Adapt Pt7 Manual Vol I

PT_Title.
p65
041121
STRUCTURAL CONCRETE SOFTWARE SYSTEM
ADAPT-PT
Version 7.0
FOR
Analysis and Design of Post-Tensioned Buildings

Beams, Slabs, and Single Story Frames
Dr. Bijan O. Aalami

Professor Emeritus, San Francisco State University
Structural Engineer, California
Volume I
Description and Background
Affiliate Member
POST-TENSIONING
INSTITUTE
E-mail: info@adaptsoft.com website: http://www.adaptsoft.com

1733 Woodside Road, Redwood City, California, 94061, USA, Tel: (650) 306-2400 FAX: (650) 364-4678
This publication is one of the three manuals of the computer program ADAPT-PT.
ADAPT-PT is a software for the analysis and design of post-tensioned floor systems,
beams, and slabs. ADAPT-PT is develped and distributed by ADAPT Corporation
Copyright © 2004
By ADAPT Corporation
First Edition, First Printing, December 2004
Printed in U.S.A.
All Rights Reserved. This publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced in
any form without the written permission of ADAPT Corporation.
ADAPT Corporation, 1733 Woodside Road, Suite 220, Redwood City, California 94061, USA
Tel: (650) 306 2400; Fax: (650) 364 4678; E-mail: info@adaptsoft.com; www.adaptsoft.com
ADAPT ADAPT-PT
LIST OF CONTENTS
1. OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 1-1

1.1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................. 1-1
1.2 OVERVIEW OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM ................................................................. 1-1
A. Principal features ............................................................................................. 1-1
B. Special features ............................................................................................... 1-2
C. Post-processors .............................................................................................. 1-5
D. Graphical display ............................................................................................. 1-5
E. Program manual ............................................................................................... 1-5
F. Minimum hardware requirement ....................................................................... 1-6
G. Support ........................................................................................................... 1-6
H. Authors and Acknowledgment ......................................................................... 1-6
I. Updates .......................................................................................................... 1-6
J. Warranty ......................................................................................................... 1-6
K. Disclaimer ....................................................................................................... 1-7
L. Additional information and inquiries .................................................................. 1-7
1.3 ORGANIZATION OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM AND ITS MANUAL ...................... 1-7
1.4 QUICK START .......................................................................................................... 1-8
2. STRUCTURAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS ................................................................ 2-1

2.1 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CONCRETE DESIGN ................................... 2-1
2.1.1 General Requirements ...................................................................................... 2-1
2.1.2 Requirements of Design Procedure ................................................................... 2-1
2.1.3 Concrete Design in Relation to Other Materials ................................................ 2-2
A. Glass ................................................................................................... 2-2
B. Steel .................................................................................................... 2-3
C. Concrete ............................................................................................. 2-4
2.1.4 Design Characteristic of Post-Tensioned Floors .............................................. 2-10
2.1.5 Automation of Concrete Design ..................................................................... 2-10
2.1.6 Design Process .............................................................................................. 2-12
2.1.6.1 Structural Modeling and Analysis ........................................................ 2-12
A. Analysis Methods ................................................................. 2-12
2.1.6.2 Load Path Designation ....................................................................... 2-14
2.1.6.3 Analysis Options ................................................................................ 2-21
A. Frame Analysis ...................................................................... 2-21
B. Finite Element Analysis ........................................................... 2-23
2.1.6.4 Design ............................................................................................... 2-26
A. FEM versus Frame Methods ................................................. 2-27
2.1.6.5 Structural Detailing ............................................................................. 2-28
A. Nonprestressed Floors .......................................................... 2-28
B. Post-tensioned Floors ............................................................ 2-28
C. Determination of Additional Structural Steel
(Passive Reinforcement) ......................................................... 2-29
2.1.6.6 Summary ........................................................................................... 2-29
2.1.7 REFERENCE ............................................................................................... 2-30
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ADAPT ADAPT-PT
3. PROGRAM FEATURES ..................................................................................................... 3-1

3.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 3-1
3.1 BASIS OF DESIGN ................................................................................................... 3-1
3.2 POST-TENSIONING DESIGN APPROACHES ....................................................... 3-2
3.2.1 Final effective force design ............................................................................... 3-2
3.2.2 System bound design ....................................................................................... 3-3
3.2.3 Design Options ................................................................................................ 3-4
3.3 GEOMETRY OF THE MODEL ................................................................................. 3-5
3.4 STRUCTURAL MODELING ..................................................................................... 3-8
3.4.1 Number of Spans ............................................................................................ 3-8
3.4.2 Structural Modeling of Slabs ............................................................................ 3-8
Unit strip modeling ........................................................................................... 3-9
Tributary Modeling .......................................................................................... 3-9
3.4.3 Drop caps and drop panels for two-way slabs .................................................. 3-9
3.4.4 Beams normal (transverse) to direction of frame ............................................. 3-11
3.4.5 Slab Bands (wide shallow beams) ................................................................. 3-11
3.4.6 Effective flange width ..................................................................................... 3-12
3.4.7 Haunched beams ........................................................................................... 3-12
3.4.8 Column Geometry and End Conditions ........................................................... 3-12
3.4.9 Width of Support for Moment Reduction ........................................................ 3-14
3.4.10 End-support conditions ................................................................................. 3-15
3.4.11 Interior support conditions ............................................................................. 3-15
3.5 LOADING ............................................................................................................... 3-17
3.5.1 Number and Classes of Loading .................................................................... 3-17
3.5.2 Types of loading ............................................................................................ 3-17
3.5.3 Load Skipping (Pattern Loading) ................................................................... 3-21
3.5.4 Load Combinations ....................................................................................... 3-22
3.6 MATERIALS ............................................................................................................ 3-22
3.6.1 Concrete ....................................................................................................... 3-23
3.6.2 Post-tensioning .............................................................................................. 3-23
3.6.3 Tendon Profile ............................................................................................... 3-23
3.7 SHEAR CALCULATIONS ...................................................................................... 3-27
3.7.1 Shear Checks for One-way Slabs and Beams ................................................ 3-27
3.7.2 Punching Shear Check for Two-way Slabs ..................................................... 3-27
3.8 DEFLECTIONS ....................................................................................................... 3-30
3.9 OUTPUT OPTIONS ................................................................................................ 3-31
3.9.1 Results Report ............................................................................................... 3-31
3.9.2 Results Graphs .............................................................................................. 3-34
3.9.3 PT Summary Report ...................................................................................... 3-35
3.10 POST-PROCESSORS ............................................................................................. 3-35
3.10.1 Friction and Long Term Losses ...................................................................... 3-35
3.10.2 Initial Analysis ................................................................................................ 3-37
3.10.3 Lateral Analysis ............................................................................................. 3-38
3.10.4 Stresses ......................................................................................................... 3-39
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ADAPT ADAPT-PT
4. ANALYSIS AND DESIGN BACKGROUND .................................................................... 4-1

4.1 GENERAL ................................................................................................................. 4-1
4.1.1 Scope and Background ................................................................................... 4-1
4.1.2 Definition of Terms ........................................................................................... 4-2
4.1.3 Analysis and Design Steps ............................................................................... 4-3
A. Serviceability ....................................................................................... 4-3
B. Strength ............................................................................................... 4-3
4.2 BALANCED LOADING AND TENDON PROFILES .............................................. 4-4
4.3 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF BEAMS AND ONE-WAY SLABS ..................... 4-11
4.4 TWO-WAY SLABS AND EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD ............................... 4-14
4.4.1 Background ................................................................................................... 4-14
4.4.2 Equivalent Frame Method (EFM) .................................................................. 4-14
A. Equivalent frame ................................................................................ 4-15
B. Torsional members ............................................................................. 4-15
C. Stiffness of slab-beam ........................................................................ 4-17
D. Stiffness of columns ........................................................................... 4-19
4.5 LOADING ............................................................................................................... 4-21
4.6 BENDING MOMENTS, REACTIONS AND SHEARS .......................................... 4-21
4.6.1 Centerline Moments ....................................................................................... 4-21
4.6.2 Reduction of Moments to the Face-of-support ............................................... 4-22
A. Cantilevers ........................................................................................ 4-22
B. One-way systems .............................................................................. 4-22
(i) PCA Procedure ..................................................................... 4-22
(ii) ADAPT-PT Procedure .......................................................... 4-23
C. Two-way systems .............................................................................. 4-23
D. Secondary (hyperstatic) moments ....................................................... 4-23
4.7 STRESSES ............................................................................................................... 4-23
4.7.1 Stress Calculation .......................................................................................... 4-23
4.7.2 Allowable Stresses ........................................................................................ 4-24
4.7.3 Locations of Stress Checks ............................................................................ 4-24
4.8 DESIGN MOMENTS, SHEARS AND REACTIONS ............................................. 4-24
4.8.1 Design Actions ............................................................................................... 4-24
4.8.2 Secondary Moments (Hyperstatic Moments) .................................................. 4-26
A. Direct method .................................................................................... 4-26
B. Indirect method ................................................................................. 4-27
C. Comparison of the two methods ......................................................... 4-29
4.9 NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT (PASSIVE REINFORCEMENT) ........ 4-29
4.9.1 Minimum Rebar Criteria ................................................................................. 4-30
A. Background ....................................................................................... 4-30
B. Over the supports .............................................................................. 4-30
C. In the field ......................................................................................... 4-30
4.9.2 Limits of Reinforcement ................................................................................. 4-30
A. Reinforcement ratio ............................................................................ 4-31
B. Cracking moment .............................................................................. 4-31
4.9.3 Ultimate Strength ........................................................................................... 4-31
A. Criteria .............................................................................................. 4-31
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ADAPT ADAPT-PT
B. Method of ultimate strength calculation ............................................... 4-32

C. Determination of the effective depth of sections ................................... 4-32
4.9.4 Size of Nonprestressed Reinforcement ........................................................... 4-32
4.9.5 Length of Nonprestressed Reinforcement ....................................................... 4-32
4.9.6 Additional Remarks on the Calculation of Nonprestressed Reinforcement ....... 4-33
A. Initial condition .................................................................................. 4-33
B. Column moment transfer .................................................................... 4-35
4.10 PUNCHING SHEAR ............................................................................................... 4-35
4.10.1 General ......................................................................................................... 4-35
4.10.2 Punching Shear Formulas ............................................................................... 4-35
4.10.3 Punching Shear Stress Ratio ........................................................................... 4-37
4.10.4 Locations of Punching Shear Check at a Joint ................................................. 4-39
4.10.5 Round Columns ............................................................................................. 4-40
4.11 BEAM/ONE-WAY SLAB SHEAR ........................................................................... 4-40
4.11.1 General ......................................................................................................... 4-40
4.11.2 Calculation of Existing Shear Stress ................................................................ 4-40
4.11.3 Calculation of Permissible Shear ..................................................................... 4-40
4.11.4 Determination of Shear Reinforcement ............................................................ 4-41
A. VU<0.5*VC ..................................................................................... 4-41
B. 0.5*VC<VU<VC ............................................................................. 4-41
C. VU > VC .......................................................................................... 4-42
4.12 DEFLECTIONS ....................................................................................................... 4-43
4.12.1 Deflection of Uncracked Members ................................................................. 4-43
A. Stress limit for uncracked solutions ..................................................... 4-43
B. Deflection of one-way slabs and beams .............................................. 4-43
C. Deflection of two-way slabs ............................................................... 4-43
4.12.2 Deflection of Cracked Members .................................................................... 4-43
4.12.3 Deflection due to Creep ................................................................................. 4-44
4.13 SOLUTION PROCEDURE ..................................................................................... 4-44
4.13.1 Characteristics of ADAPT Solutions ............................................................... 4-44
4.13.2 Solution Algorithm of ADAPT ........................................................................ 4-44
4.14 REDISTRIBUTION OF MOMENTS ...................................................................... 4-45
4.14.1 General ......................................................................................................... 4-45
4.14.2 Redistribution Procedure ................................................................................ 4-46
4.14.3 Redistribution Limits ...................................................................................... 4-50
A. For prestressed sections .................................................................... 4-50
B. For regular reinforced concrete .......................................................... 4-51
4.15 NONPRISMATIC BEAMS AND SLABS ............................................................... 4-53
4.15.1 General ......................................................................................................... 4-53
4.15.2 Modeling and Analysis ................................................................................... 4-53
A. Serviceability checks .......................................................................... 4-53
(i) Stresses ................................................................................. 4-53
(ii) Required Post-tensioning Option ............................................ 4-54
(iii) Deflections ............................................................................ 4-54
B. Strength check ................................................................................... 4-54
4.16 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO BRITISH VERSION .................................................... 4-55
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ADAPT ADAPT-PT
4.16.1 Definition of the Problem ................................................................................ 4-56

4.16.2 Analysis ......................................................................................................... 4-57
A. Moments ........................................................................................... 4-57
B. Stresses ............................................................................................. 4-57
C. Post-tensioning required ..................................................................... 4-57
4.16.3 Design ........................................................................................................... 4-57
A. Secondary moments .......................................................................... 4-57
B. Factored moments ............................................................................. 4-58
C. Redistribution of moments .................................................................. 4-59
D. Strength rebar .................................................................................... 4-59
E. Serviceability rebar ............................................................................ 4-60
F. One-way shear .................................................................................. 4-60
G. Punching shear ................................................................................... 4-60
H. Deflections ........................................................................................ 4-60
I. Friction and long-term loss calculations ............................................... 4-60
4.16.4 Other Considerations ..................................................................................... 4-60
A. Bar sizes ............................................................................................ 4-60
B. Dead plus 25% of unreduced live loading ........................................... 4-60
4.17 STRENGTH REBAR CALCULATION IN BRITISH VERSION ............................ 4-61
4.17.1 Geometry ...................................................................................................... 4-61
4.17.2 Materials and Stresses ................................................................................... 4-61
A. Concrete ........................................................................................... 4-62
B. Nonprestressed reinforcement (passive reinforcement) ........................ 4-63
C. Prestressing ....................................................................................... 4-63
4.17.3 Requirements ................................................................................................. 4-65
A. Case 1: prestressing adequate ............................................................ 4-66
B. Case 2: prestressing plus tension rebar ............................................... 4-66
C. Case 3: prestressing and tension rebar not adequate ........................... 4-67
D. Case 4: prestressing and compression rebar ....................................... 4-67
E. Case 5: prestressing and compression rebar not adequate ................... 4-67
4.17.4 Additional Assumptions and Relationships ...................................................... 4-67
4.18 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO CANADIAN VERSION .............................................. 4-68
4.18.1 Definition of the Problem ................................................................................ 4-69
4.18.2 Analysis ......................................................................................................... 4-70
A. Moments ........................................................................................... 4-70
B. Stresses ............................................................................................. 4-70
C. Post-tensioning required ..................................................................... 4-73
4.18.3 Design ........................................................................................................... 4-73
A. Secondary moments .......................................................................... 4-73
B. Redistribution of moments .................................................................. 4-73
C. Factored moments ............................................................................. 4-74
D. Strength rebar .................................................................................... 4-74
E. Serviceability rebar ............................................................................ 4-74
F. One-way shear .................................................................................. 4-74
G. Punching shear ................................................................................... 4-74
H. Deflections ........................................................................................ 4-75
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ADAPT ADAPT-PT
4.18.4 Other Considerations ..................................................................................... 4-75

A. Modeling of end columns in two-way systems .................................... 4-75
B. Design of nonprestressed concrete beams and slabs ........................... 4-76
4.19 NOTATION ............................................................................................................. 4-76
4.20 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 4-79
4.20.1 List of References .......................................................................................... 4-79
5. REFERENCES AND SELECTED TOPICS ....................................................................... 5-1

5.1 LIST OF REFERENCES ON ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF
POST-TENSIONED STRUCTURES ......................................................................... 5-1
5.2 GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN OF POST-TENSIONED FLOORS .................... 5-3
5.3 LOAD BALANCING - A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO
POST-TENSIONING .............................................................................................. 5-11
5.4 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF POST-TENSIONED MEMBERS ....................... 5-21
5.5 HYPERSTATIC (SECONDARY) ACTIONS IN PRESTRESSING AND THEIR
COMPUTATION ..................................................................................................... 5-27
5.6 LAYOUT OF POST-TENSIONING AND PASSIVE REINFORCEMENT
IN FLOOR SLABS .................................................................................................. 5-37
5.7 NONPRESTRESSED BONDED REINFORCEMENT IN POST-TENSIONED
BUILDING DESIGN ............................................................................................... 5-51
5.8 ONE-WAY AND TWO-WAY POST-TENSIONED FLOOR SYSTEMS ................ 5-63
5.9 EFFECTIVE WIDTH IN POST-TENSIONED FLANGED BEAMS ....................... 5-73
6. SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN ................................................................... 6-1

ADAPT-BUILDER PLATFORM ............................................................................................ 6-1
ADAPT-MODELER ............................................................................................................... 6-3
ADAPT-PT ............................................................................................................................. 6-3
ADAPT-RC ............................................................................................................................ 6-4
ADAPT-FLOOR PRO ........................................................................................................... 6-4
ADAPT-MAT ......................................................................................................................... 6-5
ADAPT-SOG ......................................................................................................................... 6-5
FELT ................................................................................................................................... 6-6
PULT ................................................................................................................................... 6-6
ADAPT POST-TENSIONING DETAILS .............................................................................. 6-6
ADAPT-ABI ........................................................................................................................... 6-7
7. CONVERSION TABLES .................................................................................................... 7-1

CONVERSION TABLE FROM SI UNITS ........................................................................... 7-1
CONVERSION TABLE FROM AMERICAN STD UNITS .................................................. 7-2
CONVERSION TABLE FROM MKS UNITS ...................................................................... 7-3
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CHAPTER 1
OVERVIEW
1.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................................... 1-1
1.2 OVERVIEW OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM ........................................................ 1-1

A. PRINCIPAL FEATURES ................................................................... 1-1
B. SPECIAL FEATURES ........................................................................ 1-2
C. POST-PROCESSORS ......................................................................... 1-5
D. GRAPHICAL DISPLAY .................................................................... 1-5
E. PROGRAM MANUAL ..................................................................... 1-5
F. MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENT .................................. 1-6
G. SUPPORT ........................................................................................... 1-6
H. AUTHORS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT ...................................... 1-6
I. UPDATES ........................................................................................... 1-6
J. WARRANTY ...................................................................................... 1-6
K. DISCLAIMER .................................................................................... 1-7
L. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND INQUIRIES ....................... 1-7
1.3 ORGANIZATION OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM AND ITS MANUAL ........... 1-7
1.4 QUICK START .................................................................................................. 1-8

In flat slab construction, tendons are grouped in a band
in one direction and uniformly distributed in the other.
Top reinforcement is placed over the column.
ADAPT OVERVIEW Chapter 1
1. OVERVIEW
1.1 General
This section is for the first time ADAPT-PT user. It provides an overview of ADAPT-PT, of the
program capabilities, conditions of its use, and the organization of its manuals.
1.2 Overview of ADAPT-PT Program
ADAPT-PT is the state-of-the-art industry standard computer program for the analysis and design
of one-way or two-way post-tensioned floor systems and beams. It is based on a single story
frame analysis with upper and lower columns. For two-way floor systems, the equivalent frame
modeling of ACI can be used as an option. ADAPT-PT is a Windows-based program. It is main-
tained to remain operational with the latest versions of the Windows operating system.
A. Principal features
ADAPT-PT treats multi-span continuous slab/plate and beam frames with or without
cantilevers.
In addition to drop caps, ADAPT-PT allows drop panels of different sizes to be specified
for different supports. Having a general frame analysis module for variable sections,
ADAPT-PT can accurately model a wide range of drop cap/panel geometries. Also,
special modeling features implemented in the program facilitate the modeling of local thick-
ening in the slab along the line of columns, generally referred to as slab bands.
The slab/beam frame may be supported by walls, beams, or columns with different
connection details such as clamped, rotational free and more.
ADAPT-PT fully incorporates the equivalent frame option as described in ACI-318 with
no simplifications.
A library of tendon profiles allows the user to select a suitable tendon layout for each
particular case. Common profiles included are the simple parabola, reversed parabola,
simple parabola with straight portions over the supports, and harped tendons. Low relax-
ation and stress relieved strands, as well as unbonded and grouted post-tensioning
systems, are also supported by ADAPT-PT.
Uniform, line, partial, concentrated loads and moments may be specified in practically
unlimited numbers and variations.
ADAPT-PT accounts for the shift in the location of the neutral axis of a member at changes
in cross-section along the member length. Thus, the program can correctly handle steps
along a member
1-1
ADAPT-PT executes either automatically or interactively. In its automatic mode, based on

user’s specifications, the software determines the required post-tensioning and the associ-
ated reinforcement. In is interactive mode, the program displays the calculated required
post-tensioning on the screen to the user. You have the option to modify both the forces
and the drapes during the program execution, and recycle the selection until a satisfactory
design is obtained. Or, you can input the conditions of an existing design. This version of
ADAPT-PT has an added feature, allowing you to select the actual number and position of
strands along a member. Also, in the interactive mode, you can graphically view the distribu-
tion of stresses, tendon profile and the required post-tensioning. This provides a good guide
for you to achieve an optimum design.
Stresses are computed and reported using the actual forces and drapes selected. This
feature distinguishes ADAPT-PT from simple programs, where a single-pass analysis is
performed, in which the option of the user-initiated changes in post-tensioning are not
reflected in the subsequent calculations. ADAPT-PT has a multi-pass processor. It updates
all the design values based on changes made in the tendon profile and force before it
concludes its report of design values.
Serviceability design of the slab/beam is achieved through a detailed stress control fol-
lowed by a deflection calculation. Where stresses exceed the cracking limits of concrete, a
cracked section deflection estimate is carried out using the an equivalent moment of inertia.
A thorough strength analysis and design is conducted to determine any nonprestressed

reinforcement that may be necessary to meet the ultimate strength limit conditions.
Other code requirements for nonprestressed reinforcement, such as the minimum require-
ments of the building codes, are also checked and a listing of the reinforcement based on
different criteria is reported.
Bar sizes and lengths are selected and reported both in a graphical and tabulator formats,
ready to be entered on the structural drawings.
The punching shear option checks the adequacy of the column caps as well as the immedi-
ate slab/drop panel region beyond the cap. For one-way slabs and beams, a one-way shear
analysis is carried out. Shear reinforcement is calculated and the stirrup requirements are
given.
This version of ADAPT-PT can handle both the effective force and the variable force
methods. In the variable force option, the program accounts for the stress losses in post-
tensioning due to friction, seating loss, creep, shrinkage, relaxation of steel and elastic
shortening. Also, each section is computed for forces at that section, after allowing for
immediate and long term losses.
B. Special features
(i) Graphical Display of Model

Similar to its nonprestressed companion ADAPT-RC, the geometry of the structural
1-2
model can be viewed on the screen in a three-dimensional space. The capability to

rotate, pan, zoom and view the model allows the user to examine the structure in
detail prior to the execution of the program. Errors in data entry or modeling, are
readily detected when user’s input is displayed on the computer screen.
Hard copies of the graphical display of the structural model can be readily obtained.
(ii) Increased Accuracy and Consistency in Solution

Prior versions of ADAPT-PT operated in two modes:
• quick and simple; and

• detailed and accurate.
The former mode is based on the values at left, right and central regions of each
span; the latter is based at 1/20th points along a span. Taking advantage of the
recent increase in computational speed of the computers, this version of ADAPT-
PT uses the detailed scheme throughout its operation. This scheme is based on
1/20th point values along each span. However, to retain the simplicity of presenta-
tion of the report, in addition to the optional 1/20th point reports, a summary of the
solution is compiled for the left, center and right of each span.
The format of the printout is similar to the previous versions, in order to ease the
transition for the former ADAPT-PT users to the new version. However, unlike
former versions, the numerical values in the output summary correlate identically
with the associated locations at 1/20th points.
(iii) Variable Force Method; Effective Force Method

One strong feature of the current release is that it can calculate the change of tendon
force along its length (variable force method) and can use the force at each location
along the length of a member to perform a code check for that location. In addition
to the immediate losses due to friction, and seating loss, and at user’s option, the
software accounts for the long-term stress losses along the length of the structure.
Since long-term losses for grouted tendons are functions of local strain, an iterative
non-linear capability is built into the program. The non-linearity in the solution is with
increments of load.
For the convenience of users who are accustomed to the former effective force
method of design, the user’s option, can select the program to operate in a force
mode. In the force mode, the force along each tendon is assumed constant. In this
case, the design is based on a non-iterative linear solution in terms of the effective
force, with some improvements over the previous versions.
Another execution option retained and improved in this version is the computation
only of immediate losses resulting from the friction and seating of strands. The long-
term losses in prestressing are then effected through a user defined lump sum stress
loss.
1-3
(iv) No Prismatic Geometry

In addition to the capability to handle the conventional configurations of column
capitals and drop panels, this release allows the user to define a wide range of
cross-sectional shapes. The software allows for the cross-section of the member to
change along the length of a span, with abrupt steps, at the top, bottom, or both.
Box girder bridge sections can be readily modeled as equivalent I-sections. This
version of ADAPT-PT is well suited for a first design of box girder bridges, where
an initial estimate of the amount and location of prestressing is sought to achieve
given stress levels and design criteria.
(v) Effective Width for Beams

For flanged beams, you can either select the software’s built-in effective width
computation, based on ACI-318, or input a user defined alternative effective width.
The program recognizes and accounts for the difference between the effective width
in bending and pure compression.
(vi) Selfweight Calculation

Using the geometry of the structural model input by the user, the program calculates
the selfweight loading of the structure for combination with other loads. The calcu-
lated values of the selfweight are reported in the program’s output.
(vii) Multiple System of Units / Multiple Building Code Flexibility

All the three system of units, the American customary units (ft-lb), SI units (mm,
Newton), and the MKS units (m, kg) can be executed from the same copy of the
software. Also, all the different codes are integrated into a single version. Now the
desired code and system of units can be changed with a single mouse click, and a
model in one set of units can be automatically converted into another.
(viii) User Defined Default Values for Input Parameters

You can either edit the factory-set, or define your own default values for input of
data, while retaining the option to revert to factory-set default values if you so
choose.
(ix) Input Generator Editor

Input ADAPT-PT data through is by means of Windows-based dialog boxes with
ample hints and graphics to assist the user.
(x) Availability of Reports in Editable Text Files

In addition to graphical reports, the outcome of the analysis and design is com-
posed into a clear text file that can be viewed, edited and printed by you. The
content and extent of the report can be controlled by you through a user-friendly
menu.
1-4
(xi) ADAPT-PT input data is now stored in a single file with the .ADB extension.
However, the program is also backward compatible with input generated by earlier
Windows versions of the program.
(xii) When saved, the input data is reduced to a minimum amount of information that is
necessary to re-generate the last solution in its entirety, including any user interaction
during the execution.
(xiii) ADAPT-PT is integrated into the suite of ADAPT-Builder software system. Struc-
tural models generated using the Modeler module of the Builder suite can automati-
cally be transferred to ADAPT-PT for analysis and design. This provides a seamless
link between the Finite Element Method of ADAPT-Builder and ADAPT-PT.
C. Post-processors
ADAPT-PT is enriched with a host of useful post-processors for specific applications or an

in-depth analysis. Some of the more widely used options are:
(i) Display and/or printout of distribution of moments at 1/20th points along the spans.
(ii) Display and/or printout of distribution of shears and distribution of stresses at

1/20th points along the spans.
(iii) Evaluation of initial stresses at transfer of post-tensioning, and computation of

additional rebar if necessary.
(iv) Integration of moments from the lateral analyses with those due to gravity, and
computation of additional rebar if necessary.
(v) Computation and printout of friction, elongation and long-term stress losses outside
the framework of the program proper.
(vi) Generation of a one-page graphical summary report that extracts and incorporates
all important design information in an easy to interpret format. The report may also
be exported as a DXF file for incorporation into construction documents.
D. Graphical display
The graphical display option of ADAPT-PT provides a vivid exposition of distribution of

calculated values along the entire structure or for its selected members. The displays include
moments, shears, stresses, post-tensioning required, post-tensioning provided, tendon
profile, deflections, and reinforcement required/provided. Each graph may be printed or
exported as a .bmp or a metafile.
E. Program manual
ADAPT-PT is documented in a comprehensive and well organized manner. The documen-

tation consists of this manual set, along with a multitude of technical notes and published
1-5
material on specific aspects of post-tensioning design. The manuals treat the subject from
the point of practical application, to full depth in its theoretical background.
F. Minimum hardware requirement
ADAPT requires the following minimum hardware configurations:
(i) IBM-PC compatible computer with Microsoft Windows 90’s and beyond with hard
disk; minimum 64MB RAM memory; graphical card, and CD-ROM. ADAPT-PT
uses up to 20 MB of hard disk capacity for its maximum operational scope.
(ii) Parallel or USB port for a hardware Key. The Key is a piece of hardware (dongle)
that must be resident in the computer for the proper operation of the software. The
Key is attached to the outside of the computer by inserting it in a parallel or USB
port. It is shipped with each ADAPT-PT package. For network versions of the
software, a single Key will be attached to one of the computers on the network,
where it is not necessary to attach a hardware Key to each station of the network.
G. Support
Competent and prompt support may be obtained from ADAPT support staff through e-
mail, telephone, fax, visits, seminars, and individual on-site training, or training at ADAPT’s
headquarters in Redwood City, California. Please contact ADAPT by phone or through our
web-site at www.adaptsoft.com/support.shtml for information on our training and support
programs to meet your specific requirements.
H. Authors and Acknowledgment
Many engineers and programmers have contributed toward the fruition of project ADAPT-
PT. The initiator and project leader is Dr. Bijan Aalami, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engi-
neering at San Francisco State University and Structural Engineer in the State of California,
and Hawaii. Engineers at several consulting firms have also contributed a significant share
through their extensive in-house use and checking of the program. Many other users have
contributed over the last two decades through their constructive criticism of the program.
I. Updates
ADAPT provides multiple means to receive updates. To view current version information on
the program, visit www.adaptsoft.com/updates.shtml. To determine if you are qualified to
receive the latest update and to place your update order, please contact ADAPT at (650)
306-2400, or visit www.adaptsoft.com/support.shtml for more information.
J. Warranty
No warranty, either expressed or implied, is made with respect to the software sold either
by the seller, the author or ADAPT-PT program, toward the implicit warranties of mer-
chantability or fitness for a particular purpose, beyond replacing the original software CD
and the hardware provided in the event of physical defects incurred as a result of normal use
1-6
for a period of 12 months from date of first shipment of software. For important details refer
to the statements in the license agreement shipped with the program.
K. Disclaimer
Considerable time, effort and expense have gone into the development and documentation
of ADAPT Post-Tensioning system. The program has been thoroughly checked and used.
However, in using the program, the user understands and accepts that no warranty is
expressed or implied, by either the author, or ADAPT on the accuracy or reliability of the
program. The user understands that he/she is using the program at his/her own risk. The
user should thoroughly familiarize him/herself with the concepts of post-tensioning. The user
must be absolutely sure that he/she understands the basic theory and assumptions of the
program, and must verify his/her results for accuracy and applicability. For important details
refer to the statements in the license agreement enclosed in the shipment.
L. Additional information and inquiries
Additional technical information may be obtained from the following address:
ADAPT
1733 Woodside Road, Suite 220 Tel: (650) 306-2400
Redwood City, California 94061 Fax: (650) 364-4678
USA
email: info@adaptsoft.com
website: www.adaptsoft.com
1.3 ORGANIZATION OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM AND ITS MANUAL
The ADAPT-PT package consists of:
1. Manuals;
2. Software CD;
3. USB, parallel port or network license Key (dongle), which is a piece of hardware neces-
sary for the operation of software; and
4. Supplemental Materials
1-7
1.4 QUICK START
Installation:
1. Install the hardware Key (dongle) by inserting it into a USB or parallel port. If a printer is
connected to the parallel port, the Key can be sandwiched between the printer cable and
the computer parallel port. The insertion of the Key does not impact the normal operation of
your computer.
2. Invoke the executable file on the program CD. An installation program will open and
provide further instructions. Follow the screen instructions until setup is complete.
Execution:
1. Open the ADAPT-PT program by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop or

navigating through your START. menu.
2. To test the computer environment for compatibility with ADAPT software, select Open
from the File menu and select the example MNL5-2.ADB in the Examples subdirectory.
This test example is in US customary units. Use this example to verify that the program runs.
When the program makes a pause and displays some of the interim results, click on the
“EXIT” tool. This will conclude the design and prepare a report for you. After the execution
stops, you can view the results.
In order to change the system of units used, go to the Options menu on the menu bar and
select units. Examples written in each system of units can also be recalled from the Ex-
amples subdirectory. Select the execute analysis button. To view the results press the
view results button, to view graphs press the show graphs button.
3. To perform post-processing, press the post-processor button after successful comple-

tion of a computer run.
1-8
CHAPTER 2
STRUCTURAL MODELING
AND ANALYSIS
2.1 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CONCRETE DESIGN ...................... 2-1

2.1.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 2-1
2.1.2 REQUIREMENTS OF DESIGN PROCEDURE ............................... 2-1
2.1.3 CONCRETE DESIGN IN RELATION TO OTHER
MATERIALS ...................................................................................... 2-2
A. GLASS ................................................................................. 2-2
B. STEEL ................................................................................. 2-3
C. CONCRETE ........................................................................ 2-4
2.1.4 DESIGN CHARACTERISTIC OF POST-TENSIONED
FLOORS ............................................................................................ 2-10
2.1.5 AUTOMATION OF CONCRETE DESIGN .................................. 2-10
2.1.6 DESIGN PROCESS .......................................................................... 2-12
2.1.6.1 STRUCTURAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS ............ 2-12
2.1.6.2 LOAD PATH DESIGNATION ........................................ 2-14
2.1.6.3 ANALYSIS OPTIONS ...................................................... 2-21
2.1.6.4 DESIGN ............................................................................ 2-26
2.1.6.5 STRUCTURAL DETAILING .......................................... 2-28
2.1.6.6 SUMMARY ...................................................................... 2-29
2.1.7 REFERENCE .................................................................................... 2-30
Flat slab construction with unbonded tendons and
punching shear reinforcement (Emeryville, California)
ADAPT STRUCTURAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS Chapter 2
2. STRUCTURAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the conceptual background and procedure for the structural modeling of
concrete floor systems. It is an excerpt from a paper by Aalami and Kelley [Aalami, Kelley, 2001a].
2.1 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CONCRETE DESIGN
2.1.1 General Requirements
The primary objectives of structural engineers are the safety, serviceability, and economy of
the structures they design. Safety is understood as the structure’s ability to withstand code
required loads without excessive damage. Serviceability is achieved if the structure performs
as intended throughout its anticipated life span. Economy is taken to mean a high value to
cost ratio; the structure’s value is typically determined by its owners and/or users.
Legality of the design procedure, defined as compliance with applicable building codes, is
also important. It is not always practicable however, particularly for post-tensioned struc-
tures, since codes tend to follow rather than lead practice. Much of what is currently
considered appropriate practice for post-tensioned design has not yet been incorporated in
the codes.
2.1.2 Requirements of Design Procedure
An important issue which is often overlooked by code developers is that in order to be

adopted by design professionals, design procedures must be fairly simple and expeditious.
This can be an important issue when a design professional is asked to evaluate and select
from different structural alternatives.
An example within the concrete field is the use of post-tensioning in building construction.
Some consulting engineers are reluctant to select a post-tensioned alternate because it may
require more design time and effort than a conventional concrete structure. Although the
post-tensioned structure may be more economical and have superior performance, the
engineer typically cannot increase his or her fee and thus does not directly benefit from the
economy achieved. Some design engineers have consequently developed an aversion to
post-tensioning and seek reasons not to use it.
Another, perhaps more important phenomenon facing the concrete industry in the United
States, is the role played by the design professional in the selection of construction materi-
als, namely the choice between concrete and steel. In the recent past, the advent of comput-
ers and automation in design and detailing has been favorable to the steel industry. Steel
framing benefited from an initial advantage in that it readily lent itself to design automation.
There are now computer programs which can perform a complete steel design, including
detailing, with little effort from the design professional. The same has not been true for
concrete buildings. Integrated computer programs have been lacking. In addition, the
2-1
concrete design codes have become more complex and require greater input from the
design professional.
The difficulty in automating the design of concrete structures is in the floor slab (or combina-
tion of floor slab and beams). In most cases, skeletal members such as beams, columns,
and frames made from them can be readily analyzed and designed. Concrete buildings are
rarely limited to skeletal members, however, the floor slabs are a significant portion of the
building and its design.
This article reviews concrete slab design concepts and presents a method which allows the
design of both reinforced and post-tensioned concrete buildings to be automated. The
method includes a procedure for selecting load paths and guidelines for the layout of rein-
forcement. It is anticipated that this method will eliminate the disadvantages currently
experienced by design professionals in the integrated design of concrete buildings.
2.1.3 Concrete Design in Relation to Other Materials
The following example highlights the principal features which distinguish concrete design
from other alternatives. The example considers three materials: concrete, steel, and glass,
each of which has a distinctive feature in terms of design. Although the example is hypotheti-
cal, it illustrates how material properties affect design requirements and procedures.
Figure 2.1.3-1(a) shows a partial plan of a plate slab under uniform loading. The example
reviews the design of the plate area surrounded by supports A, B and C, marked “Design
Region.” The design objective is to satisfy the serviceability and safety (strength) require-
ments of the plate region.
A. Glass
Consider first a glass plate. The serviceability of the glass plate is determined by
acceptable deflection; its safety is measured by the load which causes it to crack.
Glass breaks at the initiation of cracking since once initiated, cracking spreads
immediately and causes failure. Cracking occurs when the tensile stress at the
surface reaches a characteristic value which is a material property of the glass.
Hence, the design procedure consists of:
• Estimating the deflection under service load; and

• Determining the load at which the maximum tensile stress reaches the
cracking strength of glass.
For serviceability design, deflections can be estimated using approximate methods

based on the geometry, support conditions, material properties and service loading.
As noted above however, failure occurs when the stress at any point on the plate
reaches the cracking strength of the glass. In order to get a reliable estimate of the
glass plate’s safety, both the location of the maximum stress and the stress value in
2-2
relation to the applied loading need to be determined accurately. The breaking load
must either be determined experimentally or by rigorous finite element analysis.
Approximate methods based on assumed load paths will not produce accurate
results.
The value of local stress calculated by finite element analysis is sensitive to the
number of mesh divisions and the accuracy of the finite element formulation. A very
fine mesh and an appropriate formulation must be used to determine the value of
stress at a point. The necessity of accurately determining the stress at a point in
order to ensure the safety of glass plate is emphasized since it differentiates the
response of glass under increasing load from the other materials.
In the design of glass plate, the geometry and supports must be modeled faithfully
since they directly affect the magnitude of maximum stress. In summary, the actual
geometry and load path in most cases must be determined either analytically or
experimentally.
B. Steel
Assuming that the design region in Fig. 2.1.3-1(a) is made out of steel plate, its
serviceability is governed by its deflection and permanent deformation under
service loading. Its safety or ultimate strength is generally determined by excessive
deformation under factored loading.
Approximate modeling can be used to estimate the deflection of the plate under
service loading. Permanent deformation can result if local yielding takes place. Local
yielding is a function of the distribution of stress under service loading. Using von
Mises criterion, yielding occurs when the combination of stresses at a point reaches
a characteristic value of the material. Either experimental techniques or a finely
meshed finite element analysis must be used to evaluate local yielding. The reliability
of the design depends on the accuracy with which the location and magnitude of the
local stresses are calculated.
In summary, the design procedure is as follows:
• Estimate deflection under service load using approximate methods;

• Use a rigorous method to determine local stresses and the likelihood of
local yielding under service loads in order to avoid permanent deformation;
and,
• Determine the strength (safety) limit by using an approximate method to
estimate the load at which overall plastification results in excessive deforma-
tion. A rigorous method can be used for this, but is generally not warranted.
A central feature of steel design is that after the selection of a plate thickness and
support conditions, the computations are aimed at verifying the validity of these
initial assumptions. The computations determine the location and magnitude of the
2-3
maximum von Mises stress. If the calculated stresses are less than allowable stress
limits, the initial assumptions are regarded as an acceptable design. As discussed in
the next section, this is one of the key features which differentiates steel design from
concrete design.
C. Concrete
The criteria for the design of the concrete plate are that: (i) under service conditions,
the deflections and crack widths must be within acceptable limits and (ii) under code
stipulated factored loads, the plate must not collapse.
The determination of local stresses is generally not meaningful for evaluating

deflections and crack widths under service loading. Microcracking and lack of
material homogeneity make the use of simple linear-elastic analysis invalid; rigorous
analysis is typically not warranted for everyday design.
Moreover, unlike the design procedure for glass, the determination of local stresses
needs to be exact. A typical slab is usually modeled and designed following desig-
nated load paths, as opposed to analytically determined load paths as with the
glass and steel plates.
For the example under consideration, two load path options are shown (Fig. 2.1.3-
1(b) and 2.1.3-1(c)). In Fig. 2.1.3-1(b) the slab is modeled as a strip spanning
between walls A and B. In other words, the engineer designates a “load path” for
the transfer of the design load to the two supports. For this load path, the reinforce-
ment for safety against collapse will be bottom bars, referred to as primary rein-
forcement, between walls A and B as shown in the figure.
In this case, wall C is not a designated part of the load path. Nevertheless, wall C
will participate in supporting the load and thus the slab over it is likely to develop
high tensile stresses. The design engineer will recognize this and will therefore place
a nominal amount of top bars over the wall for crack control under service loading.
This step, which follows the determination of the amount and location of primary
reinforcement, is called Structural Detailing. Structural Detailing, an essential step
in concrete design, is aimed at improving the in-service performance of the slab and
is highly dependent on the experience and engineering judgment of the design
professional.
Structural Detailing fulfills the implementation of the design concept. It ensures that:
• The load path envisaged by the engineer can in fact develop at loadings
equal to or greater than code stipulated values; and,
• The crack widths under service loading are within acceptable limits.
2-4
FIGURE 2.1.3-1
The ability of a concrete section to crack and undergo a finite amount of rotation
before, at, or beyond its nominal strength, prior to failure, is a reflection of the
section’s ductility. ACI-318 ensures a minimum ductility through control of the
amount of reinforcement. This helps to redistribute the load resistance in the floor
and mobilize the user assumed load path.
Figure 2.1.3-2(a) shows an example of “structural detailing” for development of

load path. The effect of a concentrated loading is distributed over the width of the
2-5
FIGURE 2.1.3-2
assumed load path through distribution steel placed beneath the concentrated load.
The added reinforcement ensures that the load path between walls A and B is able
to materialize as envisaged by the designer. Note that although it is required for both
safety and serviceability, this type of reinforcement is not reflected in many global
analyses, including the one introduced in this article. Figure 2.1.3-2(b) shows an
example of structural detailing for crack control.
2-6
FIGURE 2.1.3-3
The detailing involved in translating the bottom bars shown in Fig. 2.1.3-3(a-i) into
the number, length and location of bars to be placed in the slab as shown in (a-ii) is
referred to as Construction Detailing. Another example of construction detailing is
the selection of the correct lap splices, hooks, and bar bending details as illustrated
in Fig. 2.1.3-3(b). In North American practice, construction detailing is shown on
shop drawings generated by the materials suppliers. Structural detailing, on the
other hand, is done by the design engineer and is shown on the structural draw-
ings.
2-7
FIGURE 2.1.3-4
The distinction between structural detailing and construction detailing in North

America differs from the tradition in many other parts of the world, where the
drawings generated by the design engineer also reflect the “construction detailing.”
Referring back to the original plate design, in Fig. 2.1.3-1(c), the slab is modeled
as a cantilever supported by wall C. This load path requires top bars over wall C
as shown. These bars are supplemented by structural detailing top bars placed over
walls A and B for crack control.
2-8
The following general conclusions can be drawn about the design of concrete
structures:
♦ For concrete floors, the engineer must designate a load path in order to
determine the reinforcement. This is unlike the glass alternative, where the
load path is determined by analysis, or the steel alternative, where for the
service condition, local yielding is determined without a designated load
path. The load path designation is required for concrete because the layout
of reinforcing bars governs the orientation and magnitude of the resistance
developed by the slab. Often, there is more than one possible load path.
The designated load path is the skeleton of the “structural system” of the
building.
♦ Concrete design is not sensitive to local stresses. The distribution of

moments determined from elastic theory will be similar to the schematics of
Fig. 2.1.3-4(a) in which the effect of Poisson’s ratio is disregarded for
clarity. For design, the reinforcement is generally calculated to resist a
simplified, equivalent moment as shown in Fig. 2.1.3-4(b). The reinforce-
ment necessary for strength in each direction is that required to resist the
total moment, i.e. the integral below the moment curve. The layout of the
reinforcement is typically not critical as long as the bars are within the region
corresponding to the moment they are designed to resist. This is based on
the premise that failure follows the formation of a hinge line and the hinge
line will mobilize all of the reinforcement which crosses it.
This highlights another feature of concrete design which is that the total
moment is used in design. The distribution of the moment and local values
of the moment are not critical. The total moment is considered to be
resisted by a “design section” as opposed to glass and steel design where
local moments are checked at design points. This feature places concrete
at a great computational advantage, since total (integral) values of the
actions are not as sensitive to finite element discretization. Finite element
software is generally formulated to satisfy static equilibrium, regardless of
density of the mesh used to discretize the structure. A coarse mesh gives
essentially the same “total” moment over a design section as a finer mesh.
This observation is discussed further in [Aalami, 2001].
♦ As with glass and steel, stresses in prestressed concrete structures are

checked under service load. Unlike glass, where the objective of the stress
check is to avoid breakage, or steel, where the objective is to avoid local
yielding and permanent deformation, for concrete the objective is generally
to control - not avoid - crack formation. In practical design of concrete
structures, the calculated concrete stresses are “hypothetical,” since they are
based on the application of the “total” moment to the entire “design” sec-
tion. In reality, stresses over the supports will peak to much higher values
and in most instances exceed the cracking limit of the concrete. The
2-9
calculated stresses are thus an indication of the extent of crack formation

over a region, rather than actual stresses.
♦ Note that for one-way systems, the limit on these hypothetical stresses in
ACI 318 is 12 root f’c (one root f’c in SI units) even though the cracking
limit (modulus of rupture) of concrete is typically considered to be between
6 and 7.5 root f’c (0.5 to 0.625 f’c in SI units). In many other building
codes, i.e. the Canadian code [CAN 23.3, 1994], the hypothetical tensile
stresses are permitted to exceed those of ACI-318.
2.1.4 Design Characteristic of Post-Tensioned Floors
The need to designate a “load path” was identified as one of the characteristics which
differentiates concrete design from steel design. Post-tensioned concrete design adds
another layer of complexity which requires additional engineering judgment and input.
Consider the example of Fig. 2.1.3-1(b), in which the slab region is assumed to span
between walls A and B. A post-tensioned design alternative of this region is shown in Fig.
2.1.4-1. The region is reinforced with post-tensioning tendons between walls A and B; the
post-tensioning is supplemented by mild steel as shown.
The serviceability and safety of the design are controlled by two principal parameters: (i) the
amount of prestressing, and (ii) the profile of the tendon (the distance between the tendon
and centroid of the slab along the tendon’s length). Typically, the amount of passive rein-
forcement required will depend on what is selected for these parameters.
In the nonprestressed floor, determination of the required reinforcement is fairly routine once
the load path is determined. The outcome in terms of the area of reinforcement will be
essentially the same, regardless of the designer’s experience or inclination. In a post-
tensioned floor however, different engineers are likely to come up with different designs,
since in general, the amount of prestressing and the tendon profile can be selected by the
engineer. Often, the amount of mild steel reinforcement required will depend on what is
selected for these parameters. Depending on the engineer’s assumptions and what he or she
uses as design criteria, different designs will result. The automation of a post-tensioning
design thus requires additional steps to select post-tensioning forces and tendon profiles.
2.1.5 Automation of Concrete Design
In summary, the design of concrete floors as practiced today requires a designer-defined

“load path” for the determination of primary reinforcement. If the slab is post-tensioned,
additional assumptions are required in order to design the post-tensioning. In addition, in
post-tensioned structures, stresses need to be checked under service loads. Unlike glass
and steel however, the stress used in design of prestressed concrete is a “smeared,” or
“average” stress, not the local stress. This is advantageous for concrete structures since it is
2 - 10
FIGURE 2.1.4-1
not necessary to perform a densely meshed finite element analysis to determine local stress
values.
Designation of the load path and determination of the primary reinforcement must be
followed by “structural detailing”. To date, no attempts to automate either the designation of
load paths or the “structural detailing” functions have been reported in the literature. The
following section presents a procedure which automates the bulk of the design procedure
for nonprestressed floors and the initial steps of a post-tensioned floor design. A companion
article focuses on the additional steps required for post-tensioned design.
2 - 11
2.1.6 Design Process
2.1.6.1 Structural Modeling and Analysis
The design process for concrete floors is summarized in the flow chart shown in
Fig. 2.1.6.1-1. There are essentially four steps: a structural modeling step, an
analysis step, a design step and a structural detailing step. Structural modeling
involves designating load paths. The analysis step determines the actions (moments
and shears) which each load path must resist. The design step gives the area of
reinforcement required to resist these actions. The structural detailing step deter-
mines the layout of the reinforcement; it also determines if additional steel is needed
for crack control or load distribution.
A. Analysis Methods
There are three methods commonly used for analysis: the “Simple Frame”,
the “Equivalent Frame,” and the “Finite Element” methods. In the Simple
Frame method (SFM), the geometry of the structure is modeled exactly,
i.e., the frames are analyzed using the stiffnesses of the columns and associ-
ated slabs as calculated from their geometries. As a result, the analysis does
not account for the influence of biaxial plate bending.
The Equivalent Frame (EFM) method is a refinement of the Simple Frame

method in which the relative column and slab stiffnesses are adjusted to
account for the biaxial plate bending. It is therefore somewhat more exact
than the Simple Frame method and is the most commonly used analysis
method for column supported floors.
The required information, as far as the geometry, loading and boundary

conditions of the design strip, is the same for both the Simple Frame and the
Equivalent Frame methods. Although both methods are approximate, they
both yield lower bound (safe) solutions. The degree of approximation
depends on the extent to which a floor system deviates from a uniform,
orthogonal support layout and constant slab thickness.
The third method of analysis, the Finite Element method (FEM), is based on
the division of the structure into smaller pieces (elements) whose behavior
can be closely defined (Fig. 2.1.6.1-2). Each element is formulated to
capture the local behavior of the structure based on its material properties,
geometry, location in the structure, and relationship with surrounding ele-
ments. The mathematical assemblage of these elements into the complete
structure allows for automated computation of the response of the entire
structure. FEM thus inherently incorporates the biaxial behavior of the floor
system when determining the actions in the floor.
2 - 12
FIGURE 2.1.6.1-1
The following references give a general description of the finite element

technology [Zienkiewicz o.c, etal, 1989, Bathe, K.J. 1982]. Details of the
procedure with specific application to concrete floor systems are given in
[Aalami , 2001].
2 - 13
FIGURE 2.1.6.1-2
2.1.6.2 Load Path Designation
The basis of the structural modeling step is selection of the load paths. The structural
system is complete if the selfweight and applied loading at every location is as-
signed an explicit load path to a support. For nonprestressed floors, the load path is
determined by the position and orientation of the reinforcement. For prestressed
floors, the load path is determined by the layout of post-tensioning tendons.
2 - 14
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-1
Load path designation is based on the strip method. It requires dividing the floor
into intersecting support lines, each of which has its own tributary. The support lines
indicate the assumed load paths; a support line, together with its tributary, is referred
to as a “design strip.” For most structures, selection of the load paths is essentially
independent of the analysis method.
Consider a typical floor from a multi-story building with columns and walls above
and below as shown in Fig. 2.1.6.2-1. The following describes the structural
2 - 15
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-2
modeling of the floor and illustrates the procedure for selecting load paths and
design sections.
Define outline of floor slab and supports

The engineer first defines the boundary of the slab and any openings, steps or other
discontinuities. Next, he or she identifies the location and dimensions of the walls
and columns supporting the floor. The supports for this example are identified in
Fig. 2.1.6.2-1. Note that beams are considered as part of the floor system rather
2 - 16
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-3
than the support system. They are therefore modeled and designed in conjunction
with the floor slab.
Define Support lines

The engineer then determines a series of support lines in each of the two principal
directions. Typically, these are lines joining adjacent supports along which an
experienced engineer will intuitively place reinforcement. Figure 2.1.6.2-2 shows
the support lines, labeled A through G, in the X-direction (F is not a designated line
2 - 17
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-4
of support). Five support lines, labeled 1 through 5, are identified in the Y-direction
(Fig. 2.1.6.2-3).
If a floor system is highly irregular, i.e. the columns are significantly offset from one
another, the support lines may be less apparent. The criteria for selection are the
same as in a regular slab, however. The support lines are the lines along which an
experienced structural engineer is likely to place the primary reinforcement for
resisting the gravity load.
2 - 18
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-5
Define Tributaries and Design Strips

