MODULE

#1
Civil Engineering
Learning Objectives Department
 To differentiate a plain concrete,
reinforced concrete and
prestressed concrete .
 To know the advantages and
disadvantages of prestressed
concrete.
 To identify the materials used in
prestressed concrete.
 To identify the properties of the
materials for prestressed
concrete

INTRODUCTION
 To know the different
classification of prestress
concrete.

TO
PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE DESIGN

Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo

Faculty, Civil Engineering Department
College Of Engineering
Civil/Structural Engineer
Terminologies

Tendon

 A stretched element used in a concrete member of structure to impart prestress to the

concrete.
 It can be a high-tensile steel bar, wire or strand.

Anchorage

 Enables the tendon to transfer/impart and maintain prestress in the concrete.

Axial Prestressing

 Members in which the entire concrete cross-section has a uniform compressive prestress.
The centroid of the tendons coincide with the centroid of the concrete cross-section.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 2

 Eccentric Prestressing

 The tendons are eccentric to the centroid of the concrete cross-section resulting to a
triangular or trapezoidal stress distribution.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 3

Difference between
Concrete,
reinforced concrete
and prestressed
concrete

Concrete, Reinforced Concrete

and Prestressed Concrete

CONCRETE
 Is a stone-like material obtained by permitting a carefully proportioned mixture of
cement, sand and gravel or aggregates and water to harden in forms of shape and
dimensions of the desired structure.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 4

REINFORCED CONCRETE
 Is a combination of concrete and steel wherein the steel reinforcement provides the
tensile strength lacking in the concrete.
 Reinforced concrete is used in structures such as bridges, buildings(low-rise,
medium-rise, high-rise), tanks, roads, etc.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 5

PRESTRESSING
 Preloading of a structure, before application of the service loads, to improve its
performance.
 This involves the application of an initial compressive load on a structure to reduce
or eliminate the internal tensile forces and thereby control or eliminate cracking.
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
 Is a type of reinforced concrete in which the steel reinforcement has been tensioned
against the concrete.
 Combines high strength concrete with high strength steel in an “active” manner,
which is achieved by tensioning the steel and holding it against the concrete that
puts the concrete in compression.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 6

ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES OF
PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE

Advantages of Prestressed
Concrete
 Smaller members are used to support the same loads as the of a reinforced concrete since
prestressing allows to utilize the entire cross section to resist loads.
 It is crack-free at working loads, which makes it look better and are more watertight, that provides
better corrosion protection for the steel.
 It requires less maintenance and last longer since it is crack-free.
 The negative moment that is produced by prestressing produce camber in the members that
reduces total deflections.
 It can be used for longer spans.
 Reduction in diagonal tension stress.
 Increased fatigue and impact resistance.

Disadvantages of Prestressed
Concrete
 Since it requires the use of higher-strength concretes and steels and uses complicated formworks,
it results to high labor cost.
 Closer quality control required in manufacture.
 Due to the compressive stress applied to the concrete by prestressing, it will shorten and partially
relaxing the cables. This causes reduction to the cable tension due to the loss in the prestressing
force. Shrinkage and creep may also add to this effect.
 Additional stress conditions must be checked in design, such as the stresses that occurs during the
initial application of the prestressing forces, after losses have occur, and the stresses at different
stages of loading.
 Cost of end anchorage devices and end-beam plates that may be required.
Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 7
MATERIALS USED
FOR PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE

HIGH STRENGTH CONCRETE

 Concrete used for prestressed members are usually higher strength than in reinforced concrete
members.
 It is subjected to higher forces, and an increase in quality leads to more economical results.
 Modulus of elasticity of high strength concrete is higher, with the result that the elastic strains in the
concrete are smaller when the tendons are cut. Thus, the relaxations or losses in the tendon
stresses are smaller.
 Since the entire member of a prestressed concrete are kept in compression, the entire section is
effective in resisting forces. It is reasonable to pay for a more expensive but stronger concrete if all
of it is used or effective in resisting force.
 Most of the precast, pretensioned type is done at the prestress yard, therefore higher-strength
concrete is readily obtained.
 For pretensioned type of work, higher-strength concretes permits the use of higher bond stresses
between the cables and the concrete.

