Post Tensioned Design – The

basic Idea!
Tony Jones
AT&R Structures Development and
Support.
Tel: 52057

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Why Prestress?

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 But…….
c

Curvature = (su+ c)/d

d Hence deflection and

cracking substantially
increased if steel not
Unstressed PT Strand “prestrained”
strain plane at yield

RC Strain plane at yield

su
3
 So…….
• Prestressing (Prestraining) allows us to
use an efficient material and achieve
acceptable performance.
• Added benefit is stiffer structures as
cracking is delayed by the PT.
• Further benefits from profiling the cable.

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 Definitions

Pre-Stressed

Pre-Tensioned Post-Tensioned

Bonded Unbonded

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 Definitions
• Transfer – Time at which pre-stress load
applied to slab
– An additional load case to consider
• Duct – Unstressed outer casing of the
tendon, contains the grout after stressing
• Strand – stressed steel inside the duct

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 What does it look like?
• Pre-tensioned

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• What does it look like?
– Unbonded tendon

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• What does it look like
– Unbonded Anchorage

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• What does it look like?
– Unbonded Tendon Layouts

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 What Does It Look Like?
Bonded Tendons
• Bonded Post-
Tensioned Floor
• Waffle Slab and PT
Band Beam

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 What Does It Look Like?
Bonded Tendons
• Bonded Tendon Anchorage

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 What Does It Look Like?
Bonded Tendons
• Bonded Tendon Anchorage

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What Does It Look Like?
Bonded Tendons

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What Does It Look Like?
Bonded Tendons

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 What Does It Look Like?
Bonded Tendons
• Bonded Tendon Anchorage

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• What does it look like?
– Fully grouted section
Grout Vent

Grout

Anchor

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• Flat Slab

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 Bonded and unbonded tendons
• The relative merits of the two systems are subject to debate.
Bonded:
• develops higher ultimate flexural strength
• does not depend upon the anchorage after grouting
• localises the effect of damage
• provides better shear resistance

•But grouting performance critical

Unbonded:
• provides greater available lever arm
• reduces friction losses
• simplifies prefabrication of tendons
•Can be diverted laterally to co-ordinate with structure/finishes
• grouting not required
• can be constructed faster

•But .. Requires more bonded reinforcement

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 “Real” Equivalent loads from typical drape

L
L'
point of inflexion
a2
a1

s2 s1

Typical tendon parabolic profile

2
w2 = 8a2P/s2 (kN/m)

2
w1 = 8a1P/s1 (kN/m)

Equivalent loads 20
 Equivalent loads
Pe (cos 


e P (cos 
Centroid of section

P sin 
P
Anchorage

P P

8P / L2
L

Parabolic drape

P Pe
Centroid of shallow section
e
Centroid of deep section P

Change in centroid position 21

 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

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 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe

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 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8 – Pe

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 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8 – Pe

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

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 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8 – Pe

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

 = P/A  = P/A

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 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8 – Pe

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

 = P/A  = P/A

Moment “Just in” from the support

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 w w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8 – Pe

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

 = P/A  = P/A

Moment “Just in” from the support

M=0

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 w

P
e P e

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8 – Pe

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

 = P/A  = P/A

Moment “Just in” from the support

M=0 M = -Pe

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

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 P  P

P Tan  e P Tan 

Equiv UDL = 8Pe/L2

Pe
Pe P P

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 w w

P
e e P

Moment at Midspan

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

Moment “Just in” from the support

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 w w

P
e e P

Moment at Midspan

M = wL2/8 – Pe M = wL2/8

Stress at Midspan if wL2/8 = Pe

=0  = M/Z

Moment “Just in” from the support

M=0 M=0

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 Preliminary Prestress Design 1
Prestress for Equivalent Uniformly Distributed Load

1. Decide how much load to balance -

say 1.0 x Self Weight

2. Calculate value of P for each span and

hence the number of tendons /metre required.
for 12.9 mm strand assume P = 100 kN
for 15.7 mm strand assume P = 150 kN

