SYSTEMS OF PRESTRESSING

A system of prestressing means the actual process adopted in making a prestressed

beam. A system of prestressing involves :
• process of tensioning the tendons
• securing them firmly to the concrete

A. Pre-tensioning system

HOYER SYSTEM

The Hoyer system is usually adopted for the production of pre-tensioned members on a large
scale like precast beams.

• Wires are stretched between two bulkheads at large distance apart.

• The concrete is now poured so that a number of beams can be produced in one line, by
providing suitable shuttering between them.

• After the concrete has hardened, the wires are released from the
bulkheads and between the different units in one line of beams.
• The prestress is transferred to the concrete through bond between
the tendons and the concrete.

Pre-tensioning system is found uneconomical for large spans.

In order to grip the pre-tensioned wires properly to the bulkhead the devices are shown
SYSTEMS OF POST- TENSIONING

1. THE FREYSSlNET SYSTEM

• High tension steel wires 5 mm to 8 mm diameter about 12 in

number are arranged to form a group into a cable with a spiral
spring inside.

•The spiral spring provides

proper clearance between the
wires and thus provides a channel
which can be cement grouted.
 It further assists to transfer the
reaction to concrete.

•The anchorage consists of a good quality concrete cylinder and is provided with corrugations
on the outside. It has a central conical hole and is provided with heavy hoop reinforcement.
•The conical plugs are pushed into the conical holes after cables are tightened. The central
hole passing axially through the plug permits cement grout to be injected through it.
•In this way the space between the wires will be filled with the grout. This provides additional
restraint against the slipping of the tendons.
Advantage of the system

(i) Securing the wires is not expensive.

(ii) The desired stretching force is obtained quickly.
(iii) The plugs may be left in the concrete and they do not project beyond the ends of the
member.

Disadvantage of the system

(i) All the wires of a cable are stretched together. Hence the stresses in the wires may
not be exactly the same.
(ii) The greatest stretching force applied to a cable is from 250 KN to 500 kN. This may
not be sufficient.
(iii) The jacks used are heavy and expensive.
 2. THE MAGNEL BLATON SYSTEM
• In this system a cable of rectangular section is
provided, which contains layers of wires 5 mm to
8mm diameter.
• The wires are arranged with four wires per
layer. The wires in the same layer and the wires in
adjacent layers are separated with a clearance of
4mm.

• The geometric pattern of the wires is maintained throughout the length of the cable by
providing grills or spacers at regular intervals. The grills do not offer any appreciable
frictional resistance to the wires which can be moved relative to each other during the
tensioning process.

• The wires are anchored by wedging, two at a time into sandwich plates (25 mm thick
and are provided with two wedge-shaped grooves on its two faces).

• The wires are taken two in each groove and tightened by jacking two wires at a time.

• Each plate can anchor eight wires. The various sandwich plates forming a unit are
arranged one above the other against a distribution plate.
3. GIFFORD UDALL SYSTEM

This method offers the following two methods

of prestressing:

First method

This is earliest of the three methods of this system.

In this method the wires are stressed and anchored one by one in a separate cylinder using
small wedging grips called udall grips.
•Each grip consists of two-half cones.
•The bearing plate bears against a thrust ring which is cast into the concrete.
•The duct end is encircled by a helix.
•Anchorages are supplied to suit cables of 2, 4, 6 and 12 wires.

Second method

In this method, the wires are anchored by wedges which fit

directly into tapered recesses made in the bearing plate.

