INTRODUCTION

A pre-stressed concrete member is

a member of concrete in which internal stresses
are introduced in a planned manner, so that
stresses resulting from the super imposed loads
counteracted to a desired degree. Concrete has a
high compressive strength compared to its very
low tensile strength.
Prestressed decreases diagonal tensile stresses. This has led to adopt
modified and T sections in which there is a sustainable deduction in web area.
To get the maximum advantage of prestressed concrete members , it is necessary
to use high strength concrete and high tensile steel wires.



PRE-STRESSING
Tendon
A high strength steel
strand or bar for pre-
stressing concrete
Abutment
A structure for anchoring
the reinforcing tendons in
the pre- tensioning of a
concrete member
J acking force
The tensile force
exerted temporarily
by a jacking the
pre-stressing of a
concrete member
Anchor
A mechanical device for
locking of a stressed
tendon in position
NEED OF PRE-STRESSING
To offset the deficiency of tensile strength in concrete, steel reinforcement is
provided near the bottom of simple beams to carry the tensile stresses.
ADVANTAGES OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
1. Durability
As this technique eliminates weakness of concrete in tension, such members
remain free from cracks; hence can resist the effects of impact, shock, and
reversal of stresses more efficiently than R.C.C. structure.
They provide reliable long-term performance in extremely harsh conditions
that could destroy lesser materials.
They are resistant to deterioration from weather extremes, chemical attack,
fire,accidental damage and the determined efforts of vandals.
Winter construction can proceed with few weather delays as pre-cast
components are Prefabricated in heated plants.
2. ADAPTABILITY
Pre-cast pre-stressed concrete products can be designed and manufactured for
any application, ranging in size from short span bridges to some of the largest
projects in the world.
Permits pre-cast manufacturers to vastly expand the design variety possible
using pre-cast components.
the inherent plasticity of concrete permits to create pre-cast components in
shapes and sizes, which would be prohibitively expensive using other materials
3. FIRE RESISTANT
Pre-stressed concrete bridges are not easily damaged by fire. Have excellent
fire resistance, low maintenance costs, elegance, high corrosion resistance, etc.
4. FAST AND EASY CONSTRUCTION
Pre-cast concrete components lend themselves to fast construction schedules.
Pre-cast manufacturing can proceed while site preparation is underway.
Pre-cast units can be delivered to the jobsite and installed the moment they
are needed in any weather.
Fast construction means earlier completion and the resulting cost savings.
Saves the cost of shuttering and centring for large structures.
5. AESTHETICS
Pre-cast components can be delivered with a wide range of shapes and finishes
ranging from smooth dense structural units to any number of architectural
treatments.
Strikingly rich and varied surface textures and treatments can be achieved by
exposing colure sands, aggregates, cements and colourings agents using
sandblasting and chemical retarders.
custom form liners can be used to introduce reveals, patterns and other
architectural effects.
Stone, tile brick and other materials can be cast into pre-cast panels at the
factory,enabling designers to achieve the expensive look of masonry.
DISADVANTAGES OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
Although pre-stressing has many advantages, there are still some drawbacks
of this process.
The unit cost of high strength materials being used is higher as mostly high
tensile steel is used.
extra initial cost is incurred due to use of pre-stressing equipment and its
installation.
extra labour and transportation cost for pre-stressing is also there.
pre-stressing is uneconomical for short spans and light loads.

CLASSIFICATION OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE MEMBERS
There are many ways of classifying prestressed concrete members based on
the method of design, construction and application of pre-stress. These are
explained below :
A. EXTERNALLY AND INTERNALLY PRESTRESSED MEMBERS :
A member can be prestressed either by external reaction offered by rigid
abutments or by tensioned tendon. The former is called external prestressing
and the latter is called internal prestressing.
In the external prestressing instead of providing a tendon from which the
prestress can be applied , the necessary prestressing force can be applied by
compressing the members by jacking against abutments. This method is difficult
to be adopted , though this principle is adopted in the case of arches. It is also
found that shrinkage and creep of concrete are likely to effect the initially
applied prestress.

