Prestressing
- Imposition of internal stresses into a structure
that are of opposite character to those that will
be caused by the service or working load.
- For concrete beams, prestressing is primarily
used to counter act tension stresses cause by the
weight of the members and superimposed loads.
- Produce negative loading that will eliminate the
effect of the beam’s weight, thus producing
”weightless beam”.
Advantages
- Utilizes the entire cross section of a member to
support or resist loads. Thus smaller members
can support the same loads or the same size
members can be used in for longer span.
- Crack free, more watertight providing better
corrosion protection for steel reinforcements
- Crack free means less maintenance and last
longer.
- Provides lowest first-cost solution, and low
maintenances provides the lowest overall cost
for many additional cases.
- The negative produces camber which reduces
the total deflection.
- Reduction in diagonal tension stresses
- Sections w./ greater stiffness under working
loads
- Increased resistance to impact and fatigue
compared to ordinary RC.
Disadvantages
- Require the use of higher strength concretes and
steel reinforcement and use of complicated form
works.
- High labor cost
- Closer quality control required in manufacturing
- Losses initial prestressing force
- Cost of end anchorage devices and end-beam
plates that may be required.
- Additional stress conditions must be checked in
design, such as the stresses occurring when the
prestress is applied and after prestress losses has
taken place.
Pre-tensioning
- The tendons are tensioned before the concrete
was place.
- The tendons can run along the entire bed length
and used for casting several beams in a line at
the same time
Post- Tensioning
- The tendons are stressed after the concrete is
placed and has gained desired strength.
- Plastic or metal tubes, conduits, sleeves, or
similar devices is placed
- By post-tensioning, the prestress forces are
transferred to the concrete not by bond but by
end bearing.
- Possible to have bonded or un-bonded tendons
o Bonded
 The conduits is made of
aluminum, steel, or other metal
sheathing
 It is possible to use steel tubing
or rods or rubber core that are
cast in the concrete.
 After the steel is tensioned,
cement grout is injected into the
duct for bonding.
 Grout is useful in protecting steel
from corrosion
o Un-Bonded
 The tendons must be greased to
facilitate tensioning and to
protect them from corrosion
Materials used in Pre-stressed Concrete
- Concrete with high modulus of elasticity,
o Prestressing Steel
 Single wires
 Wire strands
 Bars
Shape of Pre-stressed section
- The usefulness of a particular section depends
on the simplicity and reusability of the
formworks, the appearance of the sections, the
degree of difficulty of placing concrete, and the
theoretical properties of the section.
- The greater the amount of concrete located near
the extreme fibers of a beam will be the lever
arm bet ween C and T forces, thus, the greater
the resisting moment.