Prestressed concrete

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Post-tensioning process

Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction that is "prestressed" by being

placed under compression prior to supporting any loads beyond its own dead weight.[1][2]:3–5 [3] This
compression is produced by the tensioning of high-strength "tendons" located within or adjacent
to the concrete volume and is done to improve the performance of the concrete in service.[4]
Tendons may consist of single wires, multi-wire strands or threaded bars and are most commonly
made from high-tensile steels, carbon fiber or aramid fiber.[1]:52–59 The essence of prestressed
concrete is that once the initial compression has been applied, the resulting material has the
characteristics of high-strength concrete when subject to any subsequent compression forces and
of ductile high-strength steel when subject to tension forces. This can result in improved
structural capacity and/or serviceability compared with conventionally reinforced concrete in
many situations.[2]:6[5]In a prestressed concrete member, the internal stresses are introduced in a
planned manner so that the stresses resulting from the superimposed loads are counteracted to the
desired degree.

Prestressed concrete is used in a wide range of building and civil structures where its improved
performance can allow for longer spans, reduced structural thicknesses, and material savings
compared with simple reinforced concrete. Typical applications include high-rise buildings,
residential slabs, foundation systems, bridge and dam structures, silos and tanks, industrial
pavements and nuclear containment structures.[6]

First used in the late-nineteenth century,[1] prestressed concrete has developed beyond pre-
tensioning to include post-tensioning, which occurs after the concrete is cast. Tensioning systems
may be classed as either monostrand, where each tendon's strand or wire is stressed individually,
or multi-strand, where all strands or wires in a tendon are stressed simultaneously.[5] Tendons may
be located either within the concrete volume (internal prestressing) or wholly outside of it
(external prestressing). While pre-tensioned concrete uses tendons directly bonded to the
concrete, post-tensioned concrete can use either bonded or unbonded tendons.

The history of prestressed concrete: 1888 to

1963
Dinges, Tyson
The concept of prestressed concrete appeared in 1888 when P.H. Jackson was granted the first
patent in the United States for prestressed concrete design. Jackson’s idea was perfect, but the
technology of high strength steel that exhibited low relaxation characteristics was not yet
available. It was not until Eugene Freyssinet defined the need for these materials that prestressed
concrete could be used as a structural building material. Unfortunately, although Freyssinet, a
brilliant structural designer and bridge builder, lacked the teaching qualities necessary to
communicate his ideas to other engineers. It would take Gustave Magnel to write the first book
of design in prestressed concrete, communicating this idea to designers worldwide. Magnel
designed and built the legendary Walnut Lane Bridge in Philadelphia, which revolutionized
prestressed concrete in America. Simultaneously, Urlich Finsterwalder, the German bridge
builder and designer, was revolutionizing the construction means and methods for prestressed
concrete bridges. For example, Finsterwalder invented the free-cantilever construction method
of prestressed concrete bridges, which allowed long span bridges to be constructed without
stabilized shoring. He then designed stress-ribbon bridges, which would eventually allow
prestressed concrete to span distances only steel suspension bridges could achieve. However, it
wasn’t until Paul Abeles and his peer, H. von Emperger studied and tested prestressed concrete
that the idea of “partial prestressing” emerged. Initially, Freyssinet and Magnel were adamant
that prestressed concrete should not be allowed to exhibit any tensile forces at sustained loading.
Later, the Roebling family developed the first stress--relieved wire followed by the first stress--
relieved strand. T.Y. Lin once again brought prestressed concrete back into the spotlight when
he organized the First Prestressed Concrete World Conference in 1957. Shortly after this
conference, Lin published a technical paper in the Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) Journal
that introduced a new Load Balancing technique which allowed most structural engineers to
design prestressed concrete very easily.
Keywords: history of prestressed concrete

Pre-tensioned concrete[edit]
Pre-tensioning process

Pre-tensioned bridge girder in precasting bed. Note single-strand tendons exiting through the
formwork

Pre-tensioned concrete is a variant of prestressed concrete where the tendons are tensioned prior
to the concrete being cast.[1]:25 The concrete bonds to the tendons as it cures, following which the
end-anchoring of the tendons is released, and the tendon tension forces are transferred to the
concrete as compression by static friction.[5]:7

Pre-tensioning is a common prefabrication technique, where the resulting concrete element is

manufactured remotely from the final structure location and transported to site once cured. It
requires strong, stable end-anchorage points between which the tendons are stretched. These
anchorages form the ends of a "casting bed" which may be many times the length of the concrete
element being fabricated. This allows multiple elements to be constructed end-on-end in the one
pre-tensioning operation, allowing significant productivity benefits and economies of scale to be
realised for this method of construction.[5][7]
The amount of bond (or adhesion) achievable between the freshly set concrete and the surface of
the tendons is critical to the pre-tensioning process, as it determines when the tendon anchorages
can be safely released. Higher bond strength in early-age concrete allows more economical
fabrication as it speeds production. To promote this, pre-tensioned tendons are usually composed
of isolated single wires or strands, as this provides a greater surface area for bond action than
bundled strand tendons.[5]

