CE 573 Homework 1

The advantages of prestressed concrete as a construction material are several fold. The first major advantage is that of length. By introducing compression into the concrete, tension stresses that would normally cause failure are negated allowing for much longer spans. Further refinement of girder sections by state agencies and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has allowed for the development of extremely efficient sections which reduce both girder weight and overall cost. While these pretensioned girder sections are extremely efficient, even greater span lengths can be realized with cast-in-place post tensioning or spliced girder methods of construction. Another major advantage of prestressed concrete is the elimination (or more accurately, major reduction) in cracking. By inducing compression into the concrete, the section remains homogeneous and maintains its section integrity. This is advantageous in preventing corrosion, primarily in mild steel, which would otherwise occur in reinforced concrete. Additionally, the elimination of cracks provides the general public a measure of reassurance. An engineer sees a reinforced concrete beam with a small crack and doesnt think twice; the public, uneducated about the way reinforced concrete performs, may not be so confident. A third major advantage of prestressed concrete is in building construction. Similar to how refined sections allow for long spans in bridges, prestressing or post-tensioning allows for much thinner slabs in buildings. This is beneficial in that reduced slab thickness translates to lower weight/load per floor allowing for smaller sections to support the building throughout, as well as to build higher. Yet another advantage along these lines is that the thinner slab allows for larger rooms in both horizontal and vertical clear space. While prestressed concrete is now an established building material, there are many innovations to look forward to as research pushes the envelope allowing for even more success

CE 573 Homework 1

than was realized in the last half century. First among these is the development of even higher strength concrete. In recent memory, 8,000 psi has become practically commonplace, and 10,000 psi is not uncommon. This was practically unheard of 20 years ago. Development of higher strength concrete continues, but in order to maximize its efficiency, another development must occur: higher strength steel. Two hundred and seventy ksi steel strands have been around since the late 1970s. Concrete strength has increased substantially since then; however, the same strength steel is still used. In order to maximize the effectiveness of higher strength concrete, higher strength strands are needed to allow for both higher prestressing forces and the losses associated with them. In addition to these two materials related advancements, other developments can further improve prestressed concrete as a construction material. Through research, advancements can be realized in greater durability resulting in longer material life. Also, more efficient shapes and girder configurations can be developed both to make fabrication easier and more cost effective, as well as to increase efficiency even more than the standards today.