B. LINEAR OR CIRCULAR PRESTRESSING:
The term circular prestressing is applied to prestressing circular structure like
cylindrical tanks and pipes in this case the tenders are provided in the form of
Rings
Linear prestressing is a term applied to prestressing straight members like beams
and slabs.

Pre-tensioned members-
In these, the tendons are tensioned even before casting the concrete.

One end of the reinforcement (i.e. tendon) is secured to an abutment while the
other end of the reinforcement is pulled by using a jack and this end is then fixed
to another abutment.
The concrete is now poured. After the concrete has cured and hardened, the
ends of the reinforcement are released from the abutments.
The reinforcement which tends to resume its original length will compress the
concrete surrounding it by bond action. The prestress is thus transmitted to
Concrete entirely by the action of bond between the reinforcement and the
surrounding concrete.










C. PRE-TENSIONING AND POST TENSIONING

POST TENSION MEMBER
It is one in which the reinforcement is tensioned after the
concrete has fully hardened.
The beam is first cast leaving ducts for placing the tendons.
The ducts are made in a number of ways - by leaving corrugated steel tube
in the concrete, by providing steel spirals, sheet metal tubing, rubber have or any
other duct forming unit in the form work.
When the concrete has hardened and developed its strength, the tendon is passed
through the duct.
One end is provided with an anchor and is fixed to one end of the member.
Now, the other end of the tendon is pulled by a jack which is butting against the
end of the member.
The jack simultaneously pulls the tendon and compresses the concrete.
After the tendon is subjected to the desired stress, the end of the tendon is also
properly anchored to the concrete.
To avoid crushing of concrete due to excessive bearing stress, a distribution plate
is provided at each end.


SYSTEMS OF POST- TENSIONING

1. THE FREYSSlNET SYSTEM

High tension steel wires 5 mm to 8 mm diameter about 12
in number are arranged to form a group into a cable with a
spiral spring inside.
The spiral spring provides
proper clearance between the wires
and thus provides a channel which
can be cement grouted.
It further assists to transfer the
reaction to concrete.
The anchorage consists of a good quality concrete cylinder and is provided with
corrugations on the outside. It has a central conical hole and is provided with heavy
hoop reinforcement.
The conical plugs are pushed into the conical holes after cables are tightened. The
central hole passing axially through the plug permits cement grout to be injected through
it.
In this way the space between the wires will be filled with the grout. This provides
additional restraint against the slipping of the tendons.
The whole thing is enclosed in thin metal
steel.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM

(i) Securing the wires is not expensive.

(ii) The desired stretching force is obtained quickly.

(iii) The plugs may be left in the concrete and they do not project beyond the ends of
the member.


DISADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM

(i) All the wires of a cable are stretched together. Hence the stresses in the wires
may not be exactly the same.

(ii) The greatest stretching force applied to a cable is from 250 KN to 500 kN. This
may not be sufficient.

(iii) The jacks used are heavy and expensive.
3. GIFFORD UDALL SYSTEM

This method offers the following three methods
of prestressing:
First method

This is earliest of the three methods of this system.
In this method the wires are stressed and anchored one by one in a separate cylinder
using small wedging grips called udall grips.
Each grip consists of two-half cones.
The bearing plate bears against a thrust ring which is cast into the concrete.
The duct end is encircled by a helix.
Anchorages are supplied to suit cables of 2, 4, 6 and 12 wires.

Second method

In this method, the wires are anchored by wedges which fit
directly into tapered recesses made in the bearing plate.
The bearing plate bears against a tube unit containing the tube unit and the helix.
This tube unit is cast into the concrete.
Anchorages are supplied for cables of 8 to 12 wires.
This arrangement is compact and minimizes the congestion of the steel wires in anchor
block.
4. P.S.C. MONOWIRE SYSTEM
MONOWIRE SYSTEM
In this system also the wires are tensioned
individually.
The anchorage consists of a single piece
collet sleeve wedging in a conical hole.
A steel truncated guide leads each wire from
the cable to the anchorage point along a gentle
curvature.
In addition to the guide a central block is also
provided to anchor the central wires.