The midpoints between support lines are used to designate the tributaries areas for
each support line. The midpoints are joined to identify the boundaries of the
tributary. Figure 2.1.6.2-4 shows the support lines in the X-direction. Points 8
and 9, for example, would be used to determine the boundaries for the tributary of
support line B. The tributaries for the design strips in the X-direction are hatched in
Fig. 2.1.6.2-5. Design strips with their associated tributaries for the Y-direction are
shown in Fig. 2.1.6.2-6.
2 - 19
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-6
Design Sections
Design sections are drawn across each design strip at locations where the integrated
action on the design strip are greatest. There is no limit to the number of sections
that can be specified. Note that the maximum design actions in the field may not be
at the midpoint of the spans. In addition, peak design actions may not occur at the
same location for the strength and serviceability checks. Figure 2.1.6.2-7 shows
the design sections for two of the design strips in the X-direction. Across the width
of the supports, sections can be chosen at the face of support to take advantage of
the reduced actions away from the support centerlines.
2 - 20
FIGURE 2.1.6.2-7
2.1.6.3 Analysis Options
In the analysis step, the actions must be distributed among the load paths (design
strips) to satisfy the equilibrium of the applied loading.
A. Frame Analysis
In both the Simple and Equivalent frame options, each design strip is
extracted from the floor and re-constructed with appropriate support
2 - 21
FIGURE 2.1.6.3-1
conditions and loading to create an approximated frame model for analysis.
The strip is treated as an independent structural system, isolated from the
adjacent design strips.
Consider design strip B, shown as a separate entity in plan (Fig. 2.1.6.3-1)

and in elevation (Fig. 2.1.6.3-2). For plane frame analysis, the strip is
straightened along its line of support as illustrated in Fig. 2.1.6.3-1(b). The
span length thus corresponds to the slant distance between adjacent sup-
ports, as in span 3-4. Note that the tributaries may vary in width over a
2 - 22
FIGURE 2.1.6.3-2
single span. To simplify the analysis these varying tributary lines are typically
idealized as straight boundaries (Fig. 2.1.6.3-1(c)). Usually, the idealized
tributary is chosen to be conservatively larger than the actual tributary. If the
change in tributary width in a span is more than about 20%, it may be
worthwhile to model the tributary as a series of steps to reduce the rein-
forcement required. Additional approximations may be necessary for other
non-standard conditions.
B. Finite Element Analysis
As noted above, if either the Simple Frame or the EFM is used, each design
strip must be extracted from the floor system and analyzed as a plane frame.
With the FEM, the entire floor can be analyzed at one time. The results of
an FEM analysis must be processed as “design strips” and “design sections”
for code stipulated serviceability and strength checks however. As with the
Frame methods, the design strips are based on the assumed load paths.
The design strips do not need to be selected before the analysis however.
This can sometimes be advantageous since the results of the FEM analysis
can be used to select design strips which are more in line with the natural
(assumed elastic) response of the slab.
Ideally, a design strip should be bounded by lines of zero shear transfer

since this ensures that each design strip is designed to carry only the loading
located directly on it. For the floor slab used in this example, the flow of the
loading to the supports is shown by arrows in Fig. 2.1.6.3-3. The arrows
are normal to the planes of maximum vertical shear; the length of each
arrow indicates the magnitude of the shear. Figure 2.1.6.3-4 shows the
2 - 23
FIGURE 2.1.6.3-3
lines of zero vertical shear transfer in the Y-direction as determined using the
flow of loading shown in Fig 2.1.6.3-3. The alternate hatched and clear
regions indicate the load tributaries for the support lines A through G.
Displays such as the one in Fig. 2.1.6.3-4 showing the “natural tributaries”
allow the calculated actions to be assigned to the design strips in accor-
dance with the elastic response of the structure. A design based on the
design strips of Fig. 2.1.6.3-4 is thus likely to be more economical with
respect to material usage, especially if the floor configuration is irregular.
2 - 24
FIGURE 2.1.6.3-4
Design strips are nevertheless typically based on the standard support lines
and tributaries described before. In most cases, the increased design effort
in selecting natural tributaries outweighs the benefits of the refined design
strips. Figure 2.1.6.3-5 shows the design strips selected by the procedure
outlined for the frame methods superimposed on the natural tributaries lines
of the floor.
2 - 25
FIGURE 2.1.6.3-5
2.1.6.4 Design
In order to perform the strength evaluation at each “design section”, the design
moment at the section is applied to the entire cross-sectional area of the section.
With the FEM, the moment distributions are integrated along the design section to
determine the design moments. As an example, refer to Fig. 2.1.6.4-1 which is an
enlargement of a corner of the floor slab example. Observe the design strip B, and
the variation of moment My along design sections, one at the face of each support
and one in the field of span 10-2. The moment used for the determination of
reinforcement and stresses at each design section is the area (integral) of the mo-
ment distributions shown. For example, at the face of support at line 2, the design
2 - 26
FIGURE 2.1.6.4-1
moment is My =281 kNm. This is the moment which is used to determine the area
of primary reinforcement required.
A. FEM versus Frame Methods
As can be seen, the design procedure for a FEM analysis used is essen-
tially identical to that of the Frame Methods. It consists of selecting load
paths leading to design strips, and design sections. This is followed by the
determination of demand actions for each design section. The application of
demand actions to respective design sections is the design step.
2 - 27
As with the other two analysis options, the objective of an FEM analysis is
to provide information for a safe and serviceable design in accordance with
the prevailing code(s). The volume of information obtained from a FEM
analysis is generally more than that required by code for serviceability and
safety checks, however. In particular, the FEM provides more accurate
information on the response of the floor system to the applied loading.
2.1.6.5 Structural Detailing
The analysis and design steps discussed above determine the area of primary
reinforcement required for each design strip. To ensure satisfactory performance
under service conditions, it is essential that this reinforcement be properly distrib-
uted.
A. Nonprestressed Floors
The ACI [ACI-318, 2002] recommendations for reinforcement layout are

based on the column-strip, middle-strip concept. Although these recom-
mendations are valuable guidelines, they can not always be applied when
the column plan is irregular and there are discontinuities such as large
openings. The following are some of the underlying principles for determin-
ing reinforcement layout.
♦ Distribute the required reinforcement as close as practical to the

distribution of the moment. It is not critical to follow strict percent-
ages as long as the total area of reinforcement is accounted for. For
example, from the distribution of Fig. 2.1.6.4-1, it is apparent that
the reinforcement at the face of column at line 2 should be concen-
trated in the column region, while in the field, the distribution should
be essentially uniform.
♦ If the slab is supported by columns, place the entire amount of
reinforcement within the column region at exterior columns. Place
the majority of the reinforcement within the column region at interior
columns. The width of the column region should be based on
engineering judgment; in many cases one half of the tributary is a
reasonable width.
♦ Everywhere along a design strip the reinforcement must be at least
equal in both area and spacing to that required by code [ACI-318]
for shrinkage and temperature.
B. Post-tensioned Floors
The layout of the post-tensioning and reinforcement within a design section

for post-tensioned floors is more liberal than for nonprestressed floors. A
detailed account of reinforcement layout for post-tensioned floor systems is
2 - 28
given in [Aalami et al, 1999]. The principal guidelines are as follows; for
additional details refer to the code [ACI-318, 2002].
♦ Place the top reinforcement for both directions in bands over the
columns. These bands are narrower than the column regions used
for nonprestressed floors.
♦ Place bottom reinforcement where convenient for construction.
♦ Place the post-tensioning where convenient provided there are two
tendons over the columns in both directions and that the tendon
spacing in one direction (the “uniform” direction) is not greater than
eight times the slab thickness.
♦ Where average compression is likely to be less than a minimum
value (100 psi, approx 0.7 MPa), provide rebar or a combination
of prestressing and rebar to control shrinkage and temperature
cracking.
C. Determination of Additional Structural Steel (Passive Reinforce-

ment)
Structural detailing also encompasses determination of the additional

structural steel required for both crack control and development of the load
paths. Some of the additional steel, i.e. trim steel around small openings, can
be covered by typical details on the structural drawings. In general however,
the additional steel must be determined by an engineer who has a good
understanding of how the slab will respond to all likely load conditions. Thus
both experience and sound engineering judgement are required.
Additional steel is typically required over any support that is not part of a
designated path. In addition, “distribution” steel perpendicular to the pri-
mary reinforcement is typically required under concentrated loads. In post-
tensioned floors, additional mild steel may be required in areas where
restrictions on access or unusual geometries make it difficult to provide
sufficient post-tensioning.
2.1.6.6 Summary
The key features of the design process are as follows:
♦ There are three methods commonly used for analysis: the “Simple Frame”,
the “Equivalent Frame,” and the “Finite Element” methods. The Equivalent
Frame method is a refinement of Simple Frame method which adjusts the
column stiffness’ to account for biaxial plate bending.
♦ Regardless of the analysis method used, the floor system must go through a
structural modeling step, in order to designate “Design Load Paths”. Load
paths must be designated prior to doing a Simple or Equivalent Frame
analysis, but can be designated either before or after a Finite Element
2 - 29
analysis. Design strips are selected in accordance with the designated load
paths.
♦ The outcome of the analysis step is the moments and shears which must be
resisted by each design strip.
♦ At the design stage, the entire (integral) moments along a design section is
applied to a design section in order to calculate the reinforcement required.
♦ Calculation of the reinforcement is followed by “Structural Detailing,” which
ensures the serviceability of the floor and the implementation of the design
concept.
In effect, all three analysis methods are variations of the proven “strip method,”
which requires choosing a statically admissible stress field that satisfies equilibrium.
Thus all three yield a lower bound (safe) solution. Recognition of common features
among the three design methods, in particular the necessity of selecting “load paths”,
is essential to the automation of concrete floor design.
2.1.7 REFERENCE
Aalami, B. O. (2001) “Software for the Design of Concrete Buildings,” American

Concrete Institute, Concrete International Journal, December 29, 2001, pp. 28-35.
Aalami, Bijan, O., and Kelley, Gail, S. (2001a), “Design of Concrete Floors with Par-
ticular Reference to Post-Tensioning,” Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, Technical
Note 11, January 2001, pp 16.
Aalami, Bijan, O., and Kelley, Gail, S. (2001b), “Structural Design of Post-Tensioned
Floors,” American Concrete Institute, Concrete International, January 2001, pp 31-36.
Aalami, B. O. (1999). “Layout of Post-Tensioning and Passive Reinforcement in Floor

Slabs,” Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, Technical Note 8, February 1999, 12 pp.
ACI 318-02 (2002) “Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete,” American
Concrete Institution, Detroit, M.I., 2002
Bathe, K.J. (1982) “Finite Element Procedures in Engineering Analysis,” Prentice-Hall,

Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Zienkiewicz, O.C. and Taylor, R.L. (1989) “The Finite Element Method,” vol 1, 4th ed.,
McGraw-Hill, New York.
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CHAPTER 3
PROGRAM FEATURES
3.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 3-1
3.1 BASIS OF DESIGN .......................................................................................... 3-1
3.2 POST-TENSIONING DESIGN APPROACHES ........................................... 3-2

3.2.1 FINAL EFFECTIVE FORCE DESIGN ............................................. 3-2
3.2.2 SYSTEM BOUND DESIGN .............................................................. 3-3
3.2.3 DESIGN OPTIONS ............................................................................ 3-4
3.3 GEOMETRY OF THE MODEL ....................................................................... 3-5
3.4 STRUCTURAL MODELING ............................................................................ 3-8

3.4.1 NUMBER OF SPANS ........................................................................ 3-8
3.4.2 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF SLABS ........................................ 3-8
UNIT STRIP MODELING ................................................................ 3-9
TRIBUTARY MODELING ............................................................... 3-9
3.4.3 DROP CAPS AND DROP PANELS FOR TWO-WAY SLABS ....... 3-9
3.4.4 BEAMS NORMAL (TRANSVERSE) TO DIRECTION OF
FRAME ............................................................................................. 3-11
3.4.5 SLAB BANDS (WIDE SHALLOW BEAMS) ................................. 3-11
3.4.6 EFFECTIVE FLANGE WIDTH ...................................................... 3-12
3.4.7 HAUNCHED BEAMS ..................................................................... 3-12
3.4.8 COLUMN GEOMETRY AND END CONDITIONS ..................... 3-12
3.4.9 WIDTH OF SUPPORT FOR MOMENT REDUCTION ............... 3-14
3.4.10 END-SUPPORT CONDITIONS ...................................................... 3-15
3.4.11 INTERIOR SUPPORT CONDITIONS ........................................... 3-15
3.5 LOADING ........................................................................................................ 3-17

3.5.1 NUMBER AND CLASSES OF LOADING .................................... 3-17
3.5.2 TYPES OF LOADING ..................................................................... 3-17
3.5.3 LOAD SKIPPING (PATTERN LOADING) ................................... 3-21
3.5.4 LOAD COMBINATIONS ............................................................... 3-22
3.6 MATERIALS .................................................................................................... 3-22

3.6.1 CONCRETE ...................................................................................... 3-23
3.6.2 POST-TENSIONING ....................................................................... 3-23
3.6.3 TENDON PROFILE ......................................................................... 3-23
3.7 SHEAR CALCULATIONS ............................................................................. 3-27
3.7.1 SHEAR CHECKS FOR ONE-WAY SLABS AND BEAMS ........... 3-27
3.7.2 PUNCHING SHEAR CHECK FOR TWO-WAY SLABS ............... 3-27
3.8 DEFLECTIONS ............................................................................................... 3-30
3.9 OUTPUT OPTIONS ....................................................................................... 3-31

3.9.1 RESULTS REPORT .......................................................................... 3-31
POST-PROCESSOR RESULTS: ....................................................... 3-33
3.9.2 RESULTS GRAPHS ......................................................................... 3-34
3.9.3 PT SUMMARY REPORT ................................................................ 3-35
3.10 POST-PROCESSORS ................................................................................... 3-35

3.10.1 FRICTION AND LONG TERM LOSSES ....................................... 3-35
3.10.2 INITIAL ANALYSIS ........................................................................ 3-37
3.10.3 LATERAL ANALYSIS ..................................................................... 3-38
3.10.4 STRESSES ......................................................................................... 3-39
ADAPT PROGRAM FEATURES Chapter 3
3. PROGRAM FEATURES
3.0 INTRODUCTION
This Chapter provides an overview of the factors which govern the design of a post- tensioned
member with particular emphasis on the algorithms used in ADAPT. It also briefly discusses the
report options. Chapter 4 of this Manual provides further details on the design algorithms.
3.1 BASIS OF DESIGN
A conventionally reinforced concrete slab is typically designed for strength (ultimate moment)
requirements. The design consists of selecting a slab thickness, concrete strength, and area of
reinforcement which provide the required moment capacity. Serviceability (crack and deflection
control) is addressed by limiting the span to depth ratios and ensuring calculated deflection are
within acceptable limits.
Post-tensioned slabs are designed for both strength and serviceability requirements, however. The
post-tensioning is usually designed to satisfy serviceability requirements by limiting stresses under
service loading. Nonprestressed reinforcement is added to achieve the strength requirements if
necessary.
A good design optimizes the slab thickness, the beam widths and depths, the amount of
post-tensioning, and the amount of mild reinforcement to arrive at a solution that complies with the
governing codes. A design typically proceeds as follows:
• Determine the design criteria based on code requirements and additional site or structure
specific requirements;
• Analyze the structure;
• Design the structure;
• Select the post-tensioning based on stresses;
• Add mild steel if necessary for the ultimate moment;
• Check shear and deflections; and,
• Adjust the design criteria if necessary and repeat the analysis.
The initial selection of design criteria and subsequent adjustments are of prime importance for an
optimum design. Having a good understanding of the design criteria is essential to being able to
design efficiently. Specific design criteria will depend on the project but will typically include re-
quirements for minimum cover over both post-tensioning cables and mild steel reinforcement,
minimum average precompression and minimum and maximum percentages of dead load to balance.
Additional design criteria include material strengths, load factors and tendon profiles.
3-1
3.2 POST-TENSIONING DESIGN APPROACHES
There are two common approaches to the design of post-tensioned structures: the final effective
force approach and the system bound approach. The primary difference between the two ap-
proaches is the way that prestress losses are handled.
Prestress losses include both immediate and long-term effects. There is a stress loss due to friction
between the strand and its sheathing or duct during stressing. There is also a small loss of elongation
when the wedges are seated in the anchorage device. These immediate losses are jointly referred to
as “friction and seating losses”.
Long-term effects result from creep and shrinkage of the concrete, elastic shortening of the concrete
and stress relaxation in the prestressing strands. Strictly speaking, elastic shortening is an immediate
phenomenon but it is grouped with the long-term losses since it is calculated in a similar manner.
The forces in the tendons after all stress losses have taken place are referred to as the final effective
forces.
3.2.1 Final effective force design
The final effective force approach is typically used in situations where the structural designer
is different from the post-tensioning supplier and the design is done before the supplier is
selected. The specifics of the post-tensioning system are thus not taken into account during
design. This is the most common design approach in the US and Canada.
The outcome of a final effective force design is the final effective post-tensioning force in
each span and the tendon profile. The tendon profile is specified by indicating the height of
the center of gravity of the strand (cgs) at critical locations. Hardware dependent param-
eters such as friction coefficients, relaxation of the strand and seating loss are considered
during the shop drawing stage, independently of the design. Shop drawings prepared by the
supplier are normally submitted to the structural engineer for review for compliance with the
design concept. The post-tensioning supplier determines the number of strands required
based on the system being used and provides information on stressing and elongations.
The sequence of steps in this type of design is as follows:
(i) The problem definition is formulated. This includes establishing:
• the geometry of the structure (dimensions);

• the loading; and,
• design criteria.
(ii) An analysis is done to determine both the post-tensioning and the supplementary
mild reinforcement required at each location. The results are shown on the struc-
tural drawings with the post-tensioning expressed in terms of final effective forces.
Jacking forces, strand elongations and friction loss calculations are not shown on the
structural drawings.
3-2
(iii) Shop drawings are prepared by the post-tensioning supplier, based on the structural
drawings. The shop drawings show the number of strands required, the layout of
the strands, and the expected elongations. Immediate and long-term stress losses
are calculated according to the parameters of the post-tensioning system. The post-
tensioning supplier must submit calculations for the friction and long-term stress
losses along with the shop drawings, in order to demonstrate that the number of
strands shown supply the required post-tensioning forces.
(iv) In monostrand construction it is common practice for post-tensioning suppliers to

use reasonable, assumed average values for final effective forces rather than doing
friction calculations for each tendon. Even though the hardware from different
suppliers may be slightly different, the assumed values for final effective forces are
often the same. If two suppliers assume the same final effective forces, their tendon
layout will be very similar.
3.2.2 System bound design
The system bound approach, also referred to as variable force design, allows for full
variation of force along the length of tendons. In this approach, the change in post-
tensioning due to stress losses is integrated into the calculations during design. The objective
during design is to determine the number of strands required at each location.
The system bound approach is common in Europe and many other parts of the world. It is
generally used when the post-tensioning supplier and the parameters of the system are
known and can be incorporated into the design. In some cases, the engineer may base the
design on an arbitrarily selected post-tensioning system and allow the supplier to redesign
the project if the system selected has parameters that are significantly different from those
originally used.
The sequence of steps in this type of approach is as follows:
(i) Select a post-tensioning system and determine the tendon layout, including the plan
locations and vertical profiles. Determine which end(s) of the tendons will be
stressed.
(ii) Based on the geometry and parameters selected for the tendons, determine the
long-term stress losses, immediate stress losses and effective forces along the length
of the tendons.
(iii) Analyze the structure with the balanced loading which results from the specified
tendon layout. If necessary, make adjustments to the tendon profiles or the number
of strands provided for a given tributary. Rerun the analysis to determine how these
changes affect the design.
The outcome of the design, including the number and location of the strands, friction losses,
long-term losses and the elongation of each strand is shown on the structural drawings. The
3-3
stress losses thus form part of the structural calculations. Other than the tendon support
layout, very little additional information is required on the shop drawings.
3.2.3 Design Options
Allowance for prestress losses is an integral part of any post-tensioning design. ADAPT
supports both the final effective force and system bound approaches. If the final effective
force approach is used, the Friction and Long-term Loss Post-processor can be used to
generate the information required for shop drawings. The post-processor is run at the
completion of the analysis.
3-4
3.3 GEOMETRY OF THE MODEL
The ADAPT post-tensioning software system can handle a wide range of structures including
one-way slabs, mat foundations, two-way slabs with drop caps and/or drop panels, waffle slabs,
pan joists and a variety of beam designs. For two-way slabs, the Equivalent Frame model, as
recommended in Chapter 13 of ACI 318, can be used.
The design algorithm used in ADAPT is based on a single story slab and/or beam frame with
supports above and/or below the slab or beam. The frame consists of one line of supports with their
associated tributary widths. A simple example of frame modeling is shown in Fig. 3.3-1.
FIGURE 3.3-1
Span lengths are measured from support centerline to support centerline, also referred to as system
lines. The frame line runs from middle of support to middle of support in the direction of the frame.
Figure 3.3-2 shows the definitions of left and right in the direction of the frame and transverse to
3-5
the frame. It also shows the positive directions of applied loadings, span actions and column
moments.
FIGURE 3.3-2
The parameters required to model the frame include the span lengths, the cross-sectional
definition of the slab/beam in each span, and the details of the slab/beam supports. The
cross-sections available in ADAPT are shown in Fig. 3.3-3. Note, however, that the I-
section and extended-T section are only available when doing segmental input.
A span which has a uniform cross-section is referred to as prismatic. Prismatic beams and
slabs with or without drop caps and panels are typically modeled via the conventional input
mode. The user inputs the span lengths, slab or beam width and depth, and whatever other
dimensions are required to define the geometry of the frame.
3-6
FIGURE 3.3-3
A span with a non-uniform cross-section, i.e. a haunched beam, or a slab where the tribu-
tary width changes within a span, is referred to as nonprismatic. Nonprismatic spans are
modeled by breaking the slab into segments and using the segmental input mode. A segment
is a section of span in the direction of the frame. Up to seven segments can be defined for
each span and each segment can have a different cross-sectional geometry. Complex beam
and slab geometries with nonstandard support conditions can be readily modeled with
segments. Segments can also be used to model changes in the tributary width and steps at
the top or bottom of the slab/beam. All changes in the cross sectional geometry of a
member are rigorously accounted for in ADAPT when calculating the relative stiffness of the
various frame members.
3-7
3.4 STRUCTURAL MODELING
3.4.1 Number of Spans
Up to twenty spans plus one cantilever at each end can be entered for a frame; this should
be sufficient for almost any structure. If a frame has more than twenty spans, it can be
divided in sections by modeling the first twenty spans and fixing the right support. The
remaining spans are then modeled with a second section that has the left support fixed.
Unless the structure is symmetrical enough that no rotation would be expected over the
support modeled as fixed, the results for the end spans will be incorrect. To get accurate
values, at least three spans should be overlapped.
3.4.2 Structural Modeling of Slabs
The slab/beam geometry input covers only the typical region of a span, which in most cases
is the midspan region. Information on the geometry of drop caps, drop panels, and trans-
verse beams is input when defining the supports.
Figure 3.4.2-1 shows the input screen for slab modeling. The dimensions required to
model a slab consist of the span length, the slab depth and the tributary width. The tributary
width is composed of the left tributary (the portion of the tributary width that falls to the left
of the frame line) and the right tributary (the portion that falls to the right of the frame line).
The tributary width can vary from span to span but is assumed to be constant within a single
span unless segmental input is used.
There are two methods of modeling slabs: Unit Strip input and Tributary input. Both
methods produce the same results, which method to use is a matter of user preference.
Once a method is selected however, it should be used consistently throughout a given
project to avoid confusion. Note that the calculations and results are always shown in terms
of the total tributary width, regardless of the way the slab was modeled during data entry.
3-8
Unit strip modeling
It is typically easiest to model slabs with the Unit Strip method. A unit strip is a strip parallel
to the span with a width equal to or less than the total tributary width. Although the unit strip
width is typically 12 in. or 1000 mm, any reasonable value may be used. The unit width has
no affect on the analysis as long as the total tributary width is modeled correctly.
The tributary is modeled by specifying a unit strip width along with left and right multipliers.
The left and right multipliers (<-M and M->) indicate the number of times the unit strip
needs to be multiplied to cover the left and right tributaries. The multipliers need not be
whole numbers.
As an example, suppose the tributary width for a given span was 12 ft with 6 ft- 6 in. to the
left of the frame line and 5 ft- 6 in. to the right of the frame line. If the unit width had been
entered as 12 in., the left width multiplier would be 6.5and the right width multiplier would
be 5.5.
If there are drop caps and/or drop panels, the strips closest to the column will not have a
constant cross-sectional geometry. The program automatically calculates any corrections
required for the drop cap and drop panel regions.
Tributary Modeling
In tributary modeling, the total tributary width is entered as the ‘b’ dimension. The width
multipliers (<-M and M->) are used to indicate how much of the tributary falls on either
side of the frame line. The sum of the left and right multipliers should be one.
3.4.3 Drop caps and drop panels for two-way slabs
Drop caps and drop panels are treated by the program as defined in ACI 318, regardless of
how they are entered. A thickened slab that extends one-sixth of the span or more toward
the next support is treated as a drop panel; otherwise the thickening is considered a drop
cap. The distinction between drops and caps is only significant when calculating ultimate
capacity, however, the actual cross section of the slab and drop is used when calculating
stresses. The added stiffness due to both drop caps and drop panels is taken into account
when calculating the relative stiffness of the columns and slab.
Any support can have a drop cap and/or drop panel and the caps and panels at different
supports can have different geometries. The screen for defining drop panels is shown in
Fig. 3.4.3-1. The screen for defining drop caps is shown in Fig. 3.4.3-2.
The lengths parallel to the frame, D1 and D2, and the widths left and right of the frame line,
W1 and W2, are specified for both drop caps and drop panels. Drop panels may have
different depths, H1 and H2, on either side of the support. Drop caps must be of uniform
depth H, specified as the total depth from the top of the slab to the bottom of the cap.
Drop caps and panels do not have to extend to both sides of the support, i.e. either of the
3-9
D1,D2 dimensions and either of the W1,W2 dimensions can be zero. Note that on the
Results Report, the widths W1 and W2 are combined and shown as the total width.
FIGURE 3.4.3-1
FIGURE 3.4.3-2
If a support has both a drop cap and a drop panel, the depth of the drop cap must be
greater than that of the drop panel; the length and width of the drop cap must be less than or
equal to those of the drop panel. Geometries that do not fit these restrictions can be
modeled using segmental input.
Drop caps and drop panels can only be specified when conventional input is used. If
segmental input is used, drop caps and drop panels need to be defined as separate seg-
ments. In segmental input, the segments are analyzed according to their actual geometry for
both stresses and ultimate capacity; there is no distinction between drops and caps.
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3.4.4 Beams normal (transverse) to direction of frame
In conventional input, beams normal to the direction of the frame can be modeled as trans-
verse beams. The schematics for defining transverse beams are shown in Fig. 3.4.3-2. The
depth of the beam is specified as the total depth H measured to the top of the slab, the
width of the beam is specified as the width left and right of the system line. Note that the
transverse beam option is not available in segmental input. In segmental input, the beam
must be entered as a segment which extends to the right and left edges of the tributary.
3.4.5 Slab Bands (wide shallow beams)
Typically, when the supports of a uniform floor slab are such that the spans are substantially
longer in one direction than the other, the longer span governs the slab thickness. In post-
tensioned slab construction, the adverse effects of the longer span can be reduced if the
tendons in the long direction are banded and placed with an increased drape to provide
additional upward forces.
Wide shallow beams (Fig. 3.4.5-1) are basically a thickening of the slab along the column
lines to allow this additional drape. In order for the bands not to be considered as supports,
the two-way action of the floor system must be retained. Although there is no absolute
maximum value for the band depth h, localized stiffening of the slab to an extent that would
significantly inhibit slab deformation must be avoided. The recommended dimensions are:
h≤2t and b≥3h.
FIGURE 3.4.5-1
Wide shallow beams (slab bands) are entered by defining the span as one with a T-section
(Type 2) having a shallow depth and wide stem. Since wide shallow beams are a two-way
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slab configuration the entire tributary width is considered effective in resisting the load. The
requirements for one-way shear reinforcement (stirrups) do not apply.
3.4.6 Effective flange width
Cast-in-place concrete beams are usually designed assuming an effective flange width that
includes a given amount of the slab on either side of the beam. Although ACI specifies the
effective flange width to use for non-prestressed beams (stem width plus 16 times the slab
thickness for T-beams, stem width plus 6 times the slab thickness for L-beams at slab
edges), determination of the effective flange width for prestressed beams is left to the
judgment of the engineer.
By and large, the ACI-318 specifications for non-prestressed beams are used for pre-
stressed beams. In stress computations, the effective width of a prestressed beam is larger
than that of a non-prestressed beam of the same geometry due to the precompression.
Stem width plus 24 times the slab thickness for T-beams and stem width plus 12 times the
slab thickness for L-beams are also used.
In ADAPT, the effective beam width may be calculated automatically according to ACI-318
or it may be input by the user. Note however that the automatic calculation is not strictly
per ACI 318 for L-beams (edge beams). ADAPT calculates the effective flange width for
both T- and L- beams as the stem width plus an overhang which is up to eight times the slab
thickness on each side but not more than the tributary width.
3.4.7 Haunched beams
Haunched beams are modeled using segments to represent distinct steps. Each span can
have a maximum of seven segments, normally three steps are used for each haunch. The
step sizes and locations are determined by the user. Figure 3.4.7-1(a) shows an example
of a haunched beam with sloping faces, Fig. 3.4.7-1(b) shows how it could be modeled.
3.4.8 Column Geometry and End Conditions
The relative stiffnesses of the column and slab/beam elements in a frame are determined by
the respective cross-sectional geometries and the column connections. The schematics on
the support geometry screen (Fig. 3.4.8-1) show the dimensions that need to be entered for
columns:
D = Column/wall depth (dimension in the direction of the frame).

B = Column/wall width (dimension perpendicular to the frame).
Dc = Diameter of a circular column (circular columns are transformed into square
columns of the same cross sectional area for analysis).
H1 = Height of column below, measured from center of slab to top of slab below.
H2 = Height of column above, measured from center of slab to underside of slab
above.
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FIGURE 3.4.7-1
FIGURE 3.4.8-1
Column connections are specified via the column boundary conditions. There are three
possible boundary conditions: fixed, pinned and roller. Typically, the columns above and
below the slab/beam are modeled as fixed at both ends. Although it is not possible to
specify a degree of fixity, the column stiffness can be reduced by entering a column height
that is greater than the actual height. Reducing the column stiffness reduces the amount of
moment transferred to the column; this may increase the post-tensioning required for the
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slab or beam. It may be appropriate to reduce the column stiffness in some instances
because of anticipated cracking.
Although each of the boundary conditions is specified separately, if the near end of a column
is specified as pinned, the column is not included in the frame analysis. In this case, it does
not matter what the far end boundary condition is set to or what is entered for the length of
the column.
3.4.9 Width of Support for Moment Reduction
The analysis is based on centerline moments (moments at the center of the joints). Mo-
ments can be reduced to the face of the supporting column or beam by selecting the ‘Re-
duce moments to face-of-support’ option during data input. For column-supported slabs
and beams, the support width is typically “D”, the dimension of the column in the direction
of the frame; drop caps are usually ignored. In one-way slab systems, the width of the
beam is typically used as the support width for the slab model. Note that the support width
is used only to determine moment reduction; it has no effect on support fixity. Also, only the
negative (support) moment is reduced, the midspan moment is not changed.
Figure 3.4.9-1 shows recommended support widths for several typical conditions.
FIGURE 3.4.9-1
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3.4.10 End-support conditions
The supports at either end of the frame can be specified as rotationally free (a regular end
support) or rotationally fixed. Rotationally free supports occur when the slab/beam termi-
nates over a wall, column or beam, and is free to rotate. The amount of rotation is a function
of the relative stiffness of the column/wall support and the type of support connection (fixed
or pinned).
Rotationally fixed end-conditions occur when the span is tied to a structure that is rigid
enough to prevent rotation of the slab/beam at the connection. A typical example might be a
slab tied to a stiff shear wall. ADAPT calculates the bending moment developed by the
slab/beam at the connection and designs the reinforcement accordingly. A rotationally fixed
end-condition can also be used to model half of a symmetrical, multi-span frame if there will
be no rotation over the support at the line of symmetry.
Note that if there is a cantilever at the right or left end of the span, the corresponding end
support cannot be specified as rotationally fixed. Figure 3.4.10-1 shows the screen used
for entering End Support Fixity, support widths and boundary conditions.
FIGURE 3.4.10-1
3.4.11 Interior support conditions
The different interior support conditions are shown in Fig. 3.4.11-1. Note that deflection at
the centerline of the support (the system line) is assumed to be zero for all of the conditions
shown. ADAPT does not include provisions for modeling column shortening or support
settlement.
The differences between the support conditions lie in:
• The connection between the slab/beam and the supporting column or wall;
• The width of support in the direction of the frame; and,
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• For two-way slabs, the torsional stiffness of beams transverse to the direction of the
frame.
The support conditions in Fig. 3.4.11-1(a), (b) and (c) represent a moment connection to
the slab/beam. Moment transfer between the slab/beam and the column is based on the
relative stiffness of the columns and slab/beam.
The wall support condition in Fig. 3.4.11-1(d) also provides a moment connection with the
slab/beam. In each of these cases, the slab or beam can be designed based on moments
reduced to the face of support. The support width is typically, but not necessarily, the width
of the column or wall in the direction of the frame.
FIGURE 3.4.11-1
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For a two-way slab modeled with the equivalent frame method, the torsional stiffness of any
beams transverse to the frame, Fig. 3.4.11-1(e), will affect the solution.
Figure 3.4.11-1(f) shows a wall with a release or slip joint. Slip joints are used to minimize
restraint to shortening in the direction of the slab. Although the joint does not allow for
transfer of moments to the support, the span moments can be reduced based on the support
width.
Figure 3.4.11-1(g) shows a knife-edge support. In this type of support, no moment is

transferred to the support and the system line moments are not reduced for the slab/beam
design.
3.5 LOADING
3.5.1 Number and Classes of Loading
Each span can have an essentially unlimited number of different loadings. Live loading (LL)
and dead loading (DL) are entered by the user. Loading due to the post-tensioning is
calculated automatically by the program. This is discussed further in Chapter 4 of the
Software Manual.
Dead loading consists of selfweight and superimposed dead load. The program can be set
to calculate selfweight automatically, based on the structure’s geometry and unit weight. The
self-weight calculated for each segment will be listed on the output with the notation SW. If
the spans have been entered via the segmental input mode, each segment’s weight will be
calculated according to its respective geometry. Spans input via the conventional input
option will be divided into segments, if necessary, to account for drop caps and drop caps.
The user may also suppress the selfweight computation and enter the selfweight manually.
3.5.2 Types of loading
ADAPT supports five types of loading:
• Uniformly distributed loading over the entire span (U);

• Concentrated loading at given distances along span (C);
• Partial uniform loading over specific sections of a span (P);
• Applied moment at given distances along a span (M); and,
• Line loading along part or all of a span (L).
The loading types are shown in Fig. 3.5.2-1. Other loading distributions can be modeled as
a combination of these types.
Uniform and partial loadings are assumed to be uniformly distributed over the uppermost
surface of the member with a constant intensity per unit area. The user only needs to enter
the load intensity (k/ft2 or N/m2); ADAPT calculates the frame loading. If a span has been
entered segmentally with different tributary widths, there will be a non-uniform load distribu-
tion along the span.
3 - 17
FIGURE 3.5.2-1
Line loading is specified as a uniform magnitude in the direction of span; it is not affected by
the surface geometry of the member. Line loading can be applied to part or all of a span.
Figures 3.5.2-2 and 3.5.2-3 illustrate various loadings on a two-span column supported
slab. Figure 3.5.2-4 illustrates the difference between partial and line loading.
Since the analysis is based on a plane frame model of the member, all loadings must be
added up and compiled in terms of loading along the frame line. ADAPT automatically
calculates the frame loadings from the user input. Both the user input and the calculated
frame loadings are shown on the output. The position of the loadings transverse to the
frame does not enter into the calculations; all calculations are done for moments and shears
in the direction of the frame.
3 - 18
FIGURE 3.5.2-2
3 - 19
FIGURE 3.5.2-3
3 - 20
FIGURE 3.5.2-4
3.5.3 Load Skipping (Pattern Loading)
If load skipping (pattern loading) was specified, the program applies load selectively on
various spans in order to obtain the maximum and minimum moments and shears.
In the general case, there are six loading patterns (Fig. 3.5.3-1). In case one, the full dead
and live load is assumed to act on all spans. In cases 2 through 6, dead load is assumed to
act on all spans but live load, multiplied by a skip factor, is only applied to certain spans.
The loaded spans are selected in order to generate the maximize moments over the supports
and at midspan. The skip factor is specified by the user and is typically less than 1.
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Except for the British code where a proportion of dead loading is also skipped, load
skipping only applies to live loads. All of the live loads entered for a span are considered to
act simultaneously.
FIGURE 3.5.3-1
3.5.4 Load Combinations
There are three load combinations: a code-specified serviceability (service state) condition,
the ultimate (strength state) condition and a user-specified combination that can be used to
check stresses for some condition other than the service state.
ADAPT has default load combination values for each of the codes but the user may over-
ride these values. The moments and shears at each 20th point are multiplied by the load
factors and combined in order to get minimum and maximum values for the specified load
combinations.
3.6 MATERIALS
The calculations in ADAPT are based on materials-specific parameters entered by the user. There
are separate screens for the concrete, the post-tensioning and the mild steel reinforcement.
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3.6.1 Concrete
Figure 3.6.1-1 shows the screen for entering concrete parameters. Depending on the code,
the concrete weight classification is used in shear and/or flexure calculations. The ultimate
creep coefficient is used in the calculation of long-term deflections. Typical values are
between 2 and 3.
Default values of the modulus of elasticity are calculated based on the concrete strength and
the appropriate code formula.
FIGURE 3.6.1-1
3.6.2 Post-tensioning
ADAPT can handle both grouted and unbonded post-tensioning systems. Tendon sizes,
strand diameters and steel properties are specified by the user.
3.6.3 Tendon Profile
The tendon profile can be specified as either a:
• Simple/Partial Parabola;
• Reversed Parabola; or,
• Harp.
Figure 3.6.3-1 shows the general shape of these profiles. The balanced load associated
with each profile is shown in Fig. 3.6.3-2. Users may enter variations of the basic tendon
profiles in order to obtain a wide range of different balanced loadings. Figure 3.6.3-3
shows the parameters used to define the tendon profiles. The horizontal distances are
specified during data input; the vertical distances are specified during the analysis when the
tendon heights are entered.
3 - 23
FIGURE 3.6.3-1
FIGURE 3.6.3-2
3 - 24
FIGURE 3.6.3-3
Horizontal distances are entered as ratios of the span length, i.e. setting X2 = 0.5 would
indicate the midspan. For all three profiles, the X2 distance indicates the point to use as the
low point of the profile. For the reversed parabola, the X1 and X3 distances indicate the
location of the inflection points. For the partial parabola and harped profiles, the X1 and
X3 indicate that the tendon should be laid flat (without profile) for a given distance from the
centerline of the adjacent support. Note that selecting a partial parabola profile and speci-
fying X1 and X3 as zero generates a simple parabola.
The user may select the profile most suited for a particular project and each span can have a
different profile. In most situations however, the default parameters provided by ADAPT
should be used. Unless the structural drawings specifically call out something different,
these are what will be used by the detailer doing the shop drawings.
Beams and distributed tendons in two-way slabs are usually detailed as partial parabolas
with inflection points at L/10. Banded tendons in two-ways slabs are also usually detailed
as parabolas. One-way slab tendons are actually laid out with a profile more like a partial
3 - 25
parabola with a straight section over the supports running 6 to 12 in. past the beam on either
side. The difference in the design produced by these two configurations is negligible
however.
Harped profiles are used for transfer girders and other situations where there are heavy
concentrated loads. The low point of the profile is usually specified to coincide with the
location of the concentrated load. Although the schematics for a harped profile sometime
show a sharp point at the low point, tendons cannot actually be bent in a sharp kink. The
‘A’ parameter is used to modify the harped profile to account for the fact that the bend will
be gradual. It indicates that the tendon is assumed to be flat for a given distance on either
side of the low point.
FIGURE 3.6.3-4
3 - 26
Cantilevers are defined in a similar manner. Figure 3.6.3-4 shows the profile options
available for a cantilever. The X distance shown for the partial parabola and harped profiles
indicates that the tendon should be laid flat for a given distance from the centerline of the
first interior support. In many cantilevers however, particularly those that are short and
lightly loaded, the tendon is run flat for the entire cantilever. This would be indicated on the
structural drawings by showing the same height (typically the centroid of the section) for the
tendon height at both ends of the cantilever.
The Results Report displays a value for the balanced loading (k/ft or kN/m) in the block
which shows the selected post-tensioning (Block 9.3). These are representative upward
forces obtained by dividing the total upward force between the inflection points by the
respective span length. They are for reference only; the calculations are based on the actual
balanced loadings.
3.7 SHEAR CALCULATIONS
3.7.1 Shear Checks for One-way Slabs and Beams
For one-way slabs and beams, ADAPT calculates the factored shears at 1/20th points
along each span and checks the section for one-way shear. The vertical component of the
post-tensioning force is conservatively disregarded in calculation of the shear strength. The
hyperstatic shear from post-tensioning is included in the design shear force (Vu). If the shear
strength of the section is not adequate, ADAPT calculates the required stirrups. The
governing ACI equations and ratio of Vu/Vc at each 1/20th point are printed along with the
spacing of the stirrups.
3.7.2 Punching Shear Check for Two-way Slabs
For two-way slabs, ADAPT calculates punching shear at each of the supports. ADAPT
recognizes five different conditions in the calculation of punching shear: interior columns,
end columns, corner columns, edge columns and wall (continuous) supports. Figure
3.7.2-1 shows these different conditions. The user does not need to identify the conditions
of the individual supports, ADAPT determines this automatically from the geometry of the
problem. If the face of a column is less than seven times the slab thickness from the slab
edge, the column will be considered an end, corner or edge column. If a column extends
for 80% or more of the tributary width, it is considered to be a wall. No punching shear
check is done for a wall support since a two-way (punching) shear failure is virtually
impossible.
The output lists the factored moments and shears at each support, the calculated stresses,
and the ratio of the stresses to permissible values. Secondary effects due to post-tensioning
are considered in the evaluation of the factored moments and shears.
At each joint, ADAPT checks the punching shear at the critical section associated with the
face-of-support (referred to as CASE 1), and at the critical section from the first change in
section if the span has a drop cap and/or drop panel (referred to as CASE 2). The higher of
3 - 27
the two stress ratios governs the design and is shown on the printout. Figure 3.7.2-2
shows the two sections where punching shear is checked.
Note that if the face of the column is less than seven times the slab thickness from the slab
edge, ADAPT ignores any overhang and conservatively assumes that the face of the
column is at the slab edge (Fig. 3.7.2-3) . If the punching shear ratio reported by ADAPT
is not satisfactory at one of these columns, it may be worthwhile to check it with a manual
calculation, since the software assumptions are conservative for nonstandard cases.
FIGURE 3.7.2-1
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FIGURE 3.7.2-2
3 - 29
FIGURE 3.7.2-3
3.8 DEFLECTIONS
The maximum deflections in each span and deflection-to-span ratios are listed for:
• Dead load;
• Dead load and post-tensioning;
• Dead load, post-tensioning and creep;
• Live load; and,
• Dead load post-tensioning, creep and live load.
Negative numbers indicate upwards deflection. Note that the figure for dead-load only deflection is
primarily shown for reference since the structure would typically be shored until the post-tensioning
had been applied. Creep is calculated based on the creep factor input by the user; the creep factor
3 - 30
is applied to the deflection due to dead load and post-tensioning in order to determine the long-term
deflections.
Deflection of Cracked Sections
Deflections are calculated based on the gross cross-sectional geometry of the section. Where
stresses exceed the code-specified modulus of rupture, ADAPT uses a bilinear moment-deflection
relationship with a reduced moment of inertia to account for cracking. If cracking has been allowed
for, the deflections block of the Results Report will show an Ie/Ig ratio less than one.
3.9 OUTPUT OPTIONS
Output options include the Results Report, the Results Graphs and the PT Summary Report. There
are a large number of formatting options and all reports and graphs can be viewed on the screen
before printing. There are also four optional post-processors.
3.9.1 Results Report
The Results Report is organized into separate data blocks; the report for a given analysis
can be configured to include only the blocks required. A virtually unlimited number of
different reports can be printed by selecting different data blocks.
The major data blocks are as follows:
1. General Input - General design criteria such as tension and compression limits and
minimum average precompression.
2. Input Geometry - All geometry information: span lengths, tributary widths, column
sizes and boundary conditions.
3. Applied Loading - Loading as entered by the user and as compiled by ADAPT into
frame loading.
4. Calculated Section Properties - Area, moment of inertia, Yb and Yt for each

segment in each span.
5. Dead Load Moments & Shears - Dead load moments at the left, midspan and right
of each span, shears at the left and right of each span, reactions and column mo-
ments. Span moments are moments at the support centerlines.
6. Live Load Moments & Shears - Minimum and maximum live load moments at the
left, midspan and right of each span, shears at the left and right of each span,
reactions and column moments. Span moments are moments at the support
centerlines. If live loading was not skipped, the maximum and minimum span values
will be the same.
3 - 31
7. Moments Reduced to F.O.S. – Dead load and minimum and maximum live load
moments at left, midspan and right of each span, reduced to the face of support.
Note that only the support moments are affected when you reduce the moment to
face of support; the midspan moments are not changed.
8. Sum of Dead and Live Moments - Minimum and maximum combined dead and live
load moments at left, midspan and right of each span. Moments are combined
according to the user specified load combination factors for serviceability checks
(typically 1.0 DL + 1.0 LL). Depending on what has been specified under Design
Criteria, the span moments will be either centerline moments or moments reduced to
the face of support.
9. Selected Post-Tensioning - This block has several subsections:
• User-selected tendon profile type and parameters.
• User-selected post-tensioning force in each span and heights of the tendon

at control locations; average precompression and average balanced loading
in each span.
• Required minimum post-tensioning force (kips or KN) at the left, center and
right of each span based on stress conditions and minimum P/A.
• Maximum compression and tension service stresses at the top and bottom
of the section at the left, right and center of each span.
• Post-tensioning balanced span moments, shears, reactions and column

moments. Note that the post-tensioning actions are self-equilibrating; within
the limits of numerical accuracy the reactions will sum to zero.
10. Factored Moments & Reactions - Factored design moments at the left, midspan
and right of each span, secondary moments at the left, midspan and right of each
span, factored reactions and factored column moments. If live load was skipped,
minimum and maximum span moments, reactions and column moments are shown.
Design moments and secondary moments are either centerline or face of support
moments, depending on what was selected during data input.
11. Mild Steel - There are two data blocks for mild steel. Mild steel (No Redistribu-
tion) shows the amount of mild steel required if there is no redistribution of mo-
ments. Mild steel (Redistributed) shows the amount of mild steel required if limited
redistribution of the moments is allowed. The two blocks are selected indepen-
dently; selecting both blocks allows the user to see how the steel requirement
changes when moments are redistributed.
3 - 32
Mild Steel Required (No Redistribution) - Areas of mild reinforcement required at

the supports and spans for code requirements and ultimate strength; selected size,
number and length of bars required.
Mild Steel Required (Redistributed) - Redistributed design moments and redistri-

bution coefficients along with area of steel, size, number and lengths of required
bars.
12. Shear Calculations -For two-way slabs, this block shows punching shear stresses,
for one-way slabs and beams this block shows shear stirrup requirements.
13. Deflection Calculations - Maximum immediate and long-term deflections in each

span. Allowance is made for cracking of the concrete section where applicable.
14. Friction and Long Term Loss (Tendon Selection) – This data block is only appli-
cable when the analysis has been done using the Tendon Selection mode. In the
Tendon Selection mode, prestress losses are incorporated into the design.
Post-processor Results:
15. Initial Stress Calculations – The Initial Stresses option allows the user to calculate
stresses for any load combination and compare them to allowable stresses for any
concrete strength. The data block will show whether compressive stresses are
within acceptable limits and whether any additional mild steel is required.
16. Lateral Analysis – The Lateral Analysis post-processor allows the user to check the
design for lateral moments. The data block will show whether any additional mild
steel is required.
17. Friction and Long Term Losses – If the analysis is done using the Force Mode
(Final Effective Force approach), the Friction and Long Term Losses post-proces-
sor can be used to calculate prestress losses.
In addition to the data blocks listed above, the following detailed listings are stored
in separate files that can either be viewed in a wordprocessor or included on the
Results Report.
• Listing of balanced loading at 1/20th points along the spans
• Listing of moments, shears and stresses at 1/20th points along the spans for
dead load, live load (minimum and maximum values), balanced loading and
secondary reactions.
• Listing of post-tensioning required at 1/20th points along the spans
• Listing of tendon heights at 1/20th points along the spans
3 - 33
• Listing of rebar required at 1/20th points along the spans
With the exception of the balanced loading, the same information can also be
viewed graphically on the Results Graphs.
Figure 3.9.1-1 shows the Report Output screen used to indicate which data blocks
to print. The detailed listings are selected by clicking on the Detailed Output tab
and checking the boxes for the desired listings.
FIGURE 3.9.1-1
3.9.2 Results Graphs
The seven Results Graphs show values at 1/20th points along each span. The graphs which
may be viewed on the screen, printed, or saved as either .DXF or .WMF files show:
• Bending Moments;
• Shears;
• Stresses;
• Post-tensioning required/provided;
• Tendon Height;
• Deflections; and,
• Rebar required/provided.
Figure 3.9.2-1 shows a Results Graph for Bending Moments due to dead load.
3 - 34
FIGURE 3.9.2-1
3.9.3 PT Summary Report
The PT Summary module enables the user to generate a flexible and compact graphical
report for each ADAPT run. The report (an example is shown in Fig. 3.9.3-1) summarizes
all post-tensioning parameters, rebar requirements, and shear checks from a computer run
on a single page of output. The formatted report may be viewed on the screen, printed,
saved as a Drawing Exchange (.DXF) file or copied and pasted to a word processor.
The report is designed for professionals involved in the design, construction, or management
phases of a project who need a compact, readily accessible summary of the post-tensioning
and mild steel requirements. It does not show analysis results, design actions or deflection
calculations. This information is available on the Results Report and Results Graphs.
3.10 POST-PROCESSORS
The four ADAPT post-processors are:
• Friction and Long Term Losses;

