Prestressing Concept and

1
Introduction
Prestressed Concrete
CENG 415

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

2 Introduction

 Concept of Prestress existed long ago i. e. water barrels

 Idea came to concrete in view of its low tensile strength
and very good compressive strength
 Many types of modern structures are prestressed
concrete e.g.
 Bridges
 Slabs
 Frames
 Shells

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

3

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

4 Advantages

 Better Correlation with assumptions

 Crack free construction
 Low Deflection
 Long spans and slender structures

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

5 What is prestress?

 An initially applied state of stress to a member, generally to counter act the load induced
effects or to improve the structural behavior or strength.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

6 Materials & Properties
 Concrete
➢ Generally, 𝑓𝑐′ > 24 MPa is used
➢ Limiting strain 0.003-0.0035 (Universal)
➢ ACI (American Concrete Institute) recommend
0.003
➢ True for fc’ less than equal to 41 MPa or sometimes
up to 45 MPa
➢ Empirical formulas are used to determine properties
from ultimate compression strength (28 days)
𝑓𝑐′ (cylindrical)
➢ Modulus of Elasticity 𝐸𝑐 = 𝑤𝑐1.5 0.043 𝑓𝑐′ (𝑀𝑃𝑎)
➢ Modulus of rupture, 𝑓𝑟 = 𝑜. 62 𝑓𝑐′ (𝑀𝑃𝑎)
➢ Poison ratio: 0.15- 0.20

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

7
 Creep
➢ Defined as the time-dependent deformation at a constant load or stress.
➢ The change in deformation under constant stress by the time.
➢ It depends upon
❖ Initial stress level
❖ Age of concrete at loading
❖ Humidity (increased humidity decreases creep)
❖ Composition
𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑝
➢ Specific creep =
𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠
𝜀
➢ Creep Coefficient 𝐶𝑢 = 𝑐𝑢
𝜀𝑐𝑖

❖ 𝜀𝑐𝑢 = 𝑈𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛

❖ 𝜀𝑐𝑖 = 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑡 𝑡 = 0
➢ Empirical formulas are proposed to find creep at time t, 𝐶𝑡 = 𝑓 𝑡 . 𝜀𝑐𝑢
➢ The value of Cu can be as large as 4.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

8

 Creep failure can occur at high stress level of sustained stress 𝑓𝑐 ~𝑠𝑎𝑦 ≥ 0.8𝑓𝑐′
 Rough estimate of creep
1
➢ 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 2 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘𝑠
4
1
➢ 𝑁𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 2~3 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠
4
1 3
➢ 𝑁𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 (𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝜀𝑐𝑢 )
4 4
1
➢ 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠
4

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

9
 Shrinkage
➢ Also, time dependent factor
➢ Contraction from drying (loss of moisture). Does not depend upon stress level, physical
phenomena. Partial recovery possible with restoration of lost moisture.
➢ Depends upon
❖ Age
❖ Humidity
❖ Composition
❖ Temperature

➢ Can vary from 0 (submerged concrete) to 0.001

❖ 𝜀𝑠ℎ = 𝑆ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡
❖ 𝜀𝑠ℎ𝑢 = 𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛

➢ For the purpose of design, shrinkage strain can be taken as 0.0002 to 0.0004

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

10 Prestressing steel

 Prestressing steels are available in various types.

➢ Steel wires
➢ Steel strands
➢ Alloy steel bars
 All of them high strength
 Term “Tendon” is used to refer to a prestressing steel, but
more often to group of wires

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

11 Steel wires

 ASTM A-21 specification (uncoated, stress-relieved) wire for prestressing

 Available in Different Diameter
➢ 4.87 mm
➢ 5 mm
➢ 6.35 mm
➢ 7 mm
 Minimum tensile strength ranges from 1620 – 1724 MPa
 Tendons are made of groups of wires from 8 to over 50

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

12 Steel strands/Standard Cables

 ASTM A-416 “ Uncoated seven-wires stress-relieved strands for prestressed

concrete”
 Although, originally intended for pre-tension case, but they are also used for
post tensioning
 6 wires tightly wound around a slightly larger dia. wire to form a helix.
 Pitch between 12 to 16
 Strength ranges from 1724 MPa to 1862 MPa
 A number of strands grouped together to form a stranded cable is also often
used.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

13 Alloy steel Bars

 ASTM A-722 “ Uncoated high strength steel bars for prestressed concrete
 Ultimate strength greater than 965 MPa.
 Available in diameter of 12.7 mm to 35 mm.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

