UNIT 5

INTRODUCTION TO PRESTRESSED CONCRETE

PRINCIPLES OF PRESTRESSING – METHODS OF PRESTRESSING- ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

1. PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction which is "pre-stressed" by
being placed under compression prior to supporting any loads beyond its own dead weight.
This compression is produced by the tensioning of high-strength "tendons" located within or
adjacent to the concrete volume and is done to improve the performance of the concrete in
service.
Tendons may consist of single wires, multi-wire strands or threaded bars, and are most
commonly made from high-tensile steels, carbon fibre or aramid fibre.
The essence of prestressed concrete is that once the initial compression has been applied, the
resulting material has the characteristics of high-strength concrete when subject to any
subsequent compression forces, and of ductile high-strength steel when subject to tension
forces. This can result in improved structural capacity and/or serviceability compared to
conventionally reinforced concrete in many situations.
Prestressed concrete is used in a wide range of building and civil structures where its improved
performance can allow longer spans, reduced structural thicknesses, and material savings
compared to simple reinforced concrete.
Typical applications include high-rise buildings, residential slabs, foundation
systems, bridge and dam structures, silos and tanks, industrial pavements and nuclear
containment structures.
Advantages of Prestressing
➢ Section remains uncracked under service loads
➢ Reduction of steel corrosion (increase durability)
➢ Full section is utilized (Higher moment of inertia, higher stiffness, Less deformations.
➢ Increase in shear capacity
➢ Suitable for use in pressure vessels, liquid retaining structures
➢ Improved performance (resilience) under dynamic and fatigue loading.
➢ High span-to-depth ratios Larger spans possible with prestressing (bridges,buildings with
large column-free spaces)
➢ Suitable for precast construction
➢ Rapid construction
➢ Better quality control
➢ Reduced maintenance
 ➢ Suitable for repetitive construction
➢ Multiple use of formwork
➢ Availability of standard shapes
Disadvantages of Prestressing
➢ Prestressing needs skilled technology. Hence, it is not as common as reinforced concrete
is not as common as reinforced concrete
➢ The use of high strength materials is costly.
➢ There is additional cost in auxiliary equipment.
➢ There is need for quality control and inspection.

2. TYPES OF PRESTRESSING
External or internal prestressing
This classification is based on the location of the This classification classification is based on
the location location of the prestressing tendon with respect to the concrete section.
Pre-tensioning or post tensioning or post-tensioning tensioning
This is the most important classification and is based on the sequence of casting the concrete
and applying tension to the tendons.
Linear or circular prestressing
This classification is based on the shape of the member prestressed.
Full, limited or partial prestressing
Based on the amount of prestressing force three Based on the amount of prestressing force, three
types of prestressing are defined.
Uniaxial, biaxial or multi-axial prestressing
As the names suggest, the classification is based on the directions of prestressing a member.

3. METHODS OF PRESTRESSING
➢ Mechanical jacking of tendons, very popular
➢ Thermal prestressing by application of electric heat.
➢ Pre-bending high strength steel beam and bending high strength steel beam and encasing
its tensile flange with concrete.
➢ Chemical prestressing by means of expansive cement which expands chemically after
setting and during hardening, known as self-stressing.
Forms of Prestressing Steel
• Wires: Prestressing wire is a single unit made of steel Prestressing Prestressing wire is a single
unit made of steel.
• Strands: Two, three or seven wires are wound to form a prestressing strand.
• Tendon: A group of strands or wires are wound to form a prestressing tendon
• Cable: A group of tendons form a prestressing cable.
• High-strength Bars.