• Initial Stresses;
• Lateral Analysis; and,
• Stresses.
3.10.1 Friction and Long Term Losses
The information for the Friction and Long Term Losses post-processors is entered during
data input. If the Force/Tendon Selection Friction Calculations button on the Criteria –
Calculation Options screen is chosen, additional input questions will appear. Information
for both short- and long-term losses can be entered, alternatively long-term losses can be
specified as a lump sum value.
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Figure 3.10.1-1 shows the screen for entering Friction and Long Term Loss information.
The values shown are typical for an unbonded system.
FIGURE 3.9.3-1
The analysis will determine the stress in the tendon at the left, center and right end of each
span. It will calculate the average initial stress, total long-term losses and anchor set influ-
ence distance. It will also calculate required elongations for both one- and two-ended pulls.
The results of the Friction and Long Term Losses post-processor can be included on the
Results Report by checking the appropriate box on the Report Setup screen.
3 - 36
FIGURE 3.10.1-1
The analysis generates a file called FRICTION.DAT which can also be viewed in a word
processor.
3.10.2 Initial Analysis
The Initial Stress Analysis allows the user to determine if additional mild steel reinforcing is
required for loading conditions other than what is assumed for the original analysis. The
term Initial Stress Analysis is something of a misnomer, however, its applicability is not
limited to the initial stress condition. Stress checks can be performed for any loading, post-
tensioning, or concrete strength conditions. Several stress checks may need to be per-
formed for a given design.
The reinforcing steel calculated during execution of the original analysis is based on the
specified 28 day concrete strength, full dead load, full or skipped live load, and final effec-
tive post-tensioning forces. The Initial Analysis option allows concrete strength to be
specified as a ratio of the 28-day strength, post-tensioning to be specified as a fraction of
the final effective forces, and dead and live load to be specified as a percentage of the full
load. The ratios can be zero, one, greater than one or less than one.
Information for the Initial Stresses Analysis is entered via the Post-Processors item on the
Action menu. Figure 3.10.2-1 shows the entry screen with typical values for checking
stresses at the time the tendons are stressed. At this time, the concrete strength is often 0.6
or 0.75 of the 28 day strength and the post-tensioning is slightly higher than what was
3 - 37
assumed in the analysis for final effective forces since long term losses have not taken place.
Often it is assumed that there is no live loading.
FIGURE 3.10.2-1
The results of the Initial Analysis can be included on the Results Report by checking the
appropriate box on the Report Setup screen. The that are files generated by the analysis
can also be viewed in a word processor. The files are as follows:
INITIAL.DAT Input listing and additional required mild reinforcement due to initial stresses.
INISTL.DAT Total mild reinforcement (non-prestressed) required due to initial stresses.
INISTRS.DAT Distribution of initial stresses at 1/20th points along each span.
3.10.3 Lateral Analysis
The Lateral Analysis option allows the user to determine if additional mild steel is required
for lateral moments. The information required for Lateral Analysis is entered via the Post-
Processors item on the Action menu. Figure 3.10.3-1 shows the tab for Lateral Analysis
Settings, the lateral moments are entered on the second tab. The load combinations shown
are typical combinations for design, however, they may vary depending on the governing
code.
The user can specify what percentage of the post-tensioning available in the frame should be
considered as contributing to lateral moment resistance. For two-way systems, the user
must also specify either the number of strands or the percentage of post-tensioning which is
available for transfer of column moments.
Note that the steel shown for the Lateral Analysis may be less than that required for either
minimum code requirement or the ultimate moment combination. The user must check to
determine what requirement governs. Data block 11 of the Results Report shows the steel
required for code minimums and ultimate moment.
3 - 38
FIGURE 3.10.3-1
The results of the Lateral Analysis can be included on the Results Report by checking the
appropriate box on the Report Setup screen. The files that are generated by the analysis
can also be viewed in a wordprocessor. The files are as follows:
LATERAL.DAT Summary of critical analysis and design information including total

mild steel required for lateral moments.
LATBM.DAT The factors used for moment combinations and the moments at
1/20th points along each span.
LATERAL.DAT Mild reinforcement requirements of the critical lateral and gravity

moment combination.
3.10.4 Stresses
The Stresses post-processor allows the user to graphically display the stresses resulting
from different load combinations. The load combination data is entered via the Post-
processors option on the Action menu. The load combinations can be set as any fraction of
the live load, dead load and post-tensioned load.
Note that the Stresses post-processor is intended as a serviceability check in addition to the
Service Load Combination used for the analysis. The Stresses Results graph is the only
place that these changes are shown. The results of the analysis as shown on the Results
Report are not changed and there is no recalculation of the moments or required reinforce-
3 - 39
ment. The results of the Stresses post-processor can be viewed on the Stresses Results
Graph by selecting the ‘User Combination’ option. Figure 3.10.4-1 shows a Stresses
Results Graph for the User Combination option.
FIGURE 3.10.4-1
3 - 40
CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS AND
DESIGN BACKGROUND
4.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................................... 4-1

4.1.1 SCOPE AND BACKGROUND ......................................................... 4-1
4.1.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS ................................................................. 4-2
4.1.3 ANALYSIS AND DESIGN STEPS .................................................... 4-3
A. SERVICEABILITY ............................................................. 4-3
B. STRENGTH ........................................................................ 4-3
4.2 BALANCED LOADING AND TENDON PROFILES .................................... 4-4
4.3 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF BEAMS AND ONE-WAY SLABS ......... 4-11
4.4 TWO-WAY SLABS AND EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD ..................... 4-14

4.4.1 BACKGROUND .............................................................................. 4-14
4.4.2 EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD (EFM) ................................... 4-14
A. EQUIVALENT FRAME ................................................... 4-15
B. TORSIONAL MEMBERS ............................................... 4-15
C. STIFFNESS OF SLAB-BEAM ........................................ 4-17
D. STIFFNESS OF COLUMNS ............................................ 4-19
4.5 LOADING ........................................................................................................ 4-21
4.6 BENDING MOMENTS, REACTIONS AND SHEARS .............................. 4-21

4.6.1 CENTERLINE MOMENTS ............................................................ 4-21
4.6.2 REDUCTION OF MOMENTS TO THE
FACE-OF-SUPPORT ....................................................................... 4-22
A. CANTILEVERS ................................................................ 4-22
B. ONE-WAY SYSTEMS ...................................................... 4-22
(I) PCA PROCEDURE .......................................... 4-22
(II) ADAPT-PT PROCEDURE .............................. 4-23
C. TWO-WAY SYSTEMS ..................................................... 4-23
D. SECONDARY (HYPERSTATIC) MOMENTS ............... 4-23
4.7 STRESSES ...................................................................................................... 4-23

4.7.1 STRESS CALCULATION ................................................................ 4-23
4.7.2 ALLOWABLE STRESSES ................................................................ 4-24
4.7.3 LOCATIONS OF STRESS CHECKS ............................................... 4-24
4.8 DESIGN MOMENTS, SHEARS AND REACTIONS ................................. 4-24

4.8.1 DESIGN ACTIONS .......................................................................... 4-24
4.8.2 SECONDARY MOMENTS (HYPERSTATIC MOMENTS) ......... 4-26
A. DIRECT METHOD ......................................................... 4-26
B. INDIRECT METHOD ..................................................... 4-27
C. COMPARISON OF THE TWO METHODS .................. 4-29
4.9 NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT

(PASSIVE REINFORCEMENT) .................................................................... 4-29
4.9.1 MINIMUM REBAR CRITERIA .................................................... 4-30
A. BACKGROUND .............................................................. 4-30
B. OVER THE SUPPORTS ................................................... 4-30
C. IN THE FIELD ................................................................. 4-30
4.9.2 LIMITS OF REINFORCEMENT .................................................... 4-30
A. REINFORCEMENT RATIO ........................................... 4-31
B. CRACKING MOMENT .................................................. 4-31
4.9.3 ULTIMATE STRENGTH ................................................................ 4-31
A. CRITERIA ........................................................................ 4-31
B. METHOD OF ULTIMATE STRENGTH
CALCULATION .............................................................. 4-32
C. DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECTIVE DEPTH
OF SECTIONS .................................................................. 4-32
4.9.4 SIZE OF NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT ..................... 4-32
4.9.5 LENGTH OF NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT ............. 4-32
4.9.6 ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE CALCULATION OF
NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT .................................... 4-33
A. INITIAL CONDITION .................................................... 4-33
B. COLUMN MOMENT TRANSFER ............................... 4-35
4.10 PUNCHING SHEAR ....................................................................................... 4-35

4.10.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................ 4-35
4.10.2 PUNCHING SHEAR FORMULAS ................................................ 4-35
4.10.3 PUNCHING SHEAR STRESS RATIO ............................................ 4-37
4.10.4 LOCATIONS OF PUNCHING SHEAR CHECK AT A
JOINT ............................................................................................... 4-39
4.10.5 ROUND COLUMNS ....................................................................... 4-40
4.11 BEAM/ONE-WAY SLAB SHEAR ................................................................... 4-40

4.11.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................ 4-40
4.11.2 CALCULATION OF EXISTING SHEAR STRESS ........................ 4-40
4.11.3 CALCULATION OF PERMISSIBLE SHEAR ................................ 4-40
A. USING ACI EQ. (11-9) AS FOLLOWS: .......................... 4-41
B. VC IS NOT TO BE LESS THAN 2*(F’C)1/2. .................. 4-41
C. VC IS NOT TO EXCEED 5*(F’C)1/2. .............................. 4-41
4.11.4 DETERMINATION OF SHEAR REINFORCEMENT ................. 4-41
A. VU < 0.5*VC ..................................................................... 4-41
B. 0.5*VC < VU < VC ........................................................... 4-41
C. VU > VC ............................................................................ 4-42
4.12 DEFLECTIONS ............................................................................................... 4-43
4.12.1 DEFLECTION OF UNCRACKED MEMBERS ............................ 4-43
A. STRESS LIMIT FOR UNCRACKED SOLUTIONS ...... 4-43
B. DEFLECTION OF ONE-WAY SLABS AND
BEAMS ............................................................................. 4-43
C. DEFLECTION OF TWO-WAY SLABS .......................... 4-43
4.12.2 DEFLECTION OF CRACKED MEMBERS .................................. 4-43
4.12.3 DEFLECTION DUE TO CREEP ..................................................... 4-44
4.13 SOLUTION PROCEDURE ............................................................................ 4-44

4.13.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF ADAPT SOLUTIONS .......................... 4-44
4.13.2 SOLUTION ALGORITHM OF ADAPT ........................................ 4-44
4.14 REDISTRIBUTION OF MOMENTS ............................................................ 4-45
4.14.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................ 4-45
4.14.2 REDISTRIBUTION PROCEDURE ................................................ 4-46
4.14.3 REDISTRIBUTION LIMITS ........................................................... 4-50
A. FOR PRESTRESSED SECTIONS .................................... 4-50
B. FOR REGULAR REINFORCED CONCRETE .............. 4-51
4.15 NONPRISMATIC BEAMS AND SLABS ..................................................... 4-53

4.15.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................ 4-53
4.15.2 MODELING AND ANALYSIS ........................................................ 4-53
A. SERVICEABILITY CHECKS ........................................... 4-53
(I) STRESSES ......................................................... 4-53
(II) REQUIRED POST-TENSIONING
OPTION ............................................................ 4-54
(III) DEFLECTIONS ................................................ 4-54
B. STRENGTH CHECK ....................................................... 4-54
4.16 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO BRITISH VERSION ........................................ 4-55

4.16.1 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM ................................................ 4-56
4.16.2 ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ 4-57
A. MOMENTS ...................................................................... 4-57
B. STRESSES ......................................................................... 4-57
C. POST-TENSIONING REQUIRED .................................. 4-57
4.16.3 DESIGN ............................................................................................ 4-57
A. SECONDARY MOMENTS ............................................. 4-57
B. FACTORED MOMENTS ............................................... 4-58
C. REDISTRIBUTION OF MOMENTS ............................. 4-59
D. STRENGTH REBAR ....................................................... 4-59
E. SERVICEABILITY REBAR ............................................. 4-60
F. ONE-WAY SHEAR ........................................................... 4-60
G. PUNCHING SHEAR ........................................................ 4-60
H. DEFLECTIONS ................................................................ 4-60
I. FRICTION AND LONG-TERM LOSS
CALCULATIONS ............................................................ 4-60
4.16.4 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................... 4-60
A. BAR SIZES ....................................................................... 4-60
B. DEAD PLUS 25% OF UNREDUCED LIVE
LOADING ........................................................................ 4-60
4.17 STRENGTH REBAR CALCULATION IN BRITISH VERSION ................ 4-61

4.17.1 GEOMETRY ..................................................................................... 4-61
4.17.2 MATERIALS AND STRESSES ....................................................... 4-61
A. CONCRETE ...................................................................... 4-62
B. NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT (PASSIVE
REINFORCEMENT) ....................................................... 4-63
C. PRESTRESSING ............................................................... 4-63
4.17.3 REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................ 4-65
A. CASE 1: PRESTRESSING ADEQUATE ......................... 4-66
B. CASE 2: PRESTRESSING PLUS TENSION REBAR .... 4-66
C. CASE 3: PRESTRESSING AND TENSION REBAR
NOT ADEQUATE ............................................................ 4-67
D. CASE 4: PRESTRESSING AND COMPRESSION
REBAR .............................................................................. 4-67
67
E. CASE 5: PRESTRESSING AND COMPRESSION
REBAR NOT ADEQUATE ............................................. 4-67
4.17.4 ADDITIONAL ASSUMPTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS ........... 4-67
4.18 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO CANADIAN VERSION ................................... 4-68

4.18.1 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM ................................................ 4-69
4.18.2 ANALYSIS ........................................................................................ 4-70
A. MOMENTS ...................................................................... 4-70
B. STRESSES ......................................................................... 4-70
C. POST-TENSIONING REQUIRED .................................. 4-73
4.18.3 DESIGN ............................................................................................ 4-73
A. SECONDARY MOMENTS ............................................. 4-73
B. REDISTRIBUTION OF MOMENTS ............................. 4-73
C. FACTORED MOMENTS ............................................... 4-74
D. STRENGTH REBAR ....................................................... 4-74
E. SERVICEABILITY REBAR ............................................. 4-74
F. ONE-WAY SHEAR ........................................................... 4-74
G. PUNCHING SHEAR ........................................................ 4-74
H. DEFLECTIONS ................................................................ 4-75
4.18.4 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................... 4-75
A. MODELING OF END COLUMNS IN TWO-WAY
SYSTEMS ......................................................................... 4-75
B. DESIGN OF NONPRESTRESSED CONCRETE
BEAMS AND SLABS ...................................................... 4-76
4.19 NOTATION ...................................................................................................... 4-76
4.20 REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 4-79

4.20.1 LIST OF REFERENCES ................................................................... 4-79
ADAPT ANALYSIS AND DESIGN BACKGROUND Chapter 4
4. ANALYSIS AND DESIGN BACKGROUND
4.1 General
4.1.1 Scope and Background
The concepts and the theory of post-tensioned structures are fully developed and docu-
mented in standard text books. The books by Collin et al [1991]*, Libby [1977],
Leonhardt [1964], Lin [1985] and many technical articles [Aalami]present an exhaustive
account of the background and application of the theory of post-tensioning in buildings,
bridges and other structures.
Industry in the United States has been greatly instrumental in the development of the tech-
nology which has led to the widespread application of unbonded post-tensioning in residen-
tial and commercial buildings. The initial pioneering techniques, and the calculations em-
ployed in late 50s and early 60s, have now evolved into sophisticated and proven algo-
rithms of analysis, design and construction backed by the performance of thousands of
buildings all over the U.S.
The leading engineers responsible for the development and use of unbonded post-tensioning
in buildings have not all documented their experiences and developed techniques in the form
of standard text books, through which their know-how would become accessible to engi-
neers who are not directly exposed to post-tensioning in their working environment.
The Post-Tensioning Institute in Phoenix, Arizona (www.post-tensioning.org), has to some

extent rectified this shortcoming. PTI has prepared a number of useful publications, each of
which deals with a specific application of post-tensioning. The design requirements and
some of the practical aspects of construction of the post-tensioned structures are covered
by the building codes. The most commonly used codes are as follows:
1. ACI-318 Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete [2002]. The two
sections of particular reference in ACI are Chapters 13 for the design of slabs
using the equivalent frame method and Chapter 18 for the use of prestressing.
2. An ACI Committee Report, specifically with the application of unbonded tendons in

buildings. This is ACI 423.3R Recommendations for Concrete Members Pre-
stressed with Unbonded Tendons.
3. International Building Code [2000]. This is a code that has been introduced since
the year 2000, with the objective to replace the required codes in the USA.
4. UBC Uniform Building Code covers the general use of reinforced concrete in
Chapter 19, with particular reference to prestressing in 1918 [1997]. UBC is used
primarily in the West Coast States of the U.S., but is gaining increased acceptance
in other parts of the country.
* In this text, numbers enclosed in brackets are citations from section 4.20, References.
4-1
Additional information about the analysis and design of post-tensioned structures is given in
the literature listed at the end of this chapter.
Industry’s and academia’s ideas, research and development, and practices in post-
tensioning are reviewed, discussed, and if meritorious, are processed for codification by two
joint ACI/AISC committees. These are:
1. ACI-AISC Joint Committee 421 on Concrete Slabs, which deals with the analysis
and design of one-way and two-way slabs.
2. ACI-AISC Joint Committee 423 on Prestressed Concrete, which covers the

analysis and application of post-tensioning.
In the preparation of this manual, it is assumed that the user is familiar with the theoretical
concepts and has access to the books referenced. In this manual, the subject matter is
reviewed with the objective of describing the implementation of the various steps in analysis
and design of post-tensioning by ADAPT. No attempt is made to repeat material and
formulas which are already discussed in the referenced literature. Where necessary, specific
design steps are illustrated in detail to clarify potential ambiguities. This text concludes with a
description of the ADAPT analysis algorithm.
4.1.2 Definition of Terms
In the context of the present text, the following words are used with the emphasis described
below.
Analysis is defined as the algorithm and sequence of steps leading to the determination of
sectional actions (moments, shears), stresses and deflections, due to each and all the loads
on the structure. The analysis is based strictly on applying the known rules and theorems of
mechanics of solids to the structural model selected. Any deviations from the commonly
used rules and theorems, such as code simplifications (if employed by ADAPT), are clearly
defined in this chapter.
Design consists of the implementation of:
(i) Adjustments and redistribution of moments due to finite dimensions of the

structure and post-elastic reserve in strength;
(ii) Load factors and the combination of actions (moments, shears) to obtain
the design moments, design shears, (collectively referred to as design
actions, or factored actions);
(iii) Evaluation of the ultimate strength of the sections (design capacity) and
determination of the required nonprestressed reinforcing, if any; and
(iv) Estimate of deflections beyond the elastic limit.
4-2
4.1.3 Analysis and Design Steps
Based on current codes, each structure is to be analyzed and designed to meet or exceed
the stipulated code requirements for two conditions, namely serviceability and strength.
A. Serviceability
By serviceability, it is meant that the structure should satisfactorily perform its

required function during the in-service condition. When applied to a post-tensioned
structure, this is translated to mean:
(i) Stresses under working conditions should be within permissible limits, in

order to control the width of cracks, or if tensile stresses are high, added
rebar is provided.
(ii) Deflections/camber should be acceptable.
(iii) Limiting crack size by providing a minimum amount of nonprestressed

reinforcement over the supports and at midspans when unbonded tendons
are used; ensuring durability by limiting cracks and the penetration of
moisture and water.
(iv) Implement provisions to adequately protect the strands against corrosion in

order to insure the service life expectancy of the structure.
The ADAPT post-tensioning software checks the first three of the stated consider-
ations.
B. Strength
Strength check establishes that the structure designed has a minimum code speci-
fied margin of safety against collapse in the event of overload. To this end, factored
shears and moments (also referred to as design shears and moments) are calculated
from the serviceability actions and checked against the strength formulas. If a
section is found to be inadequate, nonprestressed reinforcement is added to meet
the required strength. In some cases the analysis has to be repeated using larger
cross-sections.
The sequence of steps for a typical analysis and design is illustrated in the flow chart
given in Fig. 4.13-2.
4-3
4.2 BALANCED LOADING AND TENDON PROFILES
There are several methods available for the analysis of post-tensioned structures Aalami [1990b],
Lin [1985], Libby [1977], Leonhardt [1964], one of which is balanced loading. When correctly
applied, the methods yield the same outcome. The analysis procedure employed by ADAPT-PT is
based on the balanced loading approach. Other ADAPT programs model a prestressing tendons as
“resisting elements” [Aalami 2000].
Herein, a short account of the concept of load balancing is presented in reference to a simply
supported beam shown in Fig. 4.2-1.
FIGURE 4.2-1
4-4
In the load balancing approach, the post-tensioned tendon is assumed removed from its duct. The
tendon is replaced by the forces which the tendon exerted on the structure when in place. Fig. 4.2-
1(b) illustrates the removed tendon and the remaining beam. For the purpose of analysis, the post-
tensioning forces on the structure are broken into two parts, namely those which cause bending in
the member (Wb), and those which act along its longitudinal axis (P) and result in uniform compres-
sion. The grouping of the forces is shown in Figs. 4.2-1(d, e). The actions causing bending of the
beam are part of what is referred to as balanced loading (Wb). The force (P) along the beam is the
component of axial compression due to post-tensioning.
Through the foregoing modeling, the structure can be treated as a regular simple beam, with the
applied loading consisting of dead loading (DL), live loading (LL), balanced loading (Wb), and axial
compression (P).
FIGURE 4.2-2
4-5
The analysis of the beam, which is basically the computation of stresses and deflections along its
length, can now be concluded from the load diagrams in Figs. 4.2-1(d, e) and by using simple beam
theory. For the analysis of the beam, it is important to ensure that the free body diagram of the
balanced loading Fig. 4.2-1(d) is correctly constructed and includes all the components. After the
construction of the free body diagram, parameters such as the actual location of the tendon or the
tendon’s cross-sectional area do not enter the analysis.
FIGURE 4.2-3
4-6
Questions such as the concentration of stresses at anchorage devices, stress losses and strength are
dealt with subsequent to the analysis.
In the evaluation of the ultimate strength of the beam, however, the location of tendons at each
cross-section and the tendons cross-sectional area are used in design.
It is further assumed that the stresses induced by the axial compression (P) and the balanced loading
(Wb) are independent from one another and can be calculated separately. Hence, they are treated
individually and are superimposed to furnish the total stress. Referring to Fig. 4.2-2 at any point
along the beam/slab, the stress at the extreme fiber due to post-tensioning is as follows:
FIGURE 4.2-4
4-7
f = P/A + Mbal/S
Where,
f = total stress;
A = cross-sectional area;
Mbal = moment due to balanced loading (Wb); and
S = section modulus.
FIGURE 4.2-5
4-8
There are several considerations worth mentioning in the derivation and treatment of balanced
loading. The magnitude and distribution of balanced loading is related to the tendon profile (the path
of the tendon along the member), as well as the force in the tendon.
Figures 4.2-3 through 4.2-7 are a compilation of the principal tendon profiles in the library of
ADAPT-PT, together with the distribution of their corresponding balanced loading.
FIGURE 4.2-6
4-9
FIGURE 4.2-7
In the case of multi-span structures, the thickness may not be constant for all spans (Fig. 4.2-8(a)).
Also, for slabs provided with drop caps/panels the slab thickness varies along its length as illustrated
in Fig. 4.2-9.
Referring to Fig. 4.2-8(b), it is noted that the axial forces acting at the ends of the members are
offset by a distance m. In order to remain consistent with the concept of concentric forces resulting
in uniform average compressions in the members, the axial forces are expressed as illustrated in Fig.
4.2-8(c). The couples and moments introduced over the central support are in equilibrium and do
not affect the overall behavior of the structure. Now, the actions causing uniform axial stresses and
those causing flexure of the member are separated into loading diagrams, in Fig. 4.2-8(d) and (e).
Actions (Wb, M) shown in the loading diagram in Fig. 4.2-8(e) are collectively called balanced
loading.
It is concluded that due to the change in cross-section, a moment is introduced in the balanced
loading diagram at the location of change in section. This bending moment (Mp) is due to shifts in the
neutral axis of the member along its length.
For very small changes in member thickness (less than 10%), the contribution of the bending
moment Mp toward the maximum stresses in the member and member strength is not significant. For
moderate changes in cross-section, particularly in beams and bridge construction, it is imperative to
account for Mp.
Another common condition, where a change in cross-section precipitates moments (Mp) in addition
to the transverse components (Wb), is the case of slabs with drop caps/panels as illustrated in Fig.
4.2-9. For this condition also, it is essential to account for the moments Mp shown in the Fig. 4.2-
10(b).
4 - 10
FIGURE 4.2-8
4.3 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF BEAMS AND ONE-WAY SLABS
Beams and one-way slabs are handled as a single story beam frame with no side sway. Figure
4.4.2-1 is an illustration of a general beam frame model. Chapter 2 of the manual describes in detail
the boundary conditions of columns and the end conditions of the slab/beam model.
The beam frame may have a cantilever on one or both ends.
4 - 11
FIGURE 4.2-9
ADAPT can model spans having up to seven changes in cross-sectional geometry. Different col-
umns may have different dimensions.
A one-way slab is not modeled with a drop cap/drop panel option, since in the context of ADAPT-
PT drop caps and drop panels are features of two-way action. Their primary function is to alleviate
punching shear and provide adequate resistance to moments over supports. A one-way slab is, by
definition, a one-way model. Its support condition in the modeling must be continuous along its
width to maintain consistency in the assumptions of the analysis.
4 - 12
FIGURE 4.2-10
The ADAPT-PT Input Editor, is programmed not to accept cap and panel inputs for the one-way
slab and beam models.
Only bending and shear actions are included in the formation of stiffness matrices for the spans and
columns. Axial deformations of the members are not included. Hence, shortening of columns and
settlements of supports do not enter the calculations directly. If their influence is expected to be
significant, they should be allowed for subsequent to the calculations.
Where axial shortening and constraint of supports are considered to be critical in design, other
ADAPT software, such as ADAPT-ABI, must be used.
4 - 13
4.4 TWO-WAY SLABS AND EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD
4.4.1 Background
A two-way slab is one which resists the applied loading biaxially. That is to say, a load
applied on the slab causes moments and shears in two perpendicular directions. In the one-
way system, the load is transferred primarily by a beam strip action to the strip supports,
where the reaction is transferred to the adjoining structural elements (Aalami [1993b]).
A two-way action in a post-tensioned slab is achieved somewhat differently to that of a

regular reinforced concrete slab. In a nonprestressed concrete slab, the placement of
reinforcement in two perpendicular directions provides the capability of resisting moments in
two directions and thereby the two-way action. However, in a post-tensioned slab, the
primary cause of biaxial behavior is the presence of precompression in two perpendicular
directions. If the biaxial precompression due to post-tensioning is large enough such that
under working conditions no significant cracks are developed, the slab then behaves biaxi-
ally.
In order for a post-tensioned slab in an array of panels forming a floor system to behave in
two-ways, it is not necessary that the panel be provided with reinforcement in two-ways,
nor is it necessary to have a series of intersecting tendons through the slab. For a two-way
action, it suffices that the panel be under biaxial compression. This is not to be construed
that there is no need for reinforcement in such slabs. The reinforcement may be required for
other considerations. It merely states that for service condition it is neither the reinforcement
nor the strict location of the tendons which cause the slab to behave biaxially, thereby
qualifying it as a two-way system. For strength limit state, a good guide to the overall safety
of the slab is the review of hinge line capacities.
There are several ways two-way slabs may be analyzed. Most engineers model the two-
way slab as intersecting plane frames. The plane frame models are approximations. Two-
way action can be accounted for by adjustments in the stiffnesses of the slabs and the
columns of the plane frame substitute. A comprehensive account of the various plane frame
models used for two-way systems and their merits is given in a paper by Vanderbilt and
Corley [1983].
4.4.2 Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)
The structural model which has been proposed by ACI-318 for the approximate analysis of
two-way slabs is the Equivalent Frame Method. The concepts and assumptions of EFM are
described in the earlier version of Chapter 13 of ACI and are fully illustrated in its Com-
mentary on Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete [The current ACI code
refers to the earlier versions]. ADAPT uses EFM for the analysis of two-way slabs. The
formulations and approximations employed in the algorithms of ADAPT are directly those
given in the ACI unless specifically noted herein.
4 - 14
In the present work, the principal assumptions of EFM are reviewed and its implementation
in ADAPT-PT is described.
A. Equivalent frame
The structure shall be considered to be made up of equivalent frames on column

lines taken longitudinally and transversely through the building. Figure 4.4.2-1
shows one such slab frame between its upper and lower floors.
FIGURE 4.4.2-1
Each frame shall consist of a row of columns or supports and slab-beam strips,
bounded laterally by the centerline of panel on each side of the centerline of columns
or supports.
The geometry of a typical interior span and its relating column supports are shown in
Fig. 4.4.2-2. Figure 4.4.2-2(b) shows the width of the frame to be used in the
analysis.
B. Torsional members
For the purpose of moment transfer, columns and supports are assumed to be
attached to the slab-beam strips by torsional members transverse to the direction of
the span. Figure 4.4.2-3 illustrates schematically the moment transfer path assumed
between the slab and the column. It is the sides (D) of the column which are as-
sumed to receive the moments from the slab, as opposed to the faces (B), which in
the regular beam/column models form the interfaces for moment transfer. The
described model as applied to a two-span slab-beam strip (Fig. 4.4.2-4(a)) is
shown in Fig. 4.4.2-4(b). For simplicity, in this figure it is assumed that the end
4 - 15
supports rest freely with no ties or provision for moment transfer. It is only the
central column for which the model would be applicable.
FIGURE 4.4.2-2
The primary parameters defining the stiffness of the spring (Kt) are the geometry of
the interface between the side of the column (D) and the slab, and the length E
shown in the Fig. 4.4.2-3(a). For the frame analysis, the stiffnesses of the spring
(Kt) and the column (Kc) are combined into an equivalent stiffness (Kec) using the
following relationship:
1/Kec = 1/Kc + 1/Kt
The consequence of this approximation may be viewed as the substitution of the

original column, of height H, by a column of lesser rotational stiffness (greater
height) as shown in Fig. 4.4.2-4(c).
4 - 16
FIGURE 4.4.2-3
At each support, the values of the stiffnesses Kt, Kc and Kec calculated by ADAPT-
PT are printed in an auxiliary file for use by the interested engineer.
C. Stiffness of slab-beam
The plan and longitudinal section of a typical slab-beam are shown in Fig. 4.4.2-2.
The variation of the moment of inertia along a typical span is illustrated in Fig. 4.4.2-
5. In the conventional case, there are seven regions of change in the moment of
inertia along a span of the slab-beam model as described below:
4 - 17
FIGURE 4.4.2-4
I1, I7 = moments of inertia of slab sections over the left and right columns (joints)
respectively;
I2, I6 = moments of inertia of column cap sections;
I3, I5 = moments of inertia of drop panel sections; and
I4 = moment of inertia of the slab proper.
The moments of inertia of the slab-beam model at any section outside the joints
(columns) are based strictly on the gross area of concrete. That is to say, I2 through
I6 are from the actual cross-sectional geometry of the slab and the drops at the
4 - 18
FIGURE 4.4.2-5
respective sections. No considerations for the effective width are implemented,
since in the EFM such effects are handled through the action of the torsional mem-
ber. Cracking of sections and areas of reinforcement do not enter the computations
of the moment of inertia at this stage. Moments of inertia over the joints are ap-
proximated using the ACI-318 relationships.
The schematic in Fig. 4.4.2-5 is used by ADAPT-PT in the determination of the

stiffness matrix of each span member. The stiffness matrices calculated are printed in
a file for the use of interested user.
D. Stiffness of columns
Columns may be present above and below a support point. It is not mandatory to
have an upper column.
Apart from the cross-sectional geometry, height, and modulus of elasticity of a

column, two other factors affect its stiffness, namely (i) its boundary conditions, and
(ii) the stiffening effect of the column cap/slab junction.
4 - 19
(i) ADAPT-PT handles fully free to fully fixed columns. For details refer to
Chapter 3 of the manual.
(ii) The increase in column stiffness due to the drops and the finite slab thick-
ness is accounted for through the approximation recommended in the ACI
318 commentary and reproduced in Fig. 4.4.2-6.
The approximation used for the increase in column moment of inertia is applied only
to the lower columns. The upper columns are assumed uniform.
FIGURE 4.4.2-6
4 - 20
4.5 LOADING
The applied loading is assumed to be normal to the slab. Two classes of loading are considered.
DEAD LOADING is assumed to be continuously active. LIVE LOADING may or may not be
present. The effects due to applied dead and live loading and the loading from post-tensioning are
combined for serviceability and strength checks. ACI recommended combination factors are used
as default values, but the user may override these during data input.
A full description of different types of loading is given in Chapter 3. Figure 4.5-1 is a compilation
of loading types which may be specified arbitrarily on each span. The dead and the live loads are
independent from one another. For example, at a location where a concentrated dead loading acts,
it is not necessary to specify a concentrated live loading at the same time. There is no practical limit
to the number of loads which may be placed on any span.
The post-tensioning is considered to result in a set of balanced loading which causes flexure of the
beam/slab, and axial compression along the longitudinal of each span. For a description of the post-
tensioning loads refer to Section 4.2.
FIGURE 4.5-1
4.6 BENDING MOMENTS, REACTIONS AND SHEARS
4.6.1 Centerline Moments
The centerline moments are determined by forming the stiffness matrix of the slab-beam
frame and solving for the joint rotations as given below:
[K]{r} = {UBM}
Where,
[K] = the system stiffness matrix;
4 - 21
{r} = the vector of unknown joint rotations; and,

{UBM} = the vector of UnBalanced fixed end Moments at the joints.
The fixed end moments are calculated by accounting for the variation of moment of inertia
along the length of slab as illustrated in Fig. 4.4.2-5.
The joint rotations obtained as the solution are employed to calculate the moments and
shears at the end of spans using the previously computed span stiffness matrices.
The system matrix [K] is inverted once and saved for subsequent use in the computation of
live load and post-tensioning moments.
Span moments and shears are calculated at 20 equal intervals along each span using the end
moments obtained and the applied loading. The maximum field moment is selected from the
array of moments calculated at these intervals.
Moments calculated from the stiffness matrices are centerline moments. These are reported
in the output.
4.6.2 Reduction of Moments to the Face-of-support
It is recognized that the actual beam/slab is not placed on knife edge line supports as is
assumed in the determination of centerline moments. Each support has a finite width. The
consequence of the distribution of reaction over the width of support is a reduction in the
peak of bending moments over that support as well as a reduction in the magnitudes of the
maximum field moments. Moreover, it is the face-of-support at which stress and strength
checks are critical.
The procedure of estimating the moment and reactions at the interface of the member with
the joint is referred to as reduction of moment to the face-of-support. It is also referred to
as adjustment of moments to the face-of-support.
Moments computed from the matrix formulation refer to the structural system centerline, that
is to say, centerline of support. Depending on the structural system, member, or moment
type, the reduction of moment to the face-of-support is carried out in one of the four ways
described in the following paragraphs.
A. Cantilevers
The moment at the face-of-support is calculated strictly from the statics of the
overhang. There is no approximation involved.
B. One-way systems
(i) PCA Procedure

Some engineers reduce the moment to face-of-support using an approxi-
mation based on the work published by the Portland Cement Association
4 - 22
(See Continuity in Concrete Building frames, 4th edition, Skokie, Illinois,

1959.), commonly referred to as the (V*a/3) method, where, V, is the shear
force at the support and, a, is the support width.
(ii) ADAPT-PT Procedure

Using the span length, load on the span, and its calculated centerline mo-
ments the moments at the face-of-support are calculated from the static
equilibrium of each span.
C. Two-way systems
The (V*a/3) approximation employed, in many instances, for the one-way systems
is not valid for two-way systems because the approximation is premised on an
infinitely rigid support along the entire support line transverse to the direction of the
frame. Two-way systems are commonly supported at isolated column points, which
provide a support width normal to the frame of typically less than one-tenth of the
span tributary. ACI 318 makes recommendations to account for the added stiffness
to the slab at the supports due to the column’s finite dimensions. ADAPT-PT’s
solutions of two-way systems are based on the ACI recommendation. That is to
say, the centerline moments already include the influences of support rigidity. There-
fore, the moment adjustment reduces to the simple computation of moments at the
face-of-support from the statics of each beam.
D. Secondary (hyperstatic) moments
Secondary moments vary linearly from support to support. Both for the one-way
and two-way systems their magnitude at the face-of-support is determined from
linear interpolation of centerline moments.
4.7 STRESSES
It is assumed that the structure remains elastic under the applied loading. Cracks developed are
limited. Hence, the gross cross-sectional properties used in obtaining the moments are also used in
the calculation of stresses.
Stresses calculated in excess of the tensile strength of concrete are referred to as hypothetical
stresses. These are used as guidelines in crack mitigation rather than representing the actual condi-
tions of the concrete section.
4.7.1 Stress Calculation
At any section along the span, the extreme fiber stresses are expressed by:
f = fd + fl + fb + fa
Where,
4 - 23
f = total stress;
fd = stress due to dead loading (= Md/S);
fl = stress due to live loading (= Ml/S);
fb = stress due to balanced loading consisting of Wb and moments (= Mbal/S)
(see Fig. 4.2-8(d) and Fig. 4.2-8(e)); and
fa = stresses due to average compression (= P/A).
Note that for the purpose of stress calculation, in the conventional case the span is consid-
ered to consist of five prismatic parts as shown in Fig. 4.7.1-1(a). As shown in this figure,
the section moduli (S) and areas (A) vary along the span.
4.7.2 Allowable Stresses
The allowable tensile stresses in concrete are input as data by the user. These are commonly
based on code specified values.
The allowable tensile stresses may be specified for the following locations:
• Top fiber of section.

• Bottom fiber of section.
Based on the allowable tensile stresses specified, ADAPT-PT calculates the minimum post-
tensioning which is required at each section to keep the stresses within the permissible
values. In calculating the required post-tensioning, ADAPT-PT solves the corresponding
stress equation at each check point, with the contributions of dead and live loading as
known values.
4.7.3 Locations of Stress Checks
In addition to the face-of-support, stresses are checked at 1/20th points along the entire
span. The stresses calculated are compared with the allowable stresses for the serviceabil-
ity requirements of the design.
4.8 DESIGN MOMENTS, SHEARS AND REACTIONS
4.8.1 Design Actions
Design moments, shears and reactions are calculated for use in the ultimate strength verifi-
cation of the design. The design moments, shears and reactions are also referred to as
factored or ultimate values. The relationship used for the calculation of factored actions is as
follows:
U = Cd*D + Cl*L + Csec*SEC
4 - 24
FIGURE 4.7.1-1
Where,
U = factored (design) action, moment, reaction, etc.;

D = contribution of dead load to the factored action;
L = contribution of live load to the factored action; and
SEC = contribution due to secondary moments and shears.
4 - 25
Cd, Cl and Csec are user-defined factors based on the governing building code. ACI-318
recommends:
Cd = 1.2
Cl = 1.6
Csec = 1.0
ADAPT-PT calculates the secondary moments, secondary shears and secondary reactions
and tabulates them in the output for each run.
4.8.2 Secondary Moments (Hyperstatic Moments)
Secondary moments and shears are induced in a prestressed member due to prestressing
and as a consequence of the constraint of the supports to free movement of the prestressed
member. If a prestressed member is allowed to displace freely, as in the case of determinate
structures, or precast members prior to alignment and installation, no secondary moments
are generated.
The computation of secondary moments is essential for the strength design of prestressed
members.
Secondary moments can be calculated either directly or indirectly. Both methods are
described in the following. ADAPT-PT uses the direct method. A correct solution is one in
which the computations from the direct and the indirect solutions yield the same results.
A. Direct method
The direct method is directly based on the definition of secondary actions (moments
and shears) as described in the preceding. Observe a typical frame as shown in Fig.
4.8.2-1. The frame is subject to dead loading, live loading and post-tensioning. The
reactions caused at the supports are due to all the loading components - namely,
dead, live and post-tensioning or prestressing. Figure 4.8.2-2 illustrates the free
body diagram of the slab/beam member in which only the post-tensioning and its
reactions at the supports are shown. The free body diagram is complete as shown in
the figure. It is not necessary to include the balanced loading in this diagram, since
the tendon is considered in place when constructing the loading diagram. It is
reminded, as is detailed in Section 4.2, that balanced loading will appear in the
loading diagram only if the tendon is assumed removed from its duct. By definition,
the moments and reactions shown in Fig. 4.8.2-2 are the secondary actions, since
these are the actions induced by post-tensioning. Note that there are no dead or live
loading shown in this diagram. For static equilibrium, the sum of all the secondary
actions on the frame must add to zero.
The secondary actions are computed by solving the frame for the balanced loading
due to post-tensioning/prestressing. It is clear that the central issue in the correct
computation of secondary actions is the faithful representation of balanced loading
as applied actions to the frame. Only if all the components of the balanced loading,
4 - 26
as illustrated in Section 4.2, are considered will the calculated secondary actions be
correct.
At any distance Xi, as shown in Fig. 4.8.2-3, the secondary shear is simply the
algebraic sum of all reactions, and the secondary moment is the moment of all
actions. The corresponding relationships are:
Secondary Shear = Ri
Secondary Moment = (Mti + Mbi) + (Ri*Xii)
Where,
Mti, Mbi and Ri = support reactions due to post- tensioning; and

Xi = distance to the section under consideration.
FIGURE 4.8.2-1
B. Indirect method
The indirect method is a procedure commonly used for the calculation of secondary
moments. It is based on the following relationship:
Msec = Mbal - P*e
Where,
e = eccentricity of post-tensioning/prestressing with respect to the
4 - 27
neutral axis of the section (positive if CGS is above the neutral

axis, otherwise negative);
Msec = secondary moment;
Mbal = balanced moment due to balanced loading; and
P = post-tensioning/prestressing force (positive).
In this relationship, moments causing tension at the bottom fiber are positive. The
secondary reactions and shears are calculated from the secondary moments.
FIGURE 4.8.2-2
4 - 28
FIGURE 4.8.2-3
C. Comparison of the two methods
Both methods yield the same results, provided the balanced loading is correctly
modeled (Aalami [1990b]). Otherwise, both solutions are approximate, with the
difference that the direct method’s solutions are more consistent in satisfying the
overall equilibrium of the structure. The most common error is the exclusion of
concentrated moments in the balanced loading diagram at locations of shifts in the
neutral axis of the cross-section. Such a condition occurs when adjacent spans have
different thicknesses, or when the cross-section of a member is non-uniform (drop
caps and drop panels), or when the tendon is not anchored at the neutral axis.
Apart from its generality and accuracy, the great advantage of the direct method is
that it is no longer necessary to know the eccentricity of the tendon (e), or its force
(P) for the computation of secondary moments once the balanced loading is con-
structed.
4.9 NONPRESTRESSED REINFORCEMENT (PASSIVE REINFORCEMENT)
In addition to the post-tensioning tendons, nonprestressed reinforcement may have to be provided

in a post-tensioned member on two grounds, (i) to enhance the serviceability performance as
prescribed in the code; and, (ii) to meet the ultimate strength requirements. The former is referred to
as minimum rebar criteria.
4 - 29
4.9.1 Minimum Rebar Criteria
A. Background
ACI-318 requires that, in addition to the post-tensioning required to control

stresses and the nonprestressed reinforcement which may be necessary for ultimate
strength, unbonded post-tensioned sections should be checked for serviceability
rebar (minimum rebar). The primary considerations for the minimum rebar are the
reduction of crack widths over the supports and in the field, improved ductility, as
well as improved deflection performance.
The ACI code requirements for minimum rebar are implemented in ADAPT-PT.
For each case, the applicable code stipulation as well as the resulting
nonprestressed reinforcement, as calculated by ADAPT, are printed in the output. A
detailed account of the ACI-318’s implementation is given as one of the topics of
Chapter 5 in this manual.
Changes in code requirements, as they occur, will be continuously implemented in

ADAPT and shown on the Printout of the Results. Herein, the principal require-
ments are briefly discussed without going into the details of the code.
B. Over the supports
Regardless of other conditions and parameters of design, for unbonded tendon

construction, it is required to provide a minimum amount of nonprestressed rein-
forcement over the supports. This minimum nonprestressed reinforcement is based
only on the cross-sectional properties of the member. It applies both to the one-way
and the two-way systems, though each is governed by its own relationship. In
ADAPT-PT output, this reinforcement is referred to as “MIN.”
C. In the field
(i) For one-way systems, the minimum reinforcement is based on the geometry
of the cross-section (printed as MIN bar in ADAPT).
(ii) For two-way systems, addition of nonprestressed reinforcement is neces-

sary only if the tensile fiber stresses exceed a threshold value dictated by the
code. This is referred to as the tensile block reinforcement and is identified
as “TEN” in the printout of ADAPT.
4.9.2 Limits of Reinforcement
In addition to the minimum reinforcement, there are two other considerations controlling the
maximum and minimum reinforcement of a section in flexure. These are:
4 - 30
A. Reinforcement ratio
In order to ensure the minimum ductility required by the code, the total area of
nonprestressed reinforcement and prestressing steel used in any section shall not
exceed a given percentage of the gross cross-sectional area of the member at any
location. Depending on the building code selected, this stipulation is controlled by
making sure that the depth of the neutral axis or the compression zone does not
exceed a pre-defined fraction of the cross-sectional depth. For details, see ACI
318 or other applicable codes. ADAPT-PT calculates this fraction at the face-of-
support and at 1/20th points along each span and cantilever. If the ratio is exceeded
ADAPT-PT provides compression reinforcement, in order to bring the depth to
within the allowable limits. Or, if the capacity of the compression zone exceeds the
design moment by the margins specified in the relating code, the design will be
based on the capacity of the compression zone and no nonprestressed reinforce-
ment will be added.
B. Cracking moment
For one-way systems, ACI requires that the amount of prestressed and
nonprestressed reinforcement shall be adequate to develop a capacity of at least 1.2
times the cracking moment of the section based on the modulus of rupture.
This condition is not likely to occur when other provisions of the code are met
[Freyermyth, et.al., 1998]. It rarely occurs in regular designs. This check is not
implemented in ADAPT.
4.9.3 Ultimate Strength
A. Criteria
All flexural sections should develop a moment capacity equal to or exceeding the
design moment of the section as determined in Section 4.8. In addition, UBC
requires that one-way unbonded post-tensioned slabs and beams be designed to
carry the dead load of the beam/slab strip plus 25 percent of the unreduced super-
imposed live load by some method other than the primary unbonded post-tensioned
reinforcement.
Both of the above mentioned checks are carried out by ADAPT-PT. The required
nonprestressed reinforcement due to each is calculated and printed separately in the
output.
UBC requirement of capacity for (D+0.25L) is not included in the year 2000 IBC
International Building Code. But the provision is kept in the program for designs
based on prior years codes.
4 - 31
B. Method of ultimate strength calculation
The ultimate strength of a section is developed from contributions of the concrete

compression zone, the compression rebar (if present), the tensile nonprestressed
reinforcement (if present) and the post-tensioning tendons using the equations of
statics and strain compatibility for plane sections remaining plane. Figure 4.9.3-1
shows the free body diagram of the force components enumerated.
Using a linear strain distribution, ADAPT-PT uses an iterative algorithm to deter-

mine the depth of compression zone (a) in Fig. 4.9.3-1, to satisfy the equilibrium of
its section.
If compression reinforcement is required, ADAPT-PT calculates the necessary area

of compression. In the calculation of compression reinforcement, the strain in
compression bars is evaluated and used to determine the stress in compression
reinforcement. The position of the compression reinforcement, as well as the tensile
reinforcement, is specified by the user as input data.
The rebar calculation is performed according to procedures outlined in each building

code covered by the program. A detailed discussion about rebar calculation for
British Standard is given in Section 4.16.
C. Determination of the effective depth of sections
At changes of cross-sections along a span, the moment arm also changes. Unlike
the stress check algorithm, in which the stresses are evaluated strictly from the gross
geometry of the cross-section, for strength calculation it might not be conservative
to follow the same procedure. The lengths of the caps, or drop panels (X3 and X4
shown in Fig. 4.9.3-2) might be too short to materialize an effective compression
zone over the support. Furthermore, the compression reinforcement, if required,
might not have the required development length. For these reasons, the selection of
depth of a section in the computation of moment capacity is related to the length of
the corresponding section along the span as described in Fig. 4.9.3-2.
4.9.4 Size of Nonprestressed Reinforcement
Bar size is based on the user’s preference. As part of the input data, the user specifies bar
sizes to be selected by ADAPT for the top and bottom reinforcement. Top and bottom bar
sizes may be different than one another.
4.9.5 Length of Nonprestressed Reinforcement
The lengths of nonprestressed reinforcement selected by ADAPT are initially based on

