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PRESTRESS LOSSES

Reading: Nawy, E.G., Prestressed Concrete – A Fundamental Approach, 3rd Edition,

Chapter 3.

SOURCES AND COMPUTATION OF LOSSES

There are essentially two types of prestress losses that can take place in prestressed concrete
members: __________________________________________ and ___________________
__________________________. These two types of losses can be described in the following.

Immediate Losses:
These losses depend upon the type of member: pretrensioned or post-tensioned. In a
pretensioned member, an immediate loss is that due to ______________________________
of the member. Immediate losses in a post-tensioned member are those due to
__________________ and ___________________________________. Post-tensioned
members can also be subjected to elastic shortening losses when _______________________
____________________ is used.

Time-Dependent Losses:
The losses that depend upon elapsed time after stressing are independent of the member type.
These losses are:
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
_______________________________.

There are two methods that can be used to estimate losses in prestressed concrete: (a) lump sum
approximations; and (b) refined estimations. One should keep in mind that all estimates for
prestress loss are just that – ESTIMATIONS. As we get into the details of the “refined” estimations,
be aware of all the assumed behavior that exists in the estimation. Prior to ACI 318-83, lump sum
loss calculations were allowed. However, today’s Code deems lump sum estimates obsolete.
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Prestress losses are most conveniently broken down into components. We will address loss
calculations based upon the member type being considered. The prestress loss can be determined
using the following “formulas” for pretensioned members:
∆f pT = ∆f pES + ∆f pR ( t0 , ttr ) before transfer
+ ∆f pR ( ttr , ts ) + ∆f pCR + ∆f pSH after transfer
f pi = f pJ − ∆f pR ( t0 , ttr ) − ∆f pES initial prestress

The following can be used for post-tensioned members:

∆f pT = ∆f pF + ∆f pES at jacking
+ ∆f pA at transfer
+ ∆f pR ( ttr , ts ) + ∆f pCR + ∆f pSH after transfer
f pi = f pJ − ∆f pA − ∆f pF initial prestress

The subscripts and times are defined below:

t0 = time at jacking;

ttr = time at transfer of prestressing force;

ts = time at stabilization of losses (i.e. during the service loading stage);

j = jacking;
R = relaxation;
ES = elastic shortening
A = anchorage;
F = friction;
CR = creep;
SH = shrinkage.

The AASHTO-LRFD Specifications allow lump-sum estimates for prestressing losses with the caveat
that the following conditions are met.
1. Members that are post-tensioned must be non-segmental members with spans less than 160
feet and concrete stressed an age of 10-30 days.
2. Members that are pretensioned must be stressed at an age where the concrete strength is no
less than 3,500-psi.
3. Members must be made from normal weight concrete.
4. Members cannot be steam-cured, nor moist-cured.
5. The prestressing steel must be normal or low-relaxation.
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6. There must be average exposure conditions at the site.

If these conditions are met, there is a simple table (Table 1 shown below) that can be used for loss
calculations. It should be noted that the table defined PPR as _____________________________
______________, which is basically the ratio prestressed reinforcement to total reinforcement within
the cross-section.

Table 1: AASHTO Lump Sum Approximations.

ELASTIC SHORTENING
The loss due to elastic shortening is based upon mechanics of materials approaches. We should all
appreciate that the strain lost due to elastic shortening deformations can be computed using,
∆ ES
ε ES = (1)
L
Therefore, if we can compute the member deformation due to elastic shortening, ∆ ES , we can

determine the strain lost resulting from elastic shortening. Losses due to elastic shortening are
different when pretensioned and post-tensioned members are considered.

Pretensioned Members:
When the member is pretensioned, the computation of loss is straight-forward,
PE nP
∆f pES = Esε ES = i s
= i = nf cs (2)
Ac Ec Ac
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where: f cs is the stress in the concrete at the level of the prestressing steel; and n is the modular

ratio. Of course, this will vary depending upon the location of the tendon centroid within the
cross-section. The initial prestressing force, Pi , that will cause elastic shortening is a little

difficult to estimate if the jacking force, loss due to friction, and loss due to seating are not
known. Therfore, Nawy (1999) has suggested that 90% of the initial prestressing force given be
used.