HIGH STRENGTH STEEL

 Material that is necessary to produce and keep satisfactory prestress forces in members.
 Strains in these steels during stressing are much greater than those that can be obtained with
ordinary reinforcing steel.
 It can develop a large prestress force in a small area.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 8

 Types of Prestressing
Reinforcement
 Stress-Relieved Wires
 Used for post-tensioned prestressed concrete construction and occasionally for
pretensioned work.
 This are manufactured to meet the requirements of ASTM A421, “Uncoated Stress-
Relieved Wire for Prestressed Concrete”.
 Manufactured by hot-rolling steel billets into round rods. Then after cooling, the rods are
passed through dies reducing their diameter to the required size. Cold work is done in the
steel in this process that greatly modifies its mechanical properties and increase its
strength. After cold drawing, the wires are stress relieved by a continuous heat treatment to
produce the prescribed mechanical properties.
Types of Wire
 Type BA
 Known as Button Anchorage
 Used for application in which cold-end deformation is used for anchoring purposes.
 Type WA
 Known as Wedge Anchorage
 Used for application in which the ends are anchored by wedges, and no cold-end
deformation of the wire is involved.

Mechanical Property Requirements

5.1. “Tensile Strength – The tensile strength of Type BA wire and Type WA wire shall conform to the
requirements prescribed in Table 1, and shall be determined as prescribed in Test Methods and Definitions
A370, including Annex A4.”

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 9

Mechanical Property Requirements
5.2. “Yield Strength:”
5.2.1. “The minimum yield strength for all wire, measured by the 1.0% extension under load method,
shall not be less than 85% of the specified minimum tensile strength.”

5.2.3. “The initial load corresponding to the initial stress prescribed in Table 2 shall be applied to the
specimen, at which time the extensometer is attached and adjusted to a reading of 0.001 in./in. [0.001
mm/mm] of gage length. The load shall then be increased until the extensometer indicates an extension
of 1%. The load for this extension shall be recorded. The stress corresponding to this load shall meet
the requirements for stress at 1% extension prescribed in Table 2.”

Prestress Wire

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 10

  Stress-Relieved and Low-Relaxation Strand
 Also known as stranded cable and is always used for pretensioned members. This is often
used in post-tensioned members.
 Made from seven wires, six of them are twisted on a pith of 12-to-16 wire diameter around
a slightly larger, straight control wire.
 Stress-relieving is done on this strand after all the wires are woven into a strand.
 Manufactured under ASTM A416, “Standard Specification for Steel Strand, Uncoated
Seven-Wire for Prestressed Concrete”.
 strand, n—a group of wires having a center wire enclosed tightly by six helically placed
outer wires with uniform pitch of not less than 12 and not more than 16 times the nominal
diameter of the strand. (ASTM A416, 2012)

Types of Strand
 Low-relaxation Strand
 The standard type strand.
 Stress-relieved Strand
 Also known as normal-relaxation strand
 Will not be furnished unless specifically ordered.

Mechanical Property Requirements

6.2. “Breaking Strength—The breaking strength of the finished strand shall conform to the requirements
prescribed in Table 1.”

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 11

Mechanical Property Requirements
6.3 “Yield Strength—Yield strength in pounds [kN] shall be measured at 1 % extension under load. The
minimum yield strength shall be 90 % for low-relaxation strand and 85 % for stress-relieved (normal-relaxation)
strand of the breaking strength listed in Table 1. Initial loads for the test and minimum yield strengths are listed
in Table 2.”

6.5 “Relaxation Properties—Low-relaxation strand shall have relaxation losses of not more than 2.5 % when
initially loaded to 70 % of specified minimum breaking strength or not more than 3.5 % when loaded to 80 % of
specified minimum breaking strength of the strand after 1000 hours of testing.”

