CE 337/CE 568 : Pre-stressed Concrete Design
Thermo-electric & chemical prestressing
Losses in prestress
Prof. Sasankasekhar Mandal
BE (Jadavpur Univ., 1993), ME (UOR, Roorkee, 1996), PhD (IIT, Roorkee, 2001)
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT (BHU), Varanasi, UP 221 005
External versus internal prestressing
External Prestressing:
• When the prestressing is achieved by prestressing elements (tendons)
located outside the concrete, it is called external prestressing. The
tendons can lie outside the member (for example in I-girders or walls)
or inside the hollow space of a box girder.
• This technique is adopted in bridges and strengthening of buildings. In
the following figure, the box girder of a bridge is prestressed with
tendons that lie outside the concrete.
External prestressing example
Figure: External prestressing in circular tanks
Internal prestressing example
Internal Prestressing:
• When the prestressing is achieved by elements located inside the
concrete member (commonly, by embedded tendons), it is called
internal prestressing.
• Most of the applications of prestressing are internal prestressing.
• In the following figure, concrete will be cast around the ducts for
placing the tendons.
Thermo electric prestresssing
• In this type of prestressing, the steel wires are electrically heated and
anchored before placing concrete in the moulds. This type of prestressing
is also known as thermo-electric prestressing.
• Thermo-electric prestressing is just another method of stretching the
tendon wires. We know that if we increase the temperature of a metal, it
expands.
• As the name suggests, in Thermo-electric prestressing, temperature of
tendon wires is increased by passing electric current for a short duration.
• Widely used in Russia since 1958.
Thermo electric prestresssing
• This temperature increase, taking place within 3-5 minutes, may be of
an order of 300-400°C. The bars, which may undergo an expansion of
about 0.4-0.5% in length, try to shorten at cooling but are checked/
restrained by fixed anchors at the two ends.
• Cooling period is reckoned to be 12-15 minutes.
• It is possible to induce initial stresses of 500 – 600 N/mm2 in the
tendons fpi = Maximum initial prestress (tensile)
• The concrete is placed in the moulds only after the temperature of
the wires falls below 900C.
Thermo electric prestresssing
• In Germany, wires with UTS (ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH) 1600
N/mm2, temperature of 4600C, Initial stress up to 55% of UTS, heating
time 40-90 sec at 30 Volts and 300-1100 Amp current.
Chemical pre-stressing
Chemical prestressing
• Induces , not include
Chemical prestressing
• Lossier (1944-46) in France and Mikhailov (1949-1955) in Russia achieved chemical
prestressing technique with expanding cement.
• The typical composition of cement is 75% Portland cement, 15% high alumina
cement, and 10% gypsum
• The linear expansion of cement is of the order of 3 to 4%
• The degree of expansion can be controlled by curing conditions.
• Since the expansion of concrete is restrained by HTS wires, the compressive stresses
develop in concrete and HTS wires are subjected to tensile stresses.
• Initial compressive stress of 4 to 6.5 N/mm2, which remains at 3 to 6 N/mm2.
• Tensile stress in steel up to 850 N/mm2
• The structural elements suitable for chemical pre-stressing are pipes, thin walls and
slabs, shells and folded plates.
Losses in pre-stressing
• Reduction of prestress is nothing but the loss in prestress
Loss of prestress is classified into two types
Short-Term or Immediate Losses
Immediate losses occur during prestressing of tendons, and transfer of
prestress to concrete member
Long-Term or Time Dependent Losses
Time dependent losses occur during service life of structure
Losses in pre-stressing
Sl. No. Pre-tensioning loss due to Post tensioning loss due to
1 Elastic deformation of concrete No loss due to elastic deformation, if all wires are
simultaneously stressed, i.e., stressed at a time
If the wires are successively tensioned, there will
be loss of prestress due to elastic deformation of
concrete
2 Relaxation of stress in steel Relaxation of stress in steel
3 Shrinkage of concrete Shrinkage of concrete
4 creep of concrete creep of concrete
5 Friction losses
6 Anchorage slip losses
Temperature induced Losses in pre-stressing
• If there is a possibility of a change of temperature between the times
of tensioning and transfer, the corresponding loss should be allowed
for, in the design.