ACI-318 Chapter 18, Section 18.9, adjusted conservatively as described in Chapter 3 of
this manual.
4 - 32
FIGURE 4.9.3-1
4.9.6 Additional Remarks on the Calculation of Nonprestressed Reinforcement
ADAPT-PT follows ACI-318 for the calculation of nonprestressed reinforcement of

unbonded or bonded post-tensioned members. Furthermore, for one-way systems, the
UBC requirement of (D + 0.25*L) is available as an option to be activated by the user.
In addition to the nonprestressed reinforcement checks, the following conditions may prove
to be critical conditions and should be reviewed by the designer.
A. Initial condition
Condition immediately after prestress transfer (before time dependent prestress

losses). If tensile stresses at transfer of prestress exceed values given in the code
[ACI-318], nonprestressed reinforcement must be provided to control cracking.
This is not a common condition and occurs in situations such as described below:
4 - 33
FIGURE 4.9.3-2
(i) The design live load of the structure or its expected superimposed dead
loading is much larger than the selfweight of the post-tensioned member at
time of stressing, and that the unloaded structure is over balanced to more
than approximately 1.3 times its weight.
(ii) During the handling and transport of precast post-tensioned members, the
member is positioned such that its selfweight does not counteract the
balanced loading from a draped tendon.
For such conditions it is recommended to use the Initial Stress Check option of
ADAPT. This option checks the stresses at transfer of post-tensioning and calcu-
lates any additional required nonprestressed reinforcement.
4 - 34
B. Column moment transfer
In two-way slabs, where a moment is transferred from the slab to the column, it is
required to verify that a fraction of this moment (column moment) can satisfactorily
be resisted by a narrow strip of slab slightly wider than the column. Details of this
requirement are given in ACI-318. Under normal conditions, the post-tensioning
strands together with the reinforcement over the columns, as determined by other
considerations of the code (included in ADAPT) are adequate to resist this fraction
of column moment.
4.10 PUNCHING SHEAR
4.10.1 General
Punching shear is a biaxial phenomenon. Therefore, it is only calculated for the two-way
systems.
4.10.2 Punching Shear Formulas
The relationships used for the calculation of punching shear are those given in the PTI
Design Manual. The evaluation of punching shear consists of the following steps:
A. A critical section through the slab or the combination of slab/drop is selected. This
hypothetical section is thought to define the surface along which the column region
might punch through the slab. For the purpose of design, the critical surface is
idealized to simple geometries as recommended by ACI-318. The idealizations are
substantiated to be conservative by test results. Figure 4.10.2-1 shows a column
region punched through the idealized critical surface.
4 - 35
FIGURE 4.10.2-1
B. For punching shear, the critical surface in Fig. 4.10.2-1 is regarded to be subjected
to the reaction of the column Vu and a fraction (g) of the column moment Mu, that is
to say (γ*Mu). Obviously, the balance of column moment (1 - γ)*Mu, as well as
other actions which are generally present at a cut, as illustrated in the figure, must
also be resisted by the critical section. But these are considered to be transferred
through other paths not reflected in the punching shear formula, and need not be
included in the present discussion. The variable g is a function of the geometry of the
column/slab connection and is defined by the following ACI-318 Equation:
γ = 1 - 1/[1 + (2/3)(b1/b2)1/2]
b1 and b2 are dimensions of the critical section in the direction of the frame and the
perpendicular direction respectively.
4 - 36
C. The shear (Vu) and the moment (Mu) are assumed to result in distributions of stress
as shown on the top right hand corner of Fig. 4.10.2-1. The two distributions are
added and yield a maximum hypothetical stress (vu), using the following relationship:
vu = (Vu/Ac) + g*Mu*c/Jc
Where,
Ac = area of critical surface;

c = distance from centroid of the assumed punched out section to the
farthest fiber;
Jc = similar to the moment of inertia of the critical surface, defined in
Section 11.12.2.4 of the ACI Commentary [1989b];
Mu = factored moment;
vu = factored maximum shear stress; and
Vu = factored column reaction.
D. A permissible shear stress is calculated. PTI Design Manual states that review of the
available vertical load punching tests indicate that the ACI Eq. 11-13 conservatively
predicts the shear strength of prestressed two-way slabs. This equation, as ex-
pressed below, is used by ADAPT-PT.
vcw = 3.5*(f’c)1/2 + 0.3*(P/A) + Vp/A
Where,
P/A = is the average compression in the direction of moment transfer;

maximum limit 500 psi, minimum limit 125 psi. For values of
precompression less than 125 psi, vcw = 4*(f’c)1/2;
Vp/A = average of shear (Vp) carried by tendons over the cross-sectional
area (A). This term is conservatively assumed as zero by
ADAPT; and
vcw = permissible shear stress.
E. The ratio of existing shear stress to permissible shear stress is formed:
Punching shear stress ratio = (vu/vcw)
This ratio is printed in the output of ADAPT-PT for each column support location. If
the ratio exceeds one, a No Good (N.G.) message is printed next to that column.
4.10.3 Punching Shear Stress Ratio
The geometry of a joint is defined by the user as part of the input data. Based on the
geometry of the problem, ADAPT-PT differentiates five conditions as listed below:
1. Interior column;
2. End column;
4 - 37
FIGURE 4.10.3-2
3. Corner column;
4. Edge column; and
5. Beam or wall support.
These conditions are shown in Fig. 4.10.3-2. For the beam or wall support punching shear
check is not applicable. These two conditions are designed using ACI one-way shear
requirements, as presented in Section 4.11 of this chapter.
4 - 38
FIGURE 4.10.4-1
If the overhang of slab beyond the centerline of a support is less than seven times the slab
thickness at that location, ADAPT-PT considers the extension not large enough to develop
biaxial punching response. Depending on the location, the joint is then classified as an edge
or end column. Figure 4.10.3-2 illustrates the conditions of the edge and end columns.
When the restrictions of an edge and end column both apply to a joint, the joint is treated as
a corner condition.
Note that once a joint is considered as an edge or end condition, it is structurally modeled
without the overhang, as shown in Fig. 4.10.3-2. Since ADAPT-PT does not include the
contribution of overhang in punching shear calculations, the analysis is conservative. For
critical conditions, the user may wish to re-evaluate the punching shear with overhang
included.
4.10.4 Locations of Punching Shear Check at a Joint
Punching shear is checked at two critical sections for each joint. Case 1 is the check at the
face-of-support through the column cap (if one is specified). Case 2 is a check at the first
change of cross-section from the column face. It is normally in the slab at the face of column
or drop cap. These two critical locations are refered to Case 1 and Case 2 respectively.
4 - 39
Note that for edge columns, ADAPT assumes that the slab extends to the outer face of
column for punching shear checks (see Fig. 4.10.4-1).
4.10.5 Round Columns
Round columns are treated as square columns having the same cross-sectional area. This
approximation is conservative. Note the following quotation from the ACI Committee 352
report on Recommendations for Design of Slab-Column Connections:
Punching loads for circular columns have been observed to exceed the punch-
ing loads of square columns of the same cross-sectional area. Thus, it is
conservative and may be analytically simpler to represent circular columns by
square columns having the same section.
4.11 BEAM/ONE-WAY SLAB SHEAR
4.11.1 General
ADAPT conducts a check of the shear stresses in beams and one-way slabs using the one-
way shear formulas as described herein. Based on the results of the stress checks, the
required shear reinforcement is calculated and listed. If no shear reinforcement is required, it
will be so indicated on the printout. Per ACI, the shear check can start at a distance equal
to depth of section from the face-of-support. A support centerline check performed by
ADAPT and printed on the output serves as background information and not a code
requirement.
4.11.2 Calculation of Existing Shear Stress
The design shear stress is calculated using the following relationship:
vu = Vu/(0.75*b*dr)
Where,
b = width of section (stem in the case of T-sections);

dr = depth of centroid of tension to extreme compression fiber at the shear
check location, but not less than 0.8 times total depth of section; and
Vu = Factored shear. It contains the contributions of dead and live loading, as
well as the secondary shear.
4.11.3 Calculation of Permissible Shear
Permissible shear (vc) is determined using ACI Section 11.4.1. Three values for vc are
calculated and one selected as governing. The selection is indicated in column 9 of the
printout of results.
4 - 40
A. Using ACI Eq. (11-9) as follows:
vc = [0.6*(f’c)1/2 + 700*(Vu*dp/Mu)]
In relation to this equation the following is noteworthy:
(i) In the expression (Vu*dp/Mu), the parameter dp is the distance of compres-

sion fiber to the centroid of tendon as shown in Fig. 4.11.3-1. Clearly, this
distance varies along the member. The value computed for each section is
entered under column 3 of shear check for user’s reference.
(ii) The expression (Vu*dp/Mu) is given an upper bound of 1.
B. vc is not to be less than 2*(f’c)1/2.
C. vc is not to exceed 5*(f’c)1/2.
4.11.4 Determination of Shear Reinforcement
Three conditions govern the determination of shear reinforcement. The prevailing condition
is indicated under column 10 of the shear printout. These conditions are as follows:
A. vu < 0.5*vc
No shear reinforcement required.
B. 0.5*vc < vu < vc
No reinforcement required for slabs. For beams, provide a minimum reinforcement

given by Eq. (11-15) of ACI as reproduced below:
Amin = (Aps/80)*(fpu/fy)*(s/dr)*(dr/b)1/2
Where,
Aps = cross-sectional area of tendon at the location of shear check;

fpu = ultimate strength of tendon as input by user;
fy = yield strength of stirrups;
s = spacing of stirrups;
dr = distance of the centroid of tension to the extreme compression
fiber, but not less than 0.8 times the section depth;
dp = distance of centroid of post-tensioning to extreme compression
fiber; and
b = width of section.
4 - 41
C. vu > vc
Stirrups are required based on the Equation in Chapter 11 of ACI:
Av = (vu - f*vc)*s/(f*fy*d)
Where,
Av = area of stirrups required per distance s.
FIGURE 4.11.3-1
4 - 42
4.12 DEFLECTIONS
Deflections are calculated by ADAPT due to dead loading, live loading, post-tensioning, combina-
tions of foregoing, and creep. Both elastic precracking and non-elastic post-cracking conditions are
treated.
4.12.1 Deflection of Uncracked Members
A. Stress limit for uncracked solutions
Members in which the calculated extreme fiber tension stresses throughout the
frame model are equal to or less than (6*(f’c)1/2 in American customary units and
0.5*(f’c)1/2 in SI units) are considered uncracked. The deflection calculation of an
uncracked member is based on the gross moment of inertia of the untransformed
cross-section.
B. Deflection of one-way slabs and beams
Deflections are calculated at 40 equal intervals along a span, with each division
represented by its respective gross moment of inertia. From the deflection profiles
calculated, the maximum deflection of each span is selected and printed in a sum-
mary table as output of the analysis. Listing of deflections at 1/20th points along
each span as well as graphical diagram of deflections are also available in detailed
outputs.
C. Deflection of two-way slabs
For two-way systems, ADAPT calculates the deflections of each span in the frame
direction at 1/20th points, assuming that support lines in the transverse direction
have zero deflection. Changes in the moment of inertia along each span are faithfully
accounted for.
Deflections given in output of ADAPT from any run of a two-way slab are partial
deflections. Deflections due to bending in the perpendicular direction need also be
calculated by making an ADAPT run in the perpendicular direction. Commonly, the
two deflections are added as an estimate of total deflection.
4.12.2 Deflection of Cracked Members
Frames in which extreme fiber tension stresses exceed (6*(f’c)1/2 in American customary
and 0.5*(f’c)1/2 in SI units) are considered cracked. Moment of inertia of the cracked
section must be used in the deflection calculation of such members for the region where
stresses exceed the cracking limit. Experiments have shown that for hypothetical tensile
stresses moderately in excess of the cracking stress, the load-deflection behavior of a
member may be estimated by using the uncracked deflection and magnifying it by a coeffi-
cient. The magnification coefficient is a function of the maximum hypothetical tensile stress in
the member calculated on the basis of the gross cross-sectional properties. In the actual
4 - 43
calculations, the magnification factor is implemented by reducing the gross moment of inertia
of the section. The background to this assumption and the details of its evaluation are given
in the PTI brochure on slab design. ADAPT uses this PTI recommendation in its solution.
For the range of stresses between 6 and 12 times (f’c)1/2 (0.5 to 3 for SI units) deflections
are estimated on the basis of a reduced moment of inertia.
4.12.3 Deflection due to Creep
Deflections due to creep are time dependent. The time at which creep deflection is to be
calculated is determined by the user and entered as input data through the appropriate
selection of a creep coefficient.
Figure 9.5 of the ACI 318 Commentary provides a guideline for the selection of creep
coefficients. The maximum value recommended is 2.0 for a time lapse of five years or more.
Deflections due to creep are obtained by multiplying the creep coefficient by the sum of
deflections due to dead load and post-tensioning.
4.13 SOLUTION PROCEDURE
4.13.1 Characteristics of ADAPT Solutions
Specific features of the ADAPT solution procedures are:
A. ADAPT has the capability to optimize the solution according to user’s requirements.
One option is to obtain a solution with the least amount of prestressing.
B. The stresses calculated by ADAPT are accurate stresses for all conditions. By
accurate, it is meant that they are compatible with the moments and reactions and
satisfy the common theorems of solid-body mechanics. In other words, if the
solutions of ADAPT are input into another general purpose structural analysis
program for the calculation of moments and stresses, stress answers obtained would
be the same as given by ADAPT.
The geometry and boundary conditions input by the user are used in the solution
with no simplification.
C. ADAPT uses an iterative procedure to determine the long-term losses of grouted

tendons, when the solution is expressed in terms of number and strands.
4.13.2 Solution Algorithm of ADAPT
Figures 4.13.2-1 and 4.13.2-2 are flow charts of ADAPT-PT solution strategy and other
commonly used schemes. The recycling loop in ADAPT-PT gives the program its iterative
nature and the ability to converge to the user preferred solution.
4 - 44
4.14 REDISTRIBUTION OF MOMENTS
4.14.1 General
Post-tensioned structures are analyzed using elastic theory. Moments, shears and reactions
are computed on the premise of post-tensioned members acting as homogenous elastic
materials. Apart from the nonprestressed reinforcement provided for cracking and deflection
control, each critical section of a post-tensioned structure is designed to withstand a fac-
tored moment. In resisting the factored moment, the section is considered cracked with full
plastification.
It is recognized that from the onset of plasticity at a given section to the point of structural
collapse, an elastically designed member can generally sustain additional loading. This is
primarily due to the reserve of strength in a section past the stage of attaining first yield, and
the ability of it to undergo additional rotation while sustaining the applied moments. Such
post-elastic rotations result in a redistribution of the initially calculated elastic moments.
Extensive tests have confirmed that a controlled amount of plastification may be permitted to
occur under working conditions at locations of maximum moments with deformations and
the resulting cracks still within an acceptable range. Limited plastification generally results in
the reduction of moments over the supports and a corresponding increase of positive
moments in the spans.
The procedure of incorporating, in design, limited adjustments in the elastic moments for the
purpose of usurping part of the plastic reserve of a beam/slab is referred to as redistribu-
tion of moments. ADAPT-PT is provided with a moment redistribution option, which may
be invoked by the user when preparing input data. This section describes the algorithm
developed for the redistribution of moments by ADAPT-PT.
A rigorous design method for moment redistribution is quite complex. However, recognition
of moment redistribution can be accomplished using a simple method for permitting a
reasonable adjustment of the elastically calculated factored gravity load moments as laid out
in ACI-318. The amount of adjustment permitted by ACI is kept within predetermined
limits.
The actual amount of redistribution allowed at each section depends on the ability of that
section to deform inelastically. ACI safeguards the existence of such an ability for pre-
stressed sections by imposing limits on the maximum reinforcement. Other codes achieve
the same objective through limitations on depth of the neutral axis.
If certain reinforcement conditions are met, negative moments at supports of continuous

members calculated on the basis of elastic theory may be decreased or increased by an
amount stipulated in the code. In this section, the specified conditions and the permissible
amounts will be reviewed both for prestressed and regular reinforced concrete sections.
4 - 45
FIGURE 4.13.2-1
4.14.2 Redistribution Procedure
For a beam-frame modeled by ADAPT-PT, the locations of permissible inelastic deforma-

tions are shown in Fig. 4.14.2-1. It is noteworthy that, from the ACI code standpoint, the
negative moments at the end supports are not considered for redistribution.
4 - 46
FIGURE 4.13.2-2
Figure 4.14.2-2 shows a typical interior support. Figure 4.14.2-2(b) illustrates the critical
regions to the left and right of the support where the negative moments may be adjusted.
The heavy line in Fig. 4.14.2-2(a) indicates the elastic moments. The hatched region on
each side represents the range of adjustment in the elastic moments either upward or
downward. The calculated permissible range of adjustment for one section is generally
different from other sections of the same slab/beam. The permissible range depends on the
geometry of each section and the corresponding amount of reinforcement.
The final economy of a design depends on whether or not, and to what extent, each moment
is adjusted up or down. Reduction of all negative moments to their respective maximum
permissible extents does not generally yield the economically optimum design.
ADAPT follows the steps outlined below for the redistribution of moments:
4 - 47
FIGURE 4.14.2-1
A. Calculate the maximum permissible redistribution coefficient for each side of the
support. These are listed in the output of ADAPT.
B. In most cases, the cross-sectional geometry of a beam/slab is the same on both

sides of a support. Further, negative nonprestressed reinforcement required for one
side of the support is extended to the other side. Therefore, the provided moment
capacities of sections on each side of an interior support are generally the same,
although they are subject to different elastic moments. For this reason, the redistri-
bution procedure adopted aims at:
(i) Readjusting the moments at each side of a support to become either equal,
or as close to one another as permissible; and
(ii) Reducing the maximum negative moments at the supports.
Figure 4.14.2-3 illustrates this concept. Note that the moment at left of support is
reduced by its maximum permissible value. The moment at the right of support is
adjusted to be equal to the redistributed value at left.
4 - 48
FIGURE 4.14.2-2
Different conditions may arise depending on the relative magnitudes of the moments
at each side of a support. Figure 4.14.2-4 shows some of the common cases. Note
that positive moment at left of support in Fig. 4.14.2-4(c) is not redistributed.
C. Once the redistribution over the supports is finalized, the positive moments are
adjusted on the basis of static equilibrium of individual spans under the adjusted
support moments and the acting loads. Figure 4.14.2-5 displays two examples of
adjusted moments in an interior span.
4 - 49
FIGURE 4.14.2-3
4.14.3 Redistribution Limits
A. For prestressed sections
In ACI-318-02 the relationship proposed for the determination of the percentage of

the moment that is permissible to be redistributed is the same for both prestressed
and nonprestressed section. It is a function of the tensile strain in extreme tension
steel at nominal strength. Like the former releases of the code, its value is limited to
20%. From ACI-318-99 maximum percentage of adjustment at sections subject
to negative moments is:
20*{1 - [ωp + (dr/dp)(ω- ω‘)]/(0.36*b1)}
Where,
ωp = index of prestressing reinforcement as defined in ACI-318;

ω = index of tensile nonprestressed steel reinforcement;
ω‘ = index of compressive nonprestressed steel reinforcement;
dr = distance from compression fiber to centroid of nonprestressed
tensile reinforcement;
dp = distance from compression fiber to centroid of tendon; and
b1 = 0.85 for 4000 psi concrete, otherwise adjusted per ACI-318.
Redistribution is permitted if the following conditions are satisfied (ACI-318):
(i) ωp < 0.24*b1
4 - 50
FIGURE 4.14.2-4
(ii) [ωp + (dr/dp)*(ω - ω‘)] < 0.24*b1
B. For regular reinforced concrete
Post-tensioned one-way systems using unbonded tendons must also be designed to

sustain the dead loading plus 25% of the unreduced superimposed live loading by
means other than unbonded post-tensioning. This is a UBC (Uniform Building
Code) requirement (2618) and does not apply where UBC is not the governing
4 - 51
FIGURE 4.14.2-5
code. For this loading condition only, the section is designed as a nonprestressed
reinforced concrete.
Maximum percentage of adjustment in negative moment allowed in continuous

nonprestressed flexural members is given by ACI 318 as:
20*[1 - (ρ - ρ‘)/ρbal]
4 - 52
Where,
ρ = ratio of nonprestressed tension reinforcement.

ρ‘ = ratio of nonprestressed compression reinforcement and
ρbal = reinforcement ratio producing balanced strain condition (see ACI
8.4.3 and 10.3.2)
Redistribution of a moment is permissible if the following conditions are met:
(i) ρ ≤ 0.50*rbal
(ii) (ρ - ρ‘) ≤ 0.50*ρbal
4.15 NONPRISMATIC BEAMS AND SLABS
4.15.1 General
The following expands on the capability of ADAPT-PT in treatment of nonprismatic beams

and slab systems. It also provides guidelines for its effective application.
4.15.2 Modeling and Analysis
The scope and limitations for modeling the geometry of a nonprismatic span are the same as
described in Chapter 3. Each span may have up to seven segments. In the case of custom-
ary input these segments are generated internally by the program if drop caps and drop
panels are used.
When the segmented input option is used, the user must enter as input the properties of
each segment.
ADAPT generates the input model based on user defined geometry and computes the
associated moments at 1/20th points along each span. These moments are used for stress
checks and strength calculations as is described next:
A model of nonprismatic beam is shown in Fig. 4.15.2-1.
A. Serviceability checks
The model generated by ADAPT internally, for the computation of moments and
deflections, is identical to the input geometry. No idealization or simplifications are
made.
(i) Stresses
Moments at each location are checked against the cross-section at that

location, except at the steps where two sections exist. At each step the
4 - 53
FIGURE 4.15.2-1
cross-section closer to midspan is selected, since sections closer to midspan
are generally weaker than those near the support.
(ii) Required Post-tensioning Option
The post-tensioning required option, which is a post processor to

ADAPT, and is described in Options section, determines the required post-
tensioning necessary to meet specified stress criteria. The stresses used in
the required post-tensioning option are those calculated at 1/20th points,
with the treatment of change in section as described above.
(iii) Deflections
Deflections are based on the nonprismatic geometry as input by the user,

except at tip of cantilevers. For cantilevers, the cross-sectional area is
assumed uniform along the length of cantilever and equal to the section
specified at cantilever tip. This assumption results in a more flexible cantile-
ver, and consequently higher cantilever tip deflection. However, it has no
impact on the amount of deflection calculated for the spans, since the
stiffness of the span assembly is independent from the geometry of cantile-
vers.
B. Strength check
The factored moment at each 1/20th point is applied to the respective cross-
sectional geometry at each location, except at the steps where two sections exist. At
each step the cross-section closer to midspan is selected, since sections closer to
midspan are generally weaker than those near the support. There is one exception
4 - 54
to this case. ACI code specifies that drop caps and drop panels be considered only
if they extend into the span beyond 1/6th of the respective span length. ADAPT
follows this stipulation only when customary input option is used. In this case, it
considers drop caps and/or drop panels effective if they are larger than span/6,
otherwise they are ignored.
Figure 4.15.2-2 shows a section near a column. Note that the drop cap length X1
is smaller than L/6, therefore it will not be considered in strength calculation and the
section depth will be taken as d2 for the region within X1 from the column center
line. Drop panel with a length X2 however, extends beyond L/6 from the support
center line and will be considered in rebar calculations. The section depth for the
region extending from X1 to X2 (i.e. drop panel) will be d2, which will be used for
reinforcement calculations.
Again note that this consideration is invoked only when the customary input option
is selected. In the segmental input option, at each 1/20th point, the strength is
based strictly on the cross-sectional geometry available at that point.
FIGURE 4.15.2-2
4.16 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO BRITISH VERSION
For the most part, ADAPT operates independently of local codes and specifications, in the context
that its computations are based on universal laws of mechanics, user defined geometry, loading and
material properties. It is only where required by the governing building code that ADAPT follows
empirical relationships and code recommended procedures.
4 - 55
On questions where specific building codes are mute or not definitive, the recommendations or
guidelines of the following sources in order of precedence are used: ACI-318, UBC, Post-
Tensioning Institute Publications, and the practice of post-tensioning consultants practice in Califor-
nia.
British and ACI codes are similar in structure and substance in the treatment of post-tensioned
members. As a result, ADAPT-British and ADAPT-American follow closely the same procedures.
In the following, the differences between the two versions are introduced and discussed. The
comparison also clarifies that the requirements of BS8110 are fully implemented in ADAPT-British
version currently in use.
The presentation is subdivided into:
1. definition of the problem, consisting of geometry, loading and design criteria;

2. analysis, i.e. computation of moments, stresses, and required post-tensioning; and
3. design, which is the determination of reinforcement to meet strength and serviceability
requirements.
4.16.1 Definition of the Problem
The geometry input for the two codes (ADAPT-British and ADAPT-American) are
identical.
Loading definition and input for the two codes are the same. The Criteria input is some-
what different as detailed below:
A. The expression relating the modulus of elasticity of concrete to its 28-day strength
differs between the two codes. The British relationships (BS8110, Fig. 4.16.1-1)
are used for the British version.
B. For purposes of design, ACI differentiates between two concrete weights, normal
and lightweight. The permissible stresses for one-way and two-way (punching)
shears are different for normal and lightweight concrete. There is no such differentia-
tion in BS8110. In BS8110 permissible stresses are not expressed as a function of
concrete weight.
C. Load factors for ultimate strength calculations differ between the two codes. The
British load factors are implemented as default values in ADAPT, and user has the
option to modify them.
The default load factors are (BS8110 Table 2.1):
Type of Loading Load Factor

Dead Load 1.4
Live Load (Imposed) 1.6
Post-Tensioning 1.0
4 - 56
D. There are no material factors (g) in ACI. The British material factors are imple-
mented as default values in ADAPT, and the user has the option to modify them.
The default material factors are:
Material Material
Factor
Concrete 1.50
Rebar Steel 1.15
Post-Tensioning Steel 1.15
4.16.2 Analysis
A. Moments
Computation of dead, live and post-tensioning moments are code independent.

These are calculated strictly from the input geometry and loading. For two-way
systems, the user has the option of using the equivalent frame or the simple frame
approximations.
The principal difference in analysis between ACI and BS8110 is the treatment of
dead loading for the calculation of factored moments. BS8110 requires that dead
loading be considered with a factor of 1.4 when it has an adverse effect, and a
factor of 1.0 when its effects are beneficial. This requirement is implemented in
ADAPT-British and is discussed further in the section on factored moments.
The reduction of moment to the face-of-support is treated the same in both Ameri-
can and British versions of ADAPT. In both versions moments calculated and listed
refer to the entire cross bay (entire tributary).
B. Stresses
Calculation of service stresses is the same in both codes.
C. Post-tensioning required
Computation of required post-tensioning is the same in both codes.
4.16.3 Design
A. Secondary moments
Computation of secondary moments is the same in both codes.
4 - 57
B. The maximum strain at the extreme compression fiber is assumed at 0.0035.
C. Tension equals compression (refer to Fig. 4.17.2-3):
T = C (4.17.11)
Where,
T = Tp + Ts
Tp = Aps *fpb /γmp
Ts = As *ften/γms
C = C c + Cs (4.17.12)
Cc = (0.67*fcu/γmc)*(a*b - As ’)
For a non-rectangular section, (a*b) is substituted by the area of the compression

zone.
Cs = As ’*fcom/γms
D. The resisting moment is equal or greater than the applied moment:
Mn ≥ Mu (4.17.13)
E. The solutions given by PULT do not check whether or not the reinforcement
calculated meets the minimum cover and spacing requirements.
4.18 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO CANADIAN VERSION
nia.
Canadian and ACI codes are similar in structure and substance in the treatment of post-tensioned
members. As a result, ADAPT-Canadian and ADAPT-American follow closely the same proce-
dures. In the following, the differences between the two versions are introduced and discussed. The
comparison also clarifies to what extent the Canadian code CAN-A23.3 is implemented in ADAPT
versions currently in use.
1. definition of the problem, consisting of geometry, loading and design criteria,
4 - 68
FIGURE 4.16.1-1
B. Factored moments
Computation of factored moments for ultimate strength design follows the same
procedure in the two codes. However, the factors are different. Each version is
provided with the relating default load factors, but the user has the option to over-
ride and specify other combinatory factors. In the British version, regardless of the
factor specified by the user, the dead loading is considered with a factor of 1 if its
inclusion results in a lower absolute moment value. If its inclusion increases the
4 - 58
FIGURE 4.16.3-1
absolute moment, it will be accounted with its specified factor. As a result, even for
the same load factors, the calculated factored moments from BS8110 are larger
than the corresponding moments determined from ACI.
C. Redistribution of moments
The concept and the implementation of redistribution of moments is the same in both
codes. The maximum permissible redistribution of moments at any section is 20% in
ACI for the prestressed and nonprestressed sections. In BS8110, the relating
maxima are 20% for prestressed sections and 30% for nonprestressed sections. In
both codes, the actual permissible percentages for any given section depend on the
geometry, reinforcement and the applied moment at that section. ADAPT-British
uses the recommendations of BS8110; for prestressed sections BS8110, Section
4.2.3.1; for nonprestressed sections BS8110, Section 3.2.2.1. BS8110 recom-
mendations are illustrated in Fig. 4.16.3-1, where X is the depth of neutral axis and
d is the effective depth.
D. Strength rebar
The calculation of rebar for a given factored moment differs between the two codes.
ADAPT-British is a thorough implementation of BS8110. If a low post-tensioning
force is specified, the calculated rebar reflects the design of a nonprestressed
section. The stand-alone program PULT for design/analysis of pre- or post-
tensioned sections is the basis of the ADAPT-British strength rebar computations.
The interested user is encouraged to use PULT in conjunction with ADAPT for
verification purposes. For a detailed account of strength rebar calculations refer to
section on Strength Rebar Calculations in British Version.
4 - 59
E. Serviceability rebar
Serviceability rebar is specified for crack control. BS8110 refers to specialized

literature. ADAPT-British uses the recommendations of ACI.
F. One-way shear
One-way shear design differs between the two codes. BS8110 differentiates
between the shear capacity of cracked and uncracked sections. In ACI, the permis-
sible shear stresses are expressed by a single relationship for cracked and
uncracked sections. ADAPT-British follows BS8110 stipulations.
G. Punching shear
BS8110 references specialized literature with regard to punching shear calculations.

ADAPT-British uses ACI recommendations.
H. Deflections
Deflection calculations are the same for both versions.
I. Friction and long-term loss calculations
Friction and long-term stress loss calculations are the same for both versions.
4.16.4 Other Considerations
A. Bar sizes
ADAPT-British is provided with a library of European bar sizes:
Bar # 5 6 7 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
Area (mm2) 20 28 39 50 79 113 154 201 254 314 380 452 531 616 707
B. Dead plus 25% of unreduced live loading
In addition to BS8110 requirements, ADAPT-British includes the Uniform Building

Code (UBC used in USA) requirement for one-way slabs and beams reinforced
with unbonded tendons. UBC stipulates that such members should be designed to
resist a loading equal to dead plus 25% of unreduced live loading by means other
than post-tensioned tendons. The requirement is implemented in ADAPT-British as
an option to be invoked by the user.
4 - 60
4.17 STRENGTH REBAR CALCULATION IN BRITISH VERSION
The following describes the relationships used in PULT-British for the strength design/analysis of
prestressed sections. The relationships are taken from the British Standard BS8110: Part 1: 1985.
4.17.1 Geometry
The general geometry of the section considered is shown in Fig. 4.17.1-1 for a T-section.
Inverted L or rectangular sections are treated as special conditions of a T-section in which
one, or both of the overhangs are reduced to zero. I-sections at ultimate strength are also
treated as T-sections, since the contribution of concrete in tension zone is disregarded.
FIGURE 4.17.1-1
4.17.2 Materials and Stresses
The stress-strain relationships for the materials considered are shown in Fig. 4.17.2-1 for
the general case. At ultimate condition the concrete stresses are idealized as shown in Fig.
4.17.2-2.
At limit state, the stresses calculated from the assumed stress-strain diagrams of the materi-
als are each divided by a material factor, in order to account for unfavorable variations
between the assumed and actual material properties. The material factors used are given
below:
Concrete γmc = 1.50

Prestressing steel γmp = 1.15
Nonprestressed steel (rebar) γms = 1.15
If required, in executing the PULT software, the user may override the code recommended
material values by his/her choice.
4 - 61
FIGURE 4.17.2-1
A. Concrete
Observe Fig. 4.17.2-2.
(i) Tension stresses are neglected.
(ii) At ultimate strength, compression stresses in concrete may be substituted by

an equivalent rectangular stress block extending from the compression fiber
over a depth a, where,
4 - 62
FIGURE 4.17.2-2
a = 0.90*X (Eq. 4.17.1)
(iii) The magnitude of the uniform stress over compression block is assumed as
0.67*fcu/γmc. For γmc = 1.50 the stress becomes 0.45*fcu.
(iv) The instantaneous modulus of elasticity of concrete is:
Ec = 5500*(fcu/γmc)1/2N/mm2 (Eq. 4.17.2)
B. Nonprestressed reinforcement (passive reinforcement)
Nonprestressed reinforcement, or rebar in short, may be added to supplement

prestressing in developing the required moment resistance.
The stress-strain relationship for rebar is idealized as shown in Fig. 4.17.2-2(b). If

the strain in a section at location of rebar is less than the elastic limit of steel, the
rebar will not develop its yield stress. The stress obtained from the stress-strain
diagram is used in the computations.
C. Prestressing
The stress developed in prestressing tendon at the limit state is given by fpb. Its
magnitude, among other parameters, depends primarily on whether the tendon is
unbonded or bonded.
(i) For Unbonded Tendons

The Handbook of BS8110:1985 describes the background to the BS8110
design formulas in Section 4.3.7.3 of the code. Herein, in lieu of the
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approximated Eq. 52 of BS8110, in its general form, as given in the Hand-

book, is employed as it is described in the following.
At limit state the member with unbonded tendon is considered to develop an

inelastic zone bounded by elastic regions. The length of the inelastic zone (Lc) is
taken to be 10*x. The extension of the concrete at the level of the tendon is as-
sumed negligible in the elastic zones, and the extension in the inelastic zone is
assumed to be taken up uniformly over the length Lc of the inelastic zone. Thus, the
total strain εpb in the tendon is given by [refer to Fig. 4.17.2-3 (c)]:
εpe = strain in tendon after all losses have taken place;

εp = strain in tendon due to flexure of section; and
εpb = εpe + εp = εpe + εc *[(dp - x)/x]*(10*x/L)
= εpe + 10*εc*(dp /L)*(L - x/dp)
For ε = 0.0035,
c
fpb = fse + 0.35*Ep*(dp/L)*(L - x/dp) (Eq. 4.17.3)
But fpb must not exceed 0.7*fpu.
fpb 0.7*fpu
FIGURE 4.17.2-3
(ii) For Bonded Tendons
For bonded tendons the strain compatibility approach is used. First, the
strain in tendon at limit state (εps) is calculated. Then, referring to the ideal-
ized stress-strain diagram of Fig. 4.17.2-1(c), the corresponding stress is
computed.
4 - 64
In the idealized stress-strain diagram, the initial modulus of elasticity of

prestressing steel, i.e. the slope of the first line segment, is given in BS8110
as:
205 kN/mm2 for wire, Section Two of BS5896:1980;

195 kN/mm2 for strand, Section Three of BS5896:1980;
206 kN/mm2 for rolled; or rolled, stretched, and tempered
bars to BS4486; and
165 kN/mm2 for rolled and stretched bars to BS4486.
The strain in prestressing at limit state εps is calculated from the initial
prestressing and flexure of the section due to the applied moment. Refer to
Fig. 4.17.2-3(c).
εps = εse + εce + εp (4.17.4)
Refer to the notations for definitions.
εse = Fpt/Ept; (4.17.5)

εce = Fpt*(1/A + e2/I)/Ec; and
εp = [(dp- x)/x]*0.0035
4.17.3 Requirements
The following principal requirements must be met in a satisfactory design:
A. The factored moment (Mu) must be equal or less than the moment which the section
can develop (Mn = nominal moment, in which material factors are implemented):
Mu ≤ M n (4.17.6)
B. The design must be controlled such that the neutral axis x does not exceed the limit
state below (BS8110, 3.4.4.4):
x ≤ 0.5*de (4.17.7)
This is a ductility requirement. That is to say, it ensures that the section can develop
limited plastification and thereby localized rotation prior to crushing of concrete. If
the applied moment is greater than the moment which the section can develop with
this limitation on its neutral axis, compression reinforcement must be provided.
C. The internal lever arm of the section must not be greater than 0.95 times its effective
depth (BS8110, 3.4.4.1):
z ≤ 0.95*de (4.17.8)
Based on the preceding requirements, five design conditions as illustrated in Fig. 4.17.3-1
are identified.
4 - 65
FIGURE 4.17.3-1
A. Case 1: prestressing adequate
Case 1 is the condition in which the available prestressing is in excess of that

required to resist the demand design moment Mu, and that the moment developed
by the compression zone satisfies the relationships 4.17.7 and 4.17.8. Clearly, the
section is satisfactory as no nonprestressed reinforcement is required.
B. Case 2: prestressing plus tension rebar
In Case 2, the available prestressing is not adequate to resist the demand moment
Mu. Nonprestressed reinforcement As is required to supplement the prestressing
Aps. But, the combined areas of Aps and As are less than the limit affected by
relationship 4.17.7. The larger circle shown in Fig. 4.17.3-1 for Case 2 and around
the nonprestressed reinforcement represents the maximum area of nonprestressed
4 - 66
reinforcement (As, max) which would render the section reaching its ductility limit as
stipulated by Relationship 4.17.7.
C. Case 3: prestressing and tension rebar not adequate
By increasing the demand moment of Case 2, a condition is reached for which the
prestressing and the maximum rebar derived from the Relationship 4.17.7 are no
longer adequate to resist the moment Mu. This is Case 3 in which, in order to
maintain the ductility requirement of the design, the additional moment resistance
must be furnished by a force couple resulting from simultaneous addition of tension
and compression rebar. In this case, the depth of the compression zone is retained
at:
amax = 0.9*x = 0.9*0.5*de = 0.45*de (4.17.9)
Generally, the area of the added compression As’ will be equal to the added tension
steel in excess of As, max, unless these are positioned such that one or both of them
would not yield.
D. Case 4: prestressing and compression rebar
In this case, the amount of available prestressing is excessive, in that the concrete
compression necessary to equal the tension which the prestressing can develop
results in a depth of neutral axis greater than 0.5*de. Further, if the permissible
resisting moment (Mn) of the section is limited to that developed by the compression
zone alone with amax = 0.45*de, the resulting resisting moment is less than the applied
value. To build up the resistance of the compression zone up to a moment equal to
Mu, compression reinforcement must be added. The compression C considered for
developing the resistance moment of a rectangular section is given by:
C = As’fcom + (0.45*de*b - As’)*(0.67*fcu/gmc) (4.17.10)
E. Case 5: prestressing and compression rebar not adequate
Case 5 is one in which the prestressing alone is in excess of that required to satisfy
Relationship 4.17.7, and that the maximum compression rebar necessary, together
with the compression of concrete, to equal the tension force that prestressing alone
can develop is not adequate to generate a resisting moment (Mn) equal to the
demand moment (Mu). An acceptable design can be achieved by resisting the
excess moment through addition of rebar of equal tension and compression forces
with the depth of compression zone retained at amax.
4.17.4 Additional Assumptions and Relationships
A. At limit state, plane sections remain plane. Hence, the strain distribution due to the
applied moment is linear as shown in Fig. 4.17.2-3.
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B. The maximum strain at the extreme compression fiber is assumed at 0.0035.
C. Tension equals compression (refer to Fig. 4.17.2-3):
T = C (4.17.11)
Where,
T = Tp + Ts
Tp = Aps *fpb /γmp
Ts = As *ften/γms
C = C c + Cs (4.17.12)
Cc = (0.67*fcu/γmc)*(a*b - As ’)
For a non-rectangular section, (a*b) is substituted by the area of the compression

zone.
Cs = As ’*fcom/γms
D. The resisting moment is equal or greater than the applied moment:
Mn ≥ Mu (4.17.13)
E. The solutions given by PULT do not check whether or not the reinforcement
calculated meets the minimum cover and spacing requirements.
4.18 FEATURES SPECIFIC TO CANADIAN VERSION
nia.
Canadian and ACI codes are similar in structure and substance in the treatment of post-tensioned
members. As a result, ADAPT-Canadian and ADAPT-American follow closely the same proce-
dures. In the following, the differences between the two versions are introduced and discussed. The
comparison also clarifies to what extent the Canadian code CAN-A23.3 is implemented in ADAPT
versions currently in use.
1. definition of the problem, consisting of geometry, loading and design criteria,
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2. analysis, which includes the computation of moments, stresses and required post-tensioning,
and
3. design, which is the determination of reinforcement to meet strength and serviceability
requirements.
4.18.1 Definition of the Problem
The geometry input for the two codes (ADAPT-Canadian and ADAPT-American) are
identical.
Loading definition and input for the two codes are the same. The criteria input is some-
what different as detailed below:
A. The expression relating the modulus of elasticity of concrete to its 28-day strength is
different in the two codes. The Canadian relationships (Section 8.5) are used for
the Canadian version.
B. ACI differentiates between two concrete weights, lightweight and normal. In the
Canadian code there are three densities: normal, semi-low and low. The permissible
tensile and shear stresses are related to the three density classifications through a
coefficient, l, as given in the following table. The weight breakdowns are those set
by ADAPT.
C. Permissible tension stresses: The Canadian version incorporates the three l coeffi-
cients as given in the following.
Concrete Type Density (kg/m 3) l Coefficient

Normal density 2150 1.00
Semi-low density 1850< x<2150 0.85
Low density <1850 0.75
The associated l values for the ACI normal and low density concrete are 1 and
0.75. The ACI coefficients affect the allowable shearing stresses only. Permissible
tensile stresses are unaffected.
D. Load factors for ultimate strength calculations are different between the two codes.
The Canadian load factors are implemented as default values, but the user has the
option to modify them.
E. There are no material factors (γ) in ACI. The Canadian material factors for concrete
(0.60), steel (0.85), and post-tensioning (0.90) are implemented as default values,
but the user has the option to modify them.
F. Assignment of moments to column and middle strips in two-way slab systems for
the purposes of stress calculations is particular to the Canadian code only. ADAPT
is provided with default values given in the Canadian code for flat plates. However,
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the user has the option to select other moment assignment coefficients. The moment
assignment is discussed in more detail in the section on stress computations.
The assignment of moments to column strips for uniform flat plates, as recom-
mended in CAN A23.3 and used in ADAPT, are as follows:
Location CAN3- ACI

A23.3
Columns:
Exterior columns 100% 50%
Interior columns 75% 50%
Spans:
All spans 60% 50%
4.18.2 Analysis
A. Moments
Computation of dead, live and post-tensioning moments are code independent.

These are calculated strictly from the input geometry and loading. For two-way
systems, the user has the option of using the equivalent frame approximation. The
equivalent frame approximations of CAN-A23.3 and ACI-318 are identical so far
as the determination of moments for the entire bay and columns are concerned.
Since moments reported in ADAPT output are for the entire bay, the printouts for
the two versions will be the same. This similarity holds true for shears and reactions
also.
The reduction of moment to the face-of-support is treated the same in both the
American and Canadian versions. In both versions moments calculated and listed
refer to the entire cross-section (entire tributary).
B. Stresses
For beams, girders and one-way slab systems the stress calculations for the two
codes are identical.
For two-way systems, using equivalent frame approximation, there is a difference

between CAN-A23.3 and ACI-318 in the selection of hypothetical representative
stresses in prestressed slabs. This difference, as well as ADAPT’s treatment of this
issue, is described by aid of Fig. 4.18.2-1.
Figure 4.18.2-1(a) is the partial plan of a two-way slab showing a column support
together with its tributary on each side. The moment distribution across the width of
the bay, in the direction of the assumed frame, is shown by the curved line in Fig.
4.18.2-1(b). Such a distribution is for uniform loading and is obtained from rigorous
analyses in which the slab is treated as an elastic plate on discrete columns. Note
that the distribution peaks over the column. The one-dimensional frame modeling of
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the two-dimensional plate, as is the case in the equivalent frame approximation,

does not have the ability to express the variation of moment across the bay as
illustrated by the curved distribution. But, the approximation is tuned to yield an
acceptable total bay moment which is represented by the area underneath the curve
in Fig. 4.18.2-1(b).
As part of serviceability considerations, working stresses in post-tensioned slabs are

estimated and checked. This is achieved by computing a hypothetical representative
stress, which is obtained by applying the bay moment to the respective cross-
sectional geometry of the bay. By design, this representative stress is maintained
within a limit which has been observed to result in serviceable slabs. This represen-
tative stress is also used to compute the reinforcement necessary for crack control.
Note that no stress calculations are required for nonprestressed slabs, for which the
serviceability is checked primarily through deflection control.
FIGURE 4.18.2-1
4 - 71
ACI applies the total bay moment to the entire cross-sectional geometry of the bay
and arrives at a single representative support stress. In effect, the moment intensity
is assumed smeared uniformly across the bay as shown in Fig. 4.18.2-1(c).
CAN-A23.3 stipulates that, only for the purposes of representative stress computa-
tions, the bay moment be assumed distributed as shown in Fig. 4.18.2-1(d). The
proposed distribution concentrates the bay moment over the column and its vicinity,
and assigns a lesser value to regions away from the column. Hence, for the general
case of unequal tributaries, three representative stresses are calculated, one for the
column strip, and one for each of the partial middle strips on the sides of column
strip. Each stress is to be calculated by using the associated moment and the cross-
sectional properties of that portion of the bay which falls within each partial strip.
Note that this recommendation is for stress estimates only. It does not apply to
strength evaluations.
The subdivision of moments and section properties into three parts, namely column
and two partial middle strips, and the calculation of their associated stresses as
recommended in CAN-23.3 are straight forward procedures for uniform slabs.
These are slabs of constant thickness having no caps, nor drops, nor openings, nor
beam supports, nor having other features which interrupt the uniform distribution of
section property across a bay.
An irregular slab may have any of the features, such as drops or openings, that
result in a nonuniform distribution of section properties across a bay. This non-
uniform distribution necessitates the computation of (i) column and middle strip
moment assignment ratios for each different distribution of section property across a
bay and (ii) computation of section properties for column and each of the middle
strip regions. These provisions become impractical when applied to most real
structures. Strictly speaking, separate considerations of cross-sectional properties
for column and middle strips lead to calculated shifts in heights of neutral axis across
a bay. This affects the positioning of tendons which are designed to be anchored at
the neutral axis.
In order to bring the recommendations of CAN-A23.3 to practice, and at the same

time satisfying the code stipulations, ADAPT assumes that the peaked column strip
moment extends conservatively over the entire bay as illustrated in Fig. 4.18.2-1(e).
The new total bay moment, which is larger than the calculated bay moment from the
equivalent frame solution, is applied to the entire bay cross-section to obtain only
one representative tension stress. For example, for uniform geometries, the increase
in bay moment for an interior support is 50%. For midspans, it is 20%. These
increases are for the purposes of hypothetical stress calculation and are not carried
through in strength computations.
Unlike ACI, no upper service stress limits are stipulated in CAN-A23.3. Hence, a
code violation due high magnitude of hypothetical tensile stresses cannot occur.
Stress magnitudes are used as thresholds to determine the amount of reinforcement
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necessary for crack control reinforcement. For example, for an unbonded two-way
slab the relationship between the tensile stresses and the required rebar are as
follows:
Tension Stress Support Field

Rebar Rebar
0.5**f'c1/2 0.0006 hl 0.004A
< 0.5**f' c 1/2 0.00075 hl 0.005A
Observe that the overestimate of tensile stresses may result in the second row of the
preceding table governing the design, as a result of which there is a 25% increase in
serviceability rebar. However, it should be noted that the final design may be
governed by strength requirements, in which case the stress computation do not
affect the design.
The assumed higher value of total bay moment by ADAPT for CAN-A23.3 may
result in a higher rebar for crack control. In most cases the final design, when
evaluated from the standpoint of total weight of post-tensioning and rebar specified,
is essentially the same for the two cases.
C. Post-tensioning required
For beams, girders and one-way slab systems, the computation and reporting of
post-tensioning required is the same for CAN-A23.3 and ACI versions of ADAPT,
since the two codes are identical in this respect.
For two-way systems, the post-tensioning reported by ADAPT-Canadian is for the

entire bay. It is based on an increased moment, as illustrated in Fig. 4.18.2-1(e),
applied to the entire bay. The placement of post-tensioning tendons is demon-
strated, through tests (PTI manual) and observance of constructed slabs, not to be
critical to the performance of slabs. Hence, the question of column strip/middle strip
assignment of tendons has no performance consequence. However, for code
compliance, two tendons must pass over each column in each direction. The
required post-tensioning computations are the same regardless of whether tendons
are to be placed in a banded, distributed, or other arrangements.
4.18.3 Design
A. Secondary moments
Computation of secondary moments are the same in both codes.
B. Redistribution of moments
The concept, the implementation, and the 20% limit for redistribution of moments
are the same in both codes. However, the formulas for computing the maximum
4 - 73
permissible redistribution allowed at each point are different. ADAPT-Canadian

uses the CAN-A23.3 formula. This relationship is used for both prestressed and
nonprestressed sections. ACI uses separate relationships for prestressed and
nonprestressed sections.
C. Factored moments
Computation of factored moments for ultimate strength design follows the same
procedure in the two codes. The factors, however, are different. Each version is
provided with the related default load factors, but the user has the option to over-
ride and specify other combination factors. Note that the calculated bay moment
(Fig. 4.18.2-1(c)) is applied to the entire bay cross-section. The subdivision of a
factored moment into columns and middle strips do not apply.
D. Strength rebar
The calculation of rebar for a given factored moment is different in the two codes.
ADAPT-Canadian is a thorough implementation of CAN-A23.3. If a low post-
tensioning force is specified, the rebar calculated reflects the design of a
nonprestressed section. The stand-alone program, PULT for design/analysis of pre-
or post-tensioned sections, is the basis of the ADAPT-Canadian strength rebar
computations. The interested user is encouraged to use PULT in conjunction with
ADAPT for verification purposes.
E. Serviceability rebar
Serviceability rebar is specified for crack control. The requirements of Canadian

and ACI codes are close, but not identical in this respect. ADAPT-Canadian
follows stipulations of CAN-A23.3. It covers: beams, girders, one-way slab
systems, and two-way slabs; unbonded or bonded systems; fully or partially pre-
stressed systems.
F. One-way shear
One-way shear computation and design are in the two codes, except that the
permissible concrete shear stress (vc) is different. The ADAPT-Canadian uses the
related Canadian permissible stresses.
G. Punching shear
Punching shear calculations differ between the two codes with regard to definition of
permissible shearing stresses and computation of the required punching shear
reinforcement. The Canadian version of ADAPT follows CAN-A23.3.
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H. Deflections
Deflection calculations for uncracked sections are the same for both codes. In both
codes, a bilinear variation in modulus of elasticity of concrete may be assumed to
estimate deflections of cracked members for stresses moderately in excess of
cracking limits. For beams, girders and one-way slab systems, there is no difference
between the two codes. For two-way systems, different procedures of computing
stress calculation in the two codes (compare Fig. 4.18.2-1(c) and (d)) result in
different deflection values in the post-cracking range. The Canadian code yields
consistently higher deflections in the post-cracking region.
4.18.4 Other Considerations
A. Modeling of end columns in two-way systems
When connections of end columns to slab are assumed rigid, it is observed that the
column moments resulting from slab-frame analysis are generally higher than values
which can be readily detailed for construction. Congestion of rebar over column,
together with post-tensioning tendons do not leave adequate space for moment
dowels to be placed at end column-slab junctions. The condition is particularly
severe at the uppermost levels, where the columns do to extend above the slab.
Many consulting engineers assume in their analysis a hinged connection for the end
columns, and prescribe additional hoop ties at the top of the column, in order to
disperse this region’s crack formation. Analyzing the connection as hinged, but
detailing it for ductility through provision of ties, cannot decrease the strength of the
structure. It is a conservative procedure. One practice is to use a minimum of #3
hoops at 4 inches on center extending one sixth the column height from the soffit of
slab. One tie is placed 2 inches into the column/slab joint.
Some engineers model the end columns as semi-rigid by assigning a column height
of typically twice the actual length of the column at end supports. They refer to this
procedure as allowing for 50% rigidity of end columns.
A hinge or semi-rigid end column structural modeling is particularly appropriate

when designing according to CAN-A23.3, since the code assigns 100 percent of
bay moment to the column strip for stress calculations. This stipulation can result in
high values of required post-tensioning for the end supports, in order to maintain a
predetermined level of design tension stress. Or if the tension stress limit is relaxed,
as is permitted in CAN-A23.3, it can result in an increased crack control rebar.
It is noteworthy that the in-service performance of end columns designed according

to ACI is observed to be generally superior to that suggested by computed bending
or shear stress predictions. One benevolent factor is moments induced in end
columns due to in-plane shortening of slab. These moments counteract the moments
4 - 75
due to gravity. Another factor can be the inherent margin of safety in the relation-
ships used for end column stress calculations.
B. Design of nonprestressed concrete beams and slabs
ADAPT is coded primarily for prestressed beams, one-way and two-way slab
systems. However, if a very small amount of prestressing is specified, ADAPT
produces a solution which refers to a nonprestressed analysis and design.
For a nonprestressed member, ADAPT correctly calculates and reports the mo-
ments, shears and reactions. It also correctly calculates the reinforcement required
for flexural and shear strength requirements.
4.19 NOTATION
a = depth of compression block;

A = cross-sectional area;
Ac = area of critical surface;
Amin = code required minimum area of nonprestressed reinforcement;
Aps = cross-sectional area of tendon;
As = area of tension steel;
As’ = area of compression steel;
Av = area of stirrups;
b = width of section (stem in the case of T-sections);

bf = flange width of T-section;
c = distance from centroid of the assumed punched out section to the farthest
fiber;
C = total compression force;
Cc = compression force due to concrete;
Cd = load factor for dead actions;
Cl = load factor for live actions;
Cs = compression force due to compression rebar;
Csec = load factor for secondary actions;
d’ = distance from extreme compression fiber to centroid of compression

reinforcement;
dc = distance from extreme compression fiber to centroid of total compression
block;
de = distance from compression fiber to centroid of tensile reinforcement;
dp = distance of centroid of post-tensioning to extreme compression fiber;
dr = distance of compression fiber to centroid of nonprestressed reinforcement
(but not less than 0.8 times total depth of section when checking shear);
D = contribution of dead load to the factored action;
4 - 76
ε = eccentricity of post-tensioning/prestressing with respect to the centroidal

axis of the section (positive if CGS is above the centroidal axis);
Ec = modulus of elasticity of concrete;
Ept = modulus of elasticity of tendon;
Es = modulus of elasticity of rebar;
f = total stress;
fa = stress due to average compression (= P/A);
fb = stress due to balanced loading consisting of Wb and moments (=Mbal/S);
f’c = 28 day compressive strength of concrete;
fcom = stress in compression rebar at its centroid;
fcu = characteristic concrete strength;
fd = stress due to dead loading (= Md/S);
fl = stress due to live loading (= Ml/S);
fpb = stress in prestress reinforcement at nominal strength;
fps = stress in tendon of limited state;
fpu = ultimate strength of tendon;
fpy = specified yield strength of prestressing tendons;
fse = effective stress in tendon after all losses;
ften = stress in tension rebar at its centroid;
fy = yield strength of stirrups;
F pt = prestressing force;
h = overall thickness of member;

hf = thickness of flange of T- or inverted L-beam;
I = moment of inertia of section;
Jc = a parameter similar to the moment of inertia of the critical surface, defined in

ACI-318;
[K] = system stiffness matrix;

Kc = column stiffness;
Kec = equivalent column stiffness;
Kt = stiffness of torsional member;
L = contribution of live load to the factored action;

= length of inelastic zone (Section 4.17, British version);
Mbal = balanced moment due to balanced loading;

Mbi = support reaction due to post-tensioning;
Md = dead load moment;
Ml = live load moment;
Mn = hypothetical resistant moment that a section can develop (nominal moment);
Msec = secondary moment;
Mti = support reaction due to post-tensioning;
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Mu = factored moment;
{r} = the vector of unknown joint rotations;

Ri = support reaction due to post-tensioning;
s = spacing of stirrups;
S = section modulus;
SEC = contribution due to secondary moments and shears;
T = total tension force;

Tp = tension force due to prestressing;
Ts = tension force due to tensile rebar;
U = factored (design) action, moment, reaction, etc.;

{UBM} = vector of UnBalanced fixed end Moments at the joints;
vc = concrete strength in shear;

vcw = permissible shear stress;
Vp = component of prestressing force in direction of shear check;
vu = factored maximum shear stress;
Vu = factored column reaction; factored shear force;
x = depth of neutral axis from compression fiber;
Wb = balanced loading;
Xi = distance to the section under consideration;
Yb = distance from the neutral axis to the top extreme fiber of the section;
Yt = distance from the neutral axis to the bottom extreme fiber of the section;
β1 = 0.85 for 4000 psi concrete, otherwise as defined in ACI-318(10);

γmc = material factor for concrete;
γmp = material factor for prestressing steel;
γms = material factor for nonprestressed steel (rebar);
εp = strain in tendon at its centroid;
εps = strain in tendon after all losses have taken place;
εpb = εpe + εp;
εs ’ = strain in compressive steel at its centroid;
φ = strength reduction factor;
ρ = ratio of nonprestressed tension reinforcement (see ACI-318(8));
ρ‘ = ratio of nonprestressed compression reinforcement (see ACI-
318(8));
ρbal = reinforcement ratio producing balanced strain condition (see ACI-318(8));
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ω = index of tensile nonprestressed reinforcement;

ω‘ = index of compressive nonprestressed reinforcement;
ωp = index of prestressing reinforcement as defined in ACI-318 (18); and
∗ = multiplication symbol.
4.20 REFERENCES
4.20.1 List of References
Aalami, Bijan, O. (2000),”Structural Modeling of Post-Tensioned Members,” American

Society of Civil Engineers, Structural Journal, February 2000, pp. 157-162.
Aalami, Bijan, O., and Kelley, Gail, S. (2001a), “Design of Concrete Floors with Par-
ticular Reference to Post-Tensioning,” Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, Technical
Note 11, January 2001, pp 16.
Aalami, Bijan, O., and Kelley, Gail, S. (2001b), “Structural Design of Post-Tensioned
Floors,” American Concrete Institute, Concrete International, January 2001, pp 31-36.
Aalami, Bijan, O. (2000),”Structural Modeling of Post-Tensioned Members,” American

Aalami, Bijan O. [1994]. Strength Evaluation of Existing Post-Tensioned Beams and

Slabs, Analytical Approach, PTI Technical Notes, March 1994.
Aalami, Bijan O. [1993a]. Effective Width and Post-Tensioning, PTI Technical Notes,
April 1993.
Aalami, Bijan O. [1993b]. One-way and Two-way Post-Tensioned Floor Systems, PTI
Technical Notes, October 1993.
Aalami, Bijan O. [1990a]. Developments in Post-Tensioned Floors in Buildings, FIP-

XIth International Congress on Prestressed Concrete, Hamburg, June 1990.
Aalami, Bijan O. [1990b]. Load Balancing: A Comprehensive Solution to Post-