5. ELECTRICAL PRESTRESSING

This is a method of post tensioning without the use of jacks introduced by Bittner
and Carlson,
Steel bars are provided with a coating of sulphur, before they are embedded in
concrete.
After the hardening of concrete electric current of low voltage and high amperage is
used to heat the bars to a temperature of 1700 C.
As the bars expand longitudinally, the nuts on the projecting ends are tightened
against heavy washers.
As the temperature falls, the prestress is developed in the bars and the bond is
again restored by the resolidification of the sulphur coating.
C.C.L. STANDARD SYSTEM:
Another type of the method in which the wires are tensioned
individually. As many wires as may be required are used in a circular cable.
The size of the duct depends on the numbers of the wires 40mm dia for 8 wires
cable and 50mm dia for 12 wires cable. At intervals of 600mm spaces are
provided to keep the wires separated and to prevent the outer wires from
touching sheathing. A special C.C.L. anchor grip is used to anchor each wire
separately. The anchor grip consists of steel wedge which fit over the wire and
are accommodated in a steel barrel having a tapered hole.
The barrels are 20mm dia and 25mm long. The wedge are made
either in two pieces or 4 segments held together by a steel circrip to form unit.
These units bears against a drilled anchor plate through which the wires are
passed. The thrust ring is of mild steel 6mm thick and is made rectangular with
a central rectangular hole. To prevent local busting effect a helix Is provided behind
the thrust ring.
A vertical mesh is also provided behind the helix. The bearing plate
is 18mm thick and has 9mm diameter holes provided at a spacing of 25mm centers in
parallel rows to accommodate the wires.
LEE MCCALL SYSTEM:
This is system in which high tensile alloy steel bars are used as the
prestressing tendons. These bars are provided in 22mm, 25mm, 28mm dia and in
length upto 20m. The anchoring of the bars is done by screwing special threaded
nuts. The nuts bear against a distribution plate provided at the end of the beam.
LOSS OF PRE-STRESS
A reduction in initial pre-stress resulting from the combined effect of creep,
shrinkage or elastic shortening of the concrete, relaxation of the reinforcing steel,
frictional losses resulting from the curvature of the draped tendons and slippage at the
anchorage.
The steel wires of a pre-stressed concrete member do not retain all the preliminary
pre-stress .
The initial pre-stress in concrete undergoes a gradual reduction with time from the
stage of transfer due to various causes.
A loss of pre-stress will affect the stress distribution on the section of the member.
The loss of pre-stressed takes place due to many causes. In general these can be
classified as:
Loss of pre-stress during the tensioning process
Loss of pre-stress at the anchoring stage.
Losses occurring subsequently



PRE-TENSIONING


POST-TENSIONING


Elastic deformation of concrete


Relaxation of stress in steel
Shrinkage of concrete
Creep of concrete




No loss due to elastic deformation if all
the wires are simultaneously tensioned. If
the wires are successively tensioned
there will be loss of pre-stress due to
elastic deformation of concrete

1.Relaxation of stress in steel
2.Shrinkage of concrete
3.Creep of concrete
4.Friction
5.Anchorage slip


In addition there may be losses of pre-stress due to sudden changes in temperature,
especially in steam curing of pre- tensioned units.
The rise in temperature causes a partial transfer of pre-stress (due to elongation of the
tendons b/w adjacent units in the long line process) which may cause a large amount of
creep if the concrete is not properly cured.

