EXAMPLES OF POST-TENSIONED

BUILDINGS IN SEISMIC REGIONS, USING

Post-Tensioning UNBONDED TENDONS
Systems and Construction

Dr Bijan O Aalami
Professor Emeritus, San Francisco
State University
Principal, ADAPT Corporation

W Hotel, San Francisco, California

www.adaptsoft.com
bijan@adaptsoft.com copyright ADAPT Corporation 2013

Infinity Towers (36 story + 4 underground)

under construction in San Francisco, California

301 Mission Street

San Francisco, California
 Daniel Burnham Court, San Francisco
Proposed Transbay Tower under construction
San Francisco, California
Mid-rise Buildings

Ocean Villa Apartments

Red Lion Inn, Modesto, Ca Southern California

Mid-rise Hotel in San Francisco Bay Area

 University of California Medical Center, Irvine

Parking Structure

CONSTRUCTED WITH UNBONDED

POST-TENSIONING

Xerox Center, Santa Ana, California

Lakeshore Tower, Irvine, California

PARKING STRUCTURES
 San Jose International Airport Example of High Rise Building in Seismic
Risk Region Similar to Dubai (SDC C)

PARKING STRUCTURES Honolulu – Hawaii

Trump International Hotel and Tower
Beam and one-way slab construction

Every building in view is post-

tensioned using unbonded
tendon

Panama City ; Panama

With over 35 years of extensive experience in
design and construction of post-tensioned
Slab thickness = 150 mm buildings
PT = 3.2 kg/m2
Rebar = 5.0 kg/m2
Completed in 2009
 A view from suburbs of
Panama City
Showing towers constructed with
post-tensioning

Four Seasons Hotel; Florida

Constructed in one of the highest wind
force regions in USA

Beach Tower 2 Qanat Qasba Tower

Dubai, UAE constructed with grouted Dubai. UAE, constructed with grouted tendons
tendons
 ADVANTAGES OF POST-
TENSIONING
™ Longer clear spans
‰ Optimum 30 ft (10 m)

™ Thinner slabs
‰ Typically 1/3 reduction in thickness

™ Lesser floor-to-floor height

‰ Eliminates beams

™ Shorter building height

‰ Less cladding

™ Improved seismic performance

‰ Lesser weight
‰ Shorter overturning moment arm
Beach Tower 1
Dubai, UAE, constructed with grouted ™ Faster construction cycle
tendons ‰ Typically one week cycle per pour;
can be reduced to one floor per day

™ Reduction in Building Height

™ Increased span – more open space for the
™ Increased Spans – Open Space
same slab thickness and floor to floor
height
 MAT (RAFT) FOUNDATIONS

COLUMN/
WALL TENDON MAT

UNIFORM SOIL PRESSURE

(a) POST-TENSIONED MAT

Fortaleza, Brazil

POST-TENSIONED MAT
FOUNDATION USING UNBONDED
TENDONS
CONCENTRATED PRESSURE

(b) NON-PRESTRESSED MAT

Kodak Building
San Jose, California

POST-TENSIONED MAT FOUNDATION

USING GROUTED TENDONS
Example of a mat (raft) foundation, using
unbonded tendons
 Post-Tensioned Slabs on Grade
SOG

Overview of post-tensioned mat foundation of

a high-rise building in KSA, using grouted
The most common application in the
tendons
US is in the foundation of residential
and light industrial buildings
Expansive soil (high clay content) undergoes
seasonal volume change that can adversely
affect the performance of the structure it
supports

Design Conditions for Ground-

POST-TENSIONED SLAB-ON-GRAGE
Supported Post-Tensioned Slabs
For residential and low rise buildings

em EDGE LOAD

D
SLAB
LOSS OF
MOISTURE
DROP Ym

(a) CENTER LIFT "a" SOIL GAP

DRY TO WET

(a) CENTER LIFT

MOISTURE em EDGE LOAD

UPLIFT
(b) EDGE LIFT
d
Ym
Structure Interaction with
Expansive Soil and Change in
"a" SOIL GAP
Moisture
WET TO DRY

(b) EDGE LIFT

 Post-tensioned slabs on
expansive soil (SOG)

