Prestressed Concrete

Structures
Module 3

Analysis of Members
Prepared by:
Amlan K Sengupta
Devdas Menon
Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Module 3-a (1st Hour)

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load
Introduction
Analysis at Transfer
Analysis at Service Loads
Analysis of Ultimate Strength
Analysis of Behaviour

Geometric Properties
=

Ac

As

Ap

A prestressed axial member may also have nonprestressed reinforcement to carry the axial force. This
type of members is called partially prestressed members.
A = gross cross-sectional area
Ac = area of concrete
As = area of non-prestressed reinforcement
Ap = area of prestressing tendons

Geometric Properties

At

At = transformed area of the section

= Ac + (Es/ Ec) As + (Ep/ Ec) Ap

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Introduction
Prestressed members under axial loads only, are
uncommon. Members such as hangers, ties, bottom
chords of trusses, ring beams are subjected to axial
tension. Members such as piles may have bending
moment along with axial compression or tension.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Introduction

Tension chord

Hangers

Piles

Tie
in
Retaining
Structure

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Introduction
The study of members under axial load gives an insight
of the behaviour of a prestressed member as compared
to an equivalent non-prestressed reinforced concrete
member.
In this presentation, no eccentricity of the CGS with
respect to CGC is considered.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Introduction
The analysis of members refers to the evaluation of the
following.
1) Permissible prestress based on allowable stresses at
transfer.
2) Stresses under service loads. These are compared
with allowable stresses under service conditions.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Introduction
3) Tensile loads at decompression and cracking.
4) Ultimate strength. This is compared with the demand
under factored loads.
5) The entire axial load versus deformation behaviour.

Analysis at Transfer

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis at Transfer
The stress in the concrete (fc) in a member without nonprestressed reinforcement can be calculated as follows.

fc

P0
Ac

(3a-1)

Here,
P0 = prestress at transfer after short-term losses.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis at Transfer
In presence of non-prestressed reinforcement, the stress
in the concrete can be calculated as follows.

fc

P0
Ac (E s /E c ) As

(3a-2)

The permissible prestress is determined based on fc to

be within the allowable stress at transfer.

Analysis at Service Loads

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis at Service Loads
The stresses in concrete in a member without
itho t nonnon
prestressed reinforcement can be calculated as follows.
fc

Pe P

Ac At

(3a-3)

Here,
P = external axial force
(In the equation, + for tensile force and vice versa.)
Pe = effective prestress.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis at Service Loads
If there
th
is
i non-prestressed
t
d reinforcement,
i f
t Ac is
i to
t be
b
substituted by (Ac + (Es/Ec) As) and At is to be
calculated including As.
The value of fc should be within the allowable stress
under service conditions.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Load at Decompression
If the
th tensile
t
il load
l d is
i increased,
i
d att a certain
t i stage
t
the
th
precompression of the concrete is nullified. This is
called the decompression load (Pdec).

0
Pdec

Pe Pdec

Ac At

Pe
At
Ac

(3a-4)

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Load at Cracking
If the
th tensile
t
il load
l d is
i further
f th increased,
i
d att a certain
t i
stage the first cracking of the concrete will occur. This
is called the cracking load (Pcr).

ft

Pe Pcr

Ac At

Pcr e ft At
Ac

(3a-5)

Here, ft = direct tensile strength of concrete.

Analysis of Ultimate Strength

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis of Ultimate Strength
The ultimate tensile strength of a section (PuR) can be
calculated as per Clause 23.3, IS 1343: 2012.
In absence of non-prestressed reinforcement,

PuR 0.87fPk Ap

(3a-6a)

In presence of non-prestressed reinforcement,

PuR 0.87fy As 0.87fPk Ap

(3a-6b)

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis of Ultimate Strength
In the previous equations,
fy = characteristic yield stress for non-prestressed
reinforcement with mild steel bars
= characteristic 0.2% proof stress for non-prestressed
reinforcement with high yield strength deformed bars.
fpk = characteristic tensile strength of prestressing
tendons.
The ultimate tensile strength should be greater than the
demand due to factored loads.

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis of Ultimate Strength
The ultimate compressive strength of a section (PuR) can
be calculated in presence of moments by the use of
interaction diagrams.
For a member under compression with minimum
eccentricity the ultimate strength is given as follows
eccentricity,
follows.
Here, the contribution of prestressing steel is neglected.
PuR = 0.4 fckAc + 0.67 fy As

(3a-7)

Analysis of Behaviour

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis of Behaviour
The analysis of behaviour refers to the determination
of the complete axial load versus deformation
behaviour.
The analyses at transfer, under service loads and for
ultimate strength correspond to three instants in the
above behaviour.
Reference:
Collins, M. P. and Mitchell, D., Prestressed Concrete
Structures.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis of Behaviour
The analysis involves three principles of mechanics.
1) Equilibrium of internal forces with the external loads
at any point of the load versus deformation
behaviour. The internal forces in concrete and steel
are evaluated based on the respective strains, crosssectional areas and the constitutive relationships.