Parabolic drape of tendons

a
P = wL / 8a 2

L
3. For spans where large differences in number of tendons
are required (eg end spans) increase or decrease the
number of tendons
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 Average prestress
Average
compressive
stress - P/A Comments (Note Beams will be more highly stressed)

Compression is generally inadequate to

< 1.5 (MPa)
prevent cracking

Usual range of prestressed flat slabs; good performance with

1.5 - 3.5 (MPa)
respect to crack control; shortening due to prestress is
normally without problems.
Influence of very stiff vertical elements (walls, shafts etc.) and
large distances between expansion joints or stiff elements has
to be considered.
Virtually watertight for stresses greater than 2 MPa.

> 3.5 (MPa) Slabs stressed to this range will undergo considerable
shortening due to axial creep and elastic strain.
Check all connections with vertical components. Pour sizes
should be kept as small as practicable and, where possible ,
walls should be erected after the slab is stressed. 35
 Preliminary Prestress Design 2

4. *Calculate equivalent load at each critical point in each span of slab.

5. *Analyse slab as equivalent frame in each direction separately using the

Serviceability Load Cases:
a) for transfer conditions (self weight only)
b) after all losses (Dead and Live Loads)

6. *Check stresses at critical sections for 5a) and b)

7. If limits are exceeded revise prestress or structure

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 Permissible stresses
Compressive stress: Beams and slabs 0.4 fcu

Hypothetical tensile stress (Class 3 members):

For fcu =40 MPa Limiting crackwidth of 0.1mm 4.1 MPa
Limiting crackwidth of 0.2mm 5.0 MPa
Allowable stresses in flat slabs using the “equivalent frame” method

In tension
In
compression With bonded Without bonded
reinforcement reinforcement

Support 0.24 fcu 0.45 fcu 0

Span 0.33 fcu 0.45 fcu 0.15 fcu

Note: The support zone is taken to be that part within 0.2L of the support.
Outside this zone is considered to be the span zone.
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 Ultimate limit state check
Is prestress a resistance or load?
For serviceability prestress is normally treated as a load.
For ultimate limit state prestress is normally treated as a resistance
Note: Secondary effects are considered as loads with p = 1

Different behaviour of bonded and unbonded tendons at ULS

Bonded tendon

Multiple cracks and steel yields local to crack

Unbonded tendon

Single crack and Steel does not yield

Force in tendons is not much greater than the prestressing force.
Equations 52 and 53 of BS8110 give values of f pb and x 38
Shear Resistance Mechanisms

Shear carried Shear carried

in arching in tendons

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Punching Shear EC 2 (Perimeter at 2d)
0.18
v Rd,c  k (100 l f ck )1/ 3  0,10σ cp
c
Vault action
Concrete component
vRd,cs = 0,75 vRd,c + 1,5 (d/sr) Asw fywd,ef (1/(u1d)) sin

Concrete and Steel

Note BS8110: Vcr = vcbvd + M0V / M

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 Punching shear

• Vertical component of tendon prestress

with p = 0.9 should be allowed for by
reducing the applied shear

• Only those tendons within 0.5h should

be considered (see section)

Tendon pulls
out
of shear cone

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 Other things to be aware of:
• Secondary effects
• Restraint

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Secondary effects

Unstressed element in structure

Unstressed isolated element

Stressed isolated element

Secondary forces for element

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 Secondary effects for frame
Ultimate limit state
• The effect of the prestressed tendons is normally considered
on the resistance side.
• The secondary prestressing effects with p = 1 must be added
to the other ultimate load cases.

