Loss of Prestress

Emphasis on Items Specific to

Post-Tensioned Systems

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 1

 Loss of Prestress

• Friction
• Anchor Set Specific to post-tensioning
• Elastic Shortening
• Shrinkage
• Creep Similar to pre-tensioning
• Relaxation

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 2

 Jacking of PT Strands

The jack bears against the concrete

- Concrete is compressed gradually as the strand is
tensioned
- Many things occur simultaneously
- Jacking, Friction, Elastic Shortening

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 3

 Friction Losses

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 4

 Friction Loss

• Monitor elongation in addition to pressure during

jacking

• Overcoming Friction:
– Over-tensioning (limited)
– Jacking from both ends

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 5

 Friction Loss

• Calculating Losses
– Function of:
• Curvature Friction Coefficient
• Angle Change Over Length of Strand
• Wobble Friction Coefficient
• Length from Jack to Point of Interest

– Reference:
• Post-Tensioning Manual, Appendix A

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 Elastic Shortening Losses

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 7

 Elastic Shortening Losses
• Shortening of concrete compressed in jacking as the
two occur simultaneously

• If only one strand (tendon) – no ES losses

• If multiple strands (tendons)

– Tendons jacked early in the sequence will suffer
losses as subsequent tendons are stressed
– The first strand stressed will suffer the most total loss
– The last strand stressed has zero loss
– Reasonable to take the average of first and last

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 8

 Elastic Shortening Losses
Hooke’s Law

Change in strand stress due

Strain in strand
to elastic shortening loss
Steel elastic modulus

Assume: Perfect bond between steel and concrete 

Strain in the concrete, due to compressive stress applied:

Concrete stress at prestressing centroid
Concrete elastic modulus at time of stressing

Substitution through previous steps

Average of first and last strand that experience loss; the

last strand tensioned has zero loss, hence the (N-1) term.
4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 9
 Anchorage Devices

ENCAPSULATED STANDARD ANCHORS ENCAPSULATED

ANCHOR ANCHOR

WEDGES

Source: PTI
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 Anchorage Devices: Wedge

Source: PTI

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 11

 Anchorage Seating Loss

Concrete Anchor cast in concrete

Duct

Strand

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 12

 Anchorage Seating Loss

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 13

 Anchorage Seating Loss

• Calculating Losses
– Some of the imposed strain on the strand is lost
when the wedge seats in the plate
• Function of:
– Hardware Used
– Type of Jack (Power Seating, etc.)

– Reference: Post-Tensioning Manual, Appendix A

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 14

 Friction and Anchorage Losses

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 Friction and Anchorage Losses

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 Friction and Anchorage Losses

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 Friction and Anchorage Losses

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 Friction and Anchorage Losses

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 Friction and Anchorage Losses

• The variable prestress force in the previous slide is

negligible for:
– Strands less than 100 feet (single-end stressed)
– Strands less than 200 feet (both ends stressed)

– Reference: Bondy, K.B., “Variable Prestress Force in Unbonded Post-Tensioned

Members,” Concrete International, January 1992, pp. 27-33.

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 20

 Shrinkage, Creep, and Relaxation

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 21

 Concrete Shrinkage

Moisture

L L  L'
 sh  
L’

L L
L

4/24/18 Developed by Brian Swartz for PTI EDC130 22

 Concrete Shrinkage

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 Concrete Creep

Shrinkage Specimen Creep Specimen

P
L1 ’

L2’
L

ε1 ε2
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 Concrete Creep

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 Concrete Creep

Creep strain is calculated by a creep coefficient, , that expresses creep strain as a

function of elastic strain.

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 Steel Relaxation

• A loss of stress in the steel after being held at a

constant elongation
• For low-relaxation steel (industry standard) relaxation
losses are very small compared to other loss
components (~1-3 ksi)

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