Post-Tensioned Members:
In the case of post-tensioned members, the computation is a little more difficult. The reason for
this is that when a post-tensioned member is considered, one can jack tendons in sequence rather
than jacking them all at once. The loss due to elastic shortening in this case can be computed as,
N
1
∆f pES =
N
⋅ ∑ ( ∆f )
j =1
pES j
(3)

where: N is the number of tendons (or groups/pairs) sequentially jacked. Use of equation (3) is
best illustrated via example. It should be noted that the last tendon or group of tendons to be
stressed suffers no elastic shortening, while the first tendon or group of tendons suffers the
highest losses.
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EXAMPLE 1 – COMPUTATION OF ELASTIC SHORTENING LOSSES

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EXAMPLE 2 – COMPUTATION OF ELASTIC SHORTENING LOSS

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CREEP
As in the case of elastic shortening, the loss due to creep all begins with mechanics of materials.
Recall our rheological model for the time-varying loss due to creep. The basic mechanics of
materials approach to creep loss takes the following form,
E ps
∆f pCR = Ct ⋅ ⋅ f cs
Ec
(4)
 t 0.6  E
= 0.6 
⋅ Cu ⋅ ps ⋅ f cs
10 + t  Ec

where:
Cu = the ultimate creep coefficient (usually 2.35 often used);
t = the time (in days);
Ec = the elastic modulus of the concrete;
E ps = the elastic modulus of the prestressing steel;
f cs = the compressive stress in the concrete at the level of the prestressing steel centroid.

Creep loss is generally a function of the location along the member where the compressive stress is
analyzed. This results from the tendon centroid (in general) varying along the length of the concrete
member. The average concrete stress between anchorage points can be used for post-tensioned
members. In a prestensioned member, the average along the member length can be used.

There seems to be many procedural recommendations for computing creep in prestressed concrete
members. The first we will consider is ACI Committee 423. This committee’s recommendation is
given below,
E ps
∆f pCR = K CR ⋅ ⋅ ( f cs − f csd ) (5)
Ec
where:
K CR = is a creep coefficient (reduce by 20% for lightweight concrete)
= 2.00 for pretensioned members
= 1.60 for post-tensioned members
f cs = the stress in the concrete at the level of the prestressing steel centroid immediately
after transfer,
f csd = the stress in the concrete at the level of the prestressing steel due to all
superimposed dead loads applied after transfer.
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A second recommendation for computation of losses comes from the AASHTO LRFD
Specifications. This computation is slightly simpler than equation (5), but more complicated in other
respects. The loss due to creep according to AASHTO-LRFD is,
∆f pCR = 12.0 ⋅ f cgp − 7.0 ⋅ ∆f cdp ≥ 0.0 (6)

where:
f cgp = is the stress a the center of gravity of the prestressing steel centroid at transfer
(ksi);
∆f cdp = the change in concrete stress at the center of gravity of the prestressing steel due
to permanent loads (with the exception of the load acting at the time the
prestressing steel is applied). Values should be calculated a the same section (or
sections) at which f cgp is computed (ksi).

SHRINKAGE
Recalling our discussion of the factors that affect shrinkage, any relationship used for shrinkage loss
estimation should include consideration of ________________________________, _____________
__________________________, and member ________________________________. It is
assumed that shrinkage begins at the end of the curing period (e.g. 7-days). If one would like to
compute the shrinkage strain that occurs from 28-days to 1-year, a subtraction procedure should be
employed.

The loss of prestress resulting from shrinkage strain can be computed using mechanics of materials
relationships,
∆f pSH = ε SH E ps

where: ε SH is the shrinkage strain. ACI Committee 209 suggests the following computation for the

shrinkage strain at any time, t,

 t 
ε SH ,t =   ⋅ ( 780 ×10−6 ) ⋅ γ SH (7)
 α + t 
where:
t = is the time in days,
α = 35 if moist cured for 7-days,
= 55 is steam cured for 1-3 days,
γ SH = is a correction factor that accounts for conditions other than standard conditions.
The correction factor accounts for relative humidity, volume-to-surface ratio,
concrete composition, etc.
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The general form of the ACI Committee 423 recommendation for prestress losses due to shrinkage
takes the following form,
  V  
( )
∆f pSH =  8.2 × 10−6 ⋅ K SH ⋅ 1 − 0.06
 S
 ⋅ (100 − RH )  ⋅ E ps

(8)
 
where: K SH is 1.0 for pretensioned members and is taken from Table 2 for post-tensioned members.

Table 2: Shrinkage Factor for Post-Tensioned Members

As one might expect, there are also AASHTO-LRFD recommendations for prestress loss
computation. These are also broken down into pretensioned and post-tensioned members. For
pretensioned members,
∆f pSH = 17.0 − 0.150 H ksi (9)

and for post-tensioned members,

∆f pSH = 13.5 − 0.123H ksi (10)

where: H is the relative humidity (%) obtained from local statistics or a map.

A relative humidity map can be found in the PCI Design Handbook and the AASHTO – LRFD
Specifications. Such a map is shown in Figure 1.