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 12

 Prestress Strand

Standard and Compacted Strand

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 13

 High-Tensile-Strength Prestressing Bars
 Also known as alloy steel bars, that have high strength that is obtained by introducing
alloying elements such as manganese, silicon, and chromium during manufacturing of this
steel bars.
 This bars are cold-drawn or cold work is done to increase their yield strength; these bars
are also stress relieved to increase their ductility.
 They are manufactured in accordance with ASTM A722, “Standard Specifications for High
Strength Steel Bars for Prestressed Concrete”.

Types of High Strength Steel Bars

 Type I
 Plain or Smooth Surface Bars
 Type II
 Bars that are deformed or have surface deformations.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 14

Tensile Requirements
6.2. “Bars shall have a minimum tensile strength of 150 000 psi [1035 MPa].”

6.3 “The minimum yield strength of Type I and Type II bars shall be 85 % and 80 %, respectively, of the
minimum tensile strength of the bars. The yield strength shall be determined by either of the methods described
in Test Methods and Definitions A370; however, in the extension under load method, the total strain shall be 0.7
%, and in the offset method the offset shall be 0.2 %.”

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 15

 Non-prestressed reinforcement

 These are steel reinforcement for concrete that consists of bars, wires and welded wire fabric.
 These reinforcement shall conform to NSCP Section 420.2, “Non-Prestressed Bars and Wires”.
NSCP SECTION 420.2 Non-Prestressed Bars and Wires

NSCP Section 420.2.1 Material Properties

[Link] “Non-prestressed bars and wires shall be deformed, except plain bars or wires are permitted for use
in spirals.”
[Link] “Deformed bars shall conform to (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f):”
(a) ASTM A615M – carbon steel;
(b) ASTM A706M – low-alloy steel;
(c) ASTM A996M – axle steel and rail steel; bars from rail steel shall be type R;
(d) ASTM A955M – stainless steel;
(e) ASTM A1035M – low-carbon chromium steel;
(f) Deformed bars conforming to PNS 49:2002 but manufactured using the in-line quenched and tempered
process shall be allowed to be used provided the limitations of Section 420.8 are strictly observed.”
[Link] “Plain bars for spiral reinforcement shall conform to ASTM A615M, A706M, A955M, or A1035M.”

TENSILE
REINFORCEMENT MINIMUM YIELD STRENGTH (MPa) STRENGTH
(MPa)
Carbon Steel (A615M)
 Grade 40  280 MPa (Only 10mm to 20 mm)  420 Mpa
 Grade 60  420 MPa  620 MPa
Low-Alloy Steel (A706M)
 Grade 60  420 MPa  550 MPa
Rail-Steel and Axle-Steel
(A996M)
 Grade 40  280 MPa  500 MPa
 Grade 50  350 MPa  550 MPa
 Grade 60  420 MPa  620 MPa
Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 16
Material
Properties

Properties of Concrete

 Compressive Strength
 It is denoted by 𝑓𝑓 ′ 𝑐𝑐, where a standard 6 in. (150 mm) by 12 in. (300 mm) cylinder is cured
under standard laboratory conditions and tested at a specified rate of loading at 28 days.
 This should conform under ASTM C39, “Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of
Cylindrical Concrete Specimens”.
 Tensile Strength
 Concrete has relatively low tensile strength.
 This can be tested using the split cylinder test or a three-point load test.
 The value of the modulus of rupture, 𝑓𝑓𝑟𝑟 is used more in designing the members subjected
to bending rather than the splitting tensile strength, 𝑓𝑓𝑡𝑡 .

