Code: 12D20106a

M.Tech I Semester Supplementary Examinations December 2013

PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
(Structural Engineering)

Time: 3 hours

Max Marks: 60
Answer any FIVE questions
All questions carry equal marks
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1 (a)
(b)

Brief about the materials used in prestressed and high strength concrete.
Discuss the systems of prestressing.

2 (a)
(b)

Describe in detail about the different losses of prestress.

What are the advantages of prestressed concrete?

A small precast prestressed concrete beam is to be designed to cover a span of 10

meters and to carry a superimposed load of 20 kN/m. The grade of concrete proposed to
be used is M40. The permissible stress in compression can be 14 N/mm2 and in tension
1:4 N/mm2. Force loss in prestressing cables can be assumed to be 12% of the initial
force during service load conditions. Design the cross section dimensions; prestressing
force and eccentricity. Adopt stress range approach for arriving at the cross sectional
dimensions.

4 (a)
(b)

Why did the early attempts in presstressing failed using ordinary mild steel?
Explain the factors influencing long and short term deflection.

The end block of a prestressed beam, 250 mm wide and 500 mm deep in section, is
prestressed by two cables carrying forces of 450 kN each. One of the cables is parabolic,
located 125 mm below the centre line at the centre of span (10 m) and anchored at a
point 125 mm above the centre line at the ends. The second cable is straight and located
100 mm from the bottom of the beam. The distribution plates for the cables are 100 mm
deep and 250 mm wide. Calculate the maximum tensile stress along the axis of the
beam using Guyons method. Also evaluate the maximum tensile stress on horizontal
sections passing through the centre of anchor plates using Rowes method.
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Code: 12D20106a

A prestressed concrete pipe is to be designed using a steel cylinder of 1200 mm internal

diameter and thickness 1.8 mm. The circumferential wire winding consists of a 5 mm
high tensile wire, initially tensioned to a stress of 100 N/mm2. Ultimate tensile stress of
wire = 1600 N/mm2. Yield stress of the steel cylinder = 280 N/mm2. The maximum
permissible compressive stress in concrete at transfer is 14 N/mm2 and numbers of
tensile stresses are permitted under working pressure of 0.8 N/mm2. Determine the
thickness of the concrete lining required, number of turns of circumferential wire winding
and the factor of safety against bursting. Assume modular ratio as 6.

A simply supported prestressed concrete beam spanning over 12 m is of rectangular

section 450 mm wide by 600 mm deep. The beam is prestressed by a parabolic cable
having an eccentricity of 200 mm at the centre of the span and zero at the end supports.
The effective force in the cable is 1600 kN. If the beam supports a total uniformly
distributed load, of 60 kN/m, which includes the self weight,
Evaluate the extreme fibre stresses at the mid-span section using the internal resisting
couple method.
Calculate the force required in the cable having the same eccentricity to balance a total
load of 70 kN/m on the beam.

(a)
(b)

A cylindrical prestressed concrete water tank of internal diameter 25 m is required to

store water over depth of 8 m. The permissible compressive stress under working
pressure is 1.5 N/mm2. The loss ratio is 0.70. Wires of 6 mm diameter with an initial
stress of 1500 N/mm2 are available for circumferential winding and freyssinet cables
made up of 10 wires of 8 mm diameter stressed to 1200 N/mm2 are to be used for
vertical prestressing. Design the tank walls assuming the base as fixed. The cube
strength of concrete is 35 N/mm2.
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