Elastic shortening of concrete: Losses in pre-
stressing
Elastic shortening of concrete: Losses in pre-
stressing
• A pre-tensioned concrete beam 100 mm x 300 mm is pre-stressed by
straight wires carrying an initial force of 150 kN at eccentricity of 50
mm. Assume modulus of elasticity of steel as 210 N/mm2, modulus of
elasticity of concrete as 35 N/mm2. Estimate the percentage of loss of
stress in steel due to elastic deformation of concrete, if the area of
steel wires = 188 mm2.
• Solution :
• Cross sectional area of beam = 100 x 300 = 30000 mm2
• Moment of inertia = 1/12 *bd3 = 100x3003/12 = 225 x 106 mm4
Elastic shortening of concrete: Losses in pre-
stressing
Elastic shortening of concrete: Losses in pre-
stressing
• Modular ratio = 𝝰e = Es/Ec = 210/35 = 6
• Initial stress in steel = 150 x 1000/188 = 800 N/mm2
• Stress in concrete at the level of prestressing steel = P/A + Pey/I
= 150*1000/30000+150*1000*50*50/225*106
= 6.66 N/mm2
Loss of stress due to elastic deformation of concrete = 𝝰efc
= 6 * 6.6 = 40 N/mm2
Percentage of loss of stresses in steel = 40 x 100/800 = 5%
Elastic shortening of concrete: post tensioned
concrete beam
• A post-tensioned concrete beam 100 mm x 300 mm is pre-stressed by 03 cables ,
each wire with cross sectional area of 50 mm2.
• with an initial prestress = 1200 N/mm2
• All three cables are straight and located at 100 mm the soffit of the beam.
• If modular ratio = 6
• Calculate the loss of stress in the three cables due to elastic deformation of
concrete, for following cases:
a) Simultaneous tensioning and anchoring of all the three cables (Freyssinet
International method does so)
b) Successive post-tensioning of the three cables, one at a time, e.g., Gifford – Udall
method of Great Britain.
Elastic shortening of concrete: Losses in post-
tensioning
Elastic shortening of concrete: post tensioned
concrete beam
Solution:
a) Under simultaneous post tensioning and anchoring of all the three
cables, there will be no loss due to elastic deformation of concrete.
b) When the cables are successively tensioned:
c) Cable 1 tensioned and anchored – no loss due to elastic deformation
d) Cable 2 is tensioned and anchored – loss of stress in cable 1 as
calculated below
e) Cross sectional area of beam = 100 x 300 = 30000 mm 2
• Moment of inertia = 1/12 *bd3 = 100x3003/12 = 225 x 106 mm4
Elastic shortening of concrete: post tensioned
concrete beam
• Modular ratio = 𝝰e = Es/Ec = 6
• Eccentricity from neutral axis is = 150 -100 = 50 mm, as it is given that the
cables are at 100 mm from the soffit, i.e., the bottom surface of the beam.
• P = 50 x 1200 = 60000 N
• Stress in concrete at the level of steel = P/A + Pey/I
= 60000/30000+60000*50*50/225*10 6
= 2.70 N/mm2
Loss of stress due to elastic deformation of concrete = 𝝰 efc
= 6 * 2.7 = 16.2 N/mm2
Elastic shortening of concrete: post tensioned
concrete beam
c) Cable 3 is tensioned and anchored, loss of stress in both cables 1
& 2 will occur and of magnitude = 16.2 N/mm2
• Total loss of stress due to elastic deformation of concrete,
• In cable 1 = 16.2+16.2 = 32.4 N/mm2
• In Cable 2 = 16.2 N/mm2
• In Cable 3 = 0
• Average loss of stress due to elastic deformation of concrete,
considering all three cables = (16.2 + 34.4)/3 = 16.2 N/mm2