Pre-tensioned hollow-core plank being placed

Unlike those of post-tensioned concrete, the tendons of pre-tensioned concrete elements

generally form straight lines between end-anchorages. Where "profiled" or "harped" tendons[8]
are required, one or more intermediate deviators are located between the ends of the tendon to
hold the tendon to the desired non-linear alignment during tensioning.[1]:68–73[5]:11 Such deviators
usually act against substantial forces, and hence require a robust casting bed foundation system.
Straight tendons are typically used in "linear" precast elements such as shallow beams, hollow-
core planks and slabs, whereas profiled tendons are more commonly found in deeper precast
bridge beams and girders.

Pre-tensioned concrete is most commonly used for the fabrication of structural beams, floor
slabs, hollow-core planks, balconies, lintels, driven piles, water tanks and concrete pipes.

Post-tensioned concrete[edit]
Post-tensioned tendon anchorage. Four-piece "lock-off" wedges are visible holding each strand

Post-tensioned concrete is a variant of prestressed concrete where the tendons are tensioned after
the surrounding concrete structure has been cast.[1]:25

The tendons are not placed in direct contact with the concrete, but are encapsulated within a
protective sleeve or duct which is either cast into the concrete structure or placed adjacent to it.
At each end of a tendon is an anchorage assembly firmly fixed to the surrounding concrete. Once
the concrete has been cast and set, the tendons are tensioned ("stressed") by pulling the tendon
ends through the anchorages while pressing against the concrete. The large forces required to
tension the tendons result in a significant permanent compression being applied to the concrete
once the tendon is "locked-off" at the anchorage.[1]:25[5]:7 The method of locking the tendon-ends to
the anchorage is dependent upon the tendon composition, with the most common systems being
"button-head" anchoring (for wire tendons), split-wedge anchoring (for strand tendons), and
threaded anchoring (for bar tendons).[1]:79–84

Balanced-cantilever bridge under construction. Each added segment is supported by post-

tensioned tendons

Tendon encapsulation systems are constructed from plastic or galvanised steel materials, and are
classified into two main types: those where the tendon element is subsequently bonded to the
surrounding concrete by internal grouting of the duct after stressing (bonded post-tensioning);
and those where the tendon element is permanently debonded from the surrounding concrete,
usually by means of a greased sheath over the tendon strands (unbonded post-tensioning).[1]:26[5]:10

Casting the tendon ducts/sleeves into the concrete before any tensioning occurs allows them to
be readily "profiled" to any desired shape including incorporating vertical and/or horizontal
curvature. When the tendons are tensioned, this profiling results in reaction forces being
imparted onto the hardened concrete, and these can be beneficially used to counter any loadings
subsequently applied to the structure.[

Advantages of Prestressed Concrete

There are 4 types of prestressed concrete available as discussed in our previous post. The
advantages of prestressed concrete are as follows:

1. Prestressed member is free from crack,so the resisting impact, shock and reversal of stresses is
much more than reinforced concrete.

2. It is more durable than reinforced concrete.

3. 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.

4. Prestressed concrete can be used in long spans as the section of member can be reduced.

5. As the sections are lighter, they can be transported easily.

6. The concrete diagonal tension can also be reduced.

7. Shear resistance can be increased using curved tendons.

8.

Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete

The major prestressed concrete disadvantages include the followings.

1. The major problem with prestressed concrete is that it needs specialized construction
machineries like jacks anchorage etc.

2. Advanced technical knowledge and strict supervision is very important.

3. For concrete prestressing, high tensile reinforcement bars are needed which costs greater than
generally used mild steel reinforcement bars.

4. Highly skilled labor is needed for prestressed concrete constructions.

Building structures[edit]

Building structures are typically required to satisfy a broad range of structural, aesthetic and
economic requirements. Significant among these include: a minimum number of (intrusive)
supporting walls or columns; low structural thickness (depth), allowing space for services, or for
additional floors in high-rise construction; fast construction cycles, especially for multi-storey
buildings; and a low cost-per-unit-area, to maximise the building owner's return on investment.

The prestressing of concrete allows "load-balancing" forces to be introduced into the structure to
counter the loadings which will apply in-service. This provides many benefits to building
structures:

 Longer spans for the same structural depth

Load-balancing results in lower in-service deflections, which allows spans to be increased (and
the number of supports reduced) without adding to structural depth.

 Reduced structural thickness

For a given span, lower in-service deflections allows thinner structural sections to be used, in
turn resulting in lower floor-to-floor heights, or more room for building services.

 Faster stripping time

Typically, prestressed concrete building elements are fully stressed and self-supporting within
five days. At this point they can have their formwork stripped and re-deployed to the next
section of the building, accelerating construction "cycle-times".

