Prestressed concrete structures

In concrete structures, prestress is introduced by stretching steel wire and

anchoring them against concrete. Therefore, the prestressing systems should
comprise essentially a method of stretching the steel and a method of anchoring
it to the concrete. Different systems are adopted for pre-tensioning and post
tensioning.

PRE-TENSIONING SYSTEM:

Hoyer system or long line method is often adopted in pre-tensioning. Two bulk
heads or abutments independently anchored to the ground are provided several
meters apart, say, 100m. wires are stretched between the bulkheads. Moulds
are placed enclosing the wires. Concrete is placed surrounding the wires. With
this Hoyer system, several members can be produced along one line. This
method is economical and is used in almost all pre-tensioning factories. For
tensioning, a hydraulic jack is used. Wires are gripped at the bulkheads, using
split-cone wedges. These wedges are made from tapered conical pins. Flat
surface of the pin carries serrations to grip the wire (fig. 1 and 2).
There is another pre-tensioning method known as Shorer system. In this
system a central tube of high strength steel carries the prestress from
surrounding wires and the entire assembly is placed in position and concreted.
After the concrete has attained sufficient strength, the tube is removed and the
prestress is transferred to concrete through bond. The hole left by the tube is
grouted.
The advantage in pre-tensioning system is that there is no expenditure on end
anchorages and on rubber core or metal sheath required for post-tensioning
system. There is greater certainty about the prestressing force. In post-
tensioned members certainty of the force depends on the two end anchorages.
Disadvantages in this system are that the end abutments should be very strong
and are provided only in pre-cast factories. This naturally limits the size of the
member as large sizes are difficult to transport from factory to the site of
construction. Loss is more in pre-tensioned members.
 Fig.1: Typical Pre-tensioning Bed

Fig.2: Some Typical Wire Gripping System

POST-TENSIONING:

A metal tube or a flexible hose following intended profile is placed inside the
mould and concrete is laid. Flexible hose is then removed leaving a duct inside
the member. Steel cable is inserted in the duct. The cable is anchored at one
end of the member and stretched using a hydraulic jack at the other end. After
stretching the cable is anchored at the other end also. Therefore post tensioning
system consists of end anchorages and jacks. The popular post-tensioning
systems are the following:

1. Freyssinet system
2. Magnel Blaton system
3. Gifford-Udall system
4. Lee-McCall system

1. Freyssinet System:

Freyssinet system was introduced by the French Engineer Freyssinet and it was
the first method to be introduced. High strength steel wires of 5mm or 7mm
diameter, numbering 8 or 12 or 16 or 24 are grouped into a cable with a helical
spring inside. Spring keeps proper spacing for the wire. Cable is inserted in the
duct.

Fig.3: Freyssinet system of Post-tensioning

Anchorage device consists of a concrete cylinder with a concentric conical hole

and corrugations on its surface, and a conical plug carrying grooves on its
surface (Fig. 3). Steel wires are carried along these grooves at the ends.
Concrete cylinder is heavily reinforced. Members are fabricated with the cylinder
placed in position. Wires are pulled by Freyssinet double acting jacks which can
pull through suitable grooves all the wires in the cable at a time. One end of the
wires is anchored and the other end is pulled till the wires are stretched to the
required length. An inner piston in the jack then pushes the plug into the
cylinder to grip the wires.

2. Magnel Blaton system:

In Freyssinet system several wires are stretched at a time. In Magnel Blaton

system, two wires are stretched at a time. This method was introduced by a
famous engineer, Prof. Magnel of Belgium. In this system, the anchorage device
consists of sandwich plate having grooves to hold the wires and wedges which
are also grooved. Each plate carries eight wires. Between the two ends the
spacing of the wires is maintained by spacers. Wires of 5mm or 7mm are
adopted. Cables consists of wires in multiples of 8 wires. Cables with as much
as 64 wires are also used under special conditions. A specially deviced jack pulls
two wires at a time and anchors them. The wires with the sandwich plate using
tapered wedge is shown in fig.4.

Fig.4: Anchorage of Magnel System

3. Gifford Udall System:

This system originated in Great Britain, is widely used in India. This is a single
wire system. Each wire is stressed independently using a double acting jack.
Any number of wires can be grouped together to form a cable in this system.
There are two types of anchorage device in this system.

a) Tube anchorages

b) Plate anchorages

Tube anchorage consists of a bearing plate, anchor wedges and anchor grips.
Anchor plate may be square or circular and have 8 or 12 tapered holes to
accommodate the individual prestressing wires. These wires are locked into the
tapered holes by means of anchor wedges. In addition, grout entry hole is also
provided in the bearing plate for grouting. Anchor wedges are split cone wedges
carrying serrations on its flat surface. There is a tube unit which is a fabricated
steel component incorporating a thrust plate, a steel tube with a surrounding
helix. This unit is attached to the end shutters and form an efficient cast-in
component of the anchorage (fig.5).

Fig.5: Plate Anchorage

4. Lee McCall System:

This method is used to prestress steel bars. The diameter of the bar is between
12 and 28mm. bars provided with threads at the ends are inserted in the
performed ducts. After stretching the bars to the required length, they are
tightened using nuts against bearing plates provided at the end sections of the
member (fig.6).