™ A post-tensioned slab on
expansive soil is designed to
reduce the movement of the soil
below it to a displacement
acceptable for the structure
above it.
POST-TENSIONED GROUND
SUPPORTED SLAB
™ In many constructions, a READY FOR CONCRETE POUR

deformation of one vertical over Slab is typically 4 to 5 in (100mm to

250 horizontal for the
superstructure acceptable
130 mm) thick; beams are 15 ft (5 m)
apart; tendons are spaced 4 to 5 ft
(1200 to 1500 mm) apart. The above
construction shows the moisture
barrier below sand

POST-TENSIONED GROUND
SUPPORTED SLAB
READY FOR CONCRETE POUR
Post-Tensioned Slab-On-Grade
Without Interior Beams
In this construction, the moisture
barrier is placed above 2 inches (50
In California, the preferred construction
mm) of sand.
is slab of uniform thickness (7 to 8 inch;
In SOG tendons are typically straight 180 to 200 mm) with perimeter beams,
and at mid-depth over the interior typically 12 inch (300 mm) deep and 10
inch (250 mm) wide
regions of slab.
Waffle foundation slabs have stems 42” Example of Post-Tensioned ground supported
(1.06 m) apart , 4” (100mm) wide, reinforced slab on expansive soil
with one 0.5” (12.7mm) strand placed
straight and at top over each stem . The slab
is 4” (10mm) and the total depth of the
foundation 16” (400 mm)

UNITED STATES USAGE OF

POST-TENSIONING STEEL
TYPICAL STATISTICS

Earthwork,
4.0%
Bridges, Slab-On-Grade,
14.5% 53.0%

Buildings,
27.6%

Misc, 0.9%

™ Post-tensioned slabs provide super-flat

crack free surfaces suitable for smooth
and stable operation of fork-lift trucks in
ware houses
 Cracks on floors as observed above impede
the smooth ride of forklift trucks and endanger
loading on tall racks
Overview of an industrial floor being provided
with a post-tensioned floor for a crack-free
smooth surface
™ Example of an industrial building with post-
tensioned floor system
Example of a post-tensioned residential floor
slab ready to be cast
™ Floor is subdivided in smaller sections to
reduce loss of prestressing due to friction
™ Floor is cast on two layers of plastic sheet
to reduce friction.
™The friction coefficient for slab on two layers
of plastic is generally between 0.4 to 0.6
Transfer slabs, such at the above example in
New York receive a multitude of loads from
above and transfer them to a few supports
below to create wide open spaces below, or to
straddle over obstruction as in the above
example Post-tensioned transfer plates are used,
where the requirements of open space at
lower levels of multi-story buildings results
www.adaptsoft.com
in interruption of upper level columns

Computer model for design of a 3.5m

transfer plate showing the walls from
above and the long span open space View of tendons in two-layered 3.5m deep
supports below transfer plate

¾ The first 1m layer was case with its own

post-tensioning to carry the weight of the
added 2.5m, thus reducing the necessity of
heavy formwork.
¾The 3.5m plate was designed to carry the
weight of the tower.
 POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE FLOOR
Tendon being positioned in 3.5 thick
SUPPORTING A WOOD FRAME
transfer plate
BUILDING
Santana Row; San Jose, California

POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE FLOOR POST-TENSIONED CONCRETE

SUPPORTING A WOOD FRAME OR FLOOR SUPPORTING STEEL FRAME
LIGHT STEEL FRAME BUILDING OFFICE BUILDING
Pasadena Playhouse, California
 Hybrid construction in Redwood City,
California
The post-tensioned ground floor retail
and underground parking support
four levels of wood fame apartments

BASE PLATES OF STEEL COLUMNS

TERMINATE ON PT SLAB

POST-TENSIONING
SYSTEMS
Unbonded
Tendons remain detached
from concrete along their
length for the entire life of
the structure
Definition of Terms Grouted (bonded)
‰ Wire
Tendons are attached to
‰ Strand the encasing concrete
‰ Tendon along their entire length
¾ Monostrand and follow the deformation
¾ Multistrand of concrete
¾ unbonded
¾ grouted
Post-Tensioning in Building Construction
Unbonded Tendon Evolution
STRAND PAPER