 Shear Strength
 Difficult to determine experimentally because of the difficulty in isolating shear from other
stresses.
 Varying from 20 % of the compressive strength in normal loading up to 85 % of the
compressive strength in cases where direct shear exists in combination with compression.
 Modulus of Elasticity
 Slope of the relationship between stress and strain known as the secant modulus of
elasticity.
 Creep
 Also known as lateral material flow.
 Increase in strain with time due to a sustained load.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 17

 Shrinkage
 Occurs when the extra mixing water that was used begins to work its way out of the
concrete to the surface, where it evaporates.
Types of Shrinkage
 Plastic Shrinkage
 Occurs during the first few hours after placing fresh concrete in forms.
 Moisture evaporates faster from the concrete surface due to its exposure to dry air
than it is replaced by the bleed water from the lower layers of the concrete.
 Drying Shrinkage
 Occurs when the concrete is in its final set and chemical hydration process in the
cement has been accomplished.
 The decrease in volume of the concrete when moisture is lost due to evaporation

Steel Relaxation of Prestressed

Reinforcement
 The loss of prestress when the wires or strands are subjected to constant strain.
 Identical to creep, but this just refers to the loss in steel stress.

Stress Corrosion of Prestressed

Reinforcement
 Characterized by formation of microscopic cracks in the steel that leads to a brittle failure.
 Occurs under very high stress.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 18

Prestressing
Systems and
Anchorages

Methods of Tensioning

 Mechanical Prestressing
 The most common method for stressing tendons in both pretensioning and post-
tensioning is by jacking.
 Electrical Prestressing
 The steel is lengthened by heating with electricity.
 Also known as thermo-electric prestressing that is achieved by passing an electric
current in the high-tensile wires.
 Chemical Prestressing
 Often termed as self-stressing.
 The chemical reactions taken place in expansive cements can stress the embedded
steel which in turn compresses the concrete.

Pretensioning

 A system or method of prestressing in which the prestressing tendon is tensioned prior to casting
the concrete section.
 Usually performed at pre-casting plants, where a prestressing/casting bed for a long-reinforced
concrete is cast on the ground with vertical anchor bulkheads or walls at its ends.
 This can also be accomplished by prestressing individual strands or all the strands at one jacking
operation.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 19

 Post-tensioning

 The strands, wires, or bars are tensioned after hardening of the concrete. Strands are
placed in the longitudinal ducts within the precast concrete element.
 Tendons are normally grouted in their conduits after they are stressed.
 Under a high pressure, cement paste grout is forced into the conduits at one end and
pumped until it appears at the far end of the tube.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 20

 Principles of anchoring steel
wires or strands to concrete.
 Wedge Action Producing a Frictional Grip on the Wires.
 Freyssinet System
 Used widely and make use of the wedge principle of up to 12 stands in a tendon.
 Consist of a cylinder with a conical interior through which the high-tensile wires
pass and against the walls of which the wires.
 It can simultaneously tension a large number of wires or strands using the double-
acting hydraulic jack.
 Gifford-Udall System
 Consists of steel split-cone and cylindrical female-cone anchorages to house the
high-tensile wires bearing against steel plates.
 Each of the wires are tensioned individually and anchored by forcing a sleeve
wedge into a cylindrical grip resting against the bearing plate.
 Magnel-Blaton System
 This system adopts metallic sandwich plates, flat wedges and a distribution plate for
anchoring the wires.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 21

 Direct Bearing from Rivet or Bolt Heads Formed at the end of the wires
 Prescon System
 Uses tendons consisting of 2 to 130 wires, arranged parallel in a sheath.
 Rivet heads are cold-formed at the proper place for high-tensile wires of 1/4 –in
diameter.
 B.B.R.V. System
 Developed in 1949 by four Swiss engineers – Birkenmeier, Brandestini, Ros and
Vogt.
 Tendon consists of several parallel lengths of high-tensile wires, with each end
terminating in a cold-formed button head with a machined anchorage fixture which
is well suited for transmitting large foces.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 22

 Looping the Wires Around the Concrete
 Baur-Leonhardt System
 Double tendons are wrapped around the end-block, which is D-Shaped at the end
of the structure and is detached from the main beams

Anchorages for Bars

 Dywidag System
 A single-bar anchorage system, where threads formed by bar deformations make it easy to
couple bars.
 It is used in conjunction with a nut bearing on an end-plate.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 23

 Grouting of Post-Tensioned
Tendons
 Permanent protection for the post-tensioned steel and it develops a bond between the
prestressing steel and the surrounding concrete.
Grouting Materials
 Portland Cement
 Should conform to ASTM C150. Type I, II or III.
 Water
 Should be potable, clean and free of injurious quantities of substances that are
harmful to the cement or prestressing steel.
 Admixtures
 Should improve the properties of the mixture such as low water content, good flow,
minimum bleed and expansion.
 These should not contain chemicals that are harmful to the prestressing steel or
cement.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 24

 Stages of
Loading

 There are stages of loading that a prestressed member or structure is subjected.