STEEL RELAXATION
An empirical relationship for steel relaxation loss can be developed using mechanics of materials.
As is usually the case, we will also look at ACI Committee 423 and AASHTO-LRFD
recommendations. If we know the initial prestress, f pi′ , and an empirical relationship describing the

relaxation over time, we can write the loss is prestress as,

 log t2 − log t1   f pi′ 

∆f pR = f pi′ ⋅  ⋅
 f − 0.55  (11)
 α  py 
where:
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α = 10 for stress-relieved strands,

= 45 for low-relaxation strands,
t1 = initial time (hours) for interval under consideration,
t2 = final time (hours) for interval under consideration,
f pi′ = initial stress in prestressing steel at the beginning of the interval considered,
f py = yield stress of the prestressing steel.

It should be noted that the initial prestress to yield stress should be greater than 0.55.

Figure 1: Annual Average Ambient Relative Humidities (AASHTO 2001).

The ACI Committee 423 recommendation includes losses due to other sources. The loss in prestress
resulting from relaxation using ACI 423 recommendations is,

∆f pR =  K RE − J ⋅ ( ∆f pES + ∆f pCR + ∆f pSH )  ⋅ C (12)

where the loss due to elastic shortening, creep, and shrinkage should be computed using previous
ACI 423 recommendations for these losses. The relaxation loss constants, K RE and J are taken from
Table 3 and the constant C is taken from Table 4.
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Table 3: Relaxation Loss Constants, K RE and J Used in ACI 423 Recommendation.

Table 4: Relaxation Constant, C Used in ACI 423 Recommendation.

The AASHTO – LRFD Specifications also contain a recommendation that is a little bit simpler than
that implied in equation (12). The procedure is a two-level procedure where relaxation loss is
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computed during two stages: (a) at transfer and (b) after transfer. The loss that occurs before
transfer of prestress is computed using,

log ( 24 ⋅ t )  f pJ 
∆f pR1 = ⋅ − 0.55 ⋅ f pJ (13)
α  f py 
where: t is the time (days) from initial stressing to transfer; f pJ is the stress in the tendons at the end

of the jacking sequence; α is a constant which is 10 for stress-relieved strands and 40 for low-
relaxation strands. The loss that occurs after transfer for stress-relieved strands and pretensioned
members is computed using,
∆f pR 2 = 20 − 0.4∆f pES
(14)
− 0.2 ⋅ ( ∆f pSH + ∆f pCR )

and the loss after transfer for stress-relieved strands and post-tensioned members is computed
using,
∆f pR 2 = 20 − 0.3∆f pF − 0.4∆f pES
(15)
− 0.2 ⋅ ( ∆f pSH + ∆f pCR )

If low-relaxation strands are used, the loss after transfer can be taken as 30% of the values obtained
using equations (14) and (15).

FRICTION
As a prestressing tendon is pulled, its lengthening will be resisted by frictional forces along the
tendon. This is especially important in post-tensioned members. In general, loss due to friction is
broken down into loss from the following sources;
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

The length effect accounts for frictional sources that are encountered when the tendon is intended to
be straight. In essence, a “straight” duct is not really straight and it will wobble along the length of
the member. The vibration and placement of the concrete can displace the tendon ducts. Therefore,
as the tendon(s) are pulled, they will encounter the sides of the tendon duct and therefore, frictional
force will be developed. The curvature effect causes friction because the tendon “wants” to assume
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a straight configuration within the duct. This straightening out is prevented by the curved tendon
duct. This then causes friction as well.

There are a couple of methods that are available to “overcome” the frictional losses;
1. The first is tendon overtensioning. In this procedure, the tendon is “pulled on” with a
magnitude of force sufficient to overcome the frictional losses. This procedure results in a
variation in stress along the tendon. Portions of the tendon may be stresses to a higher level
during jacking than other portions.
2. The second is jacking from both ends. This method tends to require more field
coordination and effort. This method is often used with the tendon lengths become very
long, or the angles of the tendon bend are large. Jacking from both ends does not help the
simple beam, but continuous beams receive significant benefit.

Effect of Overtensioning
The effect of overtensioning when jacking from one end can be graphically seen in the figure below.

Figure 2: Graphical Depiction of Tendon Stress and Friction Loss.

Figure 2 illustrates the stress in the tendon when it is “over-jacked”. As one can see as jacking
commences, the stress in the tendon is highest at the anchorage end. At the end opposite from the
jacking end, the tendon stress is the least. When the jack is released and the prestressing force is
transferred to the beam, the anchorage seating causes the associated loss in prestress. The “kink” in
the curve indicates that frictional forces are capable of keeping a level of stress in the tendon. If
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frictional loss is high, there is a sharp “kink”. When frictional loss is low, there is a very shallow
“kink”. Furthermore, when the frictional forces are low, there is a much more uniform state of stress
in the tendon between the jacking end and the opposite end.

Friction Loss Due to Curvature Effect

The loss in prestress due to curvature is the first frictional loss that we will consider. Consider a
free-body-diagram of a segment of curved tendon shown below.