+
(a) PAPER-WRAPPED 1955 - 1970 _

SHEATH

PUSH - THROUGH HEAT- EXTRUDED

(STUFFED) SEALED

Paper-wrapped tendons of 1950s (b) PLASTIC SHEATH TYPES 1960 - PRESENT

GREASE FILLED PLASTIC CAP

SHEATH TUBE

(c) ENCAPSULATED – PTI RECOMMENDED SYSTEM 1985

PLASTIC COATED ANCHORAGE

SHEATH TUBE

Today’s example of moisture tight tendon

(d) ELECTRICALLY ISOLATED TENDON 1983

Unbonded Post-Tensioning
Hardware
12.7 mm
(0.5"*)

CORROSION PLASTIC
WIRE INHIBITING SHEATHING
COATING
NOTE: * NOMINAL DIAMETER

(a) STRAND (b) TENDON

ARRANGEMENT OF UNBONDED POST-
TENSIONING SYSTE
GREASE FILLED PLASTIC CAP COMPONENTS:
TUBE ™ Tendon (greased and plastic coated)
SHEATH
™ Anchorage casting
™ Wedges
™ Pocket former (grommet) to create a
STRAND stressing recess; and
™ Stressing equipment
(c) ANCHORAGE ASSEMBLY
C
 Generic Anchorage Device
for 0.5 inch – 13mm Strand

127mm ( 5")

2.25")
57mm
(
(a) PLAN
COMPONENTS OF A GENERIC 12 mm
(1/2in.) STRAND TENDON
38mm
1.50")
(

(b) SECTION
33mm
1.30")
(

(c) WEDGE

Freyssinet hardware for unbonded tendons

STRESSING END
LIVE (STRESSING) ENDS AT SLAB EDGE

The picture shows anchorage assemblies for

corrosive environment. The entire strand is
protected by a water-tight plastic cover

DEAD END

Non-corrosive environment hardware

 UNBONDED POST-TENSIONING
CONSTRUCTION

EXAMPLE OF A TWO-WAY FLOOR

SYSTEM (California)

Note: The continuous reinforcement on

the right are drag bars to resist
seismic forces

Tendons are commonly labeled using color-

codes. The anchors are marked with spray-
paint to guarantee a fast and accurate
installation.

GREEN
BLUE

A two-way post-tensioned slab reinforced

with unbonded tendons. The tendons are
banded in one direction along the column
supports and distributed uniformly in the
transverse direction. Note that all top bars Each bundle is packaged with a metal tie.
are placed over the columns. The long Padding is placed between the tendons and
bars at the bottom are support bars to the tie to ensure that the metal does not
provide the correct tendon height. penetrate the sheath and cause damage.
 David: insert cd4 299

Unroll and layout tendons

Mark and fix stressing end
at slab edges

The final clean out prior concreting

takes place by air pressure View of job site while placing
concrete
 Concrete placing crew busy
Elongation of tendon is measured
to place and finish with a steel tape to 1/8 inch (3mm)
accuracy

Examples of Cross-Sectional
Geometry of Bonded Systems

1/2" (12.7mm) STRAND

0.079" (2mm) 0.83"
21mm
(INSIDE DIA.)

0.16" 0.66"
4 mm 17mm
2.83"
72 mm

3.39"
86 mm
SECTION ELEVATION

(a) 4-STRAND PLASTIC FLAT CORRUGATED DUCT

View of construction of a floor slab
using grouted tendons
1/2" (12.7 mm) STRAND

1.87" 0.43"
67 mm

73 mm
2.62"

2.88"

11 mm
47.5 mm

(b) STRAND POSITION AT HIGH POINT OF A

12 - 1/2" STRAND CIRCULAR METAL DUCT
A tendon arrangement option for floor
slabs reinforced with grouted post-
tensioning

Tendon arrangement using slab bands

SLAB WITH GROUTED TENDON

using sheet metal ducts

Plastic ducts provide enhanced

Freyssinet hardware for grouted tendons performance
 An example of a grouted
An example of a grouted
system hardware with flat duct
system hardware for a single
strand

Ngee Ann City, Singapore

SLAB ON GRADE, USING SINGLE

STRAND GROUTED PT SYSTEM

FLAT DUCT GROUTED POST-TENSIONING

FLAT DUCT GROUTED POST-TENSIONING

Example of column-supported
grouted tendon post-tensioned
slab under construction

