PRESTRESSED CONCRETE

CE151P BUILDING SYSTEMS ENGINEERING SCEGE

MAPUA UNIVERSITY
PRESTRESSING
THEORY: “Place all the concrete of the member in
compression” (take advantage of concrete’s compressive
strength of the entire member)

ADVANTAGES
• Increase the load carrying capacity
• Increase span length, or
• Reduce the member’s size
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
PRINCIPLE – Using high tensile strength steel alloys
producing permanent precompression in areas subjected to
Tension.
• A portion of tensile stress is counteracted thereby reducing
the cross-sectional area of the steel reinforcement .

METHODS:
1. PRETENSIONING : Placing of concrete around
reinforcing tendons that have been stressed to the desired
degree.
2. POST-TENSIONING : Reinforcing tendons are stretched
by jacks whilst keeping them inserted in voids left pre-
hand during curing of concrete. These spaces are then
pumped full of grout to bond steel tightly to the concrete.
POST-TENSIONING
WHAT IS POST-TENSIONING?
• Post-tensioning- is a method of reinforcing (strengthening)
concrete or other materials with highstrength 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/stretched by jacks on the sides & grouts filled
with appropriate mix.
• Applications – Structural members beams, bridge-deck
panels, Roof – Slabs, Concrete Silos, Etc.
PRE-TENSIONING
POST-TENSIONING
BENEFITS
1. Concrete is very strong in compression but weak in tension.
This deflection will cause the bottom of the beam to elongate
slightly & cause cracking.
2. 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.
3. Post-tensioning tendons, on the other hand, are considered
“active” reinforcing.
4. Because it is prestressed, the steel is effective as reinforcement
even though the concrete may not be cracked .
5. Post-tensioned structures can be designed to have minimal
deflection and cracking, even under full load.
ADVANTAGES/ APPLICATIONS
1. Post-tensioning allows longer clear spans, thinner slabs,
fewer beams and more slender, dramatic elements.
2. Thinner slabs mean less concrete is required. It means a
lower overall building height for the same floor-to-floor
height.
3. 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.
ADVANTAGES/ APPLICATIONS
4. A lower building height can also translate to considerable
savings in mechanical systems and façade costs.
5. 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.
6. Reduces occurrence of cracks .
7. Freezing & thawing durability is higher than non
prestressed concrete.
8. 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.
ADVANTAGES/ APPLICATIONS
9. In areas where there are expansive clays or soils with low
bearing capacity, post-tensioned slabs-on-ground and mat
foundations reduce problems with cracking and differential
settlement.
10. Post-tensioning allows bridges to be built to very
demanding geometry requirements, including complex
curves, and significant grade changes.
11. 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.
ADVANTAGES/ APPLICATIONS
12. In stadiums, post-tensioning allows long clear spans and
very creative architecture.
13. Post-tensioning can also be used to produce virtually
crack-free concrete for water-tanks.
14. The high tensile strength & precision of placement gives
maximum efficiency in size & weight of structural
members.
15. Applications of various prestressed techniques enable
quick assembly of standard units such as bridge
members,building frames, bridge decks providing cost-
time savings.
CONSTRUCTION
a. In slab-on-ground construction, unbonded tendons are
typically prefabricated at a plant and delivered to the
construction site, ready to install.
b. The tendons are laid out in the forms in accordance with
installation drawings that .
c. 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.
d. The tendons, like rubber bands, want to return to their
original length but are prevented from doing so by the
anchorages.
CONSTRUCTION
e. The fact the tendons are kept in a permanently stressed
(elongated) state causes a compressive force to act on
the concrete.
f. The compression that results from the post-tensioning
counteracts the tensile forces created by subsequent
applied loading (cars, people, the weight of the beam itself
when the shoring is removed).
g. This significantly increases the load-carrying capacity of
the concrete.
h. Since post-tensioned concrete is cast in place at the job
site, there is almost no limit to the shapes that can be
formed.
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
• Prestressed concrete, invented by Eugene Frevssinet in
1928 is a method for overcoming concrete’’s 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: pretensioned
concrete, and bonded or unbonded.
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
Pre-tensioned concrete
• Pre-tensioned concrete is 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 direct 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 stout anchoring points between which
the tendon is to be stretched and the tendons are usually in
a straight line.
• Thus, most pretensioned concrete elements are
prefabricated in a factory and must be transported to the
construction site, which limits their size.
• Pre-tensioned elements may be balcony elements, lintels,
floor slabs, beams or foundation piles.
PRESTRESSING
Prestressing - Pretensioning
Pretensioning
• Prior to concrete placement
• Generally performed at a plant
Prestressing - Posttensioning
• Cables positioned prior to concrete placement
• Stressed after concrete placement (& curing)
• Generally performed
• at the jobsite
 Large Conduits for Placement of
Post Tensioning Cables on a Bridge
END OF LECTURE
• Thank you!