Tensioning, American Concrete Institute Structural Journal, Nov.-Dec. 1990, pp. 662-
670.
Aalami, Bijan O. [1989]. Design of Post-Tensioned Floor Slabs, Concrete International:

Design & Construction, v. 11, No. 6, June 1989, pp. 59-67.
ACI 318. Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete, American Concrete
Institute, Detroit, Michigan.
4 - 79
ACI 423. Recommendations for Concrete Members Prestressed With Unbonded

Tendons, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Michigan.
Collin, Michael P., and Mitchell, Denis [1991]. Prestressed Concrete Structures, Prentice
Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Freyermuth, C. L., and Aalami, B. O. (1997),”Unified Minimum Flexural Reinforcement

Requirements for Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Members,” American Concrete
Institute, Structural Journal, July-August, 1997, 12 pp.
Leonhardt, F. [1964]. Prestressed Concrete, Wilhelm Ernst & Sohn, Berlin.
Libby, J.R. [1977]. Modern Prestressed Concrete, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.
Lin, T.Y., and Burns, N.H. [1985]. Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures, John
Wiley and Sons, New York.
Post Tensioning Institute [1984]. Design of Post-Tensioned Slabs, Phoenix, Arizona.
Post Tensioning Institute. Post-Tensioning Manual, fourth edition, Phoenix, Arizona.
Vanderbilt, M.D., and Corley, W.G. [1983]. Frame Analysis of Concrete Buildings,
Concrete International, December 1983, pp. 33-43.
UBC, Uniform Building Code. International Conference of Building Officials, Whittier,

California.
4 - 80
CHAPTER 5
REFERENCES AND
SELECTED TOPICS
5.1 LIST OF REFERENCES ON ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF

POST-TENSIONED STRUCTURES .............................................................. 5-1
5.2 GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN OF POST-TENSIONED

FLOORS ............................................................................................................ 5-3
5.3 LOAD BALANCING - A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION TO POST-

TENSIONING ................................................................................................. 5-11
5.4 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF POST-TENSIONED MEMBERS ......... 5-21
5.5 HYPERSTATIC (SECONDARY) ACTIONS IN PRESTRESSING

AND THEIR COMPUTATION ...................................................................... 5-27
5.6 LAYOUT OF POST-TENSIONING AND PASSIVE

REINFORCEMENT IN FLOOR SLABS ...................................................... 5-37
5.7 NONPRESTRESSED BONDED REINFORCEMENT IN POST-

TENSIONED BUILDING DESIGN ............................................................... 5-51
5.8 ONE-WAY AND TWO-WAY POST-TENSIONED FLOOR

SYSTEMS ........................................................................................................ 5-63
5.9 EFFECTIVE WIDTH IN POST-TENSIONED FLANGED BEAMS .......... 5-73

Tendon layout in a typical one-way slab and
beam construction (South San Francisco, California)
ADAPT REFERENCES AND SELECTED TOPICS Chapter 5
5. REFERENCES AND SELECTED TOPICS
5.1 SELECTED REFERENCES ON ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF POST-

TENSIONED STRUCTURES
Aalami, B. O., and Jurgens, J. D., “Guidelines for the Design of Post-Tensioned Floors,”
Concrete International, ACI, March 2003, pp 77-83
Aalami, B. O., (1990), “Load Balancing - A Comprehensive Solution to Post-

Tensioning,” Structural Journal, ACI, November-December 1990, pp 662-670.
“Aalami, Bijan, O. (2000),”Structural Modeling of Post-Tensioned Members,” American

“Hyperstatic (Secondary) Actions in Prestressing and Their Computation,” Post-

Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, PTI-TN6, pp10, December 1998
“Layout of Post-Tensioning and Passive Reinforcement in Floor Slabs,” PTI Technical

Note #8, February 1999, Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 12 pp.
“Nonprestressed Bonded Reinforcement in Post-Tensioned Building Design,” ADAPT,

Redwood City, Ca, Technical Publication, P2-01, Feb. 2001, pp. 12.
“One-Way and Two-Way Post-Tensioned Floor Systems,” Post-Tensioning Institute,

Phoenix, PTI-TN3, pp10, Feb 1994
“Effective Width in Post-Tensioned Flanged Beams,” ADAPT, Redwood City, Ca,

Technical Note, T9-01, Sep. 2001
5-1

BLANK
5-2
5.2
Guidelines for
the Design of
Post-Tensioned Floors
BY BIJAN O. AALAMI AND JENNIFER D. JURGENS
his article presents a set of guidelines intended to may require values other than those specified in this
T assist designers in routine post-tensioning design,
beginning with a discussion of the initial decisions that
article. In addition, local practice, availability of material, or
the contractor’s equipment and skill may sometimes make
must be made to design post-tensioned floor members. We other alternatives more economical or efficient.
then provide a set of recommendations, derived from Decisions required for the preliminary design of a
industry practice, which have yielded economical designs floor system that are not discussed in this article, but
with good in-service performance. Where applicable, we are covered in other literature, include establishing
based the guidelines on ACI 318-021 and IBC 2000.2 slab and beam dimensions and concrete cover. The
For the purpose of this article, we have assumed that Post-Tensioning Institute (PTI) Design Manual6 gives
the design engineer is familiar with the concept and recommended span-to-thickness ratios for slabs and
application of post-tensioning. There are a number of span-to-depth ratios for beams.
good references on the topic of post-tensioning.3-5 We Cover is determined from the requirements for
have further assumed that the design engineer knows corrosion protection, fire protection, and wear. ACI 3627
both the geometry of the structure and the loading; this and ACI 423.68 give recommendations and requirements
article discusses the design process that follows the for post-tensioning systems intended for use in aggressive
determination of the structure’s geometry and loading. (corrosive) environments. The IBC, ACI 318-02, and
ACI 423.39 provide information on cover requirements for
GUIDELINES corrosion and fire protection. Additional cover for wear
The guidelines presented in this article result from is discretionary; it is sometimes specified for structures
more than 20 years of extensive and varied design such as parking garages where abrasion may result in
experience in post-tensioning, including considerable excessive wear.
review of designs by other engineers. Based on the
observed performance of structures built in accordance POST-TENSIONING SYSTEMS
with these guidelines, we know the guidelines lead to In the U.S. and Canada, post-tensioned buildings and
safe structures with good in-service performance. We parking garages are typically constructed with seven-wire,
hope that the guidelines will assist design engineers in 0.5-in.-diameter (12.7 mm), unbonded single-strand
the selection of the various design parameters. Choosing (monostrand) tendons. These tendons, with a typical
appropriate values for the various design parameters is strength of 270 ksi (1860 MPa), are also greased and
particularly important for engineers using the Finite sheathed. One reason for the widespread use of the
Element Method (FEM) in their designs because the 0.5-in.-diameter strand is the Code requirement that the
current FEM technology requires that the engineer lay tendon spacing not be greater than eight times the slab
out the tendons, including the shape and force of each thickness. The use of 0.5-in.-diameter, 270 ksi (1860 MPa)
tendon, before a solution can be obtained. strand permits 4.5- and 5-in.- thick (110 and 125 mm)
These guidelines apply to typical buildings and parking slabs to meet both the minimum 125 psi (0.85 MPa)
structures. Special loading conditions or unique geometries average precompression and the maximum tendon
5-3 Concrete international / MARCH 2003 77

spacing requirement. In addition, the tendons and From the many possible design solutions for a
stressing equipment are light enough for workers to handle post-tensioned member, the one that meets the Code
them efficiently on site. Larger diameter (0.6 in. [15.3 mm]) requirements for serviceability and strength and is the
strands are primarily used in pretensioning and bridge least expensive to build is usually the preferred solution.
construction. Higher strength steels and smaller diameter Generally, for a given slab dimension, loading, and
strands are also available but are not commonly used for construction method, less material means a more
new construction. economical design. There is a unique value for the
design moment, Mu, for the conventionally reinforced
STRUCTURAL MODELING beam shown in Fig. 1(a), which leads to a unique value
In both one- and two-way systems, specifying the for the required area of steel, As. For the post-tensioned
structural model includes defining the design strips, alternative shown in Fig. 1(b), the design moment
irrespective of whether an FEM or Equivalent Frame includes secondary (hyperstatic) effects and is thus a
Method of analysis is used.10 The distinction between function of the post-tensioning. Values for the three
one- and two-way systems is important because the parameters listed previously must be established before
design requirements in ACI 318-02 are different for the the required amount of post-tensioning can be determined.
two systems. Column-supported floors generally qualify The amount of supplemental reinforcement, A s, required
as two-way systems; beam- and wall-supported slabs and for strength design of the post-tensioning member is
beams generally qualify as one-way systems. For a determined by the amount of the post-tensioning
detailed discussion of one- versus two-way systems, reinforcement and the reinforcement profile.
refer to Aalami.11
The fixity of the connections must also be specified. Average precompression
In some instances, such as corner columns in flat The average precompression is the total post-
slabs, and strong beam/weak column connections tensioning force divided by the gross cross-sectional
at the upper levels of one-way slab and beam area normal to the force. ACI 318-02 requires a minimum
construction, the assumption of full fixity does not of 125 psi (0.85 MPa) effective precompression
yield a satisfactory design. For structural analysis, (precompression after all prestress losses).
such connections may be assigned partial fixity or In general, 125 psi (0.85 MPa) should be used for
may be assumed as hinged connections (releases). the initial average precompression. For roofs and parking
Connections that are assumed to be hinged must be structures, use 150 to 200 psi (1.0 to 1.4 MPa) if water-
detailed in the construction documents to allow tightness or cracking is a concern. Bear in mind, however,
rotation, while retaining the integrity of the joint that an increase in precompression does not guarantee
by limiting crack width and transfer of axial and watertightness and may not completely eliminate cracking.
shear forces through the joint. Another instance To avoid leakage, the increased post-tensioning must be
where a hinge connection may be beneficial is supplemented by other measures, such as a membrane
for short gravity columns at split levels in parking overlay. In stemmed structures, such as one-way slab
structures, which have a ramp on one side and a and beam construction, the entire cross-sectional area
level floor on the other side. of the member should be used when computing the
average precompression.
INITIAL DECISIONS Figure 2(a) shows the tributary for axial loading.
There is a major difference between the design of a This is further explained in the section on anchor
post-tensioned member and the design of a conventionally locations. (In one-way slab and beam construction, the
reinforced concrete member. Once the geometry, loading, member is defined as the beam and its tributary slab
support conditions, and material properties of a area.) Maximum precompression should be 275 psi
conventionally reinforced member (Fig. 1(a)) are (2.0 MPa) for slabs and 350 psi (2.50 MPa) for beams;
established, a unique solution of the required area of although the Code’s limit of maximum compressive
reinforcement, As, is given by a formula. For a post- stress is much higher, values higher than these typically
tensioned member (Fig. 1(b)), however, there are a mean the design will be less economical.
number of acceptable reinforcement designs because
there are several additional parameters that must be Percentage of load to balance
specified by the engineer. These parameters may be Post-tensioning is typically thought of as a system of
grouped as follows: loads that counteracts the dead load of the structure.
P Average precompression (prestressing force); This is expressed as the ratio (percentage) of the dead
P Percentage of load to balance (uplift due to tendon load that is balanced. For slabs, it is customary to
drape); and balance between 60 and 80% of the dead load. For
P Tendon profile (shape and drape). beams, this is usually increased to between 80 and 110%.
78 MARCH 2003 / Concrete international 5-4

One reason for higher balanced loading for the beams

is that beam deflection is more critical to service
performance of a floor system. To determine the
required post-tensioning force, start with the critical
span—generally, this is the longest span (in Fig. 3, this
would be the first span). Using the maximum permissible
tendon drape in this span as one limiting criterion, and
the minimum precompression as the other, determine a
post-tensioning force to balance the desired percentage
of the dead load.
For the spans adjacent to the critical span, a lower
percentage of the dead load should generally be balanced
because less upward force in an adjacent span helps to
reduce the design values of the critical span. The
preferred means of accomplishing this is to keep the
tendon profile at its maximum drape and reduce the
force because this reduces the amount of post-tensioning
required. If it is not practical to reduce the tendon force,
Fig.1: Schematic comparing a conventially reinforced concrete
the tendon drape should be reduced. For the beam
member to a post-tensioned membaer. Notice the assumptions
shown in Fig. 3, an economical design was obtained by required for the post-tensioned design
balancing 60% of the dead load in the first span and
reducing the post-tensioning to balance only 50% of the
dead load in the second span. The tendon is straight (it
has no curvature) in the third span so it does not balance
any of the dead load. The design could actually have been
improved by a tendon profile that exerted a downward
force in the third span because the dead load of the
structure tends to lift this span. In summary, balancing all the
spans of a continuous member to the same percentage of
dead load is not always economical.
In practice, tendon profiles are reversed parabolas; two
such examples are shown in Fig. 4. Tendons thus exert
both upward and downward forces in the same span. In
such cases and for the purpose of design, the percentage
of dead load balanced is considered as the sum of the
upward forces divided by the total dead load (DL) on the
span. For the design shown in Fig. 4, this becomes:
% of DL balanced = 100[(W2+W3)/DL]
Tendon profile: shape

For beam tendons and slab tendons in the
distributed direction, a reversed parabola tendon
profile with inflection points at one-tenth of the span Fig.2: Tributaries used when computing average precompression
length (Fig. 5) is typically used. For the banded direction, stress for stemmed members.
a partial parabola (Fig. 6) with a straight length of
approximately 4 ft (1.2 m) over the supports is more
practical for the tendon profile. This matches how the
banded tendons will be placed over the columns; the
tendons have a fairly flat profile over the top bars in the
orthogonal direction.
Profile low points are typically set at midspan for
both interior and exterior spans because this makes
tendon layout easier for the placing crew. In terms of
post-tensioning force efficiency, however, it is preferable
if the low point in the exterior spans is closer to the Fig.3: An example of a post-tensioning tendon profile for a
member with unequal span lengths.

exterior of the building (approximately 40% of the span span other than the critical span, the first choice should
length [0.4L]). This is because, for an exterior span, be to reduce the prestressing force. If this is not practical,
the tendon is at the middepth of the slab at the slab raise the tendon at midspan to reduce the drape (second
edge and at its high point (typically somewhat higher span of Fig. 3). When selecting tendon heights, use
than middepth) at the other end. Moving the tendon intervals of 0.25 in. (5 mm) for construction purposes.
low-point to 0.4L results in a more uniform uplift over Keeping the tendon high point fixed conforms with the
the exterior span, but the difference is usually small. placement of nonprestressed reinforcement at the
maximum height over the supports.
Tendon profile: drape Tendons along and over interior walls should be laid
The high point of the tendon profile should be as out flat (without profile) at their high point (Fig. 7).
close to the top surface of the member as practical, Continuous wall support eliminates the necessity of
allowing for clearance and reinforcement in the orthogonal
direction, if necessary. At the low point of the profile, it
is best to place the tendons as close to the soffit of the
member as allowable, to take full advantage of the
uplift and contribution to strength that the tendon can
provide. This arrangement is possible for the critical
spans in a continuous member, but may need to be
adjusted for other spans. As suggested previously, if
using the maximum drape results in excessive uplift in a
Fig.5: For tendons in the distributed direction of beams and

slabs, the tendon profile is a reversed parabola with inflection
points at one-tenth the span length
Fig.4: Two Examples of the post-tensioning tendon profile shape, Fig.6: In the banded direction, the tendon profile is a partial parabola
a reversed parabola. With such a profile, tendons exert both an with a straight length of about 4 ft (1.2 m) over the supports
upward and a downward force in the same span

profiling a tendon for uplift. Placing the tendon at the the centroid of the beam. Tendons in flanged beams,
high point is best suited to resist negative moments such as in one-way slab and beam structures, should be
typical over wall supports. anchored at the centroid of the combined beam stem and
Likewise, tendons along exterior walls should be its tributary (Fig. 2a). As discussed in the following,
placed flat and anchored at the centroid of the slab in however, a beam’s “tributary” is not the same as its
the first span (shown in Fig. 8(a)). Tendons should be
anchored at the centroid of the slab even if there is a
transverse beam or drop cap/panel at the slab edge
(Fig. 8(b)). Tendons anchored eccentric with respect to
the centroid of a member result in a moment in addition
to precompression. The option of eccentric anchoring
should be used only if the impact of the added moment
is recognized in design.
Similarly, banded tendons along an interior wall may
all be placed flat and at their high point, either over or
adjacent to the wall. Distributed tendons parallel to an
interior wall should be placed flat and at their high point
over a fraction of their tributary as indicated in Fig. 7(b).
The remainder of the distributed tendons can be
transitioned by gradual modification of their low
point to follow the profile of adjacent design strips.
Tendons along continuous exterior walls are generally
selected to provide a nominal precompression over the
tributary of the exterior wall equal to that used for the rest
of the slab. The function of post-tensioning in this case is to
provide a precompression compatible with the rest of the
floor system to improve the in-service performance of the Fig.8: Tendons along exterior walls should be placed flat and
floor system. anchored at the centroid of the slab in the first span
ANCHOR LOCATIONS
Tendons in stand-alone beams (beams not cast
monolithically with the slab) should be anchored at
Fig.9: Flanged beam under uniform precompression from an axial

Fig.7: Tendons along or over interior walls should be laid flat force P and balanced loading from other force components causing
(without profile) at their high point. bending of the member.

“effective width for bending.” Consider the flanged beam portion of Fig. 10, the precompression is shown at two
shown in Fig. 9(a). In the traditional load-balancing analysis sections—one next to the beam end (high peaks) and
used by most designers, the force in the tendons, generally one at midspan. The distribution at midspan is uniform.
considered constant, is represented by an axial force, P, at a The lower half of the figure shows the contour of
location that results in “uniform precompression” (Fig. 9(b) precompression in the direction of the beams. The
and Fig. 2(a)) and other force components that cause dispersion of precompression into a uniform distribution
bending of the member (Fig. 9(c)). Regardless of the is evidenced by the single contour region at the interior
shape of a cross section, if a force is acting at the of the slab.
centroid of a member, it will disperse into a uniform Another noteworthy observation of Fig. 9 is
compression at a distance “sufficiently far” from the that the axial component and its impact (uniform
point of application of the force (in this case, the ends precompression) are independent of tendon profile
of the member). Flanged beams are no exception to and position of anchors at the beam ends. It is the
this phenomenon. balanced loading (Fig. 9(c)), and consequently the
For dimensions typically used in building construc- bending effects, that depend on the tendon profile and
tion, for example, a one-way slab and beam parking position of its anchors.
structures, the dispersion of the tendon force into a Note that the previous discussion does not apply to
uniform compression across the member’s entire precast pretensioned beams with topping slabs. In
tributary occurs at a distance approximately equal to pretensioned beams, the entire force is locked into the
the beam spacing (the force disperses at approximately beam stem. The small diffusion of prestressing into the
a 45 degree angle) (Fig. 10). Therefore, at a distance of slab due to creep is not treated in this article.
one beam spacing away from the beam end, the force
across the entire tributary is uniform. In other words, ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
tendons placed in the beam stem create a uniform force Cover for fire resistance
across the entire beam-slab cross section. In the upper When determining fire ratings, designers typically
consider the end spans in column-supported structures
unrestrained. To achieve fire resistance equal to that of
interior spans, provide a larger cover for tendons at the
low point of exterior spans unless the end support is a
wall or transverse edge beam. Only the first and last
spans of tendons along a slab edge are considered as
“end spans.” IBC gives the minimum cover for the
various fire ratings. 2
Tendon layout
The preferred tendon layout for two-way slabs is to
concentrate the tendons over the supports in one
direction (the banded tendons) and distribute them
uniformly in the other direction (the distributed
tendons).6, 12, 13 Typically, banded tendons should
be placed in the long direction of the slab. This
minimizes the number of wedge-shaped regions
between the bands where additional reinforcement
will be necessary due to insufficient precompression.
If the supports in the short direction do not line up,
however, place the banded tendons in the short
direction. Place the distributed tendons in the
orthogonal direction, parallel to one another, making
sure that a minimum of two tendons pass over each
support as required by ACI 318-02.
Tendon stressing
Most engineers in North America design with
Fig.10: A computer model shows, in a one-way slab and beam final effective forces—the post-tensioning forces
configuration, the dispersion of the tendon force into unifrom after all prestress losses. The post-tensioning
compression across the member’s tributary at a distance equal to
supplier determines the number of tendons
the beam spacing

required to provide the force shown on the structural 4. Naaman, A. E., Prestressed Concrete Analysis and Design,
drawings, based on the effective force of a tendon. The McGraw Hill Inc, NY, 1982, 193 pp.
effective force of a tendon is a function of a number of 5. Nawy, E., Prestressed Concrete–A Fundamental Approach,
parameters, including the tendon profile, certain Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2002, 938 pp.
properties of the concrete, and the environment. For 6. PTI, Post-Tensioning Manual, 5 th Edition, Post-Tensioning
typical designs, however, a constant force of 27 kips Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 1990, 406 pp.
(120 kN) may be assumed for 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) un- 7. ACI Committee 362, “Guide for the Design of Durable Parking
bonded tendons, provided the following stressing Structures (ACI 362.1R-97),” American Concrete Institute, Farming-
conditions are met: ton Hills, MI, 1997, 40 pp.
P Tendon length (length between anchorages) is 8. ACI Committee 423, “Specification for Unbonded Single-Strand
less than 240 ft (72 m); Tendons and Commentary (ACI 423.6/423.6R-01),” American
P Tendons less than 120 ft (36 m) long are Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2001, 29 pp.
stressed at one end; and 9. ACI Committee 423, “Recommendations for Concrete Members
P Tendons longer than 120 ft but less than 240 ft Prestressed with Unbonded Tendons (ACI 423.3R-96),” American
are stressed at both ends. Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 1996, 19 pp.
Tendons that do not meet these conditions may be 10. Aalami, B. O., and Kelley, G. S., “Design of Concrete Floors
used, as long as the assumed effective force is lowered with Particular Reference to Post-Tensioning,” Technical Note
to account for the higher friction losses. No. 11, Jan. 2001, Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 16 pp.
11. Aalami, B. O., “One-Way and Two-Way Post-Tensioned Floor
Selection of nonprestressed reinforcing Systems,” Technical Note No. 3, Oct. 1993, Post-Tensioning Institute,
bar size Phoenix, AZ, 10 pp.
To take full advantage of the maximum lever arm 12. Aalami, B. O., “Layout of Post-Tensioning and Passive
for reinforcement in both directions, the top bar diameters Reinforcement in Floor Slabs,” Technical Note No. 8, Feb. 1999,
should match those of the adjacent tendons. Thus, it Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 12 pp.
is reasonable to use No. 5 (16 mm) bars over the supports— 13. Aalami, B. O., and Kelley, G. S., “Design of Concrete Floors
a sheathed 0.5 in. -diameter (12.7 mm) strand is slightly with Particular Reference to Post-Tensioning,” Technical Note
larger than a No. 5 (16 mm) bar. For bottom bars, it is No. 11, Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, January 2001, 16 pp.
better to use smaller bars, such as No. 4 (12 mm) bars,
for the distributed tendon direction because these are Recieved and reviewed under Institue publication policies.
distributed uniformly among the tendons, and larger
bars for the banded tendons because bars for the
banded direction are normally grouped together and
placed within the band width.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
For a given member geometry, support conditions, ACI member Bijan O. Aalami is Professor
and loading, the design of a post-tensioned member Emeritus of Civil Engineering at San
depends on three parameters which need to be Francisco State University, and Principal of
established by the design engineer: the average the ADAPT Corp., a consulting firm in California
precompression, the percentage of load to balance, specializing in post-tensioning design, and
and the tendon profile. This article presents a set of a life member of the Post-Tensioning
guidelines to assist the design engineer in selecting Institute. He has been involved in the
values for these parameters. The guidelines reflect design of numerous post-tensioned
industry practice for economical designs and based structures worldwide. Aalami was awarded
on observed performance, lead to safe structures with the ACI Van Buren Award for application of advanced engineering
good in-service performance. to a notable concrete structure.
REFERENCES
Jennifer D. Jurgens, a project engineer for
1. ACI Committee 318, “Building Code Requirements for Structural
BFL Owen and Associates, has performed
Concrete (ACI 318-02) and Commentary (ACI 318R-02),” American
structural analysis and design on many
Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, 2002, 391 pp.
new and retrofitted buildings. She has
2. IBC 2000, “International Building Code,” International
worked on post-tensioned concrete
Code Council, Inc., Falls Church, VA, 2000, 756 pp.
structures, both long span and short, and
3. Collin, M. P., and Mitchell, D., Prestressed Concrete Structures,
has extensive project experience in high-
Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1991, 766 pp.
rise, hybird, and podium slab structures.


BLANK
5 - 10
ACI STRUCTURAL JOURNAL TECHNICAL PAPER
Title no. 87-S68
5.3
Load Balancing:
A Comprehensive Solution to Post-Tensioning
by Bijan O. Aalami
Authorized reprint from: November/December 1990 issue of ACI Structural Journal
5 - 11
ACI STRUCTURAL JOURNAL TECHNICAL PAPER
Title no. 87-S68
Load Balancing:
A Comprehensive Solution to Post-Tensioning
by Bijan O. Aalami
Reviews the application of load balancing in a broader context as the garded as a nonprestressed member with a reduced
emerging standard for analyzing post-tensioned buildings. Terminol-
loading to which a precompression due to prestressing
ogy, concepts, and current procedures used in the extended scope of load
must be superimposed.
balancing are presented and the governing relationships are introduced
and discussed. The redistribution of elastically computed moments due to
Fig. 1, a continuous beam on simple supports, can be
limited joint plastification is examined and numerical examples illus- used to illustrate the definitions and concepts of load
trate the application of load balancing to more complex structures and balancing in its extended scope. The beam is post-ten-
the importance of faithful representation of balanced loading. sioned with a constant force P. The tendon has a re-
versed parabolic profile with two inflection points in
Keywords: flexural strength; limit state design; load-balancing the interior span and one in each of the exterior spans.
method; moments; plasticity; post-tensioning; prestressed concrete; The low points of the tendon are at midspans. The hori-
prestressing; serviceability; structural analysis; structural design. zontal component of prestressing force P along the ten-
don is considered constant. The support conditions, the
Load balancing was introduced by T.Y. Lin 1 as a tendon profile selected, and the assumption of constant
simple yet powerful alternative method for analyzing force are arbitrary and do not affect the definitions
prestressed members. It has been widely accepted in and the concepts presented herein.
North America, where today it is the predominant
method of analyzing post-tensioned members. Apply-
BALANCED LOADING FOR SIMPLE
ing load balancing to complex geometries has not been
CONDITIONS
discussed in the literature, leaving some investigators
For the purpose of analysis, remove the tendon in
and engineers unclear regarding its scope and general-
Fig. 1 from its duct and replace it with the forces the
ity. The lack of a common base for the terminology
tendon exerts on the structure when in place. Fig. 2
and concepts used in load balancing is a growing prob-
illustrates this separation, with Fig2(a) showing the free-
lem for consulting engineers due to increased applica-
body diagram of the beam with tendon removed. The
tion of post-tensioning in commercial and residential
loading shown in this diagram is defined as “balanced
buildings.
loading.” In this case, it is comprised of upward and
The emergence of load balancing as the principal
downward forces resulting from parabolic tendon seg-
method of analyzing post-tensioned buildings and its
ments (Fig. 3) as well as a constant compression force
refinements when applied to complex structure calls
P. For clarity, the supports and other loads such as self
for a restatement of the concept in its broader context.
weight are not included in the diagram, since these do
This paper offers an illustrative and consistent over-
not affect the definition of balanced loading. Loadings
view of the principles and the associated corollaries of
in Fig. 2(a) and (b) are equal and opposite to one an-
load balancing. Terminology is clarified and procedures
other. The uniform loading W in Fig. 2(b) is drawn with
for treating more complex and general geometries are
the tendon as the base line.
given. The application of load balancing to both the
Fig. 2(b) is the free body diagram of the removed
serviceability and strength aspects of prestressed mem-
tendon. The forces shown on the tendon are equal to
bers is covered and several numerical examples are
but opposite those acting on the beam; both systems
presented.
As the concept was initially proposed, prestressing ACI Structural Journal, V. 87, No. 6, November-December 1990.
Received Sept. 18, 1989, and reviewed under Institute publication policies.
was viewed primarily as an attempt to balance a por- Copyright © 1990, American Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including the
tion of the load on the structure, hence the name “load making of copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright proprietors.
Pertinent discussion will be published in the September-October 1991 ACI Struc-
balancing.” The load-balanced structure was then re- tural Journal if received by May 1, 1991.
5 - 12
662 ACI Structural Journal / November-December 1990
ACI member Bijan O. Aalami is a professor of civil engineering at
San Francisco State University and a principal of Bijan, Florian
and Associates, Inc., a structural consulting firm in Redwood City,
California, specializing in the design of concrete structures and par-
ticularly in post-tensioning. He received his PhD from the University
of London, England, and is the author of the ADAPT Post-Tension-
ing Software System. He is Chairman of joint ACI-ASCE Committee Fig. 1 - Three-span post-tensioned beam
421, Design of Reinforced Concrete Slabs, and member of joint ACI-
ASCE Committee 423, Prestressed Concrete.
are in self equilibrium. The removed tendon [Fig. 2(b)]

is always statically determinate, since by definition it is
a flexible member capable of sustaining a tensile force
only. The beam [Fig. 2(a)] may or may not be stati-
cally determinate; its determinancy depends on its sup-
port conditions which are not shown.
Both of the force systems shown in Fig. 2(a) or (b)
are considered balanced loading; the balanced loading (a) Free-body diagram of beam after removal of ten-
consists of the presentation of all the forces due to don
prestressing which act on the member with tendon re-
moved.
LOAD-BALANCING METHOD
The load-balancing method for prestressed members
is one in which the analysis and design of the structure (b) Free-body diagram of tendon
is conducted by representing the prestressing forces
Fig. 2 - Force system between tendon and beam
through their balanced loading as illustrated in Fig. 2.
The balanced loading presentation is used for both ser-
viceability and strength considerations.
Primary moments
In Fig. 4, the beam of Fig. 2 has been cut a distance
a from the left anchorage. Note that supports and re-
actions are not shown in the figure; these may or may
not be present in the actual structure. The actions at
the cut are a concentric compression P, a moment Mp,
and a shear Vx, all due to the balanced loading shown Fig. 3 - Free-body diagram of a tendon section between
in Fig. 2. its low point (A) and point of inflexion (B)
The moment Mp acting at this section, which is nec-
essary to maintain equilibrium of balanced loading, is
Similarly, taking moments about Point O in Fig. 4(b)
defined as the primary moment. From Fig. 4(a)
yields
Mp = x(wdx)x + V Aa (1)
Pe = x(wdx)x + VA*a (2)
where P is the component of post-tensioning in the di-

where,
rection of the member, and e is the distance from the
tendon centroid to the neutral axis of the member.
M p = Primary moment;
Since the balanced loading w is the same in both fig-
w = intensity of balanced loading at distance x;
ures, the right hand sides of Eq. (1) and (2) are identi-
VA = Vertical component of tendon force at anchor-
cal, from which
age; and,
a = distance of the cut section from anchorage. Mp = Pe (3)
The vertical component of tendon force VA is given Note that the definition of primary moment, as illus-
from the free body diagram of the first segment of trated by its application to the beam, is independent of
tendon between the anchorage and its low point, as the member’s support conditions and non-prestressing
illustrated in Fig. 3. loads.
5 - 13
ACI Structural Journal / November-December 1990 663
(a) Prestressing reactions in beam on support (second-
ary actions)
(a) Free-body diagram of cut beam
(b) Secondary moments due to prestressing support re-

actions
Fig. 6 - Secondary reactions and moments
Secondary moments and sectional strength

Consider a precast post-tensioned beam [Fig. 5(a)]
resting freely on its side on a flat bed prior to erection.
Tendon forces cause the beam camber as indicated by
(b) Free-body diagram of cut tendon the curved soffit in Fig. 5(b). The camber is due to the
flexing of the beam under the action of the previously
described primary moments Mp. The beam must be
Fig. 4 - Primary moment Mp at distance a along the mem-
forced down to be straightened before it can be tied to
ber
the aligned supports [Fig. 5(a)]. In actual prestressed
members, this may be achieved through self-weight.
The forces necessary at the supports to hold the beam
in its designated position are called secondary reac-
tions. Fig. 6(a) shows the secondary reactions of the
beam held on simple supports.
In cast-in-place members, the sequence is reversed
so that the beam is cast while positioned on the sup-
ports. When tendons are stressed, additional reactions
develop at the supports. These reactions are due to
the restraint of the supports to free deformations of
the prestressed member caused by prestressing. The
(a) Three-span post-tensioned beam
reactions developed at the supports are called the sec-
ondary actions. The free-body diagram of the beam
detached from its supports is shown in Fig. 6(a). Since,
in this example, the supports are assumed hinged, no
moments are developed at these locations. The reac-
tions at the supports shown in Fig. 6(a) are due to post-
tensioning only. These, being the only forces on the
beam, must form a self-equilibrating system. That is to
say, the sum of secondary reactions must be zero
ΣR sec = 0 (4)
(b) Beam detached from supports
ΣM sec = 0 (5)
Fig. 5 - Beam subject to post-tensioning load only
5 - 14
where Rsec is the secondary reaction and Msec is the
secondary moment. In this example there are no sec-
ondary moment reactions at the supports.
Fig. 6(b) illustrates the distribution of secondary mo-
ments in the beam resulting from the secondary ac-
tions of Fig. 6(a).
Pursuing the same example, in which only the post-
tensioning forces are being reviewed, observe in Fig.
7(a) that at any section along the beam, the secondary
reactions induce a secondary moment Msec and a sec-
ondary shear Vsec. There is no resultant horizontal force
at the cut section for the roller-support example con-
(a) Resultant moment and shear at Section A
sidered. From the statics of the free-body diagram of
the cut beam, the secondary moment and shear are
given by the following relationships
V sec = ΣR i (6)
M sec = ΣR i X i (7)
The secondary shear and moment shown in Fig. 7(a)

at the cut section are sustained by forces developed in
concrete and reinforcement over the cross section. At
(b) Assumed internal force distribution at limit state
the flexural limit state, the moment is assumed to be
resisted through a compression block and a tensile force Fig. 7 - Sectional actions due to prestressing and the
as shown in Fig. 7(b), from which corresponding internal distribution of forces
C = T (8) rameters governing its value are more accurately

known, as they are not subject to the extent of varia-
M sec = Tz = Cz (9) tions pertinent to dead and live loads. Second, in most
cases, secondary moments counteract the moments due
in which C is total compression force; T is the c o m - to dead and live loading. Hence, an increased load fac-
bined tension force due to prestressing and tor for the secondary moments is often times not con-
nonprestressed reinforcement; and z is the internal le- servative.
ver arm of section. The preceding discussion demonstrates that, for
It is evident that at limit state the section must de- strength considerations, it is only the secondary mo-
velop an internal resistance associated to secondary ments that affect the computations and not the primary
moment only. If, in addition to prestressing, other loads or balanced moments.
such as dead and live loading are also present, the re-
sistance developed by the section must account for the Balanced moments and serviceability
combined moments caused by all the loads. The com- In the cut beam of Fig. 7(a), the tendon is in place. In
bination of moments stipulated in ACI 318 for gravity the load-balancing method of analysis, however, it is
conditions is assumed that the tendon is removed from its duct and
substituted by forces it exerted when in place. Remov-
Mn = (1.4 Md + 1.7 Ml + Msec)/φ (10) ing the tendon from the cut beam of Fig. 7(a) yields the
free-body diagram of Fig. 8. This illustration is the com-
where bination of the forces due to the removed tendon from
Fig. 4(a) and the support reactions of Fig. 7(a). From
Mn = nominal strength of section; the preceding definitions, the forces acting on the beam
f = strength reduction factor; are the balanced loading and the associated secondary
Md = moment due to dead loading; and reactions. At distance a from the support, the actions
Ml = moment due to live loading. are balanced moment Mb, the balanced shear Vb, and
the axial loading P.
The secondary moment is not factored. First, the pa- From equilibrium of the beam
5 - 15
ence between this model and the prototype is the ab-
sence of the tendon in the model. Since the tendon, in
the idealized case, has no flexural stiffness, its deletion
from the beam does not alter the flexural response of
the remainder of the section which is used for deflec-
tion computations. Strictly speaking, straining of the
beam alters the distribution of prestressing and, hence,
affects the beam’s flexural performance. But the
changes are not of practical significance and do not
diminish the effectiveness of the balanced loading
method as a powerful analysis technique for deflection
calculations.
FLEXURAL STRENGTH AND REDISTRIBU-

TION OF MOMENTS
Commonly, the internal actions along a member are
Fig. 8 - Balanced Moment Mb as sum of primary and determined from elastic analyses using gross cross-sec-
secondary moments tional geometries. The actions at the critical sections
are factored and combined to give a design moment,
M b = [ (wdx)x + VAa] + ΣRiXi
x (11) such as expressed by Eq. (10). The strength of a sec-
tion is evaluated against this design moment using in-
Substituting from Eq. (3) and (7): ternal force diagrams as illustrated in Fig. 7(b). The
load-balancing method, which uses elastic analysis, falls
M b = Mp + Msec (12) into this category. The elastic solutions obtained from
the balanced loading directly yield the secondary ac-
which leads to the relationship of balanced moment tions that are contributory to ultimate strength factored
being equal to the sum of primary and secondary mo- moments and shears.
ments The other method of determining sectional actions in
indeterminate structures is the plastic method of analy-
M b = Pe + Msec (13) sis. The plastic method has been used extensively in
Europe for steel structures, and to some extent for
Prestressed members are required to be checked for concrete frames, for over three decades. In this method,
serviceability under working conditions and strength the formation of an adequate number of plastic hinges
for safety against collapse. The primary considerations results in a collapse mechanism and thereby the fail-
for serviceability are stress checks in concrete for crack ure of the structure. The distributions of moments and
control and deflection calculations. The load-balanc- shears of the collapse mechanism are computed and
ing method model shown in Fig. 8 is used for service- used to evaluate the strength adequacy of sections to
ability checks. Since the tendon is removed, the mo- which they apply. The resulting sectional actions are
ment Mb and the axial loading P must be resisted by typically different from those derived from an elastic
the stresses developed on the concrete section and any analysis; however, the treatment of sections for ulti-
available supplementary reinforcement. At this stage, mate strength is the same as in the previous method
the removed tendon’s cross-sectional area and its po- using the internal force presentation of Fig. 7(b).
sition on the cross section are no longer a consider- The plastic method of analysis has not been applied
ation. widely in the U.S. to concrete structures in general or
The preceding modeling and computational proce- to post-tensioned members in particular. The primary
dure have the advantage that they convert the analysis reason is that the plastic method results in redistribu-
of a prestressed member to that of a nonprestressed tion of elastic moments, and thereby nonelastic rota-
substitute, to which an additional set of loading (bal- tions at critical locations, to an extent that in most cases
anced loading) is applied. Thus, calculation routines and is in excess of the limits considered acceptable for
computer programs commonly used by design engineers concrete structures. The acceptable limits for redistri-
for the treatment of beams and frames in flexure may bution of moments are set forth in the codes.2
be used directly to analyze prestressed structures us- Another reason for a lack of interest in applying plas-
ing load balancing. tic methods to post-tensioning is that prestressed mem-
The beam model of Fig. 8 is also used for deflection bers must be reviewed for service stresses in addition
calculations without loss in accuracy. The only differ- to the regular strength requirements of nonprestressed
5 - 16
members. An elastic analysis is the prerequisite of ser-
vice stress checks; hence, the plastic analysis would
pose an additional computational effort. It is not a sub-
stitute for elastic analysis, as is the case of
nonprestressed frames.
Recognizing, on the one hand, the economy associ-
ated with the plastic method of analysis, and on the
other hand, the undesirable rotations inherent in fully
materializing its potential, most codes permit a limited
amount of redistribution of elastic moments in an ef-
fort to secure some of the savings of the plastic method
while maintaining a safe and serviceable structure. It
is noteworthy that ACI 318, Canadian code CAN3-
A23.1,3 and British code BS:81104 all set a maximum
limit of 20 percent on redistribution of moments in pre-
stressed members calculated using elastic methods.
There have been several discussions regarding the
secondary actions and the redistribution of moments in
prestressed concrete members.5-8 In the plastic method
of analysis, hinges are formed in the indeterminate
structure one after the other until the structure becomes
determinate, at which condition the secondary actions
vanish. On this premise, some engineers disregard the
secondary moments in factoring and combining the elas-
tically obtained values to arrive at the design moments.
This is not consistent with the accepted design prac-
tice of allowing only limited plastification for concrete
frames. It has been shown experimentally 5 that within
the allowable range of redistribution, secondary mo-
ments are fully present. Increase in prestressing force
due to added strain in tendons, caused by joint rota-
tions, prolongs the fall in secondary moments. T. Y.
Lin 7 concludes that, regardless of the method of calcu-
lation used, secondary actions produced by prestress- Fig. 9 - Secondary actions at limit state
ing shall be included in the calculation used to compute
ultimate load capacity of a continuous prestressed precipitated is governed by the magnitude of total ap-
member. If full plastic hinges develop, the computed plied moment and not the composition of that moment,
value of secondary actions will be zero. If plastic hinges it seems reasonable that the limit of redistribution be
do not fully develop, secondary actions will lie between set for the total moment of the section. This interpre-
the values determined by elastic analysis and zero. The tation would bring the ACI Building Code in line with
ACI Building Code clearly permits a limited plastifica- the corresponding Canadian and British codes, where
tion. the maximum 20 percent redistribution limit applies to
ACI 318-89 Commentary Sections 18.10.3 and the entire applied moment.
18.10.4 imply that secondary moments shall not be re- To provide context for the discussion of secondary
distributed at all, that these should be included with actions at limit state, in particular for engineers dealing
their full values in computing design moments, and that with load-balancing method and elastic analyses, con-
the limited redistribution applies to dead and live load- sider the two-span symmetrical beam of Fig. 9, which
ings only. The background to ACI’s commentary ap- reviews the application of load balancing to the plastic
pears to be the test results in Reference 5 in which, by method of design.
design, no secondary moments were present. There- For simplicity and illustration of concepts, only the
fore, the conclusions from the tests were formulated forces due to post-tensioning are considered. The ten-
to be limited to dead and live loading. But since the don is harped, as shown in Fig. 9(a). Fig. 9(b) shows
capacity of a section to accommodate limited the balanced loading on the beam with tendon removed
plastification depends on the geometry and reinforce- and (c) illustrates the free-body diagram of the ten-
ment of that section, and the extent of plastification don. Fig. 9(d) is a likely hinge formation for the com
5 - 17
LOAD BALANCING AND SHIFT IN THE
CENTROIDAL AXIS
A change in cross-sectional geometry of a member
along its length results in a shift in the centroidal axis
of that member at the location of change in geometry.
Prestressed members that are analyzed by the load-
balancing method require consideration of a concen-
trated moment at each shift in the centroidal axis. Ap-
plication of these moments in the load-balancing method
as well as their significance are illustrated in the nu-
merical examples. It is concluded that including the con-
centrated moments in the analysis of prestressed mem-
bers is essential to obtain acceptable design solutions.
In the two-span beam shown in Fig. 10(a), the con-
tinuous tendon is anchored at the neutral axis (NA) at
each end. The tendon is a single parabola in each span
with the location of the low point determined by calcu-
lation. This differs from the previous examples in which
the low points were assumed at midspans.
The loading exerted by the prestressing tendon, when
in place, is entered in Fig. 10(b), in which the tendon is
assumed removed from its duct. Note that the in-plane
post-tensioning forces P acting at the edges of the beam
do not align, since the centroidal axes of the two spans
are shifted by a distance m over the central support.
The “balanced loading” shown in Fig. 10(b) consists of
the upward forces Wb and the in-plane forces P. P may
be represented by the force and couple system shown
in Fig. 10(c). Note that the couples Mp are in self equi-
librium.
Using the presentation of Fig. 10(c), the balanced
loading [Fig. 10(b)] may be grouped into two parts [Fig.
Fig. 10 - Balanced loading in continuous members with 10(d) and (e)]. In-plane forces shown in Fig. 10(d)
change in thickness cause uniform axial compression. They do not induce
bending. Both Wb and Mp [Fig. 10(e)] must be consid-
bined actions of dead, live, and prestressing loads; ered as applied loading in analyzing post-tensioning mo-
the associated mechanism is shown in (e). This mecha- ments.
nism need not correspond to the balanced loading dia- The concentrated moment discussed occurs at each
gram of (b), nor does it have to be the true failure location of shift in centroidal axis of a member along
mechanism for the present discussion. its length.
The work equation for the plastic method is set up
by applying the forces of the equilibrium systems shown Example 1 - Change in thickness of different
in Fig. 9(b) and (c) to the displacements shown in (e). spans
For the symmetrical half shown in Fig. 9(f), note that Fig. 11 shows a two-span beam of uniform width [14
the work contributions of the force systems (b) and inch, (356 mm)], but of different depths. The associ-
(c) to the displacements shown in (f) are zero, since ated balanced loading is shown in Fig. 11(b) and (c).
any action in (b) is accompanied by an equal and oppo- For example, the balanced loading on the first half of
site action in (c). Hence, Msec and Vsec will be zero. Span 1 for a drape of 1 in. (25 mm) is given by W = (8
The objective of the preceding was to illustrate that x 90 x 1)/(12 x 152) = 0.267 kips-ft (3.897 kN/m).
the load-balancing method may be applied in setting up Note that there is a 5 in. (127 mm) shift between the
work equations of plastic method and results in the centroidal axes over the second support. This precipi-
known conclusion of zero secondary actions. The criti- tates a moment equal to 37.5 kips-ft [(90 x 5)/12 =
cal issue is that, in setting up the work equations, the 37.5 kips-ft (142.5 kN/m)].
contribution of the removed tendon must also be in- Two solutions are obtained for the post-tensioning
cluded. moments, one with and one without accounting for the
5 - 18
(a) Secondary actions
(b) Secondary moments
(c) Balanced moments
Fig. 12 - Shift in neutral axis accounted for
Fig. 11 - Post-tensioned beam and balanced loading
concentrated moment of 37.5 kips-ft (142.5 kN-m) act-

ing at the second support. Fig. 12 shows the results of
the analysis for the case in which the concentrated
(a) Secondary actions
moment is included. Fig. 12(a) shows the reactions due
to post-tensioning. The secondary and the balanced
moments are shown in Fig. 12(b) and (c), respectively.
The results of the computations in which the neutral
axis is disregarded are shown in Figure 13. Comparing
the two figures indicates that the results of the two
solutions differ significantly both in magnitude and dis-
(b) Secondary moments
tribution of moments, and that the moment due to shift
in centroidal axis may not be disregarded.
Example 2 - Nonprismatic slab