14 Stress-Strain Diagram

 Prestressing steel is less ductile than ordinary reinforced

steel because of their high strength.
 Prestressing steel generally show no sharp yield point
 Offset method (1-2 %) is used to determine yield
strength
 Modulus of elasticity is 186 x 103 MPa

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

15

 For the purpose of calculation

➢ The stress-strain diagram is often idealized as “Bi-Linear for
which the following relationship is valid.
➢ 𝜎 = 𝐸𝑝 . 𝜀𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝜀𝑠 ≤ 𝑦𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝜀𝑦
➢ 𝜎 = 𝐸𝑝′ . (𝜀𝑠 −𝜀𝑟 ) + 𝜎𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝜀𝑠 > 𝜀𝑟
➢ 𝐸𝑝′ is the tangent modulus = slope of the second line

 Notice the reduced ductility of prestressing steel from the

plots of 𝜎 − 𝜀

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

16 Relaxation of steel

 The loss of stress in steel when stressed in

tension and is kept at the constant length or
strain is known as relaxation.
 It is also a time-dependent phenomenon, as
the loss takes place slowly over time.
 Relaxation depends upon
➢ Stress level
➢ Time
➢ Type of steel
 Empirical relationships are available to find fp
as f(t) fp= final (residual) stress
fpi= initial stress

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

17 Prestressing Requirements

 Prestressing steel
 Hardware for prestressing (Jacks + Accessories)

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

18 Assumptions in Analysis/Design

 Concrete is elastic, Homogenous material (At service Load)

 Superposition of stress is valid within elastic range

 Design
➢ Choose an appropriate section
➢ Finalize prestressing requirements
❖ Amount of prestressing force
❖ Tendon profile
➢ Verify strength using code/specification; involves checking at
❖ Service load
❖ Ultimate load (strength criteria + serviceability criteria)

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

19 Prestressing Methods
 We have two types of prestressing methods
➢ Pre-tensioning
➢ Post-Tensioning
 Pretension Members
➢ Prestressing steel (wires or stands) is first tensioned to the required steel stress
➢ Concrete is then placed
➢ When concrete has hardened, the stress is transferred to concrete by cutting the steel.
➢ Used in plants for prefabricated members.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

20  Post Tension Members
➢ Here prestressing steel (tendons or cables) are laid according to the chosen profile.
➢ Concrete is then poured.
➢ When concrete is set, the tendons are stressed by pulling by hydraulic jacks from end.
➢ After pulling to the desired level of force, the tendons are anchored at the end.
➢ Generally, tendons are stressed from one end called stressing end and the other end, called dead
end is securely anchored in place.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

21 Bonded or Unbonded Tendons

 If tendons are not bonded to concrete, they are unbonded.

 Bonding is accomplished by grouting in post tensioned members.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

22

 Precast
➢ Members cast in a manufacturing plant or away from the site and then shipped and erected in
place called precast members
 Cast-in Place
➢ Members cast by building formwork in place are called cast-in-place members
 Composite construction
➢ It involves part precast and part cast-in-place components, e.g. girder-slab or beam-slab
construction in building floors and bridge decks
 These three are basic types of prestressed construction

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

23 Code of Practice and specifications

 There are many codes available in the market for example

➢ ACI (American Concrete Institute)
➢ PCI
➢ BS (British Standard)
➢ EC (Eurocode)
 Prestressing System
➢ Different systems under various company’s names
➢ Procedure similar with different hardwares
➢ Example
❖ Fressinet, BBRV, VSL system, Prescon, Dywidag etc.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

24 Hardware

 Hydraulic jacks
 End Anchorages
 Couplers
 Prestressing steel
 And other Accessories

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

25 Loading Stages

 A prestressed concrete member goes through several loading stages and its stress changes
from the initial stress transfer to the final loading condition. Following are the three major
stages.
➢ During Prestressing
❖ For pretensioned members, only prestressing steel is stressed. No stress exists in concrete.
❖ For post tension members, simultaneous stressing of prestressing steel and concrete members.

➢ Transfer (initial Stage)

❖ Prestress + self weight of structure (allow instantaneous loss of prestress, if any)

➢ Final Stage
❖ Net prestress after all losses + selfweight + all imposed loading (Imposed DL+LL)

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

26 Checking at final stage

 Check stresses and serviceability at working load

 For some structures check crack load
 Ultimate capacity

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415

27 Full & Partial Prestress

 Full prestress
➢ Under working load, tensile stress is nil or less than permissible value
➢ Basically, the section is uncracked.
 Partial Prestress
➢ Some tensile strain is allowed; the section is thus cracked at service loads.
➢ Additional mild-steel reinforcement is used in the tension zone to account for tension and satisfy
ultimate strength.

Dr. Muhammad Ajmal CENG 415