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Analysis of Behaviour
2) Compatibility of the strains in concrete and in steel
for bonded tendons. This assumes a perfect bond
between the two materials. For unbonded tendons,
the compatibility is in terms of total deformation.
3) Constitutive relationships relating the stresses and
the strains in the materials
materials. The relationships are
developed based on the material properties.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Equilibrium Equation
At any instant, the equilibrium is given by the following
equation.
P = Acfc + Asfs + Apfp

(3a-8)

Here,
fc = stress in concrete
fs = stress in non-prestressed reinforcement
fp = stress in prestressed tendons
P = axial force.

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Compatibility Equations
For non-prestressed reinforcement
s = c

(3a-9a)

For prestressed tendons

p = c + p

(3a-9b)

Here,,
c = strain in concrete at the level of the steel
s = strain in non-prestressed reinforcement
p = strain in prestressed tendons
p = strain difference in prestressed tendons with
adjacent concrete

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Compatibility Equations
The strain difference (p) is the strain in the prestressed
tendons when the concrete has zero strain (c = 0). The
strain difference gets locked during the transfer of
prestress. At any load stage,
p = pe ce

(3a-10)

Here,
pe = strain in tendons due to Pe, the prestress at service
ce = strain in concrete due to Pe.

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Compatibility Equations

For pre-tensioned members

p = pi 0
Here,
pi = strain in tendons just before transfer
c = strain in concrete is zero.

c = 0

pi

p0
For post-tensioned members
c 0
p = p0 c0
Here,
p0 = strain in tendons due to P0, the prestress after transfer
c0 = strain in concrete due to P0.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Constitutive Relationships
The constitutive relationships can be expressed in the
following forms based on the material stress-strain
curves shown in the Module Introduction, Prestressing
Systems and Material Properties.
For concrete under compression

fc = F1 (c)

(3a-11)

For prestressing steel

fp = F2 (p)

(3a-12)

For reinforcing steel

fs = F3 (s)

(3a-13)

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Constitutive Relationships
The stress versus strain curve for concrete is shown
below. The first and third quadrants represent the
behaviour under tension and compression, respectively.
The tensile stress is zero after cracking, neglecting the
effect of tension stiffening.
fc
c

fc = F1 (c)

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Constitutive Relationships
The stress
Th
t
versus strain
t i curve for
f prestressing
t
i
steel
t l is
i
as shown below.
fp

fp = F2 (p)
p

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Constitutive Relationships
The following
Th
f ll i stress
t
versus strain
t i curve is
i for
f
reinforcing steel.
fs

s
fs = F3 (s)

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Solution
The equilibrium and compatibility equations and the
constitutive relationships can be solved to develop the
axial force versus deformation curve.
Considering c as an average strain and neglecting the
tension stiffening effect of concrete, the deformation can
be calculated as cL, where L is the length of the
member.
member
The following plot shows the curves for prestressed and
non-prestressed sections. The two sections are
equivalent in their nominal tensile strengths.

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Axial force
Tensile strengths

Cracking
Decompression

Deformation

Compressive strengths
Prestressed section
Non-prestressed section

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Observations
From the previous plot, the following can be inferred.
1) Prestressing increases the cracking load.

2) Prestressing shifts the curve from the origin.

For the prestressed member,
member there is a
compressive deformation in absence of external axial
force.
A certain amount of external force is required to
decompress the member.

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Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Observations
3) For a given tensile load, the deformation of the
prestressed member is smaller.
Prestressing reduces deformation at service loads.

4) For
F a given
i
compressive
i load,
l d the
th deformation
d f
ti off
the prestressed member is larger.
Prestressing is detrimental for the response under
compression.

Analysis of Members Under Axial Load

Observations
5) The compressive strength of the prestressed
member is lower.
Prestressing is detrimental for the compressive
strength.
6) For a partially prestressed section with the same
ultimate
lti t strength,
t
th the
th axial
i l load
l d versus deformation
d f
ti
curve will lie in between the curves for prestressed
and non-prestressed sections.
The above observations are generic for prestressed
members.

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Summary
Analysis of Members Under Axial Load
Introduction
Analysis at Transfer
Analysis at Service Loads
Analysis of Ultimate Strength
Analysis of Behaviour

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