
treatment pre-straightens the wire, so that it will pay out
straight from the coil, and enhances its elastic and relaxation
characteristics.
• Wire to be used for pre-tensioning is supplied in a de-greased
condition and is often indented to ensure that the maximum
bond is obtained between steel and concrete. Wire is used in
factory-produced items such as lintels and small flooring units.
68
34
1.9.2.1.2 Strand
Strand is made from cold-drawn wires: a seven-wire strand
consisting of a straight core wire (the king wire) around which
are spun six helical wires in one layer. The diameters of the
outer wires have to be slightly less than that of the king wire to
allow for their helical form. Strand can be supplied with the outer
wires having either a left-hand or a right-hand twist and the
stressing jacks need to be adjusted accordingly. In BS 5896,
there are three types of seven wire strand: standard, super and
drawn.
69

Standard and super strands are visibly similar, but the outer
wires of drawn strand are clearly flattened as a result of the
strand having been drawn through a die. All strands are given a
final stress-relieving treatment in the same way as wire before
being wound into coils. Strand is widely used in factory-
produced items such as railway sleepers, bridge beams, sign
gantries, flooring and terracing, and for post-tensioning in all
forms of in-situ and segmental construction.
(a) Standard and Super (b) Drawn strand

70
strand
35
1.9.2.1.3 Bar
1.9.2.1.3.1 Macalloy bars
Macalloy bars are produced from hot-rolled carbon-chrome steel
bars that are then cold-worked by stretching to obtain the
specified properties. The bars are available in lengths up to 17.8
m for diameters between 25 mm and 50 mm. Stainless steel
bars are available in lengths up to 6 m for diameters between 20
mm and 40 mm. Both types of bar are provided with cold-rolled
threads at each end, or over the full length if needed, and can be
joined together by threaded couplers to obtain longer tendon
lengths.
71

1.9.2.1.3.2 Dywidag threadbars
Dywidag threadbars are produced to a German Standard
specification in diameters between 20 mm and 40 mm, with a
coarse thread extending over the full length of the bar. The bars
may be cut to finished length at the factory or on site and
couplers can be used to connect or extend bars as required.
72
36
1.9.2.3 Steel Relaxation
When a high tensile steel wire is stretch and maintained at a
constant strain the initial force in the wire does not remain
constant but decrease with time. The decrease of stress in
constant strain is called relaxation of steel.
73

1.9.2.4 Strength of Tendons
The strength of a prestressing tendon is specified in terms of
characteristic load values for the breaking (or failure) load and
the 0.1% proof load, which is defined as the load that produces
a permanent elongation equal to 0.1% of the gauge length. For
wire and strand, the load at 1% elongation may be used as an
alternative to the proof load.
74
37
75

1.9.2.5 Proper handling of Tendons
• Prestressing steel is very different to ordinary reinforcement
and particular care must be taken to protect tendons against
corrosion, and to avoid damage by mechanical means or
heating while handling.
• Tendons should be stored clear of the ground and protected
from the weather at all stages.
• Care must be taken to prevent the tendons coming into
contact with splashes of material from oxy-acetylene torch or
arc-welding operations being carried out in the vicinity.
• Tendons should not be left unprotected inside ducts for
prolonged periods of time. All tendons are eventually highly
stressed, and failure to observe simple precautions in storage
and handling has led to unfortunate consequences.
76
38

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PRESTRESSED

1.2 Comparison with Reinforced Concrete

1.3 Economics of Prestressed Concrete

1.4 Historical Development of Prestressing

1.4 Historical Development of Prestressing

where = flexural stress

1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing

In General, minus sign is used for compression and plus sign

• The equation above indicates that the presence of

1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing

• The compressive stresses in equation above at the top fiber

• Since the support section of a simply supported beam carries

1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing

where; = residual prestress factor

where; = radius of gyration

1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing

where; = total moment due to gravity loads

The properties of the double-tee sections are

1.5 Basic Concepts of Prestressing

1.6 C-Line Method

1.7 Load-Balancing Method

• Consider a parabolic tendon as shown in figure above

1.7 Load-Balancing Method

• Clearly, the two sets of equal and opposite transverse loads

• When the imposed loads exceeds the balancing load such

1.7 Load-Balancing Method

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.8 Method of Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

Ultra-High-Strength Concrete (f’c = 199 MPa)

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

(a) Standard and Super (b) Drawn strand

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

1.9 Materials for Prestressing

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