 Reduced material costs

The combination of reduced structural thickness, reduced conventional reinforcement
quantities, and fast construction often results in prestressed concrete showing significant cost
benefits in building structures compared to alternative structural materials.

Some notable building structures constructed from prestressed concrete include: Sydney Opera
House,[21] St George Wharf Tower, London,[22] CN Tower, Toronto,[23] Kai Tak Cruise Terminal,
Hong Kong,[24] Ocean Heights 2, Dubai,[25] World Tower, Sydney,[26] Eureka Tower, Melbourne[27]
Torre Espacio, Madrid,[28] Guoco Tower (Tanjong Pagar Centre), Singapore,[29] Zagreb
International Airport, Croatia,[30] Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi UAE,[31] International Commerce
Centre, Hong Kong.[32]

Sydney Opera House

1973
Sydney Opera House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sydney Opera House

Location of Sydney Opera House

 Show map of Sydney Show map of New South

Wales Show map of Australia Show all

General information

Status Complete

Type Performing arts centre

Architectural
Expressionist
style

Location Bennelong Point, Sydney

 Country Australia

33°51′31″S 151°12′51″E33.85861°S
Coordinates 151.21417°ECoordinates: 33°51′31″S
151°12′51″E33.85861°S 151.21417°E

Elevation 4 m (13 ft)

Opera Australia

The Australian Ballet

Current
tenants Sydney Theatre Company

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

(+ others)

Groundbreaki
1 March 1959
ng

Construction
1 March 1959
started

Completed 1973

Opened 20 October 1973

Inaugurated 20 October 1973

A$102 million, equivalent to ~A$927

Cost
million in 2016[1]

Client NSW government

Owner NSW Government

Height 65 m (213 ft)

Dimensions

Other
dimensions length 183 m (600 ft)

width 120 m (394 ft)

 area 1.8 ha (4.4 acres)

Technical details

Structural Concrete frame & precast concrete ribbed

system roof

Design and construction

Architect Jørn Utzon

Structural
Ove Arup & Partners
engineer

Main Civil & Civic (level 1), M.R. Hornibrook

contractor (level 2 and 3 and interiors)

Other information

Concert Hall 2,679

Joan Sutherland Theatre 1,507

Drama Theatre 544

Seating
capacity Playhouse 398

The Studio 400

Utzon Room 210

Total 5,738

Website

sydneyoperahouse.com
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Type Cultural

Criteria i

Designated 2007 (31st session)

Reference no. 166rev

 State Party Australia

Region Asia-Pacific
Australian National Heritage List

Type Historic

Criteria a, b, e, f, g, h

Designated 12 July 2005

Reference no. 105738

New South Wales Heritage Register

Type Built

Criteria a, b, c, d, e, f, g

Designated 3 December 2003

Reference no. 01685

References

Coordinates[2]

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales,
Australia. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings.[3]

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on 20 October
1973[4] after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international
design competition. The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill,
authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision
to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost
and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation.[5]

The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour,
between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the
Royal Botanic Gardens, and close by the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues
which together host well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million
people.[6] Performances are presented by numerous performing artists, including three resident
companies: Opera Australia, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
As one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than eight million people visit
the site annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year.
[7]
The building is managed by the Sydney Opera House Trust, an agency of the New South Wales
State Government.
On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site;[8] having
been listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate since 1980, the National Trust of
Australia register since 1983, the City of Sydney Heritage Inventory since 2000, the New South
Wales State Heritage Register since 2003, and the Australian National Heritage List since 2005.[9]
[10]

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DAMAC Residenze

DAMAC Residenze

Location within United Arab Emirates

General information
 Status Complete[1]

Type Residential

25°05′14.06″N
55°08′44.41″E25.0872389°N
Coordinates 55.1456694°ECoordinates:
25°05′14.06″N 55°08′44.41″E25.0872389°N
55.1456694°E

Construction
2011
started

Estimated
2016
completion

Opening 2018 (est.)

Height

Roof 335 m (1,099 ft)[2]

Technical details

Floor count 85, plus 5 basement floors[2]

Floor area 114,000 m2 (1,227,086 sq ft)[3]

Design and construction

Architect Aedas

Developer DAMAC Properties

DAMAC Residenze formerly named DAMAC Heights and Ocean Heights 2, is an 85-storey,
335 m (1,099 ft), supertall skyscraper under construction in Dubai Marina, Dubai.[2] It is the
second supertall project by DAMAC Properties, the first being Ocean Heights, which is also
located in Dubai Marina. The building will overlook the Palm Jumeirah. When completed in
2017, DAMAC Heights will become one of the tallest buildings in Dubai and the fifth-tallest
residential building in the world, surpassed only by Pentominium, World One, and Marina 101,
and Princess Tower.

As of February 2013, the foundation work of DAMAC Heights is in progress, while the piling
has already been completed.[4][1]

The tower was planned to be 420 m (1,378 ft) high, but its height was reduced to 335 m
(1,099 ft) in February 2013.[5]
The building topped out in September 2016.