Fig. 14 shows the cross section of a typical interior
span of a mat foundation with thickened strips beneath
the columns. The columns are 18 in. (457 mm) round
and spaced 47 ft 6 in. (14.48 m) apart in direction of (c) Balanced moments
the thickened strip. There is a shift in the centroidal Fig. 13 - Shift in neutral axis not accounted for
axis at the junction between the slab and the thick-
ened strip. Fig. 14(b) shows the post-tensioning mo- CONCLUDING REMARKS
ment from two analyses, one with due consideration From the presentation of the load-balancing method
to the concentrated moments at the changes in cross for analyzing prestressed members, load balancing is
section and one without. Note that the moments at sup- shown to be a simple and general method that can be
port from the two analyses are each about 150 kips-ft applied to structures with complex geometries and load-
(203.4 kN/m), but of different signs. The two solu- ing.
tions are widely different. In the treatment of complex geometries, the moments
The inclusion of the concentrated moments at loca- caused by changes in the centroid of sections must be
tion of changes in centroidal axis is essential both for included in the analyses for acceptable solutions.
serviceability and strength calculations. The load-balancing method may be applied to limit
5 - 19
Fig. 14 - Typical interior span of mat foundation
state conditions. It yields the known result of zero 2. ACI Committee 318, “Building Code Requirements for Rein-
secondary actions. forced Concrete (ACI 318-89),” American Concrete Institute,
Detroit, 1983, 111 pp. And “Commentary on Building Code Re-
It is recommended that in line with the Canadian and quirements for Reinforced Concrete (ACI 318-89),” American Con-
British codes, the redistribution of moments due to lim- crete Institute, Detroit, 1989, 353 pp.
ited plastification of joints should apply to the total 3. "Code for the Design of Concrete Structures for Buildings,”
moment at a joint, not only its dead and live load com- (CAN3-A23.3-M84), Canadian Standards Association, Rexdale,
ponents. 1984, 281 pp.
4. "Structural Use of Concrete,” (BS8110:1985), British Stan-
NOTATION dards Institution, London, 1989.
5. Yamazaki, J.; Kattula, B.T.; and Mattock, A.H., “Compari-
a = Distance of the cut section from anchorage;
son of the Behavior of Post-Tensioned Prestressed Concrete Beams
C = total compression force;
With and Without Bond,” Structural and Mechanics Report No.
e = distance of tendon centroid to neutral axis of member;
SM69-3, University of Washington, Seattle, Dec. 1969, 100 pp.
Mn = nominal strength of section;
6. Mattock, Alan H., Discussion of “Proposed Revision of ACI
Md = moment due to dead loading;
318-63: Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete,”
Ml = moment due to live loading;
ACI JOURNAL , Proceedings V. 67, No. 9, Sept. 1970, p. 710.
Mp = Primary moment;
7. Lin, T. Y., and Thornton, Keith, “Secondary Moment and
M sec = secondary moment;
Moment Redistribution in Continuous Prestressed Concrete
P = component of post-tensioning in direction of member;
Beams,” Journal, Prestressed Concrete Institute, V. 17, No. 1,
Rsec = secondary reaction;
T = combined tension force due to prestressing; Jan.-Feb. 1972, pp. 8-20.
nonprestressed reinforcement; 8. Nilson, Arthur H., Design of Prestressed Concrete, John Wiley
VA = vertical component of tendon force at anchorage; and Sons, New York, 1978, 526 pp.
w = intensity of balanced loading at distance x; 9. Aalami, Bijan O., “Design of Post-Tensioned Floor Slabs,”
z = internal lever arm of section; and Concrete International: Design & Construction, V. 11, No. 6, June
φ = strength reduction factor. 1989, pp. 59-67.
10. Lin T’ung-Yen, and Burns, Ned H., Design of Prestressed
REFERENCES Concrete Structures, 3rd edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York,
1. Lin, T.Y., “Load-Balancing Method for Design and Analysis 1981, 646 pp.
of Prestressed Concrete Structures,” ACI JOURNAL , Proceedings
V.60, No. 6, June 1963, pp 719-742.
5 - 20
5.4 STRUCTURAL MODELING OF POSTTENSIONED MEMBERS
By Bijan O. Aalami1
ABSTRACT: This state-of-the-art paper offers a comprehensive overview of the modeling techniques used for the
analysis of post-tensioned structures. The merits and limitations of each of the modeling schemes are discussed
within a consistent and comparative framework. Several numerical examples are used to illustrate the tacit
features of the models. The balanced loading, primary actions, hyperstatic (secondary) actions, and prestressing
moment concepts commonly used in the analysis of prestressed structures are revisited and clarified. The work
concludes with an example of the most recent modeling technology - the discrete modeling of tendons. The
example illustrates the calculation of long-term prestress losses as an integral part of the analysis as opposed to
the traditional approach where long-term losses are computed independently from the solution.
INTRODUCTION
Prestressing is used to control crack formation in concrete, with conical wedges. The strand retracts upon release and pulls
reduce deflections, and add strength to the prestressed member. the wedges into the housing of the anchorage device; this forces
Prestressing thus plays a significant role in the structural integ- the wedges together and locks the strand in place. The retrac-
rity and desired response of the member. tion of the tendon results in an additional stress loss over a
The authenticity and relevance of the analysis of a pre- short length of the tendon at the stressing end. This loss is
stressed concrete member rests, first and foremost, on appropri- illustrated by the difference between the jacking force and the
ate modeling of the tendons. Several different modeling schemes final force at the left end of the force profile in Fig. 1-b.
are used to represent prestressing tendons, each of which has Fig. 1-b shows the variation in force along the tendon. In
some degree of approximation [Scordelis 1984]. This paper pro- general, the stress loss will depend on the tendon’s length, its
vides a brief description of each scheme and places their com- profile, its friction characteristics, the design of its locking mecha-
parative features in perspective. nism and the stressing force. The combined loss due to all of
The focus of the paper is on the post-tensioning tendons. these effects is commonly referred to as the friction and seating
These are groups of prestressing strands, wires, or rods, which loss. The force profile will be similar for a tendon stressed at two
are stressed against the concrete member after the concrete is ends; although there will be a seating loss at each end the total
set. The tendons are typically given a profile in the vertical plane loss due to friction will be less.
to enhance their load resisting characteristics.
The contribution of a tendon to the response of the pre- Elastic Shortening
stressed member depends on the stress in the tendon at both Most prestressed members are reinforced with several ten-
service and strength limit conditions, the tendon’s profile and its dons which are stressed and anchored one after another. As
cross-sectional area. There has been little difficulty in represent- each tendon is stressed, the compression in the concrete mem-
ing the tendon profile accurately in structural analysis. The chal- ber increases. The elastic shortening of the concrete due to the
lenge facing the various modeling schemes has been the accu- increase in compressive stress causes a loss of prestressing force
rate determination and representation of the stress in the tendon, in tendons which were previously stressed and anchored. The
including immediate and long-term effects. Depending on the stress loss in each tendon will depend on the total number of
structure, the validity of the overall analysis may depend upon tendons in the concrete member and the sequence of stressing
the inclusion of such effects into the model. among other factors.
The most critical considerations in the structural modeling
of post-tensioned tendons are: Long-Term Losses
Long-term losses cause a reduction in tendon stress with
Immediate Loss of Stress in Tendon time. These losses are due to several factors:
Fig.1-a shows a post-tensioned tendon within a partially
displayed concrete member. When the tendon is pulled with a • Relaxation of the prestressing steel: Prestressing tendons
force Fo at the stressing end, it will elongate. lose a fraction of their initial stress with time due to the
The elongation will be resisted by friction between the strand metallurgical characteristics of the prestressing material.
and its sheathing or duct, however. As a result of this friction,
there will be a drop in the force in the tendon with distance from
the jacking end. The friction is composed of two effects: curva-
ture friction which is a function of the tendon’s profile, and wobble
friction which is the result of minor horizontal or vertical devia-
tions from the specified profile.
After they are stressed, the tendons are typically anchored
1
Emeritus Prof., San Francisco State Univ., San Francisco, CA 94123;
and Prin., ADAPT Corp., 1733 Woodside Rd., #220, Redwood City, CA
94061
Note. Associate Editor: Julio Ramirez. Discussion open until July 1,
2000. To extend the closing date one month, a written request must be
filed with the ASCE Manager of Journals. The manuscript for this paper
was submitted for review and possible publication on April 29, 1999.
This paper is part of the Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol. 126,
No. 2, February, 2000.  ASCE, ISSN 0733-9445/00/0002-0157-0162/ FIG. 1. Loss of Prestressing due to Friction and Seating
$8.00 + $.50 per page. Paper No. 20815
JOURNAL OF STRUCUTRAL ENGINEERING / FEBRUARY 2000 / 157
The loss in stress at any location along a tendon depends on
the current value and duration of the stress at that loca-
tion.
• Shrinkage in concrete: A significant cause of prestress-
ing loss is shrinkage shortening of the concrete which
houses the tendon. This results in a corresponding short-
ening of the tendon and thus a direct reduction in tendon
stress. The reduced tendon stress slightly reduces the
rate and amount of stress loss due to relaxation of the
prestressing steel.
• Creep in concrete: In grouted (bonded) post-tensioning
systems, there is strain compatibility between the tendon
and the concrete. Creep strain in the concrete adjacent to
the tendon thus causes a decrease in tendon stress. For
unbonded tendons, the decrease in stress along the ten-
dons due to creep of the concrete is generally a function
of the overall (average) precompression of the concrete
member.
Change in Stress Due to Bending of the Member

under Applied Loading
As with nonprestressed steel, the bending of a concrete
member due to applied (dead and live) loading results in a change
in stress of the prestressing tendons. The stress change for FIG. 2. Simple Load Balancing
grouted tendons is the same as that of any nonprestressed steel
located at the tendon position. The stress change due to bend- For each span of length L the tendon’s upward force (wb) is
ing is usually not viewed as a stress loss since, in most cases, given by:
there is an increase in stress. For a rigorous evaluation of the
affected member, however, this change in stress must be ac-
wb = 8Pa/L2
counted for, particularly when large deflections are anticipated.
where P is the force in the tendon and a is the tendon’s drape (the
TENDON MODELING
difference between the high and low points).
For structural analysis, the prestressing tendons can be mod- For the left span of Fig. 2, the drape is:
eled either as a loading applied to the hosting member or as a
component which resists the applied loading in conjunction with a = 0.5(400+700) – 60 = 490 mm
the hosting member. Techniques which model the tendon as
applied loading include load balancing, modeling through pri- The upward force is thus:
mary moments, and equivalent load through discretization of the w = 8*1200*0.490/202 = 11.76 kN/m
tendon force. b
Modeling of Tendon as Applied Loading The force of the tendon on the concrete is considered to balance
(offset) a portion of the load on the member, hence the “load
Simple Load Balancing balancing” terminology. The loading from the removed tendon
Load balancing, the method introduced by T. Y. Lin [1981] is (Fig. 2-a) is in self-equilibrium with the reactions it causes at the
the simplest and most expedient method of modeling tendons. It end of each tendon parabola. The uniform tendon force and its
is the most commonly used method in building design and when associated concentrated loads are collectively referred to as the
it is applied judiciously and its limitations are recognized, it is a balanced loading. The balanced loading is independent of the
powerful technique. support conditions of the structural member. Additional infor-
In its simplest form, load balancing can be applied under the mation on load balancing is provided in [Aalami, 1990].
following conditions: In practice, tendons can not be placed with sharp angles
over the supports as shown in 2.1.1-1 (a). A gradual curvature, as
• The member is prismatic with no change in the position of illustrated in 2.1.1-1(c), is the common selection. Tendon low
its centroidal axis. points are at pre-determined locations (mid-span in most build-
• The tendon profile in each span can be approximated as a ing construction) and there is a gradual reversed curvature over
single, continuous parabola. the supports. The force imparted by a tendon to the concrete
• The change in stress along the length of the tendon is thus becomes more complex and less amenable to hand calcula-
small and does not affect the analysis. In other words, an tion. This refinement in simple load balancing is used primarily in
effective (average) force can be assumed for the tendon. association with automated (computer) analysis.
• The effect of axial loading due to prestressing and the The principal shortcoming of the simple load balancing modeling
flexure of the member due to prestressing are independent procedure is that it does not apply to members whose centroidal
from one another (decoupled). axis changes along their length, such as members with differ-
ences in thickness, or steps. The other shortcoming is that the
If the given conditions are met, the impact of a tendon, removed immediate and long-term stress losses in prestressing must be
from its housing, can be approximated by uniform loads on each approximated and accounted for separately.
span, as illustrated in the example of Fig. 2.
158 / JOURNAL OF STRUCUTRAL ENGINEERING / FEBRUARY 2000
Extended Load Balancice
Consider the two-span beam shown in Fig. 3. Because the
two spans are different depths, the tendon ends on either end of
the beam are not aligned. In order to decouple the axial and
flexural actions, in accordance with the load balancing concept,
it is necessary to add a moment at the point at which the centroidal
axis shifts i.e. over the central support. This is shown in 2.1.2-
1(b) and is described in more detail in [Aalami, 1990]. Since this
approach assumes a constant effective force, the added moment
is simply 1200*0.15 = 180kNm where 0.15m is the distance be-
tween the centroids of the two spans.
The principal advantage of the extended load balancing ap-
proach is its ability to account for nonprismatic members. It
does not include a calculation of the prestressing losses.
FIG. 5. Discretization and Application of Primary Moments
as Loading
Tendon Modeling Through Primary Moments
force at that section times the eccentricity at the section, pre-
The primary moment, Mp, due to the prestressing force, P, stress losses along the tendon can be included. Note that if this
at any location along a member is defined as the prestressing option is adopted, the axial component of the prestress loading
force times its eccentricity, e. must be represented in its variable form to maintain an equilib-
rium of forces.
Mp = P *e
The primary moment, whether or not is adjusted for prestress
The eccentricity of the force is the distance between the losses, depends only on the force in the tendon, the tendon
resultant of the tendon force and the centroid of the member. For profile and the cross-sectional geometry of member. It is inde-
the example shown in Fig. 4, the moment at the right end of the pendent of the number and location of member supports or the
first span is: support conditions.
Mp = 1200 (400-100)/1000 = 360 kNm In practice, the primary moment diagram is discretized into a
number of steps as illustrated schematically in Fig. 5. Each dis-
The primary moment can be used as an applied loading in crete moment shown in part (b) of the figure is equal to the change
lieu of the balanced loading for structural analysis. This model- in the value of moment between two adjacent steps in the pri-
ing technique is more commonly used by bridge designers than mary moment diagram. Note that the change of moment due to
building designers. It has the advantage of implicitly account- the shift in the centroidal axis (M5) is automatically accounted
ing for nonprismatic sections – a condition which is common in for.
bridge construction. An added advantages is that by consider- For the example shown
ing the primary moment at each section to be the duly adjusted
M1 + M2 = 408 kNm
Equivalent Load Through Discretization of Tendon Force

In this modeling scheme, the tendon force is discretized along
its length to achieve the following improvements in accuracy:
• The method accounts for the variation of force along the

tendon length caused by the friction and seating of the
tendon at stressing.
• The method accounts for losses in prestressing due to
creep and shrinkage using an approximate procedure.
Consider a span of a continuous member and its prestress-

ing as shown in Fig. 6. The tendon length is idealized as a series
FIG. 3. Extended Load Balancing (Note: Value in mm Unless of straight line segments, typically 20 segments per span. Fig. 7
Noted Otherwise)
shows a portion of the discretized tendon. The actual distribu-
tion of prestressing force is the smooth curve marked “actual” in
part (b) of the figure. For a tendon idealized as a series of straight
segments there is a gradual stress loss along each segment due
to wobble friction. The component of friction due to curvature
(angle change), however, is concentrated at the intersection of
the segments (marked as node i, i+1, …). Hence the force distri-
bution would be represented by a series of sloping lines with
steps at the discretization points as shown in part (b). The force
distribution can be further simplified by considering the force in
each tendon segment to be equal to the force at the mid-point of
the segments, as shown in part (c).
FIG. 4. Modeling through Primary Moments For a representative tendon node i, the tendon forces of the

equal to Fxi*e, where e is the eccentricity of the tendon at tendon
node i. Fig. 9 illustrates a series of equivalent tendon actions
placed at the member centroid using this method.
This scheme, an iterative solution strategy which involves
the coupling of the tendon force and its equivalent loading, re-
sults in an analysis in which immediate prestress losses can be
rigorously accounted for and long term losses can be approxi-
mated. At each iteration the prestress losses are computed on the
basis of the current prestressing force. The current force is then
used to compute the equivalent forces, which will, in turn, change
the long-term losses. The iteration is continued until conver-
gence is achieved [ADAPT-PT, 1999].
Modeling of Tendon as a Load Resisting Element
FIG. 6. Tendon Presentation by Discretization Unlike the modeling schemes described in the previous sec-
tions, when the tendon is modeled as a load resisting element, it
is not considered as removed from the concrete member. Rather,
the tendon is modeled as a distinct element linked to the concrete
member. One other characteristic of this approach is that the
allowance for long-term stress loss becomes an implicit feature of
the computations. Separate stress loss computations are not
required.
Fig. 10, which shows a partial elevation of a bridge deck, is
used to illustrate the modeling. For simplicity, only one prestress-
ing tendon is shown. Before describing the discrete tendon mod-
eling option however, the equivalent load tendon modeling is
reviewed.
Parts (b), (d) and (f) of the figure illustrate the representation
of a tendon by means of equivalent loading. Note that the tendon
is considered removed from its housing. The initial forces im-
parted by the tendon to the segment are transferred to the cen-
troid of the segment (part d). These forces are considered as a
FIG. 7. Idealization of Tendon Force
constant applied loading which is not affected by creep, shrink-
age, or deformation of the segment. Long-term loss effects are
accounted for at a later stage.
FIG. 8. Resolution of Tendon Actions at Discretization Points
FIG. 9. Equivalent Tendon Actions at Centroidal Axes
adjacent segments are Fi and Fi-1, as shown in Fig. 8. The two

segment forces can be resolved into equivalent forces Fxi and
Fyi, parallel and perpendicular to the centroidal axis of the host-
ing member. These two force components can be transferred to
the centroid of the section with the addition of a moment, Mi, FIG. 10. Equivalent Load and Discrete Modelings
In contrast, in the discrete tendon modeling scheme, the HYPERSTATIC (SECONDARY) ACTIONS
tendon is retained in position (Fig. 10-c). Each tendon in the The structural modeling and analysis of prestressed mem-
segment is viewed as an independent element, subject to dis- bers is not complete unless the hyperstatic (secondary) actions
placement and change in stress based on the deformation of the caused by prestressing are considered. Hyperstatic actions are
segment within which it is housed, or to which it is locked (exter- the forces and moments generated in the member as a result of
nal tendons). Each tendon element is assumed to have an initial constraint by the member’s supports to free deformation of the
force which is determined from friction loss calculations. Any member. Consider an extension of the example of Fig. 3 in Fig. 13.
subsequent deformation of the concrete segment, such as shown When the balanced loading shown in part (b) of the figure is
in (g), will be accompanied by a compatible displacement of the applied to the structure, the supports constrain the deformation
tendon element, using the requirement of plane sections remain- of the structure. As a result, the forces at the supports shown in
ing plane (Fig. 11). The displacement of the tendon ends at the part (a) are generated. These reactions are referred to as hyper-
faces of the hosting concrete segment results in a change in static (secondary) actions. They are in self-equilibrium, and are
tendon force. in response to the application of the balanced loading, which is
Observe that in this modeling scheme there is an implicit also in self-equilibrium. The hyperstatic reactions cause a distri-
interaction between the deformation of the hosting concrete seg- bution of moment in the structure (hyperstatic moments) as
ment and the force in tendon, irrespective of the cause of the shown in part (d).
deformation. As a result, it is not necessary to calculate the de- As the terminology implies, hyperstatic moments are character-
formations due to creep and shrinkage separately in order to istic of indeterminate structures. The application of balanced
modify the tendon force. Likewise, the change in prestressing loading to a structure results in prestressing (post-tensioning)
force due to relaxation is automatically accounted for in the equi- moments. In an indeterminate structure, the prestressing (post-
librium equations set up for the analysis of the segment. tensioning) moments (Mpre) are the sum of the primary (Mp) and
This modeling scheme is the core of analysis software such hyperstatic (Mhyp) moments.
as ADAPT-ABI [1999]. A similar modeling scheme can be applied
to three dimensional problems such as floor slabs and bridge Mpre = Mp + Mhyp (2)
decks where the constituent elements of the slab can be viewed
as consisting of concrete plate elements with embedded pre- For example, for the right end of span 1:
stressing tendon elements (Fig. 12).
Mpre = 514.20 kNm; Mp = 360 kNm ; Mhyp= 154.2 kNm
The computation of hyperstatic moments is important, since for

the design of a section it is the value of the hyperstatic moment
which is contributory to the total moment demand.
NUMERICAL EXAMPLE
This example is intended to illustrate the application of discrete
modeling of tendons to the example used in the previous section.
• Beam dimensions
Span 1----500x800 mm
Span 2----500x500 mm
• Concrete strength----40 MPa
FIG. 11. Prestressing Tendon Idealization
FIG. 12. Geometry of Prestressing Tendon Segment

Passing through Finite Element FIG. 13. Prestressing Actions

TABLE 1. Tendon Modeling Schemes and Features
Flexure/ Losses at Allows Long-term Member

membrane Solution stressing nonprismatic losses Tendon deformation
Tendon modeling method Stresses mode included sections included modeling included
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8)
Simple load balancing De-coupled Effective force No No No Applied load No
Extended load balancing De-coupled Effective force No Yes No Applied load No
Modeling through primary moments De-coupled Effective force No Yes No Applied load No
Generalized equivalent load Coupled Variable force Yes Yes No Applied load No
Discrete Tendon idealization Coupled Variable force Yes Yes Yes Resisting element Yes
FIG. 15. Stress Loss in Tendon after 20 Years
FIG. 14. Posttensioning Actions and Losses Using Discrete CONCLUDING REMARKS
Tendon Modeling (kN-m)
This state-of-the-art work offers a clear perspective of the
• Concrete long-term model----ACI 209-78 structural models used in the analysis of post-tensioned concrete
• Ultimate creep coefficient----2.5 members. The limitations and merits of each modeling scheme are
• Ultimate shrinkage coefficient----0.000400 described and illustrated through numerical examples.
• Bonded Tendon Table 5-1 provides an overview of the features of each of the
Tendon area----988 mm2 modeling schemes. Improvements in computational techniques
Coefficient of angular friction----0.25 /radian and computing power are now allowing the traditional, approxi-
Coefficient of wobble friction----0.000066 /m mate, long-term loss calculations to be replaced by techniques
Jacking force (left end )----1470 kN such as discrete tendon modeling which include implicit calcula-
Applied loading: dead load only----12 kN/m tion of long-term losses. Although this paper has discussed dis-
crete tendon modeling in conjunction with post-tensioned mem-
Using a discrete tendon modeling software [ADAPT-ABI, bers, similar benefits are obtained when the technique is applied
1999], a solution for the deformation and stresses after 20 years to pre-tensioned members.
was obtained. Each span was modeled as 10 segments. The
post-tensioning moments, hyperstatic moments and the moments APPENDIX. REFERENCES
due to creep and shrinkage of the beam are shown in Fig. 14. As Aalami, B. O. (1990) “Load Balancing - A Comprehensive Solution to
can be seen, the change in post-tensioning moment in the sec- Post-Tensioning.” ACI Struct. J., v. 87(6), 662-670.
ond span due to creep and shrinkage is an increase from 514.20 ADAPT-ABI Software Manual. (1999). ADAPT Corp., Redwood
to 564.00 kNm. The hyperstatic moment over the interior support City, Calif.
(162 kNm) is about 30% of the post-tensioning moment (564 kNm). ADAPT-PT Post-Tensioning Software System Manual. (1999).
The drop in tendon force after twenty years relative to the ADAPT Corp., Redwood City, Calif.
jacking force is illustrated in Fig. 15. Lin T. Y., and Burns, N. (1981). Design of Prestressed Concrete
Structures, 3rd Ed.,Wiley, New York.
Scordelis, A. C. (1984) “Computer Models for Nonlinear Analysis of
Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Structures,” PCI J., 29(6), 135.
Comment
Page 158, second column: expression given to arrive at 11.76 kN/m is approximation used in engineering offices. The values given in the figures
and used in the computations presented are based on the equations of parabola. They may differ from the approximated formula.

5.5
Hyperstatic (Secondary) Actions In Prestressing
and Their Computation
Bijan O Aalami1
SYNOPSIS
This Technical Note describes the definition, computation, and the

significance of hyperstatic (secondary) actions in the design of
prestressed concrete structures. The Note covers the cases of (i)
skeletal structures, such as beams and slabs modeled as beam frames,
(ii) continuums, such as plates, shells and solids, and (iii) segmental
construction, such as prestressed and post-tensioned spliced gird-
ers. Each case is illustrated through a numerical example.
1 - INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITION
1.1 Definition of Hyperstatic (Secondary)Actions
Hyperstatic (or secondary) actions develop in a prestressed mem-

ber due to prestressing forces, and as a consequence of the con-
straint by the supports to the free movement of the prestressed
member. If a prestressed member is allowed to displace freely, as
in the case of determinate structures or precast members prior to
alignment and installation, no hyperstatic (secondary) moments
are generated. However, in most cast-in-place construction,
where supports constrain movement of the prestressed member,
hyperstatic actions can be significant and therefore must be ac-
FIGURE 1.2-1
counted for in a design.
1.2 Hyperstatic Actions and Sectional Strength
Consider the hypothetical case of a two-span, post-tensioned

beam, which was cast and stressed prior to installation (Fig. 1.2-
1). To eliminate the impact of self-weight from the discussion,
assume that the beam is resting freely on its side. Before installa-
tion, the tendon forces cause the beam camber indicated by the
curved soffit in Fig. 1.2-1(b). The camber is due solely to the
flexing of the beam under the action of its prestressing tendons.
At installation, the beam must be forced down at the center to
become straight before it can be tied to the aligned supports
shown in Fig. 1.2-1(a). The forces at the supports necessary to
hold the beam in its designated position are indicative of hyper-
static (secondary) reactions that would have been generated if the
beam had been cast first, and stressed afterwards. Fig. 1.2-2(a)
shows the hyperstatic reactions of the beam held on simple sup-
ports.
1
Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, San Francisco State University; Chair,
Technical Advisory Board of Post-Tensioning Institute, and Principal of ADAPT
Corporation, 1733 Woodside Road, # 220, Redwood City, Ca 94061; website:
www.adadptsoft.com FIGURE 1.2-2
5 - 27
In cast-in-place members, the sequence is reversed. Now assume The hyperstatic shear and moment shown in Fig. 1.2-3(a) at the
the beam is cast while positioned on the supports and then the cut section are sustained by forces developed in the concrete and
tendons are stressed afterwards (Fig. 1.2-1(a)). When the ten- reinforcement over the cross section. At the strength limit state,
dons are stressed the camber shown in Fig. 1.2-1(b) is prevented the moment is assumed to be resisted by a compression block and
and additional reactions are developed at the supports. These a tensile force as shown in Fig. 1.2-3(b), from which the following
reactions are called the hyperstatic (secondary) actions. The reac- relationships apply:
tions at the supports are due to post-tensioning only (self-weight
is treated separately). The free-body diagram of the beam de- C = T (1.2-5)
tached from its supports is shown in Fig. 1.2-2(a). Since, in this
example, the supports are assumed hinged, no moments are de- Mhyp = Tz = Cz (1.2-6)
veloped at these locations. These reactions, being the only forces
in the beam, must form a self-equilibrating system. That is to say, where,
the sum of hyperstatic (secondary) reactions must be zero:
C= total compression force;
∑ Rhyp = 0 (1.2-1) T= combined tension force due to the prestress-
∑ Mhyp = 0 (1.2-2) ing and nonprestressed reinforcement; and
z= internal lever arm of the section.
where Rhyp is the hyperstatic reaction and Mhyp is the hyperstatic
moment. In this example, there are no hyperstatic moment reac- From the foregoing, it is evident that the at the strength limit
tions at the supports. Fig. 1.2-2(b) illustrates the distribution of state, the section must develop an internal resistance associated
hyperstatic (secondary) moments in the beam. with the hyperstatic moment. This resistance is in addition to
that required by the action of other loads, such as self-weight and
Pursuing the same example, in which only the post-tensioning live loading. ACI [ACI-318, 1995], and AASHTO [AASHTO,
forces are being reviewed, observe in Fig. 1.2-3(a) that at any 1994] require that the hyperstatic (secondary) actions be included
section along the beam, the hyperstatic reactions induce a hyper- with a factor of 1.0 in all strength demand load combinations,
static moment and a hyperstatic shear. There is no resultant when actions are calculated using elastic theory. For example, one
horizontal force at the cut section for the roller-support example of the strength load combinations stipulated in the ACI code for
considered. From the statics of the free-body diagram of the cut gravity conditions is
beam, the hyperstatic moment and shear are given by the follow-
ing relationships Mn =(1.4Md + 1.7Ml + Mhyp) (1.2-7)
φ
Vhyp = ∑ Ri (1.2-3)
Mhyp = ∑ Ri * Xi (1.2-4) where,
Mn =nominal strength of section;

φ =strength reduction factor;
Md =moment due to dead loading; and
Ml =moment due to live loading.
The hyperstatic moment is not factored for several reasons.

First, the parameters governing its value are more accurately known
than those associated with the dead and live loads. Second, in
most cases, hyperstatic moments counteract the moments due to
dead and live loading. Hence, an increase in the load factor for the
hyperstatic moments is often not conservative.
The preceding discussion demonstrates that, for strength consid-

erations, the hyperstatic moments enter the computations, and
not the primary or balanced moments.
2 - COMPUTATIONAL PROCEDURES
Hyperstatic moments can be calculated either directly or indi-

rectly. For skeletal members, such as beams, and floor systems
that are modeled as strips of isolated slab frames, hyperstatic
actions can be successfully calculated using both methods. For
continuum members, such as floor slabs that are viewed as plates,
the direct method must be used. The background to these meth-
ods is explained in [Aalami, 1990]. Both methods are outlined
below, in the context of both skeletal and continuum structural
FIGURE 1.2-3
5 - 28
models. Later the special requirements for the analysis of seg- A common procedure for the direct method is that the prestressing
mental construction are addressed. forces are first translated into the corresponding balanced loading to
be applied to the frame. The hyperstatic reactions at the supports
2.1 Skeletal Structures are then computed by solving the frame for the balanced loading due
to post-tensioning/ prestressing [ADAPT, 1997]. It is clear that the
central issue in the correct computation of hyperstatic reactions is
2.1.1 Direct Method the faithful representation of the balanced loading as a set of external
actions applied to the frame. Only if all the components of the
The direct method is based on the definition of hyperstatic ac- balanced loading are considered, will the calculated hyperstatic ac-
tions (moments and shears) as described in the preceding section. tions be correct.
Observe a typical frame as shown in Fig. 2.1.1-1. The frame is
subject to dead loading, live loading and post-tensioning. The The hyperstatic reactions calculated above are then applied to the
reactions caused at the supports are due to all the loading compo- member to determine the hyperstatic moment and shear at any point
nents - namely, dead, live and post-tensioning or prestressing. along its length (Fig. 2.1.1-3). At any distance Xi, as shown in Fig.
Fig. 2.1.1-2 illustrates the free body diagram of the slab/beam 2.1.1-4, the hyperstatic shear is simply the algebraic sum of all
member in which only the post-tensioning and its reactions at the reactions, and the hyperstatic moment is the moment of all actions.
supports are shown. The free body diagram is complete as shown The relationships are as follows:
in the figure (note that there is no dead or live loading shown). It
is not necessary to include the balanced loading due to post- V hyp =∑Ri (2.1.1-1)
tensioning in this diagram, since the tendon is considered in-place
in the loading diagram. It is reminded, that the balanced loading M hyp = ∑ (Mti + Mbi) + ∑(Ri*Xi) (2.1.1-2)
appears in the loading diagram only if the tendon is assumed
removed from its housing. Where,
Mti, Mbi and Ri =Support reactions due to post-

tensioning;
Xi =Distance to the section under con-
sideration.
FIGURE 2.1.1-1
By definition, the moments and reactions shown in Fig. 2.1.1-2

are the hyperstatic actions, since these are the actions induced by
post-tensioning alone. For static equilibrium, the sum of all the
hyperstatic actions on the frame must add to zero.
FIGURE 2.1.1-3
FIGURE 2.1.1-2
5 - 29
direct method is used to compute the hyperstatic moments of the

two-way slab example. The hyperstatic moments obtained are
checked against the conventional method (indirect method) of cal-
culation to demonstrate that both schemes yield the same solution.
For this example the design strip was analyzed using the ADAPT-
PT software package. The software accurately captures the bal-
anced loading in the structural model. The software directly em-
ploys the definition of hyperstatic actions (moments and shears),
as stated in the preceding, for the computation of hyperstatic mo-
ments (the direct method).
FIGURE 2.1.1-4
2.1.2 Indirect method
The indirect method is a procedure commonly used for the calcula-

tion of hyperstatic moments in skeletal structures. It is based on the
following relationship [ADAPT, 1997]:
M hyp = Mbal - P*e (2.1.2-1)
Where,
e = eccentricity of post-tensioning/prestressing
with respect to the neutral axis of the section
(positive if CGS is above the neutral axis, oth-
erwise negative);
M hyp = hyperstatic moment;
M bal = balanced moment due to balanced loading; FIGURE 2.1.4-1
In this relationship moments causing tension at the bottom fiber are

assumed positive. The hyperstatic reactions and shears are then
calculated from the hyperstatic moments.
2.1.3 Comparison of the two methods
Both methods yield the same results, provided the balanced loading
is correctly modeled.. Otherwise, both solutions are approximate,
with the difference that the direct method’s solutions are more
consistent in satisfying the overall equilibrium of the structure.
Apart from its generality and accuracy, an advantage of the direct

method is that it does not require the knowledge of the eccentricity FIGURE 2.1.4-2
of the tendon (e), or its force (P) for the computation of hyperstatic
moments, once the post-tensioning reactions are computed. The hyperstatic actions at the supports of the two-way slab ex-
ample are shown in Fig. 2.1.4-3(a). Note that the sum of all hyper-
static reactions is zero.
2.1.4 Example of a Skeletal Structure
∑ Reactions = 8.983 - 8.972 - 9.015 + 9.005 = 0.001 kN
Consider a design strip from a two-way floor system, which is
being designed using a slab frame modeling technique, such as the
Equivalent Frame Method (refer to Fig. 2.1.4-1). A three-dimen-
sional view of the frame is shown in Fig. 2.1.4-2. Herein, first the
5 - 30
A - Direct Method:
The hyperstatic moments in the frame are determined using

the hyperstatic actions at the supports and the statics of the
structure.
Moment at left of support 2:
M hyp = 8.983 kN*5.75 m = 51.652 kNm
At right of support 2:
M hyp = 51.652 - 9.834 = 41.818 kNm
At mid-length of span 1:
M hyp = 8.983*2.875 m = 25.82 kNm
Moments at other locations are calculated in a similar manner.

The complete distribution of hyperstatic moments is shown
in Fig. 2.1.4-3(b).
FIGURE 2.1.4-3
B - Indirect Method (Conventional Method):
The hyperstatic actions constitute a self-equilibrating force sys-
tem. Also note in this case that the third span has a different Using the conventional (indirect) method, the hyperstatic mo-
post-tensioning force than the first two spans. Added tendons ments at the locations specified above are recalculated as follows:
extend from the tip of the cantilever at right to one-fifth point of
the second span from the third support. The force in the added M hyp = Mbal - P*e
tendons is:
The distribution of balanced moments (Mbal) is shown in Fig.
1650 - 1237.5 = 412.5 kN 2.1.4-4. The section centroid is located 130 mm above the slab
soffit at midspan; and is computed to be 299.37 mm above the
The solution for hyperstatic actions in this case is dependent on drop cap soffit at the centerline of supports 2 and 3.
the accurate representation of the balanced loading of all tendons,
including the portion of the added tendons from the third support At the center of span 1:
to where they are dead ended in span 2. Ignoring the added effects
of these tendons, including the portion in span 2, would ad- M bal =-104.10 kNm (see Fig. 2.1.4-3)
versely affect the accuracy of the solution (see Fig. 2.1.4-4 for the P =1237.50 kN
distribution of balanced moments in the model). e =25 - 130= -105 mm
Note that eccentricity above neutral axis is taken as positive.
M hyp =-104.10 + 1237.50*105/1000

=25.83 kNm (= 25.82 kNm from Direct
Method, OK)
At the left of the third support:
M bal = 265.75 kNm

P = 1650 kN
e = 235 + 200 - 299.33 = 135.67 mm
M hyp = 265.75 - 1650*135.67/1000
= -41.89 kNm (= 41.82 kNm from
Direct Method)
OK
Note that the results from both the direct and indirect methods are
virtually identical.
FIGURE 2.1.4-4
5 - 31
2.2 Continuums ( plates, shells and solids)
2.2.1 The Direct Method
The calculation of hyperstatic actions in continuum structures,

such as slabs, shells and solids, presents a special challenge. The
actions generated in a continuum structure due to the constraint of
the supports distribute in two or three dimensions, in a manner that
can not readily be related to the position and force magnitude of
individual tendons. Since the one-to-one correlation that exists
between a tendon in a skeletal structure and the associated post-
tensioning moment is not apparent in a continuum, the indirect
method of computation explained in the preceding does not apply.
In the case of continuum structures, the direct method must be

used. In other words, all reactions at the supports due to pre-
stressing must be computed and then applied to the continuum as
a loading to determine the hyperstatic actions, as done in the direct
method.
The concept and procedure is described through the example of a

two-way post-tensioned floor system described next.
FIGURE 2.2.2-2
2.2.2 Example of a Two-Way Floor Slab
The floor was analyzed using the ADAPT-Floor software package,
Consider the case of a simple floor system shown in Fig. 2.2.2-1. a finite element program with the full capability to account for
The slab is resting on six square perimeter columns and a central post-tensioning. A three-dimensional, computer generated view of
round column. Other features of the slab include a drop panel over the structure is shown in Fig. 2.2.2-3 and the tendon layout is
the central column, and an opening. The tendon layout of the floor shown in Fig. 2.2.2-4.
is displayed in Fig. 2.2.2-2. The tendons are banded along the grid
lines 1, 2 and 3, and are distributed uniformly in the transverse
direction. Other particulars of the model are listed below.
Post-tensioning:
Effective Stress, fse =1400 MPa
Strand Area =98 mm2
Force assumed uniform along tendon length.
FIGURE 2.2.2-3
FIGURE 2.2.2-1
5 - 32
• Use the hyperstatic reactions (shown in Fig. 2.2.2-5) as an

applied loading to the continuum and determine the resulting actions
within the continuum. For the floor slab under consideration, the
calculated contour plot of moments, My, is shown in Fig. 2.2.2-6.
The diagram also shows a distribution plot of the local moment per
unit length about the local centroidal axis at the face of support of
gridline 2. The distribution does not include moments induced by the
FIGURE 2.2.2-4
For the tendon layout and associated pre-stressing, the computed

hyperstatic reactions are listed in Fig. 2.2.2-5.
The algorithm used to determine the hyperstatic actions is based

on the direct method described in the preceding. The principal
steps are as follows:
• Calculate the post-tensioning moments and reactions in the

continuum structure from the tendon layout and tendon force. The
reactions at the supports due to prestressing are the hyperstatic
(secondary) reactions. For the particular example, these reactions
are shown in Fig. 2.2.2-5. Note that the reactions due to prestress-
ing are in static equilibrium:
FIGURE 2.2.2-6
∑ Secondary Actions in the vertical direction
= 1.05 + 20.3 + 2.18 + 47.8 - 140 + 38.8 -0.576 + variation of axial forces in the slab and the shift in centroidal axis at
21.6 + 8.61 kN the drop cap.It is important to note that, like other loading condi-
= -0.236 kN ≈ 0 kN tions, there will be an in-plane distribution of actions (axial and
Vertical forces are in equilibrium. shear). These actions are shown in Fig. 2.2.2-7 for the section at grid
line 2. The in-plane actions result in a tensile component in the drop
∑ Secondary Moments about Gridline B panel region and compression components outside the drop panel as
= (1.05 + 20.3 + 2.18) kN * 9.7 m - (-0.576 + shown in the figure. The total hyperstatic moment at grid line 2,
21.6 + 8.61) kN * 7.7 m + 0.495 kN-m consists of the distribution of moment shown in Fig, 2.2.2-6 and the
= 0.554 kNm ≈ 0 kN-m moment generated about the y-axis by the axial forces shown in Fig.
My Moments are in equilibrium. 2.2.2-7. The sum of these two moment components is the hyper-
static moment due to prestressing and must balance the action due to
the externally applied reactions shown in Fig. 2.2.2-5.
FIGURE 2.2.2-5
5 - 33
In this case an incremental computational procedure must be adopted.

At each stage of construction, and for each application of prestress-
ing, the increment in hyperstatic actions must be calculated. The
hyperstatic actions due to each application or change in prestressing
must be accumulated to yield the total of the hyperstatic actions at
any given stage.
The concepts required for computation of hyperstatic actions in

segmental construction is described next through an illustrative
example. For details refer to {ADAPT ABI Manual, 1997]. To
focus on the hyperstatic actions, without compromising the con-
cept, the long-term effects of creep, shrinkage, relaxation, and aging
of concrete are not included in the example. A simple cross section
and prestressing pattern are selected.
2.3.2 Example of a Segmental Construction
Fig. 2.3.2-1 shows the stages of construction of a two-span, con-

tinuous beam. Each span consists of a precast, prestressed girder of
rectangular cross section. The girders are transported to the site and
installed with a gap over the central pier (refer to the figure). A pre-
FIGURE 2.2.2-7 installed duct in the precast girders is made continuous across the
gap and the gap is cast to splice the two girders together. A post-
Fig. 2.2.2-7 shows the variation of axial forces in the model. In this tensioning tendon is passed through the duct. After the concrete of
case the total hyperstatic moment about the section cut is the integral the splice gains adequate strength, the post-tensioning tendon is
of the local moment distribution (361 kN-m in Fig. 2.2.2-6) plus the stressed, thereby achieving a continuous, two-span, post-tensioned
integral of the local axial force distribution times the centroidal shift. girder. In prototype construction, a topping slab is generally ap-
plied over the precast girders, and the post-tensioning tendons are
M =361 kNm + 349 kN * 0.125 m = 405 kNm stage stressed. These operations are not addressed herein, since
hyp
they do not impact the objective of the example.
This result can be verified by computing the hyperstatic moment at
the face of support using the direct method.
∑ Secondary Moments about section drawn at Gridline

2, face of Support.
=(1.05 + 47.8 - 0.576) kN * 8.4 m

=405 kNm
2.3 Segmental Construction
2.3.1 Introduction
A segmentally constructed structure is built over a period of time

from discrete components. A distinguishing feature of the segmental
construction is that, the components, or the partially assembled
structure, are called upon to carry significant loading in a configura-
tion and through a structural system other than that of the completed
structure. Examples of segmental construction include balanced can-
tilever bridges, incrementally launched bridges, and precast prestressed
girders made continuous through splicing.
In segmental construction, some or all of the prestressing is applied

before the structure assumes its final configuration. Since (i) the
hyperstatic actions are caused by the resistance of the supports to
FIGURE 2.3.2-1
the free movement of the structure, and (ii) the configuration of the
structure and its support conditions change over time, the computa-
tion of hyperstatic actions can no longer be based on the geometry
and prestressing of the completed structure.
5 - 34
If the entire prestressing were considered to have been made

continuous spans, the resulting hyperstatic moments would
Details of the Structural Model:
have been very different. The concept can be illustrated using
the analogous example of self-weight moments in the structure
Cross section: Rectangular 600mm deep, 250mm wide for the two cases of single-stage, and segmental construction.
Refer to Fig. 2.3.2-4 and 2.3.2-5. Fig. 2.3.2-4 shows the bend-
Pre-tensioning tendons
ing moment in the completed structure if it were constructed
segmentally. Note that the distribution is the same, as if the
•Force = 1193 kN, (10 - 12mm strands)
two spans were simply supported. However, in a one-stage
•Location = CGS 80mm from the girder soffit construction (shown in Fig. 2.3.2-5), the distribution of mo-
ment is due to that of a two-span continuous beam. The differ-
Post-tensioning tendons ence is significant.
•Force = 1193 kN, (10-12 mm strands)
•Profile = Simple parabola
The distribution of moment in the completed structure due to the

action of the entire amount of prestressing is shown in Fig. 2.3.2-2.
The non-zero values of moment at the first and last support are due
to the eccentricity of the pretensioning strands at these locations.
The sharp rise in the prestressing moment over the central support
is due to the fact that the pretensioning strands do not extend into
the splice. At the interface of the splice, there is a drop in the
moment equal to the contribution of the prestressing strands.
FIGURE 2.3.2-4
FIGURE 2.3.2-2
Fig. 2.3.2-3 illustrates the hyperstatic moments for the completed
structure, based on the post-tensioning forces only. The hyperstatic
(secondary) moments are due to the change in prestressing after the
structure becomes indeterminate. In this example, the change is lim-
ited to the addition of the post-tensioned tendons because the pre- FIGURE 2.3.2-5
tensioning tendons were stressed when the structure was still deter-
minate. In an actual structure, there is also a contribution to hyper- The following illustrates the computation of the hyperstatic ac-
static moments due to the stress loss in prestressing strands subse- tions, using both the direct and the indirect methods. The impor-
quent to the closure of the splice. tant point to observe is that, in the computation presented, only
the post-tensioning is included.
A - Direct Method, Using Reactions Due to Post-Tensioning:
The reactions due to post-tensioning alone are calculated using stan-

dard procedures described earlier. The results are:
FIGURE 2.3.2-3
5 - 35
An example for a floor slab, treated as a continuum structure,

Location Horizontal Vertical Moment illustrates the development of hyperstatic in-plane forces in floor
First support 0 -4.1206*103 0
slabs, even when these are supported on rollers. This phenom-
enon is absent in roller supported skeletal structures.
3
Middle support 0 8.2412*10 0
3
Right support 0 -4.1206*10 0 4 - NOTATIONSAND GLOSSORYOFTERMS
TOTAL 0 0 0
e = Tendon eccentricity; distance from the tendon CGS
to the section centroid.
From the definition of hyperstatic moments:
P = Prestressing force in the plane of the slab
M hyp = Hyperstatic moment
Moment over central pier = (reaction)*(span length)
V hyp = Hyperstatic shear
= -4.1206*103*20*1000
φ = Strength reduction factor
= 8.24*107 Nmm
Post-tensioning Moment = Primary Moments + Hyperstatic Moments
Primary Moments = Post-tensioning force * eccentricity (P*e)
B - Indirect Method, Using the Sectional Actions:
TYP = Typical, applicable to all similar conditions
Hyperstatic moment = (Prestressing moment) - UNO = Unless Noted Otherwise
(Prestressing Force)*(eccentricity)
Hyperstatic moment = (3.44*108 MPa - (1.19*106 N)*(220mm) 5 - REFERENCES

= 8.24*107 Nmm
AASHTO (1994), “AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifi-
cations,” Washington DC, 1994.
3 - CONCLUDING REMARKS
ACI-318 (1995), “Building Code and Commentary,” Ameri-
can Concrete Institute, PO BOX 9094, Framingham Hills,
The hyperstatic (secondary) actions in prestressed structures are MI, 48333, 1995.
defined. Two methods for their computations, referred to as Di-
rect and Indirect Methods, are presented. It is concluded that the ADAPT-ABI, (1998) “Software Manual for Segmentally Con-
Direct Method is general, and that it is applicable to skeletal, structed Bridges and Frames,” ADAPT Corporation, 1733
continuum, and segmentally constructed structures. Woodside Rd, Suite 220, Redwood City, Ca 94061, 1998
It is demonstrated that, for the evaluation of the strength limit Aalami, B. O., (1990) “Load Balancing - A Comprehensive
state of prestressed structures, the hyperstatic actions need to be Solution to Post-Tensioning,” Structural Journal, ACI, Nov-
included as part of the factored demand actions. This conclusion Dec 1990, pp. 662-670
is contingent upon the actions having been calculated using elastic
theory. Any re-distribution of moments must be limited to values Aalami, B. O. (1989), “Design of Post-Tensioned Floor Sys-
permitted for elastically calculated moments (typically 20%). tem,” ACI, International, V. 11, N0. 6, June 1989, pp 59-67
The inclusion of hyperstatic moments in the factored demand
actions does not apply, if actions are computed using plastic ADAPT-Floor (1998), “Software Manual for Analysis and
(yield line) theories. Design of Post-Tensioned Floor Systems,” ADAPT Corpora-
tion, 1733 Woodside Rd, Suite 220, Redwood City, Ca 94061,
1998.
5 - 36
5.6
LAYOUT OF POST-TENSIONING
REINFORCEMENT IN FLOOR SLABS
By Dr. Bijan O Aalami
Reviewed by : Russell Price
Peter Reinhardt
SYNOPSIS
This Technical Note presents the layout and profile of post-

tensioning tendons, and the layout of supplemental non-
prestressed (passive) reinforcement for post-tensioned floor
systems. The presentation is based on the governing codes,
where applicable, or the preferred practice of structural de-
sign professionals and post-tensioning suppliers in USA.
The placement passive reinforcement (rebar) covers both
the minimum requirements of the codes, and the require-
ments to meet the strength demand. The thrust of the pre-
sentation is on the application of unbonded mono-strand
tendons, although most of the discussion applies equally
to grouted and multi-strand systems in building construc-
tion. Finally, an example of a flat slab floor system is pre-
sented to illustrate the practice.
1 - INTRODUCTION
In post-tensioned floor slab construction, the placement of

post-tensioning tendons and associated nonprestressed FIGURE 1-1
reinforcement does not strictly follow the practice of
nonprestressed slabs. Five underlying features of post- ity in reinforcement layout does not apply to
tensioned construction allow greater flexibility in reinforce- nonprestressed construction, where the reinforcement must
ment layout. These are: be placed across the anticipated crack path to be effective.
(i) In post-tensioned structures, crack formation, and con- (ii) The uplift imparted by the tendons in a post-tensioned
sequent increase in deflection, are not influenced by the floor system typically counteracts between 50 and 100 per-
position of reinforcement, to the same degree as in cent of the self-weight of the structure. As a result, the net
nonprestressed structures. Under the service condition, bending stresses are smaller, and the floor system deflects
the precompression from the tendons in a post-tensioned less. Cracks are also smaller in number, and do not play a
floor tends to restrain crack formation. Since significant role in most floor systems if the hypothetical4
precompression disperses rapidly within the slab from its tensile stresses are kept low [within 1.0√(f’c) MPa, or
point of application, the actual position of the tendon be- 12√(f’c) psi]. Therefore, apart from locations over the top
comes less critical. Fig.1-1 illustrates this phenomenon. Since of columns where high tensile stresses develop, it is sel-
the resultant force of the tendons is the same for the two dom necessary to place rebar in other regions of a floor
layout options in Fig. 1-1, the precompression will also be system for crack control due to service load bending
the same at regions away from the anchorage. This flexibil- stresses.
1 3
Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, San Francisco State University; Chair, Carl Walker, Inc., 2690 Cumberland Pkwy., Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30339
4
Technical Advisory Board of Post-Tensioning Institute, and Principal of ADAPT The computed stresses are termed hypothetical, since they are obtained by apply-
Corporation, 1733 Woodside Road, # 220, Redwood City, Ca 94061; website: ing the resultant of the bending and axial loads, which act at a section across the
www.adadptsoft.com design strip, to the entire cross-sectional area of the design strip at the same loca-
2
Suncoast Post-Tensioning, 15422 Lillja Rd, Houston Tx 77060 tion. The stresses represent average values that can exceed the cracking stress of
concrete.
5 - 37
The computed stresses are termed hypothetical, since they line does not change the ultimate strength limit of the slab
are obtained by applying the resultant of all bending and at the hinge line to any significant extent (Fig.1-2 (a) and
axial loads acting at a section as a uniform loading on the (c)).
entire cross-sectional area of the design strip. Hence, the
resulting stresses represent average values that can ex- (v) The restriction imposed on the placement of reinforce-
ceed the cracking stress of concrete. ment through the “column strip, middle strip” designation,
when using the Direct Design Method [ACI 318, 1995] in
Cracks that are developed due to the restraint by supports the design of nonprestressed floor systems, does not ap-
to the free shortening of the slab require special attention ply to post-tensioned floors. Neither the tendon layout,
and treatment in rebar detailing. These types of cracks are nor the nonprestressed reinforcement are governed by the
not discussed in this work. Interested readers are directed “column strip, middle strip” concept.
to a comprehensive treatment of the topic in the reference
[Aalami et al, 1988]. The following describes the layout of tendons and the as-
sociated nonprestressed reinforcement for the gravity de-
(iii) Due to the biaxial precompression in post-tensioned sign of common structural conditions. The discussion cov-
floor systems, concrete can sustain longer spans between ers the overall layout of reinforcing. Detailing at
adjacent, parallel tendons without diminishing the service discontinuities, and where restraint by supports to the free
or safety of the structure. For this reason, the maximum movement of the slab become critical, requires special at-
tendon spacing for tendons is several times larger than tention that is not covered herein. For seismic and wind
that for reinforcement in nonprestressed floors. design, the placement of reinforcement is governed by the
demand due to seismic and wind actions respectively. The
ACI [ACI 318, 1995 and ACI 423, 1996] are used where
available and applicable. Otherwise, the standard of prac-
tice exercised by the profession is reported.
FIGURE 1-2
(iv) At the strength limit state, the failure of a slab is pre- FIGURE 1-3
ceded by the mobilization of all reinforcement running The following sections describe the disposition of the ten-
across the hinge lines that develop over the entire width of dons and reinforcement in a typical floor system. No dis-
the span, or around the columns. Fig. 1-2, illustrates pos- tinction is made or deemed necessary between flat plates,
sible alternatives of two-way floor system failure due to flat slabs, floor slabs, two-way slabs, and floor systems.
formation of plastic hinge lines. Apart from the column re- The terms are used interchangeably. Refer to Fig. 1-3 for
gion, where a concentration of reinforcement becomes nec- further clarification of other terms. A tendon is defined as
essary to avoid column hinge failure (Fig.1-2(e)), for a hinge sheathing (duct), the strand(s) within it and the corrosion
line across a span the total amount of reinforcement is criti- inhibiting grease or grout filling its voids. A tendon may
cal. The disposition of reinforcement across the span hinge contain one or more seven-wire strands.
5 - 38
FIGURE 1-4 FIGURE 2.1-1

Other definitions used herein are illustrated in Figs. 1-4 and system generally concludes with the total amount of pre-
1-5. Figure 1-5 is a partial view of a floor slab presented in stressing and nonprestresses reinforcement required for
the previous figure, and shows a region of the slab referred each design strip in each direction. The design also con-
to as design strip. A design strip is a region assigned to a cludes with the profile of tendons, the force in each ten-
hypothetical support line that joins a line of columns and/ don, the total number of tendons and the location of all
or walls in one direction. Design strips are used to divide rebar for any given design strip.
up the floor system in two essentially orthogonal direc-
tions in modeling the floor for design. Selection of design
strips and the design procedure are not the subject of dis- 2 - TENDON LAYOUT
cussion herein. The computation of total prestressing and
the associated reinforcement for a design strip are consid-
ered independent from the disposition of tendons and rebar
2.1 - Overall Disposition of Tendons
within a design strip. For this review, it suffices to recog-
nize that the structural design of a post-tensioned floor There are several possible arrangements for the layout of
the tendons in each design strip. Figure 2.1-1 illustrates the
alternatives. Note that the tendons in each direction may
be arranged in banded, distributed , or a mixed layout. In
the banded direction all of the tendons of a design strip are
grouped in a number of flat bundles and placed parallel to
one another with a relatively small gap separating the con-
stituent bundles. The tendons form a narrow band, typi-
cally up to or slightly larger than 1.20 m (4 ft) in width,
following the support line. Tendons in the distributed di-
rection are placed in bundles of one to 4 strands, spread
over the entire width of the design strip with essentially
equal spacing between the bundles. The four options il-
lustrated in Fig. 2.1-1 are: (Aalami, 199):
• Banded tendons in one direction, and

distributed in the other direction
• Banded in both directions
FIGURE 1-5 • Distributed in both directions
5 - 39
• Mixed banded and distributed in both Views of distributed and banded tendons in a multi-story
directions. hotel construction are shown in Figs. 2.2-2 and 2.2-3 re-
spectively.
FIGURE 2.1-2 FIGURE 2.1-4

All of the stated four options are deemed to provide equal
strength capacity. The choice of layout is generally gov-
erned by constructibility.
The option of banded in both directions(Fig. 2.1-1(a)) is

not permitted by the ACI Code (ACI-318,1995). The
constructability advantage of this scheme is that it does
not require interweaving of tendons in different directions.
The distributed tendons directly over the support (see Fig
2.1-2) are placed and secured in position first, followed by
placement of all banded tendons. Then the rest of the dis-
tributed tendons are placed over the bands. Most other
tendon layout schemes require some interweaving.
One other advantage of the banded-distributed option,

from a design standpoint, is that both directions can be
designed with the maximum permissible tendon drape.
Banded and distributed tendons generally do not cross at
their high or low points, with the exception of two distrib-
uted tendons over the supports (see Fig. 2.1-2). Therefore,
the bulk of the strands can be placed with the maximum
allowable drape without interference from tendons in the
perpendicular direction.
FIGURE 2.2-1
2.2 - Tendon Profiles
Tendon profiles are generally made up of parabolic seg-

ments and straight lines.In the distributed direction and in
beams the reversed parabola shown in Fig. 2.2-1, is adopted.
For banded tendons, a partial parabola as illustrated in Fig.
2.2-2 is commonly used. In practice, the sharp break shown
for the banded tendon profile over the support is not
achieved. The actual tendon profile follows a more gradual
transition over this region.
FIGURE 2.1-3
5 - 40
ever, when a tendon contains more than one strand, the

total number of strands passing over the support will be
more. 3
The Canadian Code is more rational. In its recommendation

for non-prestressed designs the amount of reinforcement
required to pass over each support is related to the weight
of the slab tributary at a support.
B. - Maximum Spacing Between Tendons

The maximum spacing between any two tendons is the
lesser of eight times the slab thickness (refer to Fig. 2.3.-
1(a)) or 1.50 m (5 ft), except for the banded-distributed lay-
out, where this restriction does not apply to the banded
tendons.
C. - Minimum Spacing Between Tendons

The minimum spacing for tendons is shown graphically in
Fig. 2.3.-1(b). Typically tendons must be spaced at a dis-
FIGURE 2.2-2 tance (s) that is larger than the horizontal width (d) of the
bundles, plus the sum of the widths (db) of all rebar placed
between each bundle. This value varies from less than 25mm
(1”) for a single mono-strand tendon to more than 50mm
(2”) for a flat bundle of four strands. However, in no case
should tendons be placed closer than the minimum spac-
ing allowed between two adjacent rebars at the same loca-
tion.
D. - Bundling of Unbonded Tendons

For ease of construction, it is common practice to bundle
several unbonded mono-strand tendons together. Four 1
strands per flat bundle is the maximum recommended num-
ber used in practice for floor slab construction. Apart from
the possibility of poor consolidation of concrete around
bundles, this limitation is followed for two reasons. First,
there is an increased potential for delamination at high and
low profile points as more strands are bundled together.
Second, there is an increased likelihood for blowouts at
locations of horizontal curvature due to riding of the outer
strands over the inner ones.
For beams, the strands are placed in a round bundle (Fig.

