FAMA, BOJO I.

AUGUST 22, 2019

Prestressed Concrete Design V129

1. What is Pre-stressed Concrete?

Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially

"prestressed" (compressed) during its fabrication, in a manner that strengthens it against
tensile forces which will exist when in service.
It is also a concrete that has had internal stresses introduced to counteract, to the
degree desired, the tensile stresses that will be imposed in service. The stress is usually
imposed by tendons of individual hard-drawn wires, cables of hard-drawn wires, or bars of
high strength alloy steel.

1. Make a timeline regarding the history and development of pre-stressed concrete.

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Year Contributions Contributor
1929 revolutionized the world of construction Eugène Freyssinet
when he invented "prestresssed concrete".
1938 Developed ‘long line’ pre-tensioning method. Hoyer, E. (Germany)
1940 Developed an anchoring system for post- Magnel, G. (Belgium)
tensioning using flat wedges.
1948 First prestressed concrete bridge built under Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu
the Assam Bridge..
1950 Magnel helped design the Walnut Lane Charles Zollman
Bridge in Philidelphia, which famously
became the first prestressed-concrete beam
bridge built in the United States
1953 A single-span, precast-segmental structure
constructed with longitudinal and transverse
post-tensioning.
1962 An advertisement noted the double-tee’s
fire-retardant rating and fire safety became a
high selling point for prestressed concrete
building components.
1985 Constructed Ynys-y-Gwas bridge. West Glamorgan, Wales
1991 Constructed Scheldt River bridge Melle, Belgium
2. Define the following terms.

a. TENDONS - Tendons are basically used in prestress concrete. These are group of steel
wires or cables bundled together as a unit. This wires develop stress in concrete (
by means of pretension or post tensioning)before the concrete is subjected to service
loads.
b. ANCHORAGE - The process of fastening a joist or joist girder to a masonry, concrete,
or steel support by either bolting or welding.
c. PRE-TENSIONING - Pre-tensioning is accomplished by stressing wires or strands,
called tendons, to predetermined amount by stretching them between two anchorages prior
to placing concrete. The concrete is then placed and tendons become bonded to concrete
throughout their length.
d. POST-TENSIONING – It is an alternative to pre-tensioning. In a post-tensioned beam,
the tendons are stressed and each end is anchored to the concrete section after the concrete
has been cast and has attained sufficient strength to safely withstand the prestressing force.
Tendons are coated with grease or a bituminous material to prevent them from becoming
bonded to concrete.
e. BONDED PRESTRESSED CONCRETE – It is one of the techniques in installation
process. In bonded prestressed concrete duct pipes are used and the strands are inserted in
the ducts.
f. UN-BONDED PRESTRESSED CONCRETE- In unbonded duct pipes are not needed,
the strands are covered with plastic sheathing.
g. TRANSFER ABOUT PRESTRESSED CONCRETE - The prestress is transferred over
a certain length from each end of a member which is called the transmission length or
transfer length (Lt). The stress in the tendon is zero at the ends of the members.

Page 1 of 2
 FAMA, BOJO I. AUGUST 22, 2019

Prestressed Concrete Design V129

3. Advantages of Pre-stressed Concrete.

• Contrary to conventional concrete elements, the entire concrete cross-section of
prestressed concrete resists applied load. This is because the concrete in tension zone
does not suffer cracking and hence it would take part in carrying loads.
• The spans of prestressed beams and girders are longer compared with that of reinforced
concrete.
• Longer span length increases untroubled floor space and parking facilities.
• Longer spans results in fewer joints, as a result, less maintenance is needed.
• Possibility of steel corrosion and subsequent concrete deterioration is declined because
concrete is crack-free.

• It has long-term durability.

4. Differences of reinforced concrete and pre-stressed concrete.

In reinforced concrete, prestress is commonly introduced by tensioning the reinforcement. So,

compression is induced in the zones where external loads would normally cause tensile stresses.
If the prestressed concrete beam of rectangular section subjected to a prestressing force P, at the
centroidal axis. Due to this force, a uniform compressive stress of ‘P/A’ will be induced in
concrete. Under the action of loads, the stress at any points will be ‘My/I’.

5. Applications of Pre-stressed Concrete.

Prestressed concrete is a highly versatile construction material as a result of it being
an almost ideal combination of its two main constituents: high-strength steel, pre-stretched
to allow its full strength to be easily realised; and modern concrete, pre-compressed to
minimise cracking under tensile forces. Its wide range of application is reflected in its
incorporation into the major design codes covering most areas of structural and civil
engineering, including buildings, bridges, dams, foundations, pavements, piles, stadiums,
silos, and tanks

Page 2 of 2