CHAPTER 4

FLEXURAL DESIGN
(PART 2)
 C. LIMIT ZONE FOR TENDON CENTROID
• The equations developed in case-A for members with
variable tendon eccentricity establish the requirements
for section modulus, prestress force, and eccentricity at
the maximum moment section of the member.
• Elsewhere along the span, the eccentricity of the steel
must be reduced if the concrete stress limits for the
unloaded stage are not to be exceeded. (Alternatively,
the section must be increased)
• Conversely, there is a minimum eccentricity, or upper
limit for the steel centroid, such that the limiting
concrete stresses are not exceeded when the beam is in
the full service load stage.
• Limiting locations for the prestress steel centroid
at any point along the span can be established
using Eqs. (3.5) and (3.6), which give the values
of concrete stress at the top and bottom of the
beam in the unloaded and service load stages,
respectively.
f1 = - Pi / Ac (1 - e c1 / r2) – Mo / S1 (3. 5a)
f2 = - Pi / Ac (1 + e c2 / r2) + Mo / S1 (3.5b)

f1 = - Pi / Ac (1 - e c1 / r2) – Mt / S1 (3.6a)
f2 = - Pi / Ac (1 + e c2 / r2) + Mt / S1 (3.6b)
• The stresses produced for those load stages
should be compared with the limiting
stresses applicable in a particular case, such
as the ACI stress limits of Table 3.1.

• This permits a solution for tendon

eccentricity e as a function of distance x
along the span.
• To indicate that both eccentricity e and moments M0 or Mt are
functions of distance x from the support, they will be written as
e(x) and M0(x) or Mt(x), respectively.

• Considering first the unloaded stage, then full loaded stage the
governing equations for lower limit of the prestress steel
centroid at any point x from the supports along the span are:

e (x) < fti S1 / Pi + S1 / Ac + Mo (x) / Pi (4.10)

e (x) < - fci S2 / Pi - S2 / Ac + Mo (x) / Pi (4.11)

• Corresponding equations for upper limit are:

e (x) > fcs S1 / Pe + S1 / Ac + Mt (x) / Pe 4.12

e (x) > - fts S2 / Pe - S2 / Ac + Mt (x) / Pe 4.13

4.(10) 0r (4.11) Figure 4.6

• It is often convenient to plot the envelope of
acceptable tendon profiles, as has been done in
Fig. for a typical case in which both dead and
live loads are uniformly distributed.

• Any tendon centroid falling completely within

the shaded zone would be satisfactory from the
point of view of concrete stress limits.

• It is only the tendon centroid that must be within

the shaded zone; individual cables are often
outside of it.
• The tendon profile actually used is often a parabolic
curve or other regular profile in the case of post-
tensioned beams.

• The duct containing the prestressing steel is stretched

to the desired shape and held in that position by wiring
it to the transverse web reinforcement, after which the
concrete may be poured.

• In pretensioned beams, deflected tendons are often

used. The cables are held down at midspan, at the third
points, or at the quarter points of the span and held up
at the ends, so that a smooth curve is approximated to a
greater or lesser degree.
• For simple spans designed by load-balancing methods,
the tendon centroid must pass through the concrete
centroid at the supports, because the moments due to
external loads are zero at the supports. It is seen from
Fig. that this special case is included in the range of
acceptable tendon profiles.
• In practical cases, it is often not necessary to make a
centroid zone diagram, such as is shown in Fig.
• By placing the centroid at its known location at
midspan, at or close to the concrete centroid at the
supports, and with a near-parabolic shape between
those control points, satisfaction of the limiting stress
requirements is assured.
• With nonprismatic beams, in which a curved concrete
centroidal axis is employed, or with continuous beams,
diagrams such as Fig. 4.6 are a great aid
 EXAMPLE