STRAND AND FLAT DUCTS FOR THREADED FOUR STRAND DUCTS

GROUTED PT SYSTEM READY FOR LAYOUT
 TENDON ARRANGEMENT DUCT SPLICING
AROUND COLUMN

VIEW OF A LIVE (STRESSING) END, TWO

DEAD ENDS AND GROUTING TUBES IN
PLACE, READY TO CONCRETING

VIEW OF A DEAD END ASSEMBLIES

Dead end; live end; and
interior stressing pocket Stressing pans at slab interior

Tendon stressing from top

of slab

Stressing recess and finish at

slab edge
CONSTRUCTION OF GROUTED SYSTEM USING
CORRUGATED (FLEXIBLE) DUCTS

UNROLL AND LAYOUT FLAT DUCTS

TENDON LAYOUT USING

CORRUGATED DUCTS

PUSH STRANDS THROUGH EACH DUCT

Strands being pushed into ducts

IN BEAMS, OR THICK SLABS, ROUND

DUCTS ARE PREFERRABLE
 Grout mixer

Where member thickness allows, a good

solution is to use rounded ducts in beams
and flat ducts in slabs

Grout pouring out of an intermediate vent

GROUTING OPERATIO

MULTI-STRAND CONSTRUCTION

Bonded (grouted) floor slab construction,

Requires
using flat ducts in the slab and multi-strand
‰ heavier jacks (investment);
round ducts in the beams
‰ heavier pumps; and
‰ crane to hold the jack.
 Several Other Examples of Post-
Tensioned Building Construction
-- Unbonded Tendons --

EXAMPLE OF A GROUTING PUMP

FOR MULT-STRAND DUCTS

Post-Tensioned Multistory Hotel

Las Vegas, NV
View of an unbonded floor slab
ready to receive concrete
 The Golden Moon Hotel
& Casino
The Golden Moon Hotel and Casino

Post-Tensioned Building, ITT Center in

Plymouth, Minnesota

Several Other Examples of Post-

Tensioned Building Construction
-- Grouted Tendons --

View of a floor slab reinforced with

grouted tendons, ready to receive
concrete
View of a floor slab reinforced with
grouted tendons, ready to receive
concrete (VSL; USA)
Marina Towers – Beirut
Multi-story luxury condominium using
grouted post-tensioning system

Multi-story tower under construction,

using grouted tendons
Freyssinet Middle East

Golf Tower 2 Dubai, UAE

constructed with grouted tendons
When using Post-Tensioning: Avoid unnecessary details
In this detail, the drop panel does not play a
™ Eliminate beams significant role, but requires unwarranted
™ Use simplified details construction effort

Example of uneconomical and complex

detailing
Bonded (grouted) two-way floor slab
™ Columns are too close
construction, using slab bands and edge
™ Beams can be eliminated
beam
‰ Avoid edge beams and slab bands,
where practical
 Example of uneconomical and complex
detailing

™ Simplify the structure by eliminating the

beams

VIEWS OF SLAB BAND

COMMENT: Avoid complex edge beam details,
where practical

Unduly complex details

EXAMPLES OF DETAILS TO AVOID IN POST-

TENSIONING.
ELIMINATE BEAMS AND COMPLEX
NON-ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
 Example of expensive and unnecessary detail Avoid heavy and complex slab construction
for common residential and commercial
™ Parking structure in San Francisco buildings

Attempt to eliminate entry headers and beams Avoid slab bands and edge beams, where
practical
 SPECIAL APPLICATION OF
TENSIONING

INSERT PIER 39
HERE

Example of complex detailing with beams for

short spans and waffle construction

™ Av 28 du Julio; Lima, Peru

Post-
Post-Tensioned waffle slab

Computer models (Floor-Pro) generate a

faithful replica of the geometry and tendon
layout for analysis and design

Computer (Floor-Pro) model of tendon layout

 Example of inefficient tendon layout What are these “strings” hanging
down?
Straight tendons at slab mid-depth are
not the best use of post-tensioning

Another example of strings hanging

Another example of strings hanging down
down
View of a construction joint with intermediate
stressing
The strings were alternative to the above
practice in the US, where tendons at
construction joints with intermediate
stressing are rolled and kept on
extension of the forms. Note the
construction joint at the left

Thank you