 In each stages, the member or structure is subjected to different loading conditions.

Initial Stage

 The prestressed structural member is under prestress loading but not subjected to any superimposed
external loads.
 This where the “Jacking Stage” and “Transfer Stage” occur.

 This involves the following period:

 Before Prestressing
 During Prestressing
 Transfer of Prestress

Intermediate Stage

 The stage during transportation and erection that only occurs on a precast member when transported to
site and erected to its position.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 25

 Final Stage

 The “Service Stage” where the actual working loads are applied to the structure or the
structure itself is put into service.
 In this stage, the cracking and ultimate loads are also investigated as well as the sustained
load of the structure.
 Loads that are involved in this stage are:
 Sustained Load
 Working Load
 Cracking Load
 Ultimate Load

Changes in Prestress Force

 Jacking Force
 Denoted as 𝑃𝑃𝑗𝑗 , which is the greatest force that acts during the jacking operation.
 This force is part of the initial stage of loading.
 Initial Prestress Force
 The jacking force is reduced to this lower value force denoted as 𝑃𝑃𝑖𝑖 .
 This is the result of all the instantaneous losses due to anchorage slip, elastic shortening
and friction.
 Effective Prestress Force
 The initial prestress force is reduced to a force denoted as 𝑃𝑃𝑒𝑒 .
 It is the result of all time-dependent effects like the shrinkage and creep and steel
relaxation.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 26

Other
Classification
and Types of
Prestress

Externally or Internally
Prestressed
 Externally Prestressed
 Concrete Structure that have adjusted external reactions by introducing different support
conditions.
 Internally Prestressed
 Concrete is subjected to an internal compressive stress by applying a prestressing force to
the high tensile steel or the prestressing reinforcement.

Linear or Circular Prestressing

 Linear Prestressing
 It is applied to beams and slabs wherein the tendons are linearly prestressed not
necessarily straight, but it can be bent or curved.
 Circular Prestressing
 Applied to prestressed circular structures such as tanks, silos and pipes where the tendons
are around in circles.

Prepared By: Engr. Christopher E. Rodolfo 27

 End-Anchored or Non-End-
Anchored Tendons
 End-Anchored Tendons
 Tendons are anchored at their ends by mechanical devices to transmit the prestressing
force to the concrete.
 Non-End-Anchored Tendons
 Tendons are not anchored at the ends of the member.

Bonded and Unbonded Tendons

 Bonded Tendons
 Bonded throughout their length to the surrounding concrete. Non-end Anchored tendons
are necessarily bonded ones.
 Pretensioned Members usually belongs to this type.
 Unbonded Tendons
 Greased and wrapped with paper or plastic material to prevent bonding from the
surrounding concrete.
 The tendons may be placed in ducts formed in the concrete or may be placed outside the
concrete section.

Precast, Cast-in-Place, Composite

Construction
 Precast Construction
 Involves the placing of concrete away from its final position, it is either casted in a plant or
somewhere near the site of the structure and is transferred or erected to its final location.
 Cast-in-Place Construction
 Concrete is placed in its final location requiring the use of forms and no transfer or
transportation happens.
 Composite Construction
 A combination of precast and cast-in-place construction.
 Partial or Full Prestressing

 Full Prestressed
 The prestressed member is design so that under the working load there is no tensile stress
in it.
 Partial Prestressed
 The prestressed member produces tensile stresses under the working load. Additional
reinforcement is added to reinforced the portion under tension.