Building Construction And Material - VIII

TOPICS:
PRE & POST TENSIONING

Submitted to: Submitted By:

Ar. Avinash Singh Debanshu Payra
Ar. Surbhi Gupta 15120043
B.Arch 9th sem

School Of Architecture , SBBSSTC

Pre-Tensioning

In which the tendons are tensioned before the concrete is placed, tendons are temporarily anchored and
tensioned and the pre stress is transferred to the concrete after it is hardened.
• In this method, the concrete is prestressed with tendons before it is placing in position.
• This method is developed due to bonding between the concrete and steel tendons.
• Pre tensioning is preferred when the structural element is small and easy to transport.
• In this method, similar prestressed members are prepared.
• Pre-tensioning members are produced in mould.

Advantages of Pre Tensioning:

• The relative advantages of pre-tensioning as compared to post-tensioning are as follows:
• Pre-tensioning is suitable for precast members produced in bulk.
• In pre-tensioning large anchorage device is not present.

Disadvantages of Pre Tensioning:

The relative disadvantages are as follows:
• A pre stressing bed is required for the pre-tensioning operation.
• There is a waiting period in the pre stressing bed, before the concrete attains sufficient strength.
• There should be good bond between concrete and steel over the transmission length.

Post-Tensioning

In which the tendon is tensioned after concrete has hardened. Tendons are placed in sheathing at suitable
places in the member before casting and later after hardening of concrete.
1) In this method pre stressing is done after the concrete attains sufficient strength.
2) This method is developed due to bearing.
3) Post tensioning is preferred when the structural element is heavy.
4) In this method, products are changed according to structure.
5) Cables are used in place of wires and jacks are used for stretching.

Advantages of Post Tensioning:

• Longer clear spans
• Thinner slabs
• Lesser floor to floor height
• Shorter building height
• Lesser weight
• Improved seismic performance
• Faster construction cycle

Disadvantages of Post Tensioning:

• The relative disadvantage of post tensioning as compared to pre tensioning is the
requirement of anchorage device and grouting equipment.

Conclusion

Among the types of concrete’s such as generally normal concrete, reinforced cement concrete,
prestressed concrete is the best concrete for obtaining much strength in the major constructions
of a structure and also for getting more life span of a structure.

References

1 http://www.dailycivil.com/difference-pre-tensioning-post-tensioning/
2 http://ebooks.bharathuniv.ac.in/gdlc3/ThirdYear/SecondSem/Civil/Prestressed%20Concrete%20S
tructures/Notes/Prestressing%20Steel.pdf
 REINFORCED CONCRETE & PRE-STRESSED
CONCRETE

Both utilizes the structural capabilities of steel and concrete. Concrete is very strong in
compression, but relatively weak in tension.

Ordinary Reinforced Concrete

• Beam supports a load by developing compressive stresses at the top, but since the
concrete cannot resist the tension at the bottom, it cracks there.

• Reinforcing steel bars are placed within this tension zone to resist the tension and
control the cracking.
 Pre-stressed Concrete

• It involves the application of forces tending to bend and compress a concrete

element in order to counteract bending which results from loading.

• The forced applied is the tensioning or stretching of the steel component which
usually in the form of high tensile strands, wires or bars.

Reinforced Concrete

Prestressed Concrete Before

Loading

Prestressed Concrete After

Loading

Pre-Tension & Post-Tension

• These two differ in the method of stressing the elements. A description of
the construction sequences will help bring out this difference.

Pretension - Pre-stressed Concrete

• The beams or elements are constructed on a stressing bed and stranded cable is
placed between two buttresses anchored to a stressing bed which holds the force
in the stretched cables.

• After stretching the steel with hydraulic jacks, concrete is placed in forms around the
cables and allowed to harden. When the concrete reaches sufficient strength, the pre-
stress forced is transferred to the concrete by bond when the steel strand at the ends of
the beam is cut loose from buttresses.
Pre-tensioned Concrete Beam
 Post-tensioned Pre-stressed concrete

• Post tensioning is a technique for reinforcing concrete.

• Steel cables inside plastic ducts or sleeves, are positioned in the forms
before the concrete is placed. Afterwards, once the concrete has gained
strength, the cables are pulled tight and anchored against the outer edges of
the concrete.

Process Post-tensioning
1.Rolls of post-tensioning cables
2. Pulling anchors for post- tensioning cables

3.Positioned post- tensioning cables

4. Post-tensioning cable ends extending from freshly poured concrete

5. Hydraulic Jack are used to pull the Cables

Pre-tensioned pre-stressed concrete is usually fabricated away from the job site in
a pre- stressing plant, whereas in post-tensioned pre- stressed concrete the
application of stressing forces to the structure is done at the job-site.

Tensioning Devices

1.Mechanical devices: The mechanical devices generally used include weights with or
without lever transmission, geared transmission in conjunction with pulley blocks, screw
jacks with or without gear devices and wire-winding machines. These devices are
employed mainly for prestressing structural concrete components produced on a mass
scale in factory.

2.Hydraulic devices: These are simplest means for producing large

prestressing force, extensively used as tensioning devices.

3.Electrical devices: The wires are electrically heated and anchored before placing
concrete in the mould. This method is often referred to as thermo-prestressing and used
for tensioning of steel wires and deformed bars.

4.Chemical devices: Expanding cements are used and the degree of expansion is
controlled by varying the curing condition. Since the expansive action of cement

Advantages of Prestressed Concrete

• Lower construction cost

• Thinner slabs, which are especially important in high-rise buildings where

floor thickness savings can translate into additional floors for the same or
lower cost

• Fewer joints since the distance that can be spanned by

• post-tensioned slabs exceeds that of reinforced construction with the same thickness

• Longer span lengths increase the usable unencumbered floorspace in

buildings and parking structures

• Fewer joints lead to lower maintenance costs over the design life of the
structure, since joints are the major locus of weakness in concrete buildings.
 Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete

• The major problem with prestressed concrete is that it needs specialised

construction machineries like jacks anchorage etc.

• Advanced technical knowledge and strict supervision is very important.

• For concrete prestressing, high tensile reinforcement bars are needed which costs
greater than generally used mild steel reinforcement bars.

• Highly skilled labor is needed for prestressed concrete constructions.