PRINCIPLE OF PRESTRESSING STEEL

Using high tensile strength steel alloys producing permanent pre-compression in areas subjected
to Tension.
A portion of tensile stress is counteracted thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of the steel
reinforcement.
METHODS
a) Pretensioning
b) Post-tensioning
PRETENSIONING : Placing of concrete around reinforcing tendons that have been stressed
to the desired degree.
POST-TENSIONING : Reinforcing tendons are stretched by jacks whilst keeping them in
sorted in voids left pre-hand during curing of concrete. These spaces are then pumped full of
grout bond steel tightly to the concrete.
4. WHAT IS POST-TENSIONING?
➢ Post-tensioning- is a method of reinforcing (strengthening) concrete or other materials
with high-strength steel strands called tendons.
➢ Post-tensioning allows construction that would otherwise be impossible due to either site
constraints or architectural requirements.
➢ Requires specialized knowledge and expertise to fabricate, assemble and install.
➢ After adequate curing of concrete, reinforcing tendons (placed in side the voids of the
structure) are tensioned or stretched by jacks on the sides & grouts filled with appropriate
mix.
 ➢ Applications - a) Structural members beams, bridge-deck panels, Roof -Slabs, Concrete
Silos Etc.
4.1 POST-TENSIONING SEQUENCE
➢ In post-tensioned members, tendons are usually tensioned members, tendons are usually
grouted after anchorage to prevent corrosion: grouted after anchorage to prevent
corrosion: corrosion:
➢ Cement or epoxy grout, called bonded members
➢ Grease or no grout, called unbonded members
➢ Grout is pumped into duct under pressure to ensure its full.
➢ The behaviour of bonded and unbonded is the same until before cracking and after
cracking they are different.
1. Casting of concrete.
2. Placement of the tendons.
3. Placement of the anchorage block and jack.
4. Applying tension to the tendons.
5. Seating of the wedges.
6. Cutting of the tendons.
BENEFITS
➢ Concrete is very strong in compression but weak in tension,
➢ This deflection will cause the bottom of the beam to elongate slightly & cause cracking.
➢ Steel reinforcing bars ("rebar') are typically embedded in the concrete as tensile
reinforcement to limit the crack widths.
➢ Rebar is what is called 'passive' reinforcement however, it does not carry any force until
the concrete has already deflected enough to crack.
➢ Post-tensioning tendons, on the other hand, are considered 'active' reinforcing.
➢ Because it is prestressed, the steel is effective as reinforcement even though the concrete
may not be cracked
➢ Post-tensioned structures can be designed to have minimal deflection and cracking, even
under full load.
ADVANTAGES/APPLICATIONS
➢ Post-tensioning allows longer clear spans, thinner slabs, fewer beams and more slender,
dramatic elements.
➢ Thinner slabs mean less concrete is required. It means a lower overall building height for
the same floor-to-floor height.
➢ Post-tensioning can thus allow a significant reduction in building weight versus a
conventional concrete building with the same number of floors reducing the foundation
load and can be a major advantage in seismic areas.
➢ A lower building height can also translate to considerable savings in mechanical systems
and facade costs.
➢ Another advantage of post-tensioning is that beams and slabs can be continuous, i.e. a
single beam can run continuously from one end of the building to the other.
➢ Post-tensioning is the system of choice for parking structures since it allows a high degree
of flexibility in the column layout. span lengths and ramp configurations.
➢ In areas where there are expansive days or soils with low bearing capacity. post-tensioned
slabs-on-ground and mat foundations reduce problems with cracking and differential
settlement
➢ Post-tensioning allows bridges to be built to very demanding geometry requirements.
Including complex curves, and significant grade changes.
➢ Post-tensioning also allows extremely long span bridges to be constructed without the
use of temporary intermediate supports. This minimizes the impact on the environment
and avoids disruption to water or road traffic below.
➢ In stadiums, post-tensioning allows long clear spans and very creative architecture.
➢ Post-tensioning can also be used b produce virtually crack-f re concrete for water-tanks.
➢ The high tensile strength & precision of placement gives maw mum efficiency in size &
weight of structural members.
 ➢ Applications of various prestressed techniques enable quick assembly of standard units
such as bridge member building frames, bridge decks providing costume savings.

CONSTRUCTION
➢ In slab-on-ground construction. unbonded tendons are typically prefabricated at a plant
and delivered to the construction site. ready to install.
➢ The tendons are laid out in the forms in accordance with installation drawings.
➢ After the concrete is placed and has reached its required strength, usually between 3000
and 3500 psi ("pounds per square inch"), the tendons are stressed and anchored.
➢ The tendons, like rubber bands. want to return to their original length but are prevented
from dung so by the anchorages.
➢ The fact the tendons are kept in a permanently stressed (elongated) state causes a
compressive face b act on the concrete.
➢ The compression that results from the post-tensioning counteracts the tensile forces
created by subsequent applied loading (cars. people. the right of the beam itself when the
shoring is removed).
➢ This significantly increases the load-carrying capacity of the concrete.
➢ Since post-tensioned concrete is cast in place at the job site, there is almost no limit b the
shapes that can be formed.
LIMITATIONS
➢ The limitations of prestressed concrete are few and reeky depend only upon the
imagination of the designer and the terms of his brief.
➢ The only real limitation where prestressing is a possible solution may be the oust of
providing moulds for runs of limited quantity of small numbers of non-standard units.

Prestressed concrete, invented by Eugene Frevssinet in 1928 is a method for overcoming

concretes natural weakness in tension.
It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with
ordinary reinforced concrete.
It can be accomplished in three ways: pre-tensioned concrete, and bonded or unbonded. Pre-
tensioned concrete
4.2 PRETENSIONING SEQUENCE
Steel tensioned before casting the concrete. Strands are tensioned concrete is cast around Strands
then the strands released when concrete attains required strength.
Prestressing force is introduced into concrete by bonds by
1. Anchoring of tendons against the end abutments
2. Placing of jacks
3. Placing of jacks
4. Applying tension to the tendons
5. Casting of concrete
6. Cutting of the tendons.