2.3-2). There is no limitation on the number of strands that
can be bundled in a beam, provided concrete below the
bundle can be satisfactorily placed and consolidated. In
FIGURE 2.3-1 practice, bundle size is limited to six strands per bundle.
2.3 - Detailing of Tendon Layout
E. - Curvature in Tendons
A. - Minimum Tendons Over Supports Maximum curvature in tendons is controlled for two rea-
sons.
According to the ACI-318 Code, a minimum of two tendons
in each direction must pass directly over each support,
regardless of how many strands each tendon contains. For First, tendons that are curved horizontally to follow the
unbonded mono-strand tendons, where a tendon contains nonaligned column layout, or to avoid openings tend to
one seven-wire strand only, a total of two seven-wire increase the risk of blow out. The risk can be minimized if
strands must pass over the support in each direction. How- tendon curvature is smaller than shown in Fig. 2.3-3. For
5 - 41
larger curvatures (tighter Swerves) properly placed hair-

pins as shown must be used. The details shown in the
figure are common slab construction with 12mm (0.50 in.)
nominal diameter unbonded tendons, and the conserva-
tive stipulation that the lateral (horizontal) pressure imparted
to concrete due to tendon curvature is not to exceed 3 Mpa
(450 psi)1. Thus the radius of curvature must be at least 3m
(10ft).
Second, forcing a strand into a sharp curvature induces

flexural stresses in the strand wires that may become sig-
nificant if the curvature is tight. For unbonded tendons,
CEB (1992) recommends that 20 times the strand’s nominal
diameter be the smallest radius for which a bent strand be
considered to develop its full-specified tensile strength.
Note that this second stipulation is for the integrity of the
strand wire as opposed to the first restriction, which is for
control of stresses in the concrete.
F. - Spacing Between Tendon Supports

Tendon support bars are used to position and secure ten-
dons in their designated profile. The support bars are gen-
erally 12 mm (#4) reinforcing bars. For tendon heights (cen-
ter of gravity) greater than 30 mm (1.25”), the support bars FIGURE 2.3-3
are secured on chairs at typically 1200 mm (4’-0”)2 on cen-
ter. For tendon heights of 30 mm or less slab bolsters are
used. The spacing of support bars depends upon the des-
ignated profile and the type of tendon, but usually does
not exceed 1500 mm (48”). The number, location and other
particulars of support bars are discussed further in the fol-
lowing section.

1
The stress resisting a tendon curved along a circular arc is given by f=PdR, where intersection of each tendon bundle and support bar. This practice better ensures
P is the force in tendon, R is the radius of arc, and d is the diameter of tendon. that tendons are maintained in the proper vertical location during concreting.
2 A better practice, but not universally used, is to place a chair height below the
5 - 42
G. - Tolerance in Deviation from Profiles Shown on • Reinforcement for crack control due to tempera-
Structural Drawings. ture and shrinkage effects.
Tolerances for deviations from the tendon profiles and lay-

The following discussion is limited to the placement of
outs shown on the placing diagrams as follows:
reinforcement only. The computation of required amounts
follows the respective code provisions.
• In the vertical (normal to the plane of the slab)
direction, 6 mm ( _”) from the specified vertical The disposition of reinforcement required for strength ca-
profile for members up to 200 mm (8 “) thick; 10 pacity, and the disposition of the minimum amount required
mm (3/8”) for members between 200 mm (8”) and by code follow essentially the same practice. The layout of
600 mm (24”); and 12 mm (1/2”) for members over reinforcement used for temperature and shrinkage is differ-
600 mm (24”) thick; ent, as outlined below.
• In the horizontal direction (plane of the slab),

3.1 - REINFORCEMENT FOR STRENGTH AND MINI-
undulation from the specified tendon path is
limited to less than 1 in 12, as shown in Fig. 2.3.-4. MUM CODE REQUIREMENTS
A. - General Features
3 - LAYOUT OF NONPRESTRESSED (PASSIVE) Nonprestressed reinforcement may be needed for strength
REINFORCEMENT demand, temperature and shrinkage effects. In the case of
Nonprestressed (also referred to as passive) reinforce- unbonded tendons, a minimum amount of nonprestressed
ment, placed in conjunction with the prestressing tendons steel is required over the supports for crack control and
falls within one of the following categories: ductility.
For all conditions, adjacent reinforcing bars are recom-

• Reinforcement necessary to supplement pre- mended to be staggered 300 mm (12 inch) as shown in Fig.
stressing in order to meet the code-stipulated 3.1.-1. The same holds true for added tendons (discontinu-
strength capacity; ous), which terminate as a group at one location (Fig. 3.1.-
2). Other stipulations for top and bottom bars are listed
• Reinforcement to meet the code-stipulated below.
minimum values for control of flexural cracking;
and
5 - 43
B. - Top Bars mm2 (6.75 in2), in order to achieve effective consolidation of

concrete and avoid the necessity of special procedures in
(i) Minimum Number of Bars: placement. This amount translates into 21 – 16 mm diameter
For unbonded tendon construction, a minimum of four top (#5) bars maximum.
bars must be placed over each support in a flat slab, regard-
less of the size of the bars used in the design. In most cases (iv) Length of Bars over Supports
this requirement is fulfilled automatically since small diam- Top bars must extend from the support one-sixth of the
eter bars are selected for design efficiency (see V below). clear span in each direction, unless a larger length is re-
The smaller the bar size, the larger the number of bars required to fulfill the strength requirement (Fig. 3.1.2-2). For
quired to fulfill the rebar requirement.

normal dimensions and typical loading, top bars rarely need
(ii) Position to extend beyond the 1/6th of span requirement, since the
All top bars required for strength, or to fulfill the minimum drop in negative moment within the vicinity of a support is
code requirement must be placed over the column sup- sharp, and the available prestressing provides adequate
ports within a defined band in each direction. The band is strength, should there be residual moments at this loca-
defined to have a width extending 1.5 times the slab thick- tion. Therefore, in the general case the 1/6th of span length
ness (including drop cap or drop panel) on each side of the does not need to extend beyond the point of demand by
support as shown in Fig. 3.1-3. the minimum required development length.
(iii) Congestion of Reinforcement Over Support (v) Bar Size
Reinforcement congestion over supports is an important Small diameter top bars are generally selected for most ap-
construction consideration in post-tensioned slabs, espe- plications since the bars must be placed in two layers over
cially where large spans occur. The condition can be aggra- the supports (one layer in each direction). In such a layout
vated by the selection of small diameter bars (12 to 16 mm, the selection of a larger diameter bar adversely affects the
#4 or #5 bars) that are favored by most engineers. Small effective depth of the lower layer of rebar and tendons.
diameter bars maximize the moment arm of thin slabs, and Also, small diameter bars are more effective at resisting
avoid reducing the effective depth of tendons that cross in potential cracks. 16 mm diameter (#5) bars are the typical
the perpendicular direction below the top reinforcement. choice for top bars, as these match the diameter of an un-
Observations made on previous construction projects sug- bonded tendon
gest that the total area of reinforcement over a typical col-
umn (500mm, 20in) in each direction should not exceed 4200
5 - 44
C - Bottom Bars 3.2 - TEMPERATURE AND SHRINKAGE REINFORCE-

MENT
(i) - Minimum Number of Bars Temperature and shrinkage reinforcement is required where
There is no minimum number of bars required at the bottom the average precompression is below 0.70MPa [100 psi].
of the slab, provided stresses are low under service condi- Since in common construction, the average precompression
tions [ACI-318, 1995] and the tendons are adequate for in the direction of prestressing is generally selected to be
strength. As a result, it is feasible that a two-way post- more than 0.85 MPa [125 psi], temperature and shrinkage
tensioned floor will be constructed without any bottom reinforcement or added tendons are rarely required in the
bars. At high tensile stresses, the ACI Code stipulates a direction of prestressing. The exception to this statement
minimum amount of nonprestressed steel, but sets no re- is the wedge-shaped regions between the banded tendons
strictions as to the minimum number of bars that can be (Fig. 3.2-1). In this case, nonprestressed steel is placed in
used to cover the requirement. In several countries outside the direction of the banded tendons as shown in Fig. 3.2-1.
the USA, the practice is to place a bottom mat of welded Bars are alternated so that half are placed at the top and
wire fabric (120x120mmx3mm), regardless of stress condi- half at the bottom of the slab.
tions.
(ii) Position
Bottom bars required for a particular design strip must be
placed within the tributary of that strip. From a structural
standpoint, the position of the bottom bars within the de-
sign strip is not critical. However, for ease of construction,
the bottom bars in the banded direction are typically placed
next to one another within the width of the tendon band
along the line of supports with due consideration for mini-
mum bar spacing. The bottom bars for a particular design
strip in the distributed tendon direction are placed uni-
formly within the tributary of the design strip. Bottom bars
in the banded direction are placed first, followed by the
bars in the distributed direction.
(iii) Congestion
Congestion of the bottom bars is typically not a problem
since the bars can be placed anywhere within the tributary
of a design strip.
(iv) Length
(a) Bars for minimum requirements: FIGURE 3.2-1
Bottom steel is required for crack control where the service
stress exceeds the minimum code-stipulated value. ACI 318 An alternative, but less economical practice, to the tem-
specifies that these bars must be at least one third of the perature reinforcement shown in Fig. 3.2-1 is to place two
clear span(Fig. 3.1-4). They need not extend to the sup- or three tendons at equal spacings parallel and between
ports. the beams/banded tendons. The added tendons are posi-
tioned at mid-depth of slab.
(b) Bars for strength requirements:
The length of the bars needed for strength is obtained by 3.3 - SHEAR REINFORCEMENT
calculation. Although, the calculated length is often less Shear reinforcement in flat slabs is generally limited to
than one third of span length, a minimum of one-third of the punching around the columns. In most cases, where punch-
span length is typically used. In addition, the following ing shear is of concern, the thickness of the slab does not
requirements must be met when placing bottom bars for allow satisfactory placement of stirrups in the same manner
strength: used for beams. Therefore, shear stud reinforcement (Fig.
3.3-1), or variations of it, are the most suitable alternative.
• In end spans, extend one-third of the bars to Shear studs can be placed around the column in a variety
supports, and of configurations. One recommended arrangement for shear
• In interior spans, extend one-quarter of the bars stud placement is shown in Fig. 3.3-1. However, other ar-
to the supports rangements with different stud shapes are equally viable.
The number of studs along a given perimeter around a
column is determined by the demand of the shear (and in
5 - 45

ACI with a contribution from demand moment), the diam- The design of shear studs for post-tensioned slabs is cov-
eter and material of the vertical leg and the efficiency of the ered by ACI421 [ACI-421, 1992]
anchorage device. Full efficiency is where the anchorage
provided by the stud head, or the combination of the stud
head and placement (positioning) bars (Fig. 3.3-2) would 4 - SUPPORT BARS
lead to full development of the stud bar strength. The dis-
position of the required number of studs along the perim-
eter is essentially uniform. The studs may be shifted along 4.1 - Support Bars for Distributed Tendons
the perimeter of the support to avoid interference with other Tendons in the distributed direction are generally supported
reinforcement. by continuous support bars placed perpendicular to the
tendons. Though not required by computation, their pres-
The contribution of the slab shear reinforcement is to resist ence also improves crack control and the distribution of
demand shear is given by the area of the vertical shear loading between the uniformly spaced tendons. Typically,
reinforcement device times its yield strength, duly multi- 12 mm (#4) bars are selected. These are placed not more
plied by the material 1 and strength reduction factors. Us- than 1.20m (4’-0”) apart and are lapped 400mm (15 “). The
ing the ACI Code, the shear contribution of each device is: support bars prevent horizontal displacement of tendon
during concreting. They rest on “chairs” of a specific height
Vs = φAb*Fy necessary to maintain the correct vertical position of the
where, tendons (see Fig. 3.1-2). Apart from the bars used to secure
Vs = capacity of each vertical shear device; the tendons over the column support lines, a minimum of
Ab = cross sectional area of each vertical shear five support bars are typically provided for each span.
device;
Fy = yield stress of each vertical shear device; and 4.2 - Support Bars for Banded Tendons
φ = strength reduction factor (0.85) Banded tendons are supported by short bars 80mm (3”)
longer than the width of the band (Fig. 4.2-1). At the sides
In the design of a shear device, the mechanical connection of each column typically a heavier bar is used (22mm, #7).
at the end shall be designed to develop the full strength of Away from the columns 12mm (#4) bars are used. The sup-
the vertical member. If a welded plate is used, its area is port bars are spaced at approximately 1.10m (3’-6”) inter-
typically selected to be equal or larger than 10 times the vals.
area of the vertical member. Two other options of a vertical
shear studs are shown is Fig. 3.3-2. Option (c) in the figure
shows a thin cut from a steel profile.
5 - 46
• In addition, at locations of stress concentration

such as reentrant corners, nonprestressed rebar
must be added to reduce crack width (Fig. 5-1
illustrates one example).
Reinforcement required behind the post-tensioning anchor-

age devices is generally shown on the shop drawings. The
amount and configuration of the reinforcement depends
on the pos-tensioning system selected.
6 - EXAMPLE
In this section, through schematic illustrations prepared

FIGURE 4.2-1 for a floor system, the placement of post-tensioning and
nonprestressed reinforcement is described.
5 - DETAILING
Fig. 6-1 shows the plan of the floor slab, including the
general locations of all support, openings and other fea-
The structural modeling and the ensuing computations tures. For design, this slab would be divided into design
yield the overall amount of post-tensioning and strips in both directions. For each design strip, all post-
nonprestressed reinforcement necessary to meet the ser- tensioning and mild reinforcing requirements would then
viceability and strength requirements of the governing be calculated. The disposition of reinforcing would then
codes. In most cases, the structural model used in design follow the general scheme outlined below.
includes simplifications of the actual floor slab.
Discontinuities, such as openings and constraints of the Fig 6-2 shows the general tendon layout and reinforcement
walls and columns often are not represented faithfully in arrangement. Note the following:
the structural model. For this reason, after the post-
tensioning and the nonprestressed reinforcement are de- • Banded tendons (marked “b” in the figure) are
termined and recorded on the structural drawings, the de- placed close together, in a narrow strip, and
signer must review the drawings and add or modify the swerved over the support lines used in the
reinforcement, to ensure that; design. No tendons are placed between the
bands. Banded tendons are placed before
• The load path envisaged in the structural design distributed tendons.
is continuous from the point of the application of
the loading to the foundation.
• The applied loading can be satisfactorily

distributed and can reach the designated load
path without distressing the unreinforced or
lightly reinforced regions of the floor system.
FIGURE 5-1 FIGURE 6-1

5 - 47
FIGURE 6-2 FIGURE 6-3

• Distributed tendons (a) are laid out along span between gridlines 1 and 2, along gridline E has a low
uniformly spaced straight lines. The tendons do point at 80 mm (3”) above the soffit.
not follow corresponding support lines. Distrib-
uted tendons are placed after banded tendons.
• Top rebar in both directions (d) is placed directly

over the supports, within a pre-defined width.
• Bottom rebar in the banded direction (c) is placed

within the width of the band. One-third of bars in
the end spans and one-fourth of bars in the
interior spans are extended to the supports as
shown. Bottom rebar in the distributed direction
(e) is distributed over the entire tributary width of
each design strip. The distributed rebar is placed
after the banded tendons and rebar.
• At least two tendons in each direction (f) must

pass directly over the support.
• Added rebar for temperature and shrinkage is

included in areas at the slab edge between
banded tendons.
Fig. 6-3 shows the details of the disposition of the banded

tendons, including the number of tendons in each band,
locations of added tendons and all profile points. Note
that all tendon low points are located 25 mm (1”) above the
slab soffit and all high points at 215 mm ( 8½”) above the
soffit, unless noted otherwise (UNO). For instance, the FIGURE 6-4
5 - 48
Fig. 6-4 shows the details of the disposition of distributed

tendons, including the number of tendons, their disposi-
tion and profiles.
Fig. 6 -5 shows the details of top reinforcing at the sup-

ports. Note that the bars for each direction are typically
placed perpendicular to each other regardless of the orien-
tation of the associated support lines. Also specified are
the lengths and size of each set of bars. For this example all
rebar are 16 mm diameter (#5) bars.
Fig. 6 -6 details the required bottom rebar in the slab. Note

that at least 1/3 of bars in end spans and _ of bars in interior
spans are extended to the supports. Also observe that
rebar in the banded direction is oriented along the support
line while rebar in the distributed direction is oriented in
one perpendicular direction.
FIGURE 6-5
FIGURE 6-6
5 - 49

BLANK
5 - 50
5.7
Technical Publication
Dr. Bijan O. Aalami, Editor For Professionals Engaged or Interested in Post-Tensioning Design Issue P2-01, February 2001
Nonprestressed Bonded Reinforcement

in Post-Tensioned Building Design
By Bijan O. Aalami1
2
Reviewed by: Randall F. Cailor , PE 2.1 Construction with Bonded Tendons
In bonded post-tensioning systems, supplemental bonded
SUMMARY reinforcement is not required if:
This Technical Note describes the bonded reinforcement (i) the post-tensioning meets the stress requirements of
required to supplement post-tensioning tendons in build- the Code under service loading, and
ings. It covers both unbonded and bonded (grouted) post- (ii) the post-tensioning by itself is adequate for the
tensioning systems under gravity and lateral (wind and seis- strength requirement.
mic) loading. Using the International Building Code [IBC
2000] as a reference, the Code stipulated minimum require- Hence, it is possible to construct a slab reinforced with
ments and their implementation are explained in detail. This grouted tendons and in compliance with the Code, with no
is followed by a discussion of Structural Detailing practices nonprestressed reinforcement (top or bottom). Strength re-
and constructibility requirements. Several numerical ex- quirements during construction and construction sequence
amples illustrate the concepts presented. should be reviewed carefully when employing this method
of construction.
1 - INTRODUCTION
2.2 Construction with Unbonded Tendons
As with conventionally reinforced structures, post-ten-
sioned members must be designed for both serviceability For floor systems constructed with unbonded tendons there
and strength. The design includes a serviceability “stress are minimum requirements for bonded reinforcement. The
check” under working conditions and a “strength check” objective of this minimum reinforcing is crack control under
under a factored load (an assumed overload) [Aalami, Kelley, service loads and adequate ductility when a member is over-
2001a]. loaded.
Serviceability design of post-tensioned floor systems in- The requirements are different, depending on whether the
cludes a check for cracking and deflection under service slab is a one- or two-way system. In a one-way system such
loads. Cracking is controlled by using a hypothetically cal- as a one-way slab and beam system, the members only carry
culated “tensile stress” as a guide. This is referred to in the the load in one direction. In a two-way system such as a
Code as the “computed stress.” The Code requirements for column-supported slab, the load is carried in both direc-
minimum added bonded reinforcement are different for tions. Further discussion of the differences between one-
unbonded and bonded systems [Aalami, 1994]. The require- and two-way systems is given in reference [Aalami, 1993b].
ments are discussed below and are discussed further in [ACI
423, 1996; PTI, 1990; Aalami, Bommer 1999]. 2.2.1 Minimum Bonded Reinforcement of Two-Way
Systems
2 - MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE CODE The Code requirements for minimum reinforcement are based
on the geometry of tributary and span length, and design
This section discusses the minimum requirements for bonded actions (moment and axial loading) of the design strip. These
reinforced given in Chapter 18 of ACI-318 [ACI-318, 1999], terms are described with the aid of Figs. 2.2.1-1 through
as modified by Section 1908 of the IBC. 2.2.1-5.
1
Professor Emeritus, San Francisco State University; Principal, ADAPT Corporation,
Redwood City, California.
2
Cailor and Associates, LLC, 4542 Warrior Trail, Lilburn, Georgia, 30047.
5 - 51
Figure 2.2.1-1 shows the plan of a column-supported floor

system. For the purposes of design, the floor slab is di-
vided into design strips in two orthogonal directions
[Aalami, Bommer, 1999]. Figure 2.2.1-2 shows the design
strips in the X-direction. The design strip is handled differ-
ently, depending on whether the design is being done with
the Finite Element Method (FEM) or a strip method such as
the Equivalent Frame Method (EFM) or the Simple Frame
Method (SFM) [Aalami, Kelley, 2001b].
Figure 2.2.1-3 outlines the treatment of a typical design

strip, such as B, when using a strip method. Observe that
for design, the extracted strip B is idealized as shown in part
(c ) of the figure. Figure 2.2.1-4 shows the span lengths L,
and dimensional parameters, “a” through “f”, required for
the calculation of minimum reinforcement for typical condi-
tions.
Figure 2.2.1-5 shows the geometrical parameters for the

computation of minimum reinforcement and strength de-
sign of column line 3 of design strip B. If the Finite Element
Method is used, the design strips do not need to be ex-
tracted from the floor system and treated in isolation. Hence,
the idealization required for the strip methods would not
apply. FIGURE 2.2.1-1
A. At the Supports
A minimum area of bonded reinforcement must be provided
at the supports, regardless of the service load stress condi-
tion. The area of this minimum reinforcement is a function
of the geometry of the slab and the support layout.
The Code expression is:
As = 0.00075Acf (2.2.1-1)
Where,
As = area of reinforcement, and
Acf = larger gross cross-sectional area of the
design strips of the two orthogonal directions
intersection at the support under consider-
ation. This is used as a “reference” area for
minimum reinforcement calculation.
The area As is calculated separately for each of the two

orthogonal directions at a support. The largest of the two
values is selected for the support. Hence, the area of mini-
mum rebar will be the same in both directions. The follow-
ing explains the application of the Code relationship (2.2.1-
1) to practical conditions. Figures 2.2.1-4 through 2.2.1-6
are used to illustrate the procedure. FIGURE 2.2.1-2
etry, where the area Acf in direction of frame being analyze is
Figure 2.2.1-4a shows a column support (O) at the inter-
the line FF times the slab thickness. The area Acf in the
section of two orthogonal design strips, one in direction of
perpendicular direction is the line PP multiplied by the thick-
analysis and the other normal to it. For this simple geom-
ness of the slab. In the general case, such as the example
5 - 52
FIGURE 2.2.1-5
FIGURE 2.2.1-3
direction, lines OC and OD with thicknesses at C and D
are used.
The computation is explained in greater detail in the fol-

lowing. Figure 2.2.1-5 shows an idealized design strip
for use with either the Simple Frame Method (SFM), or
the Equivalent Frame Method (EFM). A similar frame is
illustrated in Fig. 2.2.1-6 for use with the Finite Element
Method (FEM).
(i) For an interior support (Fig. 2.2.1-5, Gridline 3)
In the direction of the frame along gridline 3, the refer-

ence area used is:
Acf = 0.5*L1*h1 + 0.5* L2*h2 (2.2.1-2)
In the transverse direction (the direction normal to the

frame being analyzed; normal to gridline 3), the areas on
either side of the support are calculated:
Acf = 0.5 (a*h1 + c*h2) + 0.5(b*h1 + d*h2)

(2.2.1-3)
Acf is the larger of the two values.
FIGURE 2.2.1-4 (ii) For an exterior support without a cantilever

shown in part (b) of the figure, the geometry of the ideal- (Gridline D)
ized design strip is not necessarily simple. In direction of
In direction of the frame:
the frame, line OA and OB together with slab thicknesses
Acf = 0.5*L3* h4
at point A and B are used. Likewise, for the perpendicular
5 - 53
calculations should be based on an equivalent uniform slab

thickness (he).
he = [t*a + b(h-t)]/a (2.2.1-6)
(v) Drop caps, drop panels, and transverse beams

Provision of drop caps and drop panels does not change
the amount and length of the minimum bonded reinforce-
ment. Beams transverse to the direction of the analysis are
not included in the calculation of the minimum bonded re-
inforcement.
B. In the Span
Bonded reinforcement must be added where computed ten-
FIGURE 2.2.1-6 sile stresses in the span exceed 2 (√ f’c) [0.167 √ f’c], The
minimum area of bonded reinforcement is:
In direction normal to the frame
As = Nc/(0.5*fy) (2.2.1-7)
Acf = g* h4 + j* h4 (2.2.1-4)
In order to limit crack widths, the value used for fy cannot
Acf is the larger of the two values.
be more than 60,000 psi (414 MPa).
(iii) For an exterior support with a cantilever (Gridline A)
Nc is the force of the tensile stress block over the tributary
In direction of the frame: of the design strip (Fig. 2.2.1-8). The stress distribution
shown is calculated by applying the total actions on the
Acf = L0*h0 + 0.5*L1*h1 (2.2.1-5) tributary (the integral of the moment and axial force) to the
entire cross-sectional area of the tributary.
In the transverse direction:
Acf = 0.5(e*h0 + a*h1) + 0.5(f*h0 + b*h1)
Acf = larger of the two values.
(iv) Treatment of slab bands

A slab band (wide shallow beam) is a thickening of slab
along the column line to allow additional tendon drape.
The band dimensions must be such that the two-way char-
acteristics of the floor system are retained. Figure 2.2.1-7
shows the dimensional restrictions that are commonly used.
In design strips where there are slab bands, reinforcement
FIGURE 2.2.1-7 FIGURE 2.2.1-8

5 - 54
FIGURE 2.2.3-1
thickness on each side. Since cracking under service con-
ditions is a flexural phenomenon, the effective width asso-
ciated with flexure applies.
It is important to note that for consistency, the effective

width assumed for minimum reinforcement calculation
should be the same as used for the computation of flexural
stresses in other stages of design.
2.2.3 Length of Minimum Bonded Reinforcement

FIGURE 2.2.2-1
The bonded reinforcement in positive moment areas should
2.2.2 Minimum Bonded Reinforcement for One-way be at least one-third of the clear span length and should be
Systems centered in the positive moment area. The bonded rein-
The minimum bonded reinforcement in one-way slabs and forcement in negative moment areas should extend one-
beams is a function of the cross-sectional geometry of the sixth the clear span on either side of the support. These
member. It is independent of the loading, service stresses, lengths, shown schematically in Fig. 2.2.3-1, apply when
and span length. Unlike two-way systems, where it is pos- bonded reinforcement is not required for flexural strength.
sible to design a floor with no bottom rebar, the Code re- It is not necessary to add development lengths to the
quires bonded reinforcement over the supports and at the lengths shown.
bottom of the slab in the span of all unbonded one-way
systems. The required steel As is: 2.2.4 Layout of Minimum Bonded Reinforcement
A. Two-way System
As = 0.004A (2.2.2-1)
Top bars must be placed within a narrow band over the
Where, support that is equal to the support width plus one and
one-half times the depth of the slab/cap on each side, as
A = area of that part of cross-section between indicated in Fig. 2.2.4-1. Figure 2.2.4-2 illustrates the
the flexural tension face and the center of staggering of bars for improved performance.
gravity of the gross section.
The positioning of the bottom bars is governed by the
Figure 2.2.2-1 illustrates the area “A” for the positive and layout of tendons. In a banded system, bonded reinforce-
negative moments. The Code specifies the effective width ment in the banded direction is typically placed within the
in bending of nonprestressed members as the stem plus band width, while in the distributed direction it is spread
eight times the flange thickness on each side. However, uniformly over the tributary of the design strip.
for prestressed members under axial load and bending, the
Code does not specify an effective width. The effective B. One-way System
flange width to be used for the calculation of minimum The top and bottom bars in one-way systems are both
bonded reinforcement in a prestressed member is recom- distributed evenly over the width of the slab. The bottom
mended to be the same as if the beam were non-prestressed. bars for the beams are placed within the stem of the beam.
This is typically the stem width plus eight times the slab The top bars should be placed within the width of the
5 - 55
FIGURE 2.3.1-1
FIGURE 2.2.4-1
2.3 All Post-Tensioning Systems
The following requirements apply to both unbonded and
bonded systems.
2.3.1 Shrinkage and Temperature Reinforcing

Temperature and shrinkage reinforcement is required in re-
gions where the average precompression is less than 100
psi ( 0.70 MPa). Since floor systems designed according
to Code should have a minimum of 125 psi (0.85 MPa)
precompression, the requirement of temperature and shrink-
age reinforcement is implicitly satisfied. However, bonded
reinforcement or additional tendons must be provided
where the local average precompression within the tribu-
tary of a post-tensioned member falls below 100 psi (0.70
MPa). An example of this is the wedge-shaped region at
the slab edge between two adjacent beams or tendon bands,
as illustrated in Fig. 2.3.1-1 [Aalami, 1993a]. The reinforce-
ment requirement for this region is either prestressing that
provides 100 psi (0.70 MPa) average precompression (Fig.
2.3.1-2), or bonded reinforcement equal to 0.0018 times the
area of the slab, or a combination of the two. The require-
ment is expressed by:
In American units:
FIGURE 2.2.4-2 (P/A)/100 + As/(0.0018*A) > = 1 (2.3.1-1)
beam if practical. If this is not practical, they can be placed In SI units:

within the reinforcement strip defined in Fig. 2.2.4-1, where (P/A)/0.70 + As/(0.0018*A) > = 1 (2.3.1-2)
column width is replaced by stem width.
Where,
5 - 56
placed above the combined centroid of the beam and slab

section.
2.3.2 Diaphragm Action of Floor Systems Under

Seismic and Wind Loading
Post-tensioned floors act as diaphragms in distributing the
seismic or wind loading among the lateral load resisting
system of the building. In this capacity, post-tensioned
floors are designed to remain elastic. They are not ex-
pected to participate in the energy dissipation of the build-
ing during seismic events. For non-energy dissipating dia-
phragms, the Code requires a minimum reinforcement equal
to that specified for temperature and shrinkage.
Since the Code places a more stringent requirement for the

gravity design of post-tensioned floors (minimum of 125
psi (0.85 MPa)), the diaphragm requirement of 100 psi (0.70
MPa) precompression is automatically satisfied. Locations
such as the wedge-shaped regions shown in Fig. 2.3.1-1
will be an exception. These wedge-shaped regions will
satisfy the diaphragm requirement of the Code when rein-
forced according to the relationship (2.3.1-1) or (2.3.1-2).
FIGURE 2.3.1-2 3 - STRUCTURAL DETAILING

A = is the gross cross-sectional area to being
Most designs require a number of practical approximations,
reinforced for shrinkage and temperature,
both in the modeling of the structure and in its analysis.
As = area of bonded reinforcement provided,
The analysis and design process thus determines the pri-
and
mary reinforcement for the structural model. The design
P = prestressing force provided for temperature
engineer must review the results and account for any items
and shrinkage
When using American units, P/A is expressed as psi. When

using SI units, P/A is expressed as MPa.
Tendons used for shrinkage and temperature reinforcement

should not be spaced more than 6 ft (1800 mm) apart. This
maximum spacing does not apply to the tendons used for
primary reinforcement. There is no maximum spacing for
banded tendons, provided the tendons in the orthogonal
direction are not spaced farther than 8 times the slab thick-
ness, or 48 in. (1220 mm). Tendon spacing and layout is
discussed in reference [Aalami, 2000].
The wedge shaped area can be reinforced using either

bonded reinforcement as shown in Fig. 2.3.1-1, or looped
prestressing tendons (Fig. 2.3.1-2).
When using tendons for temperature and shrinkage, the

tendons should be placed at mid-depth of the slab section.
These tendons need not be extended beyond the wedge
shaped area in the slab. The extension of these tendons
much beyond the wedge shaped area will result in a reduc-
tion of the design eccentricity of the post-tensioning away
from the supports. This is more pronounced in one way
slab and beam construction, if temperature tendons are FIGURE 3.1-1
5 - 57
that were not adequately addressed. The critical review of between the two openings shall be designed and detailed
the structural documents at this stage, and the addition or to transfer its load to the design strips A and B using
modification of reinforcement obtained from the first stage nonprestressed reinforcement. There are many instances
of the design, is referred to as “Structural Detailing”. like this where additional reinforcement is required for
completion of the load paths. The minimum amount of
3.1 Completion of Load Path reinforcement for such regions is that given in section 2.3-
Determination of the principal reinforcement of a floor sys- 1 for shrinkage and temperature. Another example of Struc-
tem requires: tural Detailing is the addition of nonprestressed reinforce-
ment or the relocation of tendons below concentrated loads
(i) selection of a load path by the design (Fig. 3.1-1b).
engineer,
(ii) calculation of the demand actions (moments, 3.2 Crack Control at Discontinuities
shears, axial forces) for the selected load path,
(iii) calculation of the required reinforcement. At discontinuities such as reentrant corners and openings
(Fig. 3.2-1), bonded reinforcement should be added to
The overall load paths of the floor system are selected on control the width of cracks that are likely to occur. The
the basis of the support lines and their associated design amount and length of the reinforcement will depend on the
strips. This is the procedure for the Finite Element Method geometry of the region adjacent to the discontinuity.
as well as strip methods of analysis such as the Equivalent
Frame Method (EFM). The load path selected for the pri- 3.3 Crack Mitigation Due to Restraint of Supports
mary reinforcement does not always account for the de- Post-tensioned floors shorten due to the combined effects
tails of the floor system. Areas that are not adequately of elastic shortening, drying shrinkage, creep, and tem-
treated through the structural model for the overall analy- perature changes. If the supports are not designed to ac-
sis need to be identified and reinforced by the design engi- commodate this shortening, visible cracks will form. A
neer. detailed discussion of mitigation of cracking due to sup-
port restraint is given in reference [Aalami, Barth 1988].
As an example, consider Fig. 3.1-1a. The design strip A
will give the reinforcement (As) along column line A. As Restraint from the supports is most critical at the lowest
part of the Structural Detailing, the strip of concrete (C ) floor levels of the structure. In common construction, the
practice is to either allow for the shortening of the lower
level floors by temporary or permanent releases at the sup-
ports, or to provide bonded reinforcement to control the
crack widths. Both practices are based on empirical guide-
lines [Aalami, Barth, 1988].
Figure 3.3-1 shows the bonded reinforcement added for

crack control adjacent to a shear wall. The detail is typi-
cally only used for the first three levels of a structure. In
most cases, at the fourth level and above, no reinforce-
ment is added for support restraint.
5 - 58
anchorage devices shown are grouped in bundles of maxi-

mum four.
4 - CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS –
INSTALLATION DRAWINGS
Bonded reinforcement along with chairs is typically used
to secure the tendons in position and ensure that the pro-
files are maintained during placement and consolidation of
the concrete. The support bar provide horizontal resis-
tance to displacement and the chair positions the tendon
vertically in the slab. The support bars necessary for posi-
tioning and securing the tendons are shown on the instal-
lation drawings. Preparation of installation drawings is
not covered in this Technical Note. Although the support
bars will likely have a beneficial effect on the slab as far as
crack control, they are typically not taken into account in
any structural calculations. Nonprestressed reinforcement
used as temperature and shrinkage reinforcing in one-way
slabs may be used as tendon supports.
5 - NUMERICAL EXAMPLES
The following examples illustrate the application of several
of the requirements to practical problems.
FIGURE 3.4-1 5.1 Minimum Reinforcement for an Unbonded Two-

Way Floor System
Consider the idealized design strip of a two-way floor sys-
tem as shown in Fig. 2.2.1-4 with the following dimen-
sions.
Span Lengths:
L0 = 10 ft (3048 mm)
L1 = 17 ft (5182 mm)
L2 = 32 ft (9754 mm)
L3 = 10 ft (3048 mm)
Slab Thickness:
h 0 = 6 in. (153 mm)
h 1 = 6 in. (153 mm)
h 2 = 8.5 in. (216 mm)
h 3 = 10 in. (254 mm)
Tributary Widths:
FIGURE 3.4-2 a = 10 ft (3048 mm)
b = 15 ft (4572 mm)
3.4 Reinforcement Behind Anchorage Devices
c = 10 ft (3048 mm)
Bonded reinforcement is added behind the anchorage de- d = 17 ft (5182 mm)
vices to avoid concrete “blowouts” and cracking due to the e = 4 ft (1220 mm)
splitting tensile stresses normal to the direction of the pre- f = 15 ft (4572 mm)
stressing [PTI, 2000]. Figure 3.4-1a shows the reinforce- g = 14 ft (4268 mm)
ment for anchorage devices grouped together in the banded j = 17 ft (5182 mm)
tendon direction. Figure 3.4-1b shows the reinforcement
for the anchorage devices of tendons in the distributed di- Column Dimensions (all columns are square):
rection. Figure 3.4-2 is an end view of the anchorage de- D1 = 18 in. (458 mm)
vices for tendons in the banded direction. Note that the D2 = 20 in. (508 mm)
5 - 59
D3 = 26 in. (661 mm) At a point 9 ft (2.75 m) from the face of support of column B,
D4 = 18 in. (458 mm) the computed total (integrated) actions over the tributary of
the design strip are:
5.1.1 Minimum Bonded Reinforcement Over Interior
Support At Line B Md = 230 k-ft (312 kNm) Dead load moment
In direction of frame: Ml = 125 k-ft (170 kNm) Live load moment
Mpt = -195 k-ft (-265 kNm) Post-tensioning
Acf = 0.5*17*12*6 + 0.5*32*12*8.5 moment
= 2244 in2 (1447739 mm2) P = 375 k (1670 kN)
In direction transverse to the frame: Post-tensioning force
Acf = 0.5*(10*12*6 + 10*12*8.5) + 0.5*(15*12*6 The tributary width is 27 ft (8.28 m) and the specified con-
+ 17*12*8.5) = 2277 in2 (1469029 mm2) crete strength f’c = 5000 psi (34.5 MPa)
Select: Acf = 2277 in2 Calculate the hypothetical tension stress:

As = 0.00075*2277 Section properties:
= 1.71 in2 (11.02 cm2) Area: A = 27*12*8.5
= 2754 in2 (1776770 mm2)
Use 6 #5 → As provided = 1.86 in2 > 1.71 in2 OK Moment of inertia:
(Use 6 ∅16 mm → As provided = 12.05 cm2 > 11.02 I = (27*12)*8.53/12
cm2 OK) = 16581.38 in4 (690170 cm4)
Yt = Yb = 8.5/2 = 4.25 in. (108 mm)
Calculate required bar length:
Section modulus:
In the direction of the frame: S = 16581.38/4.25 = 3901.5 in3 (63934 cm3)
Clear spans: Stress at bottom:

f = (Md + Ml + Mpt)/S – P/A
L1c = 17*12 – 0.5(18 + 20) = 185 in (4700 mm) = (230 + 125 –195)*12000/3901.5 –
L2c = 32*12 – 0.5(20 + 26) = 361 in. (9170 mm) 375000/2754
L = 20 + (185 + 361)/6 = 111 in. (2820 mm) = 492.12 – 136.17
Select 9’ – 6” (3000 mm = 3 m) = 355.95 psi (2.45 MPa)
This is the minimum length required by the Code. It is Stress threshold = 2 (√ f’c) = 2 √ 5000
recommended to use a greater length which would allow the = 141.42 psi (0.98 MPa)
bars to be centered over the column.
f = 355.95 psi > 141.42 psi, hence bonded
reinforcement is required.
Place the reinforcement within a band over the support not
wider than Calculate the tension force Nc:
20 + 1.5(6 + 8.5) = 41.75 in. (1067 mm)
say 42 in.(1067 mm, say 1100 mm).
Other Code requirements are that there must be a minimum

of four bars over the support and the spacing between the
bars must not exceed 12 inches (300 mm). The bars selected
for this example will automatically satisfy these require-
ments.
5.1.2 Minimum Bonded Reinforcement in Span BC

In the span, bonded reinforcement is required where the
computed (hypothetical) tensile stresses exceed the allow-
able limit of 2 (√ f’c). FIGURE 5.1.2-1
5 - 60
Stress in compression (Fig. 5.1.2-1):
f = (Md + Ml + Mpt)/S – P/A

= - 492.12 – 136.17
= - 628.29 psi (- 4.33 MPa)
The depth of the tension zone, m, is:
m = [355.95/(355.95 + 628.29)] *8.5

= 3.07 in. (78 mm)
Nc = 0.5*355.95(3.07*27*12)
= 177028 lb (787.44 kN)
Calculate the area of reinforcement required:
As = 177028/(0.5*60000)
= 5.90 in2 (38.07 cm2)
Use 20 #5 → 20*0.31 = 6.20 > 5.90 in2 OK

(Use 19 ∅16mm → 19*2.01 = 38.19 cm2 > 38.07 cm2
OK)
Note that at other locations in the span, the actions will be FIGURE 5.2-1
different and the amount of bonded reinforcement required A min = 0.004*295.40 = 1.18 in 2 (7.62 cm 2 )
might be different from what is calculated above. Bar se- Use 2 #7 bars → 2*0.60 = 1.20 OK
lection should be based on the largest calculated require- (Use 3 ∅ 18 → 3*2.54 = 7.61cm2 OK)
ment.
Length = (65 – 2)/3 = 21 ft (6500 mm)
Calculate the bar length:
Minimum reinforcement over the support
Bar length = L2c/3 = 361/3 Area on the tension side:
= 120.33 in. (3057 mm) A = 94*5 + 14(8.90 – 5) = 524.60 in2 (3385 cm2)
Select: 20 #5 x 10’-6” (20 ∅16mm x 3100 mm)
Minimum bar area Amin:
5.2 Minimum Reinforcement for a One-Way
System A min = 0.004*524.60 = 2.10 in 2 (13.55 cm 2)
For the one-way beam and slab construction shown in Fig. Use 4 #7 bars → 4*0.60 = 2.40 in2 OK
5.2-1, calculate the required minimum top and bottom rein- (Use 4 ∅ 22 4*3.80 = 15.20 cm2 OK)
forcement for the beam.
Length = (65 – 2)/6 = 10.5 ft (3200 mm)
Define the geometry of the beam cross-section and find its
centroid. 5.3 Reinforcement for Shrinkage and Temperature
Determine the Code required reinforcement for the slab
Effective width be = 2*8*5 + 14 = 94 in. (2390 mm) wedge between the beams of the one-way slab and beam
construction shown in Fig. 5.2-1.
For the effective width of 94 in., the centroid is 21.10 in.
(536 mm) from the bottom of the beam. Either bonded reinforcement or prestressing can be used.
Minimum reinforcement for the span A. Bonded reinforcement

Amin = 0.0018*5*12 = 0.108 in2/ft (2.29 cm2/m)
Area on the tension side: Use #4 @ 18” o.c. → As (provided) = 0.13 > 0.108
A = 14*21.10 = 295.40 in2 (1905.80 cm2) in2/ft OK
(Use ∅ 12 mm @ 40 cm → As (provided) = 2.83 > 2.29
Minimum bar area Amin: cm2/m OK)
5 - 61
Alternate bars at the top and bottom of the slab. Aalami, B. O. (1993b). “One-Way and Two-Way Post-Ten-
sioned Floor Systems,” PTI Technical Note #3, October,
Extend bars 24 in. (600 mm) beyond the 45 degree wedge at 1993, Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 10 pp.
the slab edge.
Aalami, B. O. (1994). “Unbonded and Bonded Post-Ten-
Place bars within the wedge shaped area shown in Fig. 2.3.1- sioning in Building Construction - A Design and Per-
1. formance Review.” PTI Technical Note #5, September,
1994, Post-Tensioning Institute, AZ, 10 pp.
B. Use additional 0.5 inch (12mm) tendons.
Alternatively, unbonded tendons are used at one third points Aalami, B. O. and Bommer, A. (1999) “Design Fundamen-
of the slab span to provide an average precompression of tals of Post-Tensioned Concrete Floors,” Post-Tension-
100 psi (0.7 MPa) over the wedge shaped region at slab ing Institute, Phoenix, AZ, pp. 406.
edge.
Aalami, B. O. (2000). “Layout of Post-Tensioning and
Assume effective force of each strand = 26.8 k (119.2 kN) Passive Reinforcement in Floor Slabs Reinforcement in
Post-Tensioned Floor Slabs,” PTI Technical Note #8,
Maximum cross-sectional area needing reinforcement: Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, April
A = (17*12 – 14)*5 Aalami, B. O., and Kelley, S. K., (2001a) “Structural De-
= 950 in2 ( 612902 mm2) sign of Post-Tensioned Floors,” Concrete International,
American Concrete Institute, January 2001, pp. 31-36.
Provide two looped and staggered tendons as shown in Fig.
2.3.1-1. Extend the loop by 0.5*17 = 8.5 ft (2.60m). Aalami, B. O., and Kelley, G. S. (2001b)“Design of Con-
crete Floors With Particular Reference to Post-Tension-
6 - REFERENCES ing”, PTI TN , Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ,
Aalami, B. O. and Barth, F. G. (1988) “ Restraint Cracks and January 2001.
Their Mitigation in Unbonded Post-Tensioned Building
Structures,” Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 49 ACI-423 (1996). “Recommendations for Concrete Mem-
pp. bers Prestressed with Unbonded Tendons.” ACI 423.3R-
96, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, MI.
Aalami, B. O. (1989). “Design of Post-Tensioned Floor Slabs,”
Concrete International, ACI, June 1989, Vol. 11, No, 6, pp 59- ACI-318 (1999). “Building Code Requirements for Struc-
67. tural Concrete,” American Concrete Institute, Detroit,
MI, pp. 391
Aalami, B. O. (1990). “Load Balancing – A Comprehensive
Solution to Post-Tensioning,” ACI Structural Journal, V. 87, IBC2000, (2000) “International Building Code,” Interna-
No. 6, November/December, 1990, pp. 662-670. tional Code Council, Inc., Falls Church, Va., 756 pp.
Aalami, B.O. (1993a). “Effective Width and Post-Tension- PTI (1990), Post-Tensioning Manual, 5th Edition, Post-
ing,” PTI Technical Note #1, April 1993, Post-Tensioning Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, AZ, pp. 406.
Institute, Phoenix, AZ, 4 pp.
PTI (2000), “Field Procedures Manual for Unbonded
Single Strand Tendons,” Post-Tensioning Institute, Phoe-
nix, AZ, 3rd edition, pp. 61.
POST-TENSIONING INSTITUTE EDUCATIONAL AND TRAI N I N G I N S T I T U T E AMERICAN SEGMENTAL BRIDGE INSTITUTE

Consulting Company Member Dedicated to Design Professionals Organizational Member
This publication is intended for the use of professionals competent to evaluate the significance and
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1733 Woodside Road, Suite 220, Redwood City, CA 94061, USA TEL 650.306.2400 FAX 650.364.4678 E-MAIL info@adaptsoft.com www.adaptsoft.com
5 - 62
5.8
One-Way and Two-Way

Post-Tensioned Floor Systems
By Bijan O. Aalami
1 - INTRODUCTION Column size and geometry play a role in the failure mode of
a floor supported directly on columns. The effect of a col-
This work describes the structural modeling of concrete umn cross-sectional area and size is not covered.
floor systems, in particular floors reinforced with post-
tensioning. It is aimed at the post-tensioning design engi- 2-DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS
neer with three primary objectives in mind, namely, (i) re-
state the concepts and discuss the one- and two-way mod- 2.2 Concept of one-way and two-way system
eling of floor systems, (ii) outline the application of one-
way systems to post-tensioned floors, and, (iii) review the
application of the code to structural modeling of post- A simple definition for the one- and two-way structural
tensioned floors. models of slab systems can be made through reference to
the path a load follows, from its point of application to
Several simplifications are made in the discussions that where it reaches the slab supports. Geometry of construc-
follow. These are made to enhance the readability and fo- tion, disposition of reinforcement, prestressing, distribu-
cus on the subject, without compromising the validity and tion of loading as well as the magnitude of loading, can
generality of the concepts. The simplifications are: affect the load path. An active load path prior to cracking of
concrete can change as concrete cracks and the reinforce-
Loss of prestressing in tendons due to friction is disre- ment becomes mobilized. Further, a slab’s natural load path
garded. In the bulk of the discussions, it is assumed that may be different from the path envisioned by the engineer
the force along the tendon remains constant. in his/her design. Several load paths may exist to carry the
applied loading satisfactorily to the slab supports. It is the
In most of the examples offered, the tendons are assumed structural model associated with a selected load path which
unbonded. Unbonded systems are the primary method of determines whether the system for the load path picked is
construction in the building industry. However, their selec- one-way or two-way. Hence, it is concluded that one- or
tion herein is based on ease of material comprehension. two-way categorization is no necessarily an inherent fea-
ture of a slab system. Rather, it refers to the path selected
The tendons are assumed to be straight in most of the for design, or the path used for adequacy verification. If at
examples. In reality, post-tensioned tendons are draped the strength demand for structure only one feasible load
(profiled) to provide uplift for serviceability, and to contrib- path exists, the question of path selection becomes mute.
ute to the strength of the member when overloaded. The
profiling does not impact the structural system in the con- Fig. 2.1-1 (a) shows a simply supported beam, together
text of this work. with the free body diagram of a cut along the beam’s length.
The applied loading, F, is carried to the supports, A, and, B,
When approaching a failure mechanism, floor slabs de- by way of moments and shears indicated on the cut sec-
velop membrane forces due to finite displacements. Mem- tion. The load path is along AB. The vehicle of load trans-
brane forces, as well as arching action, increase the load fer is moment and shear. The system is defined as one-way.
carrying capacity of slabs. This work disregards their con-
tribution in the discussion of a slab’s strength. In part (b) of the same figure, the applied loading, F, is
placed on a system of intersecting beams. Observe on the
Poisson’s ratio relates the moment and curvature of one cut of this beam that, to resist the applied loading, F, mo-
direction to that of the perpendicular direction. The influ- ments and shears are mobilized in two directions namely,
ence of Poisson’s ratio is not included in the main body of AB and CD. The system is referred to as two-way. The
the work. exact sharing of the load between the two directions, AB,
5 - 63
and CD, depends on a number of factors, such as stiffness In summary, in the present treatment of the subject matter,
of the two beams prior to cracking of concrete, and the distinction is made between the natural response of a struc-
amount of reinforcement after cracking. In the framework of ture to loading, its design load path and the structure’s
the present discussion, the central issue is to select and analysis load path.
adequate path, or to verify that for the level of loading
given, one or more satisfactory paths exist. In practical As a refresher for the discussion that follows, refer to the
design, the exact distribution of the resisting actions (mo- beam of Figure 2.1-2 and observe that an applied moment,
ment, shear, axial force) is not the primary concern, so long M, causes a curvature, (1/R), where R is the radius of cur-
that satisfactory resistance of the structure of the applied vature of the bent beam. The moment, M, is proportional to
loading can be ascertained. Obviously, the natural response the resulting curvature, (1/R). Generally, for a slab of uni-
of the intersecting beams is to carry the load in both, AB, form thickness and properties, the direction of the observed
and CD, directions-that is to say in two ways. However, it is largest curvature is the direction along which the larger
permissible to model the structure as one-way system, with moments are transferred. Poisson’s ratio plays a minor role
CD, assigned to carry the entire loading for both in-service in this respect as details in Appendix A.
and strength limit states. In this case the model is a one-
way system. Or, it is permissible that the design engineer
assigns fractions of the load which would be carried by
each beam. In the latter case, the model would be a two-
way system.
FIGURE 2.1-2
2.2 Load Carrying Characteristic of Slabs
An element of slab acting in two-ways (Fig.2.2-1(a)) has

curvature in both directions. An element of slab acting in
one-way develops shear and moments in one-direction
(Fig.2.2-1(b)). Note that the discussions are limited to zero
Poisson’s ratio, with the understanding that its exclusion
does not affect the conclusions arrived at.
FIGURE 2.1-1
Following the preceding argument, when curvature, (1/R),
It is true that, in structural modeling, the engineer can as- is zero in a given direction, there is no load carrying action
sign values for loads to be carried in different directions, in that direction (Fig. 2.2-1(b and d)). For a uniform slab,
and conclude with an acceptable design. However, the greater shear and moment are carried in direction of larger
closer the engineer’s load assignment is to the natural re- curvature.
sponse of a structure, the less cracking the structure is
likely to undergo, when called upon to mobilize the load Consider a square rectangular plate, simply supported on
path assigned by the engineer in its design and detailing. all four sides and loaded with a uniform intensity of load-
This is an important consideration for serviceability being. For illustration purposes, let the plate be made up of
havior of post-tensioned structures, where is service de- steel and be under its own weight. The plate is homoge-
sign is an attempt to control cracking under working condi- neous and has the same stiffness and material properties in
tions. The assignment of loading and selection of path is both directions. Note in Figure 2.2-2 that the plate flexes in
not critical for strength limit state, since in most designs both directions with equal deflections. Hence, it develops
the structure is assumed to have cracked extensively and a resistance as a two-way action. Due to symmetry, one
rendered unserviceable when reaching its strength limit.
5 - 64
quarter of the loading is carried to each support side. The

stresses at the center plate, caused by the moments in the
two x- and y-directions are shown in Figure 2.2-2(f), with a
maximum tension stresses at the bottom fiber. The larger
the loading, the higher are the stresses. So long as the
stresses in the plate remain within the limits of the plate
material, the loading on the plate can be increased and the
plate retains its two-way load-carrying characteristic.
FIGURE 2.2-2
FIGURE 2.2-1
Extend the preceding example to a hypothetical plate made
up of plain concrete. If the tensile stresses caused under
self-weight (Figure 2.2-2(f)) are less than concrete’s tensile
stress limit, the plain concrete slab can hold its own weight
and would not collapse. Similar to the steel plate, the slab
would flex in two-directions and would undergo two-way
action. Since the tensile stress limit of concrete is low, this
application of concrete reaches its load carrying capacity
once cracking is initiated, unless reinforcement is added to
resist the post-crack loading.
One method of extending the capacity of the plain concrete

example is to instill a precompression in the slab. Consider
another hypothetical scenario (Figure 2.2-3), in which the
plain concrete slab, resting on four wall supports is a pe-
rimeter, is subjected to biaxial precompression. The
precompression is induced through a series of jacks placed
around the slab’s perimeter. The jacks react against a strong
ring outside the slab. The tensile stresses developed due
to flexing the slab (Figure2.2-3(c)) are counteracted by the
precompression the jacks impart. The amount of the
precompression can be regulated to retain the resulting
tensile stresses within the limits of the concrete material
used. For the geometry of the example, the slab flexes in
both directions and transfers the weight (applied loading)
equally to the four wall supports at slab’s perimeter (Figure
2.2-3(d)). The response of the slab is two-way action. FIGURE 2.2-3
5 - 65
Figure 2.2-4 shows the same slab, but this time subjected to
precompression in one-direction (along x-x). Assume load-
ing is increased beyond the cracking limit of concrete in
one direction where no precompression is provided (y-y).
The load would then be carried essentially in one direction
of precompression (x-x). In y-y direction, the plate deflects
as shown in part (e) of the figure. In this direction, the
curvature at the center plate in zero. Along the edges paral-
lel to x-direction, the plate cracks to accommodate the de-
flected shape imposed by bending in x-direction. The re-
sponse of the slab in one-way behavior.
FIGURE 2.2-5
For completeness in treatment of the subject, review the

deflection load carrying characteristics of a slab supported
on four sides and reinforced in one-direction. The deforma-
tion of the slab and its one-way load carrying response is
illustrated in Figure 2.2-6 for the condition of slab sub-
jected to uniform loading in excess of that needed to cause
cracking of concrete.
FIGURE 2.2-4
Compare this slab with the example of Figure 2.2-2, where

no precompression was provided, and where the slab was
regarded as two-way system for the magnitude of loading
considered. In the example of Figure 2.2-4, the level of load-
ing is increased to cause cracking of concrete in the y-
direction. As a result, the initial two-way natural response
of the slab of Figure 2.2-4 changes into a one-way system
with increase in loading. From the foregoing, it is evident
that the slab’s response as one-or two-way system can
depend on the level of applied loading. This issue will be
further discussed under the serviceability and limit state
considerations.
Nonprestressed reinforcement in two directions, as well as

combinations of precompression and nonprestressed rein- FIGURE 2.2-6
forcing can also result in two-way systems at service con-
dition (Figure2.2-5).
5 - 66
A practical alternative for introducing precompression into 2.3 Definition of serviceability and strength limits
a concrete slab is by way of post-tensioned tendons inter-
nal to the slab. Refer to Figure 2.2-7, where straight un- Because cracking and mobilization of reinforcement can
bonded tendons anchored at the slab edges provide biaxial change the load path, in the determination of the structural
(Figure 2.2-7(a)), or uniaxial precompression (Figure 2.2- system, two states of the load path are of particular signifi-
7(c)). The unbonded post-tensioned tendons are assumed cance. One is the in-service condition which describes the
to be straight and positioned at the mid-depth of the slab. response under working loads. The other is the strength
The tendons are greased and contained in a bond-breaking limit state, when the safety of the structure against over-
sheathing. For the same amount of precompression, the in- load is established.
service behavior of the two-way post-tensioned slabs of
Figures 2.2-7(a) and 2.2-3 is the same. The latter has the Serviceability refers to the floor slab under its design-in-
precompression exerted through externally secured jacks. tended in-service condition. For prestressed slabs, the ser-
viceability is controlled at the design stage through limits
imposed on tensile stresses and deflections, both under
working loads. Hypothetically computed and averaged ten-
sile stresses are used as a guide to control cracking in a
slab. Deflection are limited to guarantee satisfactory slab
function, as well as vibration control (Aalami 1989).
At strength limit state, the slab should develop adequate

capacity to sustain an assumed overload. It is implemented
to safeguard against the possibility of collapse and for life
safety. The natural load path of a floor system in its in-
service and strength limits may nor necessarily be the same.
3-SERVICEABILITY
Serviceability check is achieved through tensile stress and

deflection checks under working loads (ACI-code based
design of post-tensioned slabs, both the stresses and de-
flections are computed under the assumption that the slab
remains linearly elastic and uncracked. The slab’s stiffness
is based on its gross cross-sectional geometry. Moments
and stresses are assumed smeared uniformly across the
slab’s tributary.
For serviceability design, the test of a two-way structural