LOSS OF PRE-STRESS DURING THE TENSIONING PROCESS DUE TO FRICTION
Friction in the jacking and anchoring system and on the walls of the duct where the
wires fan out at the anchorage with the result, the actual stress in the tendons is less
than what is indicated by the pressure gauge.
The losses due to friction in the jack and at the anchorage are different for different
system of pre-stressing.
This loss due to friction may be classified into:
Loss Due To Length Effect
The extent of friction met with in a straight tendon due to slight imperfection of the duct
(the straight tendon).
Hence the cable will touch the duct or concrete, wobbing effect, or wave effect
Loss due to curvature effect
In the case of curved ducts, the loss of pre-stress depends upon the radius of
curvature of the duct and the coefficient of friction between the duct surface and the
tendons.
LOSS OF PRESTRESS AT THE ANCHORING STAGE
This loss is due to the fact that the anchorage fixtures themselves are subjected to a
stretch.
It is also possible that the friction wedges holding the wires the wires may slip a little
The necessary additional elongation may be provided for at the time of tensioning to
compensate for this loss.
LOSS OF PRESTRESS OCCURIING SUBSEQUENTLY
The loss which occur subsequently to pre-stress are:
Loss Of Stress Due To Shrinkage Of Concrete:
Contraction of concrete due to chemical changes and drying. This depends only on the
interval of time and the moisture conditions, but is independent of the stresses in the
members due to loads
By minimizing the water cement ration and proportion of cement, the shrinkage can be
reduced.
Loss Of Stress Due To Creep Of Concrete
Creep of concrete means the deformation of concrete, which depends upon the interval
of time to which the member is loaded
This additional deformation of the stressed member is remaining in a stressed state is
called CREEP.
Loss Of Stress Due To Elastic Shortening Of Concrete
(a) Pre-tensioned member
Due to the pre-stress transfer to the concrete, the concrete will shorten. This results in a
corresponding shortening of steel

(b) Post tensioned member
Suppose only a single tendon has been provided in a member, the concrete gets
shortened as the tendon is jacked against it.
Hence, after tightening, no more shortening of concrete can take place

MATERIALS FOR PRE-STRESSED
CONCRETE:

1- High-Strength Concrete:
High strength concrete mix:
Pre-stressed concrete requires concrete which
has a high compressive strength, with
comparatively higher tensile strength.

Low shrinkage, minimum creep characteristics
and a high value of Youngs modulus are
generally deemed necessary for concrete used
for concrete used for pre-stressed members.


A minimum cement content of 300 to 360 kg/m3 is prescribed mainly to cater to the
durability requirements. In high-strength concrete mixes, the water content should be
as low as possible with due regard to adequate workability.

To safeguard against excessive shrinkage, the code prescribes that the cement
content in the mix should preferably not exceed 530kg/m3.
Aggregate of rock types having high moduli of elasticity and low values of differed
strain are more effective in restraining the contraction of the cement paste and their
use reduces the shrinkage of concrete. The commonly used aggregates, in
increasing order of effectiveness in restraining shrinkage, are sand-stone, basalt,
granite, quartz and limestone.

The values of total residual shrinkage strain recommended in the I.S. code for the
purpose of design are 3.0X10-4 for pre-tensioned members and(2.0X10-4)/log(t+2) for
post-tensioned members, where t is the age in days of the concrete at transfer.
Light-weight Aggregate Pre-stressed Concrete:
The main advantage of light weight concrete is that it reduces the self weight
of the structure, thus minimizing the amount of concrete and steel required for
carrying the load.

The light weight criterion becomes important especially in long span
structures where dead load forms the major portion of the total design load on
the structure, or when the self-weight of the member is a factor to be
considered in the transportation and erection, as in pre-cast concrete
construction.
The light-weight aggregates, generally used for pre-stressed concrete
are foamed slag, lytag and aglite.

The modulus of elasticity of light-weight concrete is about 50 to 55
percent of the modulus of elasticity of normal- weight concrete and
hence the loss of pre-stress due to elastic deformation is higher and
deflections of flexural members are comparatively higher due to the
lower values of modulus of elasticity.

The unit weight of light-weight concrete varies considerably between
1450 and 1750 kg/m3.

The shrinkage and creep of light-weight concrete is comparable, with
marginal variations, to that of sand and gravel concrete.
2- High-Tensile Steel:

For pre-stressed concrete members, the high
tensile steel used generally consists of wires,
bars, or strands.
The higher tensile strength is generally achieved
by marginally increasing the carbon content in
steel in comparison with mild steel.
High tensile steel usually contains 0.60 to 0.85
percent carbons, 0.70 to 1.00 percent manganese,
and 0.05 percent of sulphur and phosphorus with
traces of silicon.
The high-carbon steel ingots are hot-rolled into rods and cold-drawn through a series of
dies to reduce the diameter and increase the tensile strength.
The process of cold-drawing through dies decreases the durability of the wires. The
cold-drawn wires are subsequently tempered to improve their properties. Tempering or
ageing or stress relieving by heat treatment of the wires at 150-420oC enhances the
tensile strength. The cold drawn stress relieved wires are generally available in nominal
sizes of 2.5,3,4,5,7 and 8mm diameter and they should confirm to the Indian standard
code IS: 1785-1983.
The hard drawn steel wires which are
indented or crimped are preferred for pre-
tensioned elements because of their superior
bond characteristics. The small diameter
wires of 2 to 5 mm are mostly used in the
form of strands comprising two, three or
seven wires.