Fig.6: End Anchorage for Lee McCall System

5. Other Methods of Prestressing:

a) Electrical Prestressing:
in this method, reinforcing bars is coated with thermoplastic material such as
sulphur or low melting alloy and buried in the concrete. After the concrete is
set, electric current of low voltage but high amperage is passed through the
bar. Electric current heats the bar and the bar elongates. Bars provided with
threads at the other end are tightened against heavy washers, after required
elongation is obtained. When the bar cools, prestress develops and the bond is
restored by resolidification of the coating.

b) Chemical Prestressing:

Chemical prestressing is done using expanding cement. Prestressing can be

applied b embedding steel in concrete made of expanding cement. Steel is
elongated by the expansion of the concrete and thus gets prestressed. Steel in
turn produces compressive stress in concrete.
2
Prestress can be induced in the structure by various prestressing methods.
Some of which are as follows:

Internal prestressing

In this system, a prestressing force is applied to the high tensile steel i.e. the
steel reinforcement. It induces internal compressive stresses in concrete. it is
the most commonly used method because of easy and accurate application.
Internal prestressing can be done by two methods:

 Pre-tensioning
 Post-tensioning

External prestressing

This method is not commonly used. In this method, the prestressing is done by
adjusting the external reactions (by introducing different support conditions).
The externally prestressing system requires very much accuracy in the planning
and applications. The method of prestressing involves pre-tensioning and post-
tensioning methods.

Pre-tensioning method

In this method, prestressing is induced (the tendons are tensioned) before the
concrete is placed. It is done in factories. In this method, the tendons are
enclosed temporarily against some abutments and then they are pulled by using
jack type devices. The concrete is placed while maintaining the tension. When
concrete is hardened sufficiently, the tendons are released slowly or cut. This
will transfer prestress from steel to concrete through bond.

This type of prestressing method is commonly used for small sized members
like beams, slabs, piles, sleepers and electric poles, etc which can be casted
easily in factories.
Advantages and disadvantages of pre-tensioning method of prestressing:

Pre-tensioning is done in the factories so it is more reliable and durable

technique. But is used for smaller sections, so heavier and longer sections
cannot be prestressed. When cable is released or cut, after pre-tensioning it
leads to more losses due to shortening. The shrinkage and creep losses are
also more in pre-tensioning system.

Post-tensioning method

In this method, the prestress is induced or tendons are tensioned only after the
concrete has hardened. In this system, the concreting is done first and a duct
is formed in the member with tube or with a metal sheathe. When concrete has
sufficiently hardened then tendons or cable is transferred from the tendon to the
member through anchorage wedges. The space between the tendon and the
duct is filled with cement grout.

Post tensioning method of prestressing is used for both precast and cast in situ
construction. It is used for large span structures like bridges.

Advantages and disadvantages of post tensioning method:

 Post-tensioning can be done in factories and at the site also

 The loss of prestress is less as compared to pre-tensioning system.
 This method is used for large spans and heavily loaded structures.The
disadvantages of post tensioning method are that it is costly as compared
to pre tensioning method because of use of sheathing.

The comparison between the pre tensioning and post tensioning method is as
follows:

Sr. No. Pre-tensioning method Post tensioning method

It is done in the factories thus suitable for It can be done in factories as well as on the
1
precast construction works site
Size of member is not restricted, long span
2 Small sections are to be constructed
bridges are constructed by post tensioning
3 Loss of prestress is more (about 18 %) Loss of prestress is less (about 15 %)
It is cheaper because the cost of sheathing
4 It is costlier because of use of sheathing
is not involved
The durability depends upon the two
5 It is more reliable and durable
anchorage mechanism
The different prestressing systems

The Magnel Blaton system

In this system a cable of rectangular section is provided, which contains layers

of wires 5 mm to 8 mm diameter. The wires are arranged with four wires per
layer (up to sixteen layers deep for a cable of sixty four wires). The wires in the
same layer and the wires in adjacent layers are separated with a clearance of
4 mm. the geometric pattern of the wires is maintained in the same form
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.

Gifford Udall System

This is earliest method in this method the wires are stressed and anchored one
by one in 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 the cables of 2, 4, 6 and 12 wires.
P.S.C. Monowire system

In this system also the wires are tensioned individually. The anchorages consist
of a single piece collet sleeve wedging in a conical 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.

C.C.L. standard system

This is the anchor system where the wires are tensioned individually. As many
wires as may be required (not exceeding 12) are used in a circular cable. The
size of the duct depends on the number of wires – mm diameter for 8 wires -
cable and 50 mm diameter for 12 wires cables. An interval of 600 mm spacers
are provided to keep the wires separated and to prevent the outer wires from
touching the sheathing. This not only reduces the friction but also allows
satisfactory grouting. A special C.C.L. anchor grip is used to anchor each wire
separately. The anchor grip consists of steel wedges which fit the over the wire
and are recommended in a steel barrel having a tapered hole.

Lee-Mccall system

This is a system in which high tensile alloy steel bars are used as the
prestressing tendons. These bars are provided in 22 mm, 25 mm, 28 mm and
30 mm diameter and in lengths up to 20 meters. The anchoring of the bars is
done by screwing special threaded nuts. The nuts bear against a distribution
plate provided at the end of the beam.
Chemical Prestressing

This is a method of prestressing using expanded cement. A concrete member

made by using expanding cement is held at both its ends by rigid supports. As
the concrete tends to expand a prestress is induced in the members. In an
alternative method a concrete member is made using ordinary cement. At each
end a gap is left between the end and a rigid support. Now the gap is filled with
expanding cement. As this filler cement tends to expand a prestress is induced
in the member.