FIGURE 2.2-7 system is: (i) the availability of precompression in two per-
pendicular directions of a magnitude essentially equal to
Post-tensioned tendons are not generally placed along a the average precompression used in overall design of slab
straight line, as adopted for the preceding example. The (150 psi or more), and (ii) the development of curvature in
tendons are commonly profiled along a curve, such as to both directions in the deflected slab.
exert and uplift (lateral force) favorable to the slab response.
The profiling and its associated uplift to not affect the Based on the foregoing test, the tendon arrangement of
present precompression discussion and the conclusions Figure 2.2-7(a) results in a two-way system, since it pro-
arrived at. vides two-way precompression. The reinforcement arrange-
ment of Figure 2.2-7 (c) is viable and permissible, with the
Also, in practice, internal tendons can be bonded to the understanding that the system is one-way along the x-di-
concrete through grouting of the void of a tendon’s duct, rection from the post-tensioning design standpoint. In the
after completion of prestressing. Again, the grouting does x-direction, the one-way along minimum requirements of
not in principle affect the present discussion and its con- the code for prestressed slabs apply. Along the y-axis, no
clusions. stress check needs to be performed, since the construction
is viewed as nonprestressed in this direction. The minimum
reinforcement and span to depth ratios in y-direction are
governed by the non-prestressed sections of the code. As
it will be discussed later, at the strength limit state, how-
ever, the arrangement is a two-way system for both con-
figurations (parts (a) and (c)).
5 - 67
Consider a floor system supported on an orthogonal array form with a pronounced peak over the column supports.
of column, such as shown in Figure 3-1. Let the post- But the precompression due to prestressing is essentially
tensioning in each direction consist of straight unbonded uniform in most designs.
tendons positioned at mid-depth of slab; and let the pre-
stressing amount to an average precompression of 150 psi.
Four different arrangements of prestressing tendons are
illustrated. The compression delivered at the boundary of
the floor slab along its centroidal axis will diffuse readily
into a uniform precompression in regions away from the
slab edges. As a result, the four arrangements shown lead
to practically uniform precompression for the interior panel
shown on Figure 3-1 (f). In other words, from a serviceabil-
ity standpoint, for all the arrangements shown, the interior
panels respond in a two-way manner.
FIGURE 3-2
4-STRENGTH LIMIT STATE
The strength limit state ensures that the structure has ca-
pacity reserve equal or exceeding the overload level stipu-
lated in code. One method of evaluating a floor system’s
strength limit is to magnify the elastically computed mo-
ments by the overload factor, and to verify that the sec-
tions along each member can withstand the magnified ac-
tions. This is the method most common in North America.
An alternative is to envisage failure modes (collapse mecha-
nism) for the structure, and re-compute the actions based
on the assumed collapse mechanisms. The mechanism for
which the member sections at all locations can withstand
the respective sectional actions is the acceptable solution.
Consider the partial plan of a flat plate floor system shown

in Figure 4-1. On the assumption that the column size and
column/slab region is adequate to avoid a preemptive
punching failure similar to the mechanism illustrated in Fig-
ure 4-1(e), the floor system is likely to fail in one of the two
FIGURE 3-1
modes shown in parts (a) and (c) of the figure. Observe the
For straight and unbonded tendons, placed at mid-depth first alternative (parts, a, and b), where plastic hinge lines
of the plate, there is no practical difference among the dif- are formed at grid lines, 1,2, and h. In order for the mecha-
ferent options shown, when considering the serviceability nism shown to develop, the entire reinforcement along the
of the interior spans. However, if the tendons are profiled, gird lines, 1,2, and h, would be mobilized, since the hinge
in addition to precompression, each tendon exerts an uplift lines extend over the entire length of the slab. The entire
along its length. The uplift of the profiled tendons causes load, Wu, (Figure4-1(b)) would transfer to support lines 1
bending in slab. The bending, by design counteracts that and 2. Refer also to parts (c) and (d) of the figure, where the
of the gravity loading. hinges lines A, B and h resist the entire loading, Wu, and
consequently its static moment in the central panel (WuL2/
For all the cases shown, an applied loading, such as live 8). It is apparent that for the mechanisms shown, at strength
loading, would cause the same bending stresses. The bend- limit state, the entire loading must be considered to be re-
ing stresses generated by nonprestressed loading are not sisted once in one direction, and independently in the other
a function of tendon arrangement. direction. The distribution of reinforcement along the line
of hinges is not as critical, as is its amount and its position
Refer to Figure 3-2. Observe that the distribution of stress within the depth of the section. Clearly along the lines,1,
in a slab, such as along a column line, is generally nonuni- and 2, of Figure (b) the reinforcement/prestressing must be
5 - 68
at the top, while along the line, h, it must be at the bottom to would meet the demand on strength limit. It is argued that
be most effective. for the small loading imposed, the slab is a two-way system
for both the in-service and the strength limit conditions. In
other words, the level of strength demand is a factor in
determination of load path and the load resisting capability
of a slab. In practice, however, when designing new con-
struction, the strength limit state is normally tuned to be
close to the strength demand for economy of construction.
It is in the evaluation of existing structures, when an issue
of the nature discussed can arise.
5-CODE APPLICATION AND DISCUSSION
The discussion of code application is focused on ACI (ACI-

318, 1992, ACI-423, 1989) and Uniform Building Code (UBC,
1991). The code views the slab systems at two states, ser-
viceability limit and strength limit. The qualification of a
prestressed floor as one- or two-way system governs the
amount of the code required minimum reinforcement, as
well as a member’s strength requirement.
In the interpretation of the code requirements, it is impor-

tant to be clear about the definition of a beam in prestressed
floor systems.
5.1 Beam Definition for Prestressed Floors
A beam is defined as thickening in slab which (i) exceeds

FIGURE 4-1 the limitations set forth in Figure 5.1-1, (ii) extends between
two slab supports, such as columns, and (iii) provides sup-
Based on foregoing, the four reinforcement and prestress-
port for the slab through the flexure of the thickened re-
ing arrangements shown in Figure 3-1 all develop a two-
gion. In post-tensioned slabs, it becomes necessary at times,
way system for the strength limit analysis. Also, both slabs
to thicken a region of the slab for the purpose of providing
of Figure 2.2-7 are two-way systems in their strength limit
increased tendon drape and tendon cover. The primary sup-
response, although the slab in part (c) of the figure was
port to the slab loading is provided by the uplift force of the
considered a hybrid of one-way systems for serviceability
draped tendons in the thickened region, as opposed to the
consideration.
increased local stiffness which is the case in beams with
heavy and deep stems. The slab-beam, or the wide-shal-
The bi-directionally reinforced slab in Figure 2.2-5(a) is a
low-beam- as it is referred to at times, and as illustrated in
two way system, while the
Figure 5.4-1 is not stiff enough significantly influence the
slab in part (c) of the same figure is one-way system in
stiffness characteristics of a floor system due to added load-
direction of nonprestressed reinforcement at strength limit
state. This slab cannot develop a viable failure mechanism
in direction of applied precompression. As loading is in-
creased, the precracking two-way path of a load transfer
would transform to a one-way load path in direction of
non-prestressed reinforcement when slab approaches its
strength limit.
When evaluating a structure for strength limit state, it is

important to differentiate between the strength demand
and the strength limit. Refer to Figure 2.2-3, where a plain
concrete slab is subjected to biaxial precompression. It is
stated in the forging, that the slab can be serviceable, but
would not develop a collapse mechanism, based on which
a strength limit could be assessed. Notwithstanding, if the
factored (magnified) values of actions for the strength limit
state are too small to cause cracking in the slab, the slab FIGURE 5.1-1
5 - 69
ing (live loading). Further, since the region is treated as part For strength limit state, the two commonly used options
of the slab entity, no beam-dedicated stirrups are provided are as indicated in parts (b), and (c) of Figure 5.3-1. Using a
in such a thickening for one-way shear. The design is gov- simple frame, as illustrated in part (b), the slab is designed
erned by the geometry and the structural system of the as an independent structural member-acting as two-way
slab, of which the thickening is an appendage. system. Beams are designed separate from the slabs. For
example, the beam marked on line A, is designed for a load-
5.2 Simple Beam/Slab Construction ing associated with the hatched tributary. In other words,
the weight of the slab is broken into four parts, each carried
by one of the beams at its perimeter. The beams are de-
In typical beam/slab constructions (Figure 5.2-1), the beam
signed as a one-way system subjected to the triangular
span is between three to four times the slab span. The
loading (or trapezoidal, depending on the geometry arrange-
reinforcement in the slab is primarily unindirectional-per-
ment). The beams are designed with an effective width equal
pendicular to the beam. Although in the common case of
to, or smaller than, the maximum load tributary. For this
the slab is under biaxial precompression, by virtue of its
case, the code’s one-way minimum reinforcement and pro-
predominant loading and geometry, the response of the
visions apply.
slab is essentially a cylindrical deformation (Figure 2.2-1(b)).
As a result, the slab is considered a one-way system. The
precompression in direction perpendicular to the slab span
may be used for control of cracking due to shrinkage and
temperature, as well as spreading of concentrated loads.
The beam too, is a one-way system. The beam is assigned
a load equal to its tributary, but designed in bending for an
effective width smaller or equal to the tributary (Aalami
1993b)
FIGURE 3-1
5.3 Flat Slab on Intersecting Beams FIGURE 3-1
A formerly common system of construction for In the Equivalent Frame Modeling (Chapter 13 of ACI, 1992)
nonprestressed floors was the uniform slab on an orthogo- method, each beam, such as the one marked on line A, is
nal grid of beams and columns as shown in Figure 5.3-1. considered in combination with its slab tributary. The slab
This method of construction-now less common in tributary extends to mid-distance between column lines
nonprestressed concrete design-is generally not used in transverse to the frame being designed. The loading on the
post-tensioned construction. It is included in its review for frame is represented by the hatched area in the figure. The
completeness. beam-slab combination and the loading shown are designed
with and effective width equal to, or greater than, the entire
Regardless of the arrangement of prestressing, as long as tributary (Aalami, 1993b). For the equivalent frame model-
the average precompression in two-directions is essentially ing, the code’s two-way minimum reinforcement applies to
equal to the design value, the slab would respond in a two- the beam-slab combination. Note that in this scheme the
way manner for service condition. Hence, the two-way sys- beam and slab are not designed as two independent mem-
tem of minimum reinforcement of the code for the pre- bers, as is the case in the simple frame.
stressed slabs applies.
5 - 70
It is interesting to say that the equivalent frame modeling exerted by a tendon on its supporting structure is given in
used in part (c) of the figure results in a larger total bending references (Aalami 1990, Aalami, 1993a, Collins and Mitchell,
moment for the beam/slab combination, than the beam of 1991). Apart from location of abrupt changes in tendon
the simple frame of part (b). The simple frame has a smaller angle, the longitudinal force is primarily due to friction of
total static moment-on account of a smaller loading as- tendon with its sheathing. The inclusion of tendon friction
signed to it. But, since it is a one-way system, it is subject affects some of the stress distributions discussed in the
to a more stringent design requirement when using UBC. forgoing. However, the nature of its impact does not alter
UBC requires that one-way systems using unbonded post- the concepts presented and the conclusions arrived at for
tensioning be designed to withstand their self weight and the one-way and two-way system categorization.
25% of the unreduced live loading by means other than
unbonded post-tensioning. According to UBC, the simple 6.2 Stiffened Slabs
frame modeling would generally result in less post-
tensioning, but more nonprestressed reinforcement, ACI
Slabs may be stiffened in one-or two-directions. The slabs
does not follow the UBC’s stringent reinforcement require-
stiffened in one-direction are referred to as ribbed-or joist-
ment for one-way systems when using unbonded tendons.
slab construction. Those stiffened in two directions are
called waffle slabs (also referred to as coffered slabs).
5.4 Wide Shallow beams
An economical design solution for post-tensioned slabs 6.2.1 JOISTS
on column grids with aspect ratios between 1.5 and 2.5 is
the use of wide shallow beams (Figure 5.4-1). A wide shal-
Joist slabs have a higher stiffness in the joist direction that
low beam is a thickening of slab in the long direction be-
the perpendicular direction. The conclusions arrived for
tween the column supports with dimensional restrictions
slabs to uniform thickness do not directly apply to joist
given in Figure 5.1-1. The wide shallow beam system al-
slabs. Due to its higher stiffness, a smaller curvature along
lows the slab thickness to be based on the dimensions of
the joist carries a larger moment than the same curvature in
the shorter span. A wide shallow beam slab construction is
perpendicular direction. The aspect ratio, for which a ribbed
a two-way system for both the serviceability and strength
slab may-on the basis of its curvature response-be consid-
limits of design. It is designed using the Equivalent Frame
ered to be acting as a two-way system depends on the
Method for modeling of two-way systems.
geometry of the construction.
6.2.2 WAFFLE
Stiffeners in waffle slab construction are generally spaced

uniformly in both directions. This results in uniform stiff-
ness of the floor in two directions. Waffle slabs can, there-
fore, be treated as a uniform slab with an equivalent thick-
ness. Solid waffles can be treated as column caps and drops
when comparing the response of a waffle construction with
a conventional slab. Modeling of waffle slabs is discussed
in reference (Aalami, 1989). Waffle slabs are viewed as slabs
with uniform thickness with respect to their response as
one-or two-way structural systems.
6.3 Grouted Tendons

FIGURE 3-1 There is no basic difference between grouted and unbonded
tendons in regards to the one-or two-way action of a floor
6-OTHER CONSIDERATIONS system. The friction loss is more pronounced in grouted
tendons than the unbonded alternative, but not to the ex-
6.1 Profiled Tendons tent that would invalidate the concepts and conclusions
offered.
Profiled tendons are placed on a path other than straight.
Profiled tendons exert to the containing member, forces
lateral (perpendicular) to the tendon, and longitudinal (in
direction of tendon) along the tendon path. Generally, the
profile is selected such as to obtain a favorable distribution
of lateral tendon force (uplift). A detailed treatment of forces
5 - 71
Timoshenko, S., and Woinowsky-Krieger, (1959) “Theory of Plates and Shells,” McGrow Hill
7-CONCLUDING REMARKS Book Co., New York, N.Y., 1959.
UBC, (1991), “Uniform Building Code,” International Conference of Building Officials, Whitier,
The considerations necessary to determine whether a floor Ca, 1991, 1050 pp.
system acts as a one- or two-way system are represented
and discussed. The following conclusions are made. APPENDIX A
In most cases the structural modeling for a concrete floor A.1 Moment displacement relationships
system is not unique. Distinction is made between the struc-
tural system associated with the floor’s natural response to The relationship between the moments in a plate on x-y
the applied loading, the system adopted by the engineer plane, and the displacements, w perpendicular to the plane
for the design of the floor, the system selected for verifica- of the plate are (Timoshenko et al, 1959, Aalami, 1977):
tion of floor’s adequacy, the system under working condi- Mx= -D(w,xx+vw,yy)
tions, and finally the strength limit system. My= -D(w,yy+vw,xx)
Mxy= D(1-v)w,xy
The structural system for in-service response may be dif-
ferent to that of strength limit state. A slab which responds Where,
as one-way system in-service, may develop a two-way sys- a comma followed by a subscript represents partial
tem at its strength limit state. differentiation in turn with respect to each subscript
variable;
For serviceability consideration of a post-tensioned struc- v = Poisson’s ratio
ture, the precompression together with the development of D = unit stiffness [h3/(1-v2), h is plate thickness]
curvature in direction of precompression under applied load-
ing are the tests for mobilization of a load path. If the
A.2 Anticlastic deformation
precompression and curvature tests pass for two direc-
tions, the floor is a two-way system, otherwise it is a one-
A plate element bent in one direction, such as y-direction
way.
shown in Figure A-1, develops a curvature in the perpen-
dicular direction (x-direction in the figure), due to Poisson’s
The strength demand is defined as the resistance a struc-
ratio (v). The relationship between the curvature in direc-
ture must develop when subject to its design overload.
tion of applied moment (1/R ) and the transverse direction
The capacity of a structure can be more. The load path
is:
developed at strength demand might be different from that
1/Rx = v/Ry
of the slab’s load path at capacity. The load path associ-
ated to strength demand determines the categorization of a
The curvature developed in the transverse direction de-
slab into a one-or two-way system.
forms the plate into a saddle shape. It is called anticlastic
curvature.
Geometry of a floor system by itself is not adequate to
identify the structural model of a floor system. The level of
loading, disposition of prestressing and reinforcement, as
well as the modeling envisaged by the design engineer are
all factors governing the definition of the structural model.
8-REFERENCES
Aalami, B. O., (1993a), “Developments in Post-Tensioned Building Design,” Proceedings,
CONCET’93, International Conference on Concrete Engineering and Technology, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, 25-27 May 1993, pp. KNA3-1 to KNA3-15
Aalami, B. O., (1993b), “Effective Width and Post-Tensioning,” PTI Technical Notes, Post-
Tensioning Institute, Phoenix, Az, Issue1, April 1993.
Aalami, B. O., (1990), “Load Balancing, A Comprehensive Solution to Post-Tensioning,” ACI

Structural Journal, November/December 1990, pp.662-670
Aalami. B. O., (1989), “Design of Post-Tensioned Floor Slabs,” Concrete International, Ameri-
can Concrete Institute, June 1989.
Aalami, B. O., (1977), “Thin Plate Design for Transverse Loading,” John Wiley, 1977, pp. 195.
ACI-318 (1992), “Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete,” American Concrete
Institute, Detroit, 1992, pp. 347
ACI-423 (1989), “Recommendations for Concrete Members Prestressed with Unbonded Ten-
dons,” American Concrete Institute Structural Journal, May-June 1989, pp. 301-318.
Collins, M. P., and Mitchell D., (1991) “Prestressed Concrete Structures,” Prentice Hall Inc,
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1991, pp. 766.
FIGURE 3-1
5 - 72
5.9
Dr. Bijan O. Aalami, Editor

Technical Note
For Professionals Engaged or Interested in Post-Tensioning Design Issue T9-01, September 2001
Effective Width in Post-Tensioned

Flanged Beams
This explains the effective width to be used in the stress block defines the “effective width” in bending. For uniform
calculation of post-tensioned T-beams. Simple beam for- loading on simply supported beams, the effective width is
mulas are used in the practical design of flange beams. The eight times the slab thickness on each side of the stem.
effective width concept was introduced to make the calcu- Hence, the maximum bending stress can be calculated from
lated maximum stress from the simple beam formula to be the simple beam formula as follows:
the same as that obtained from an elastic solution in which
f = Mb*c/Ib (1)
the plate action of the flange is recognized.
Where, Ib is the moment of inertia of the portion of the beam
Figure 1a shows a slab supported on widely spaced paral- bounded by the effective width (hatched area in Fig. 2b).
lel beams. The loading is uniform. The compressive stresses The moment of inertia is calculated about the centroid (point
in the flange are highest at the flange/stem intersection B) of the effective width.
and taper off away from the beam stem. This is due to the
shear lag phenomenon. For simplification in the calcula- In post-tensioned beams, the tendon force is deposited at
tions, the nonuniform compression over the tributary of the end of the beam (slab edge). The tendon force creates
the flange can be replaced with a rectangular block of equal an axial force and a moment, if the force is eccentric to the
force, having a width smaller than the tributary, and a centroid of the tributary area. An axial force at the slab edge
stress equal to the maximum. The equal force rectangular spreads sharply over the entire cross-sectional area of the
FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2
5 - 73
slab (Fig. 1c). The force diffuses into a uniform compres-

sion away from the of anchorage devices. The distribu-
tion into a uniform stress over the entire tributary is based
on the fact that a load applied at the centroid of a section
divides uniformly over the entire cross section away from
the point of application of the load. Hence, at any given
section along the length of the member, the stress due to
prestressing is:
fpt = Mpt *c/Ib + P/A (2)

Where, Mpt is the moment due to post-tensioning. For a
simply supported beam, Mpt is equal to the post-tension-
ing force times its eccentricity from the centroid of the
entire tributary (point A in Fig. 2a). Like before, Ib and c are
moment of inertia and distance from the centroid of the
reduced area as shown in Fig. 2b. A, is the area of the
entire tributary (hatched in Fig. 2a). FIGURE EX-1
The combined stress at a point distance “c” from the cen-
troid of the effective width area is given by:
f = fb + fpt = (Mb + Mpt)*c/Ib + P/A (3)
EXAMPLE
Figure EX-1 shows the partial plan of a beam and slab
construction. The beams are single span and simply sup-
ported. Each beam is stressed with 16 – ½ in (13 mm).
strand providing a combined force of 428.2 k (1904.72 kN)
at the beam’s mid-span, where the centroid of the tendon
is 2.75 in. (70 mm) from the soffit. The sum of dead and live
moments at midspan is 1013.83 k-ft (1374.55 kNm). FIGURE EX-2
Average precompression:
It is required to calculate the midspan stress at the beam P/A = 428.2x1000/1370 = 312.55 psi (2.15 MPa)
soffit. Refer to Fig. EX-2.
Area of beam reduced by effective width:
Area the beam tributary: A = 94x5 + 14x25 = 820 in2 (529031 mm2)
A = 204x5 + 14x25 = 1370 in2 (883869 mm2)
Distance of centroid (point B) from soffit: = 21.10 in.
Distance of centroid from soffit: = 23.67 in. (601 mm) (535.94 mm)
Eccentricity of tendon with respect to centroid (point A) Moment of inertia of section about axis through B
of the tributary = 20.92 “ (531 mm) Ib = 64345.53 in4 (2.6783x1010 mm4)
Moment from post-tensioning: Stress at soffit: f = fb + fpt = (Mb + Mpt)*c/Ib + P/A

Mpt= 428.2x20.92/12 = 746.50 k-ft (1012.10 kNm) f = (1013.83 - 746.50)x12x1000x 21.10/
64345.53 – 312.55 = 739.39 psi (5.10 MPa)
POST-TENSIONING INSTITUTE EDUCATIONAL AND TRAI N I N G I N S T I T U T E AMERICAN SEGMENTAL BRIDGE INSTITUTE

Consulting Company Member Dedicated to Design Professionals Organizational Member
This publication is intended for the use of professionals competent to evaluate the significance and
limitations of its contents and who will accept responsibility for the application of the material it contains.
1733 Woodside Road, Suite 220, Redwood City, CA 94061, USA TEL 650.306.2400 FAX 650.364.4678 E-MAIL info@adaptsoft.com www.adaptsoft.com
5 - 74
CHAPTER 6
SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSIS
AND DESIGN
ADAPT-BUILDER PLATFORM ....................................................................................... 6-1

ADAPT-MODELER .......................................................................................................... 6-3
ADAPT-PT ......................................................................................................................... 6-3
ADAPT-RC ......................................................................................................................... 6-4
ADAPT-FLOOR PRO ........................................................................................................ 6-4
ADAPT-MAT ..................................................................................................................... 6-5
ADAPT-SOG ...................................................................................................................... 6-5
FELT .................................................................................................................................... 6-6
PULT ................................................................................................................................... 6-6
ADAPT POST-TENSIONING DETAILS ......................................................................... 6-6
ADAPT-ABI ....................................................................................................................... 6-7
ADAPT SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN Chapter 6
6. SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF

POST-TENSIONED STRUCTURES
The following is a short overview of ADAPT’s programs and design aids. Since 1981, ADAPT’s mission
has been to develop and distribute the industry’s leading concrete design and analysis tools. Over the years,
our software products and other design aids have evolved to meet the ever increasing demands of structural
engineering design offices. Today, we deliver an integrated concrete design solution that allows structural
engineers to develop their projects from the conceptual design phase all the way through the creation of
structural drawings and details, using just one slab model. These improvements in modeling, analysis,
integrated design, and detailing have led to dramatic increases in the productivity and profitability of ADAPT
users.
In the near future, we plan on expanding our ADAPT-Builder Platform to supporting the modeling and
design of entire concrete structures. Furthermore, we recognize the industry’s push towards interoperable,
specialized design and analysis tools. We are leading this effort with our open platform strategy. As part of
this strategy, we have opened our software’s data structures, allowing our users to easily access and transfer
information back and forth between their various design programs.
To find out more about ADAPT’s product development strategy and up-to-date product information, refer
either to the respective product brochure, product manual, or visit our website at www.adaptsoft.com. If
after reviewing this brief overview you are still unclear as to which program can serve you best, contact
ADAPT to receive a free consultation and product demonstration.
ADAPT-Builder Platform
A comprehensive and integrated solution for the analysis and design of post-tensioned and
conventional concrete floor systems and beams.
Developed from the ground up with ADAPT Component Technology, the ADAPT-Builder Platform is a
collection of fully integrated design and analysis tools for all of your concrete floor system, foundation, and
beam structures, whether with or without post-tensioning. Unlike traditional FEM solutions that rely heavily
on the use of nodes and elements to represent structural elements, this solution’s intuitive and easy-to-use
3D component modeling capabilities allow you to quickly model any structure using explicit concrete
components like walls, beams, slab regions, and drop caps, to name a few. Because your model is based on
intelligent structural components, modifications and maintenance of your analysis model becomes a cinch. In
addition, the Builder Platform is the industry’s only solution that gives you the flexibility to analyze the same
3D structural model using either the Finite Element Method (FEM) or the Equivalent Frame Method
(EFM). With specialized design tools for concrete beam frames, one-way or column-supported flat slabs,
parking structures, mat foundations, ground-supported slabs, and built-in building codes (e.g., American,
Canadian, British, European, and Australian), ADAPT’s Builder Platform will immediately streamline and
improve your concrete design practice.
6-1
ADAPT-PT
ADAPT-RC
ADAPT-
ADAPT-Floor Pro
Modeler
ADAPT-MAT
ADAPT-SOG
ADAPT-Modeler, the platform’s modeling engine, is used to rapidly generate 3D structural models of entire
floor systems by importing dwg/dxf files, or by user-defined input. Once a slab model has been generated in
ADAPT-Modeler, the user has the flexibility of analyzing and designing the entire slab system or individual
design strips using ADAPT’s integrated programs. This flexibility allows for rapid preliminary design using
ADAPT-PT and rigorous design verification and fine-tuning using ADAPT-Floor Pro, without having to
recreate input data.
The next few pages provide an overview of each of ADAPT-Builder’s constituent programs as well as
ADAPTs other products.
6-2
ADAPT-Modeler
Three-dimensional Modeling Software generates input data for ADAPT analysis and design pro-
grams
ADAPT-Modeler generates 3D structural models of complete floor systems using Component Technology.
Once the model is created, ADAPT-Modeler generates all the ADAPT input files for ADAPT-RC,
ADAPT-PT, ADAPT-Floor Pro, ADAPT-MAT, and ADAPT-SOG. ADAPT-Modeler comes bundled with
each license of ADAPT-Floor Pro, ADAPT-MAT, and ADAPT-SOG, but must be purchased separately to
run with ADAPT-PT or ADAPT-RC. An export step is not required when running ADAPT-Floor Pro,
ADAPT-MAT or ADAPT-SOG since ADAPT-Modeler and those programs run in the same environment.
ADAPT-Modeler allows the user to either “draw” a 3D model of the floor system or import and transform
an existing dwg or dxf drawing file of a floor system for structural modeling. ADAPT-Modeler’s transforma-
tion tools convert drawing elements in a CAD file into ADAPT structural components. Next, the user
specifies all material properties, loads and other design parameters. After defining the path of support lines,
the program automatically divides the structure into design strips, idealizes the geometry of the strips and
exports the data directly into ADAPT-PT or ADAPT-RC. Each design strip, with all of its associated input
data, is then run in ADAPT-PT or ADAPT-RC, where the user quickly generates optimized design results.
The program comes with an easy to follow step-by-step example, tutorial and other helpful aids to guide
you through the modeling process. ADAPT-Modeler helps to reduce errors in input data and saves valuable
engineering time in noncreative and repetitive data generation and verification. It enables the structural
designer to concentrate on the design efforts where time is best spent!
ADAPT-PT
Industry Standard Post-Tensioning Software for Beams, Slabs and Floor Systems
ADAPT-PT is the industry standard stand-alone program for the design of beams, slabs and floor systems
post-tensioned with either bonded, or unbonded tendons. For two-way floor systems the user can base the
analysis on either the Equivalent Frame Method, or the Simple Frame Method. For the post-tensioning
design, the user can select between the Effective Force method and the Variable Force (Tendon Selection)
method. In the Variable Force method, the software computes and accounts for the tendons’ friction and
long-term stress losses along the length of the post-tensioned member. ADAPT-PT can handle floor slabs
and slab beams with drop caps, drop panels, steps above and below, transverse beams and non-prismatic
sections. Selfweight is calculated using actual dimensions and material properties. In addition to the post-
tensioning amount and profile, the software calculates the location and amount of the nonprestressed steel
along the length of the structure for the strength and minimum requirements. The solution is presented in a
clear and concise tabular form, as well as in graphical format.
Output options also include a graphical summary report of all important design data, ready for transfer to
structural drawings and inclusion in structural calculations. The graphical summary includes:
• Elevation of the member with the post-tensioning tendons in place

• The post-tensioning profile, elevation of control points and PT-force/number of strands
• Location, length and number of nonprestressed bars required over the entire member length
6-3
• Punching shear analysis for one-way systems, or for two-way systems

• Designer’s comments
• DXF output
Flexibility in selection of cross-sectional geometry makes this software suitable for design of box girder
bridges, and I-girders in addition to traditional building and parking structures. ADAPT-PT is fast, easy to
master, and is the choice of production-oriented consulting engineers around the world.
ADAPT-PT is offered in two versions, a low cost version referred to as “Standard” and a “Plus” version.
The two programs are identical except that the Standard version is limited to 5 spans and two cantilevers.
The Plus version goes up to 20 spans and two cantilevers. ADAPT-PT is a stand-alone program that can
receive and process graphically generated input data from ADAPT-Modeler.
ADAPT-RC
Software for Design and Analysis of Nonprestressed Concrete Beams, Slabs and Floor Systems
ADAPT-RC is for the analysis and/or design of reinforced concrete beams, slabs and floor systems. It is based
on a single story frame, featuring the Equivalent Frame modeling of the ACI code as an option. In its design
mode, the program determines the deflection and reinforcement for a user-defined geometry, material and
loading. In its analysis mode, for a given floor geometry, loading and reinforcement, the software determines
the capacity of the floor and compares it with the code stipulated demand. In both the design and the analysis
modes, the deflections are calculated using cracked sections, with each span subdivided into 20 segments.
ADAPT-RC is easy to use, yet thorough and rigorous in its formulation. Its graphical display gives a vivid
account of moments, reinforcement and other parameters. ADAPT-RC handles both prismatic and non-
prismatic spans, as well as supports with different boundary conditions. A solid model viewer allows the user to
examine the input structure for a visual check on the accuracy of data entry. The primary application of the
software is in building construction and parking structures.
ADAPT-RC is offered in two versions, a low cost version referred to as “Standard”, and a “Plus” version.
The two programs are identical except that the Standard version is limited to 5 spans and two cantilevers.
The Plus version goes up to 20 spans and two cantilevers. ADAPT-RC is a stand-alone program that can
receive and process graphically generated input data from ADAPT-Modeler.
ADAPT-Floor Pro
Three-dimensional Finite Element Software for Analysis and Design of Conventionally Reinforced
andPost-Tensioned Concrete Floor Systems.
ADAPT-Floor Pro, is a special purpose modeling, analysis and design program based on “Component
Technology”. It performs its analysis and design using the Finite Element Method (FEM). In modeling the entire
floor system, ADAPT-Floor Pro faithfully accounts for all openings, cutouts, beams, walls, columns, drop caps
and drop panels. Profiled tendons in a slab or beam can be specified with any shape, in any arbitrary location,
as either bundled or distributed tendons.
6-4
Based on “Component Technology,” the user generates the structural model, using structural components such
as beams, slabs, columns, and drop caps. Neither nodes nor elements are used to generate and verify the
structural model. Loads can be applied at any location and in any configuration with a click of the mouse. The
comprehensive results include deflection of the slab, moments and shears, prestressing and hyperstatic mo-
ments due to prestressing. Moments and shears can be summed up over the tributaries, or at user-defined
sections for design purposes.
Using ADAPT’s adaptive automatic meshing technique, the program discretizes the structure into an appropri-
ate number of finite elements. The program then analyzes the structure. If desired, the user can view and edit
the automatically generated mesh.
ADAPT-Floor Pro comes bundled with an integrated version of ADAPT-Modeler. Using its ADAPT-Modeler
capabilities, project data can be imported from a dwg or dxf file, or drafted using the drawing capabilities of
the program. The software is particularly suited for irregular floor systems, where a closer approximation to the
distribution of deflection, moments and shears are sought.
ADAPT-FLOOR Pro comes in two versions:
• ADAPT-Floor Pro for nonprestressed reinforced structures

• ADAPT-Floor Pro for prestressed and nonprestressed structures
ADAPT-MAT
For Analysis and Design of Mat Foundations
This Finite Element (FEM) program generates a graphical model of a ground supported slab mat with or
without grade beams. The model can be generated using either an available DWG or DXF file of the founda-
tion, or through user input. The mat can be of any irregular shape and subject to any kind of loading from
above. Using an adaptive meshing and finite elements, the program analyzes the mat and determines the
location, amount and length of all the reinforcement needed by computation. Where applicable, under horizon-
tal loading or moments, the program accounts for the separation of a mat from the soil.
ADAPT-SOG
For Analysis and Design of Post-Tensioned Slab-On-Ground
This Finite Element (FEM) program is tailored for the analysis of post-tensioned foundation slabs, with or
without ribs, on either expansive or compressible soils. It is based on an Extension of the PTI method (E-PTI).
The application of the software is for residential, or light industrial buildings. The program generates a graphical
model of the entire foundation slabs, analyzes the foundation and performs stress checks for conformance with
PTI specifications.
6-5
FELT
Friction, Elongation, and Long-Term Stress Losses in Prestressing
FELT is a computer program for the Friction, Elongation and Long-Term stress loss computation of tendons in
prestressed structures. For a given tendon geometry and stressing specification, the software computes the
stresses along the tendon length. Tendon geometry can be selected from the program’s pre-defined profiles, or,
in the case of irregular tendons, the geometry can be input through tendon coordinates. The immediate loss
computation includes the friction and seating of tendon (wedge draw-in). The long-term losses include creep,
shrinkage and relaxation in steel. The computations are based on the recommendations of ACI Committee
423. The software handles both bonded and unbonded systems. As an option, for shop drawings, friction and
elongation calculations can be performed without long-term stress losses. The software comes with thorough
documentation, extensive examples and a section on verification. It is an effective analysis/design tool for both
consulting engineers and prestressing suppliers. FELT is multi-unit and covers the American, SI, and MKS
systems of units.
PULT
ULTimate Strength Computation of Prestressed Sections
PULT is a computer program for strength analysis or design of prestressed concrete sections. In its analysis
mode, for a known geometry and reinforcement (including both prestressed and non-prestressed reinforce-
ment) PULT computes the moment capacity of the section. In its design mode, for a given geometry and
prestressing, PULT determines the nonprestressed reinforcement needed to supplement the prestressing to
meet the demand of design moment. PULT can handle rectangular or T-sections with tension and / or com-
pression reinforcement and reinforced with a single tendon. The prestressing can be bonded or unbonded. The
software has a comprehensive manual, which explains its theoretical background and offers numerous ex-
amples. The software handles one layer of tension bars, one layer of compression bars, and combines the
prestressing into one resultant tendon. The software is indispensable for spot-checking and verifications of
existing designs of prestressed/post-tensioned members, as well as design of new sections. Fully upgraded to
the windows environment, PULT now comes in one version that handle ACI American, SI and MKS units, as
well as the ACI, Canadian CAN3-A23.3, and British BS8110 codes.
ADAPT Post-Tensioning Details

Structural Details for Building Construction
The ADAPT Post-Tensioning Details is a compilation of over 80 typical details used on structural drawings for
building construction. The details cover one-way and two-way floor slab systems, including the commonly
used beam and slab construction in parking structures. They cover both the bonded and unbonded systems for
regular and aggressive environments. They follow the latest recommendations of the Post-Tensioning Institute.
The details are accompanied by several structural drawings, which describe the cross-referencing of details.
The details come in two forms: on paper and in electronic media on a computer CD. The details come in
American and SI units.
ADAPT-Details on CD
In addition to the details on paper and the associated drawings, this item includes a copy of each detail
6-6
in a separate file on a CD. AutoCAD version 12 is used to save the detail. This allows the electronic
files to be used on a wide platform of AutoCad versions. The details on the CD can be readily called,
viewed and edited on the screen and added to structural drawings being prepared, provided the user
has a software to handle AutoCad drawing formats.
ADAPT-ABI
For Time-Dependent Analysis of Concrete Bridges and Frames, with or without Post-Tensioning
ADAPT-ABI is a general finite element program, which performs time-dependent analysis of concrete bridges
and frames, during the construction phase and after the structure is complete. ABI can investigate the effect of
newly placed concrete, creep, shrinkage, relaxation in prestressing over time, aging of concrete, and variation
in temperature. Its excellent graphical interface can display moments, shears, stresses and deformations for
various stages of construction. The software can handle nonprestressed concrete, precast, cast-in-place, pre-
tensioned or post-tensioned frames. The application of the software is for incrementally constructed bridges
and frames; retrofit of concrete frames where new concrete is added, new members are added or existing
members are modified; and demolition (reverse construction) of frames. Other applications include composite
construction and cable-stay structures. The basic module of the software (ADAPT-ABI Basic) is self-con-
tained and complete. Other modules enhance the capabilities of the Basic program. These are:
ADAPT-Gen Module
ADAPT-Gen enables the user to (i) break the structure into spans and columns, (ii) display
and tabulate the solution in a span-and-column format, (iii) include automatic pattern loading,
and (iv) combine different loading conditions and compile envelopes of load cases. Other
features are directed toward making the software an effective production tool.
ADAPT-Moving Load Module

The moving load module is developed primarily for bridge construction. Using the software’s
library of the most common truck or trainloads, or a user-defined library, the program
automatically moves the loading along a user-defined path and generates an envelope of
sectional actions for combination with other loading. The moving load module of ABI is
general and comprehensive. It is designed to cover all foreseeable conditions in bridge
design.
ADAPT- Elongation Module (includes friction and stress loss)

At the completion of an ADAPT-ABI computer run, and without any additional input data,
this module calculates the elongation of each of the tendons at stressing and the associated
stress losses. The stress losses include the effects of friction, and the time-dependent param-
eters of creep, shrinkage and relaxation in prestressing.
6-7
An alternative to sectional data entry in ADAPT-PT is to use

ADAPT-Modeler to generate a three dimensional model of the
entire floor system.
6-8
Using ADAPT-Floor Pro, the floor system can be meshed for a

Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis of the entire floor.
6-9
The results of a Finite Element (FEM) analysis performed by

ADAPT-Floor Pro can be processed into “design moments” for
each “design strip.”
6 - 10
CHAPTER 7
CONVERSION
TABLES
Conversion Table From SI Units ..................................................................................... 7-1

Conversion Table From American Std Units ................................................................. 7-2
Conversion Table From MKS Units ............................................................................... 7-3
ADAPT CONVERSION TABLES Chapter 7
CONVERSION TABLE FROM SI UNITS
SI Units American Units MKS Units

If you have… Multiply by… To obtain… Multiply by… To obtain…
0.039370 in 0.1 cm
mm
3.2808E-3 ft 0.001 m
Length
39.370 in 100 cm
m
3.2808 ft 1.0 m
2
1.5500E-3 in 0.01 cm2
mm2
1.0764E-5 ft2
Area
1550.0 in2 10000 cm2
m2
10.764 ft2
0.22481 lbs 0.10197 kg
N
2.2481E-4 kips 1.10197E-4 Metric Tons (T)
Force
224.81 lbs 101.97 kg
kN
0.22481 kips 0.10197 Metric Tons (T)
68.522 plf 0.10197 T/m
Force/Length kN/m
0.068522 klf
0.73756 lb-ft 10.197 kg-cm
N-m
7.3756E-4 k-ft 1.0197E-4 T-m
Moment
737.56 lb-ft 10197 kg-cm
kN-m
0.73756 k-ft 0.10197 T-m
145.04 psi 10.197 kg/cm2
MPa 0.14504 ksi 101.97 T/m2
0.010197 T/cm2
Stress
0.14504 psi 0.010197 kg/cm2
kN/m2 1.4504E-4 ksi 0.10197 T/m2
1.0197E-5 T/cm2
kg/m3 0.062427 pcf 0.001 T/m3
Unit weight
kN/m3 6.3659 pcf 101.97 kg/m3
0.020885 psf 0.10197 kg/m2
N/m2
2.0885E-5 ksf 1.0197E-4 T/m2
Area Load
20.885 psf 101.97 kg/m2
kN/m2
0.020885 ksf 0.10197 T/m2
√f’c √ f’c (MPa) 12.043 √ f’c (psi) 3.1933 √ f’c (kg/cm2)
Example: 0.5√ f’c (MPa) = 6.0215√ f’c (psi) = 1.5967√ f’c (kg/cm2)
7-1
CONVERSION TABLE FROM AMERICAN STD UNITS
American Units SI Units MKS Units

25.400 mm 2.5400 cm
in
0.02540 m 0.02540 m
Length
304.8 mm 30.48 cm
ft
0.3048 m 0.3048 m
2
2
645.16 mm 6.4516 cm2
in
6.4516E-4 m2
Area
2
92903 mm2 929.03 cm2
ft
0.092903 m2
4.4482 N 0.45359 kg
lbs
4.4481E-3 kN 4.5359E-4 Metric Tons
Force
4448.2 N 453.59 kg
kips
4.4482 kN 0.45359 Metric Tons
plf 14.594 N/m 1.4882E-3 T/m
Force/Length
klf 14.594 kN/m 1.4882 T/m
1.3558 N-m 13.825 kg-cm
lb-ft
1.3558E-3 kN-m 1.3825E-4 T-m
Moment
1355.8 N-m 13825 kg-cm
k-ft
1.3558 kN-m .13825 T-m
6.8948E-3 MPa 0.070307 kg/cm2
psi 6.8948 kN/m2 0.70307 T/m2
Stress 7.0307E-5 T/cm2
6.8948 MPa 70.307 kg/cm2
ksi 6894.8 kN/m2 703.07 T/m2
0.070307 T/cm2
16.019 kg/m3 16.019 kg/m3
Unit weight pcf
0.15709 kN/m3 0.1619 T/m3
47.880 N/m2 4.8824 kg/m2
psf
0.047880 kN/m2 4.8824E-3 T/m2
Area Load
47880 N/m2 4882.4 kg/m2
ksf
47.880 kN/m2 4.8824 T/m2
√f’c √ f’c (psi) 0.083035 √ f’c (MPa) 0.26515 √ f’c (kg/cm2)
Example: 12√ f’c (psi) = 0.9964√ f’c (MPa) = 3.1818√ f’c (kg/cm2)
7-2
CONVERSION TABLE FROM MKS UNITS
MKS Units American Standard Units SI Units

0.39370 in 10 mm
cm
0.032808 ft 0.01 m
Length
39.370 in 1000 mm
m
3.2808 ft 1.0 m
2
2
0.15500 in 100 mm2
cm
1.0764E-3 ft2
Area
2
1550.0 in2 1.0E+6 mm2
m
10.764 ft2
2.2046 lbs 9.8067 N
kg
2.2046E-3 kips 9.8067E-3 kN
Force
Metric Ton 2204.6 lbs 9806.7 N
(T) 2.2046 kips 9.8067 kN
0.67197 plf 9.8067 N/m
kg/m
6.7197E-4 klf 9.8067E-3 kN/m
Force/Length
671.97 plf 9806.7 N/m
T/m
0.67197 klf 9.8067 kN/m
0.072330 lb-ft 0.098067 N-m
kg-cm
7.2330E-5 k-ft 9.8067E-5 kN-m
Moment
7233.0 lb-ft 9806.7 N-m
T-m
7.2330 k-ft 9.8067 kN-m
14.223 psi 0.098067 MPa
kg/cm2
0.014223 ksi 98.067 kN/m2
Stress
14223 psi 98.067 MPa
T/cm2
14.223 ksi 98067 kN/m2
kg/m3 0.062427 pcf 9.8067 kN/m3
Unit weight
T/m3 62.427 pcf 1000 kg/m3
2
204.82 psf 9806.7 N/m2
Area Load T/m
0.20482 ksf 9.8067 kN/m2
√f’c √ f’c (kg/cm2) 3.7714 √ f’c (psi) 0.31316 √ f’c (MPa)
Example: 4√ f’c (kg/cm2) = 15.0856√ f’c (psi) = 1.2526√ f’c (MPa)
7-3
Concreting of a flat slab

post-tensioned floor
7-4

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PT_Title.

STRUCTURAL CONCRETE SOFTWARE SYSTEM

Analysis and Design of Post-Tensioned Buildings

Dr. Bijan O. Aalami

E-mail: info@adaptsoft.com website: http://www.adaptsoft.com

1. OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 1-1

2. STRUCTURAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS ................................................................ 2-1

3. PROGRAM FEATURES ..................................................................................................... 3-1

4. ANALYSIS AND DESIGN BACKGROUND .................................................................... 4-1

B. Method of ultimate strength calculation ............................................... 4-32

4.16.1 Definition of the Problem ................................................................................ 4-56

4.18.4 Other Considerations ..................................................................................... 4-75

5. REFERENCES AND SELECTED TOPICS ....................................................................... 5-1

6. SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN ................................................................... 6-1

7. CONVERSION TABLES .................................................................................................... 7-1

1.1 GENERAL ........................................................................................................... 1-1

1.2 OVERVIEW OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM ........................................................ 1-1

1.3 ORGANIZATION OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM AND ITS MANUAL ........... 1-7

1.4 QUICK START .................................................................................................. 1-8

1.2 Overview of ADAPT-PT Program

ADAPT-PT executes either automatically or interactively. In its automatic mode, based on

A thorough strength analysis and design is conducted to determine any nonprestressed

(i) Graphical Display of Model

model can be viewed on the screen in a three-dimensional space. The capability to

(ii) Increased Accuracy and Consistency in Solution

• quick and simple; and

(iii) Variable Force Method; Effective Force Method

(iv) No Prismatic Geometry

(v) Effective Width for Beams

(vi) Selfweight Calculation

(vii) Multiple System of Units / Multiple Building Code Flexibility

(viii) User Defined Default Values for Input Parameters

(ix) Input Generator Editor

(x) Availability of Reports in Editable Text Files

ADAPT-PT is enriched with a host of useful post-processors for specific applications or an

(ii) Display and/or printout of distribution of shears and distribution of stresses at

(iii) Evaluation of initial stresses at transfer of post-tensioning, and computation of

The graphical display option of ADAPT-PT provides a vivid exposition of distribution of

ADAPT-PT is documented in a comprehensive and well organized manner. The documen-

F. Minimum hardware requirement

ADAPT requires the following minimum hardware configurations:

H. Authors and Acknowledgment

L. Additional information and inquiries

Additional technical information may be obtained from the following address:

1.3 ORGANIZATION OF ADAPT-PT PROGRAM AND ITS MANUAL

The ADAPT-PT package consists of:

1.4 QUICK START

1. Open the ADAPT-PT program by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop or

3. To perform post-processing, press the post-processor button after successful comple-

2.1 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CONCRETE DESIGN ...................... 2-1

2. STRUCTURAL MODELING AND ANALYSIS

2.1 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CONCRETE DESIGN

2.1.1 General Requirements

2.1.2 Requirements of Design Procedure

An important issue which is often overlooked by code developers is that in order to be

2.1.3 Concrete Design in Relation to Other Materials

• Estimating the deflection under service load; and

For serviceability design, deflections can be estimated using approximate methods

In summary, the design procedure is as follows:

• Estimate deflection under service load using approximate methods;

The determination of local stresses is generally not meaningful for evaluating

Figure 2.1.3-2(a) shows an example of “structural detailing” for development of

The distinction between structural detailing and construction detailing in North