These can be found as follows:

• The column moments and reactions are taken from the
equivalent load analysis of the prestressing forces

-3.28 0.77 7.01

6.56 2.1 4.27 -1.95
-0.15
-3.28 5.81 0.77 14.02 7.01
5m 5m

• The secondary moments along the beam/slab always vary

linearly and can easily be determined by statics

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 Restraint
• Restraint to post tensioned slabs may be during
stressing and/or after stressing.
• Due to columns, cores, retaining walls,
unstressed bits of slab…
• PT is lost into the surrounding structure reducing
P/A but not balancing forces
• Surrounding structure may be overstressed –
normally serviceability but consider P-Delta
• Typically the worst case is the first floor as the
rest of the structure moves together.

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 Layout of shear walls

Favourable layouts

Unfavourable layouts

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Effect of restraint to floor shortening
1 2

hcol

H1 H2
L1
L2 i = LT x Li

Early thermal shrinkage strain 100 x 10-6

Elastic strain 100 x 10-6
Creep strain 250 x 10-6
Drying shrinkage strain 300 x 10-6

Total long-term strain (LT ) 750 x 10-6

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 Actual Shortening Strain
Compared with EC2 model
0.0008

0.0007

0.0006

0.0005 Calculated
Strain
Strain

0.0004

0.0003

0.0002 Measured
Strain
0.0001

0
1 10 100 1000 10000 100000
Age Days

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 Early Thermal Effects (1)

• The strains due to early

thermal effects can be as
large as those due to elastic
shortening

• A worked example is given in

TR 43 Appendix H to
demonstrate the effects of not
considering this properly

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 Early thermal effects (2)
• Early thermal effects can be a primary cause of cracking:

a) Column flexure b) Column shear c) Beam flexure

This crack also

appeared in top of beam Tension
End elevation

Soffit

Soffit Beam 1 Beam 2

d) Beam/column tearing e) Tension in transverse beam

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Effects of shortening

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 Problems that occur - Design
• How long can I go between movement
joints?
• How long should I leave a pour strip
before completing?
• Are the movements real?
• Do I need a grout trial?
• Do unbonded launch themselves from the
edge of buildings
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 Which version of TR43
• 1st Edition
– Written for BS8110
– But Shear awkward to take advantage of
– No guidance on FE analysis
• 2nd Edition
– Written to EC2

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 Can I mix codes
• No not generally but…..
• Eurocodes will normally have lower load factors
– Watch it : may not be true for Moment frames
• Veff calculation may be more onerous from EC2

• So, if you are not designing a moment frame,

and Veff is calculated via EC2 it is probably OK!

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Problems that occur - construction
• The anchorage has failed?
• My extensions are not correct?
• What do I do if the grouting is known to be
incomplete?
• How do I know if my grouting is complete?

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Why are my extensions
wrong?

Is it all 10% understressed

Or
Does the last 10% have no
stress

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 Probability of duct being
ungrouted.
Comparison of results considering pours, levels and buildings

0.2

0.18

0.16
Proportion of ungrouted ducts

0.14

0.12 pours
levels
0.1
99.88%buildings
0.08 Confidence
0.06

0.04

0.02
95% Confidence
0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Cum ulative probability

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 For Tested Population
10
If considered as a material
then OK
1
Probability of failure %

But at element level we need

0.1
to consider loss of capacity
with 16% of tendons missing
0.01
(and no resistance factors)
0.001
Material Element Strength Actual Failure

• Further “Monte Carlo” type studies showed that 2 adjacent ducts being
ungrouted also needed to be considered

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 What was happening
• Poor QA proceedures
• No one responsible for checking
• Lack of training/understanding of the
consequences.
• No easy way of checking post installation.

SEE 2008 NST 05

http://networks.intranet.arup.com/structural/insight/nsts/2008/2008_home.cfm?document=107A6BBF-F8BC-B556-E5A2-EA0FC2FE05FC

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 What else might I use PT for
• Transfer structures
• Cantilevers
• Rafts?

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 Rafts (RC)

Soil Pressure

For RC the stress distribution is governed by the

relative stiffness of the Raft to the soil

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 Rafts (PT)

Soil Pressure

For PT the stress distribution can be chosen by you

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Questions/Comments

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