Fig 1 Fig 2

5. PRE-TENSIONED CONCRETE
➢ Pre-tensioned concrete so cast around already tensioned tendons.
➢ This method produces a good bond between the tendon and concrete, which both protects
the tendon from corrosion and allows for deed transfer of tension.
➢ The cured concrete adheres and bonds to the bars and when the tension is released it is
transferred to the concrete as compression by static friction.
➢ However, it requires shut anchoring points between which the tendon is to be stretched
and the tendons are usually in a straight line.
➢ Thus, most pretensioned concrete dements are prefabricated in a factory and must be
transported la the construction site, which limits their size.
➢ Pre-tensioned elements may be balcony elements, lintels floor slabs, beams or foundation
piles.
 1) Reinforced concrete under loading

2) Post tensioned concrete before loading

3) Post tensioned concrete after loading

5.1 BONDED POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE

➢ Bonded post-tensioned concrete is the descriptive term for a method of applying
compression after pouring concrete and the curing process (in situ).
➢ The concrete is cast around a plastic, steel or aluminium curved duct, to follow the area
where otherwise tension would occur in the concrete element.
➢ A set of tendons are fished through the duct and the concrete is poured. Once the concrete
has hardened, the tendons are tensioned by hydraulic jacks.
➢ When the tendons have stretched sufficiently, according to the design specifications they
are wedged in position and maintain tension after the jacks are removed, transferring
pressure to the concrete.
➢ The duct is then grouted to protect the tendons from corrosion. This method is commonly
used to create monolithic slabs for house construction in locations where expansive soils
create problems for the typical perimeter foundation.
➢ All stresses from seasonal expansion and contraction of the underlying soil are taken into
the entire tensioned slab, which supports the building without significant flexure. Post-
stressing is also used in the construction of various bridges.
The advantages of this system over unbonded post-tensioning are:
➢ Large reduction in traditional reinforcement requirements as tendons cannot destress in
accidents.
➢ Tendons can be easily 'weaved' allowing a more efficient design approach.
➢ Higher ultimate strength due to bond generated between the strand and concrete.
➢ No long-term issues with maintaining the integrity of the anchor/dead end. Unbonded
post-tensioned concrete
5.2 UNBONDED POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE
Unbonded post-tensioned concrete differs from bonded post-tensioning by providing each
individual cable permanent freedom of movement relative to the concrete.
To achieve this, each individual tendon is coated with a grease (generally lithium based) and
covered by a plastic sheathing formed in an extrusion process.
The transfer of tension to the concrete is achieved by the steel cable acting against steel anchors
in the perimeter of the slab.
The main disadvantage over bonded post-tensioning is the fact that a cable can destress itself
and burst out of the slab if damaged (such as during repair on the slab).
APPLICATIONS
THE BICYCLE WHEEL
➢ Bicycle wheel as we know it today - each is associated with an application of prestressing
to a structural system.
➢ The first and most obvious is the tensioned spokes - the riders weight is carried from the
forks to the ground not by hanging off the top spokes, but by reducing the pretension in the
lower spokes - only a couple of spokes are carrying the load at any one time.
➢ The second is the pneumatic tyre, where the compressive load is carried to the ground by
reducing the tension in the sidewall. The air pressure in the tyre does not change when the
load is applied.
➢ The final prestressing system is the tyre cord, which is shorter than the perimeter of the
rim. The cord is thus in tension, holding the tyre on the rim, which enables the pretension
in the sidewalls to be reacted

6. METHODS OF CORROSION PROTECTION

6.1 Epoxy Coating
➢ Fusion bonded epoxy coating of steel bars to he prevents corrosion has been successfully
employed in many applications because of the chemical stability of epoxy resins.
➢ Epoxy coated bars and fasteners should be done in accordance with ASTM A-775 or
ASTM 934. Coating thickness is generally specified between 7 to 12 mis.
➢ Epoxy coated bars and components are subject to damage if dragged on the ground or
mishandled.
➢ Heavy plates aid nuts are often galvanized even bough the bar may be epoxy coated since
they are difficult to protect against abrasion in the field.
➢ Epoxy coating patch kits are often used in the field for repairing ricked or scratched epoxy
surfaces.
6.2 Pre-Grouted Bars
➢ Cement Grout fled corrugated polyethylene tubing is often used to provide an additional
barrier against corrosion attack in highly aggressive sags.
➢ These anchors are often referred to as MCP or Multiple Corrosion Protection anchors.
➢ The steel bars are wrapped will an internal centralizer then placed inside of the
polyethylene tube where they are then factory pre-grouted.

6.3 Hot Dip Galvanising

➢ Zinc serves as a sacrificial metal corroding preferentially to the steel.
➢ Galvanized bars have excellent bond characteristics b gout or concrete and do not require
as much care in handling as epoxy coated bars.
➢ However, galvanization of anchor rods is nave expensive than epoxy coating and often
has greater lead time.
➢ Hot dip galvanizing bars and fasteners should be done in accordance with ASTM A-153.
➢ Typical galvanized coating thickness for steel bars and components is between 3 and 4
mils. 150 KSI high strength steel bars should always be mechanically cleaned (never acid
washed) to avoid problems associated with hydrogen embrittlement.
6.4 Extruded Polyethylene
➢ Whams strand tendons contain an extruded high-density polyethylene sheathing around
each individual strand in the free-stressing portion of the anchorage.
➢ The sheathing is minimum 60 ruts thick and applied once the 7-wire strand has been
coated with a corrosion inhibiting compound.
➢ Extruded polyethylene sheathing provides a moisture tight barrier for corrosion
protection and allows the strand to elongate freely throughout the free-stressing length
during the prestressing operation