•The bearing plate bears against a tube unit containing the tube unit and the helix.
•This tube unit is cast into the concrete.
•Anchorages are supplied for cables of 8 to 12 wires.
•This arrangement is compact and minimizes the congestion of the steel wires in anchor block.
 4. P.S.C. MONOWIRE SYSTEM
In this system also the wires are tensioned
individually.
• The anchorage consists of a single piece collet
sleeve wedging in a concial hole.
• A steel truncated guide leads each wire from the
cable to the anchorage point along a gentle
curvature.
•In addition to the guide a central block is also
provided to anchor the central wires.
MONOWIRE SYSTEM

5. ELECTRICAL PRESTRESSING

This is a method of post tensioning without the use of jacks introduced by Bittner and
Carlson,
•Steel bars are provided with a coating of su]phur, before they are embedded in
concrete.
•After the hardening of concrete electric current of low voltage and high amperage is used
to heat the bars to a temperature of 1700 C.
•As the bars expand longitudinally, the nuts on the projecting ends are tightened against
heavy washers.
•As the temperature falls, the prestress is developed in the bars and the bond is again
restored by the resolidification of the sulphur coating.
SUITABILITY OF THE SYSTEM

Pre-tensioning and post tensioning are the only practically adopted methods of
making prestressed concrete members.

In pre-tensioning, the compressive force in concrete is due to the bond between concrete and
the steel wires, which are kept stretched between buttresses.
This method is economically adopted in mass production in factories which make
concrete products of limited size.
This is so because, handling as well a transporting large products are highly expensive
and may be practically impossible, if thee members are too large.
The length of a prestressed concrete product that can be economically made by this
method may not exceed 20 m. Even this length involves considerable difficulty in transport.

In post tensioning, the prestressing wires are stretched after the hardening of concrete.
This can be done by many ways like the following:

These methods can be adopted in sites or on the ground, and later hoisted into position.
For instance, if timber is costly or scarce it may be economical to make the member on the
ground in steel moulds.
The loss of pre-stressed takes place due to many causes.
In general these can be classified as:
•Loss of pre-stress during the tensioning process
•Loss of pre-stress at the anchoring stage.
•Losses occurring subsequently

PRE-TENSIONING POST-TENSIONING

Elastic deformation of concrete
•Relaxation of stress in steel
•Shrinkage of concrete
•Creep of concrete
1.No loss due to elastic deformation if all the
wires are simultaneously tensioned. If the
wires are successively tensioned there will
be loss of pre-stress due to elastic
deformation of concrete
2.Relaxation of stress in steel
3.Shrinkage of concrete
4.Creep of concrete
5.Friction
6.Anchorage slip
Typical Post-tensioning Arrangement
Anchorages ~ the formats for anchorages used in conjunction with post-tensioned
prestressed concrete works depends mainly on whether the tendons are to be stressed
individually or as a group, but most systems use a form of split cone wedges or jaws
acting against a form of bearing or pressure plate.
1. THE FREYSSlNET SYSTEM
2. THE MAGNEL BLATON SYSTEM
3. GIFFORD UDALL SYSTEM
4. P.S.C. MONOWIRE SYSTEM

MONOWIRE SYSTEM
Comparison with Reinforced Concrete ~ when comparing prestressed concrete with
conventional reinforced concrete the main advantages and disadvantages can be
enumerated but in the final analysis each structure and/or component must be decided
on its own merit.
Main advantages :-
1. Makes full use of the inherent compressive strength of concrete.
2. Makes full use of the special alloy steels used to form the prestressing tendons.
3. Eliminates tension cracks thus reducing the risk of corrosion of steel components.
4. Reduces shear stresses.
5. For any given span and loading condition a component with a smaller cross section
can be used thus giving a reduction in weight.
6. Individual precast concrete units can be joined together to form a composite member.
Main Disadvantages :-
1. High degree of control over materials, design and quality of workmanship is required.
2. Special alloy steels are dearer than most traditional steels used in reinforced concrete.
3. Extra cost of special equipment required to carry out the prestressing activities.
4. Cost of extra safety requirements needed whilst stressing tendons.
As a general comparison between the two structural options under consideration
it is usually found that :-
1. Up to 6000 span traditional reinforced concrete is the most economic method.
2. Spans between 6000 and 9000 the two cost options are comparable.
3. Over 9000 span prestressed concrete is more economical than reinforced concrete.
It should be noted that generally columns and walls do not need prestressing but in
tall columns and high retaining walls where the bending stresses are high,
prestressing techniques can sometimes be economically applied.