(a) (b)

Figure 3: Forces Present on Tendon Segments During Jacking.

The change in angle, dα , that occurs over the segment and the force normal to the tendon length are
given by,

dα = dx and N = F ⋅ dα = F ⋅ dx
R R
The frictional loss over this infinitely small segment is then given by,
dF = − µ N = − µ ( Fdα )

Rearranging terms in the equation above gives,

dF
= − µ dα
F
Integrating both sides of the equation gives,
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F2 α
1
∫
F1
F 0
∫
dF = − µ dα

where: F1 is the force at the jacking end; and F2 is the force at the “other” end. Carrying out the
integration gives,
ln F2 − ln F1 = − µα
µL
F2 −
= e − µα = e R
F1
Solving for the force at the jacking end gives,
F2 = F1e − µα (16)
which can be used to compute frictional losses due to curvature effect.

Friction Loss Due to Wobble Effect

A similar plan of attack can be used to address the losses due to wobble (length) effect. The change
in force over a small length of tendon can be written as,
dF = − K ⋅ F ⋅ dL
where: K is a wobble coefficient. The wobble coefficient is a frictional coefficient that gives
indication of the magnitude of the frictional force which results from wobble of the tendon within
the duct. As one can see in the equation above, the wobble coefficient allows calculation of the
change in force over the small length as a fraction of the force in the tendon. We can integrate both
sides of the above equation giving,
F2 L
1
∫
F1
F 0
∫
dF = − KdL

Carrying out the integration gives an expression that can be used to compute the loss in prestressing
force that results from wobble effect,
F2 = F1e − KL (17)

Combined Effects of Curvature and Wobble

The combined effect of the curvature effect and wobble effect can be written as a simple summation
of equations (16) and (17),

(
F2 = F1 e − µα + e − KL )
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If one recognizes the similarities in derivation (i.e. the integration) a different form of the combined
effect can be written (more like the ACI form of the loss expression). Recalling the derivation of
equations (16) and (17) the integration of forces with the combined effects can be written as,
F2 α L
1
∫
F1
F 0
∫
dF = − µ dα − KdL
0
∫
ln F2 − ln F1 = − µα − KL
Performing a little algebra results in,
F2 = F1e − µα − KL (18)

Equation (18) forms the basis of the ACI approach to computing frictional losses. The frictional loss
can be expressed as the change in force between the jacking end and the “other” end. Therefore,
∆f pF = F1 − F2

Plugging in equation (18) gives,

∆f pF = F1 − F1e − µα − KL = F1 1 − e ( −( µα + KL )
)
If µα + KL is small, we can rewrite the frictional loss as follows,
−( µα + KL )
e = 1 − ( µα + KL )
∆f pF = FJ ( µα + KL )

The ACI 318-99 equations for computing frictional losses evolve from the equation above. Equation
−( µα + KL )
(18) can be written in “reverse” fashion by dividing both sides by e . Thus, the force at the
jacking end can be computed using the force at “some distance” from the jacking end,
Ps = Px e µα + KL
(19)
Ps = Px (1 + µα + KL )

where: Px is the force at a distance x from the jacking end; and Ps is the force at the jacking end.

Equations (19) form the basis for the ACI 318-99 friction loss calculation procedure.

One item left in computing the loss for friction is to determine values for the wobble coefficient and
typical friction coefficients. These values are given in the Code and are reproduced in Table 5 on
the next sheet.
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Table 5: Wobble Coefficients and Friction Coefficients for Typical Members

Comments on Computing Angles

The angle, α , is the sweep as one moves from one end of the tendon to the other. If we have
parabolic tendon with known radius, R, the angle sweep can be computed using Figure 4.

Figure 4: Parabolic Tendon Profile and Angle Sweep.

Assuming that the eccentricity at the center and ends is known, the angle sweep can be computed as,
8y
α= (20)
x
When considering harped tendons, compute the angle sweeps for each segment and add them
together. Furthermore, if a tendon profile varies over any given pulling length, the engineer must
add up frictional losses over each of these lengths.
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ANCHORAGE SEATING
The prestress loss resulting from seating of the anchorage mechanisms can be computed using
mechanics of materials. Unfortunately, we will need to know how much “slop” is typically present
in the anchorage mechanism to determine this loss.

Using mechanics of materials relations as a starting point, the loss in prestress resulting from
anchorage seating for a mechanism with known wedge slip, ∆ A , can be computed using,
∆A
∆f pA = ⋅ E ps (21)
L
The wedge slip should be taken from manufacturer’s literature or recommendations.
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EXAMPLE 3 – STEP-BY-STEP PRESTRESS LOSS CALCULATION

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EXAMPLE 4 – STEP-BY-STEP LOSS COMPUTATION

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