The high-tensile steel bars commonly
employed in pre-stressing are manufactured
in nominal sizes of 10,12,16,20,22,25,28 and
32mm diameter and are covered in IS:2090-
1983.

The ultimate tensile strength of a plain-
drawn steel wire varies with its diameter. The
tensile strength decreases with increases in
the diameter of the wires. And referred in the
relevant Indian standard codes.
APPLICATIONS OF THE PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE:

Concrete is an all-round construction material.
Almost every building contains some concrete, but
its questionable application in certain buildings-for
example in its use in the style of brutalism - has
brought it into discredit. Its dull grey colour has
contributed to the fact that the word concrete has
become a synonym for ugly. In the field of bridges,
concrete deserves a more favourable judgement.
Not all concrete bridges have turned out to be
beauties, but pleasing bridges can be built with
concrete if one knows the art. Concrete is poured
into forms as a stiff but workable mix, and it can
be given any shape; this is an advantage and a
danger. The construction of good durable
concrete requires special know-how - which the
bridge engineer is assumed to have.
MEGA FLOOR,the Prestressed slab
Slab:Hollow core slab, Preslab or
predalle , prestressed ribs and blocks
, lintels.
Beam: Prestressed rectangular
beam and I-beam for bridges
Other prestressed components:
Lintels , Wineyard stud.
Pre-stressed concrete - if correctly designed - also has high fatigue strength under the
heaviest traffic loads.

Pre-stressed concrete bridges soon became much cheaper than steel bridges, and they need
almost no maintenance - again assuming that they are well designed and constructed and not
exposed to de-icing salt.

In bridge building, concrete beams and arches predominate. The shaping of concrete is
usually governed by the wish to use formwork, which is simple to make. Plain surfaces,
parallel edges and constant thickness are preferred. This gives a stiff appearance to concrete
bridges, and avoiding this is one task of good aesthetic design

All types of structures can be built with reinforced and pre-stressed concrete: columns, piers,
walls, slabs, beams, arches, frames, even suspended structures and of course shells and
folded plates.
Tanks
Foundation panels
Poles
Modular block retaining wall system
Wall panels
Concrete units
Slabs
Roofing and flooring
Lintel and sunshade
Beams
Columns girders
TANKS
STRAND Wrapped circular pre-stressed concrete tanks are long life liquid storage
structure with virtually no maintenance.
Concrete construction makes for a substantial, sturdy tank structure that easily contain
the internal liquid pressure while comfortably resisting external forces such as
earthquake, wind.
Uses
These tanks are used in portable water treatment and distribution system, wastewater
collection and treatment system and storm water management.
They are also used in a variety of commercial applications including thermal energy storage,
LNG containments, large industrial process tanks and large bulk storage tanks.
Water
Pre-stressed concrete is the most efficient material for water tanks and coupled with the
circular shape, eliminates all stress conditions.
By placing the steel of the pre-stressed strands in tension and the concrete in compression,
both materials are in an ideal states and the loads are uniformly distributed around the tank
circumference.
PROPERTIES
Low maintenance can be enjoyed throughout the
life as these are built with concrete, durable material
that never corrodes and does not require coatings
when in contact with water or the environment.
APPLICATIONS (some examples):
The following fig. Shows the typical pre-stressed concrete flat slab floor construction using
the lift slab technique
Pre-stressed concrete twin box
girder bridge construction using
the segmentally cast cantilever
method
Wazirpur bridge , Delhi.
Post tensioning in the precast
slabs.
Pre-stressed
concrete folded plate
roof structure
13-storey apartment building with pre-cast
Post tensioned lift slab construction, 203mm
Thick lightweight concrete slab of 8.6m spans,
SAN FRANSICO

SITE VISIT
HYDRAULLIC
JACK

POST
TENSIONING