Determine the limiting tendon zone

for the 40-ft span post-tensioned
beam of 28-in. depth designed in
case A.
 CASE D: BEAMS WITH DEFLECTED TENDONS
• In pretensioned prestressed beams, there are often practical
advantages in using a tendon profile that is segmentally linear, that is,
a tendon profile that only approximates the parabolic variation of
eccentricity that could be considered ideal if loads are uniformly
distributed.
• The tendon centroid profile in a typical pretensioned beam with
deflected tendons appears as shown in Fig. 4.8a.
• Tendon deflectors hold the tendons down at points a and b before the
concrete is cast, and end forms, with holes through which the tendons
pass, hold them up at the supports.
• The deflection points are often at the one-third points or one-quarter
points of the span, and the support eccentricity is often zero.
• The result is a tendon eccentricity that varies linearly from supports to
the hold-down points and is constant throughout the central region.
FIGURE 4.8 Pretensioned beam with deflected tendons, (a) Tendon
profile, (b) Moment variation resulting from self-weight.
• For such cases, certain modifications must be made in
the design equations developed in Case A and Case
B.
• The critical section for the beam when in the unloaded
stage immediately after transfer will be at the hold-
down points a and b, rather than at midspan as for the
beam with variable eccentricity, or at the supports as for
the beam with constant eccentricity.
• The self-weight moment variation along the span for a
typical prismatic beam is shown in Fig. 4.8b.
• The maximum self-weight moment is at midspan as
before and has value M0. At the hold-down points, it
has a lower value M'0.
• The minimum requirements for section modulus for a beam with
deflected tendons are

(4.14)

(4.15)

• The concrete centroidal axis will be located by Eq. (4.3) as before.

• The concrete centroidal stress under initial conditions of loading is

calculated from Eq. (4.4), and the initial prestress force is calculated
from Eq. (4.5) without change.

• The prestress eccentricity, constant through the central region, will now
be given by

(4.16)
 CASE E: REDUCTION OF PRESTRESS FORCE ALONG THE SPAN
• It has already been shown that a particular combination of
prestress force and eccentricity that may prove satisfactory
at the maximum moment section of a beam may result in
excessive stresses elsewhere, where the moment due to
self-weight is less.

• This can be avoided by reducing the eccentricity of the steel

near the supports.

• An alternative with distinct practical advantages for pre-

tensioned beams is to keep the eccentricity constant or
nearly so, but to reduce the magnitude of the prestress
force.
• This is easily achieved by preventing certain of the cables
from bonding to the concrete near the ends of the span.

• The most common way to accomplish this is to enclose

those cables in tightly fitting split plastic tubes, as suggested
by Fig. 4.10, or to wrap the cables with heavy paper or cloth
tape through the desired length.

• In such a case, there is no prestress force transmitted to the

concrete from the sheathed strands near the ends of the
span, and the effective prestress force is provided by the
remainder of the steel area.

• It may be evident that there will usually be some reduction in

the effective eccentricity as well, even if straight cables are
used, because of the upward shift of the steel centroid when
a part of the steel area becomes ineffective
FIGURE 4.10 Use of sheathed tendons to reduce prestress force near supports.

Note: With such an arrangement, consideration should be

given to the required transfer length for the sheathed
tendons, measured toward the center of the span from the
end of the sheathing, to ensure that the total prestress
force is developed where needed.
• In post-tensioned beams of long span, particularly in bridges, it is
often advantageous to stop off certain of the tendons where they are
no longer needed to resist flexural stress. Normally, they are swept
upward and anchored at the top face of the beam, as shown in Fig.
4.11.
• Apart from an appreciable saving in the quantity of high tensile steel,
the main advantage of this arrangement is that it is usually possible
to raise the tendons one by one without thickening the web, as will
often prove necessary if several tendons are raised at one location.
• In addition, anchoring part of the tendons in the top face of the beam
reduces the number of anchorages that must be accommodated in
the end sections and avoids excessive stresses there.
• The inclined component of compression due to prestress produces a
shear of sign opposite to that resulting from applied loads, reducing
the net shear force acting.