What is prestressed concrete? How is it used?

We all know that concrete is strong in compression and weak in tension. This is reason
for providing reinforcement (in the form of steel bars) to resist tension/tensile force
acting on beams/columns/slabs etcetera.

RC structures under service load undergoes deflection causing the bottom of the beam
(tensile zone) to elongate, causing cracks. Generally, steel bars are provided to limit the
crack widths and resist the tensile force which the concrete lacks.

Here, the rebar acts as ‘passive reinforcement’. Rebars (steel reinforcement) provided
at the bottom of the bar, does not carry any forces until the concrete has already
deflected enough to crack.

How it is used?

This is where prestressing comes into action. The principle behind prestressed concrete
is that compressive stresses induced by high-strength steel tendons in a concrete
member before loads are applied will balance the tensile stresses imposed in the
member during service.

Simply, Permanent pre-compression is produced in the areas subjected to tension using

high tensile strength steel wires or alloys. Now, a portion of tensile stress is
counteracted, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area of steel reinforcement.

As as result, the concrete does not crack because the pre-stressing has reduced the
tensile stress in the section below cracking stress. hence concrete is treated as a elastic
material.

Materials for prestress concrete members:

1. Cement: The cement used should be any of the following

(a) Ordinary Portland cement conforming to IS269

(b) Portland slag cement conforming to IS455. But the slag content should not be more
than 50%.

(c) Rapid hardening Portland cement conforming to IS8041.

(d) High strength ordinary Portland cement conforming to IS8112.

2. Concrete -Prestress concrete requires concrete, which has a high compressive
strength reasonably early age with comparatively higher tensile strength than ordinary
concrete. The concrete for the members shall be air-entrained concrete composed of
Portland cement, fine and coarse aggregates, admixtures and water. The air-entraining
feature may be obtained by the use of either air-entraining Portland cement or an
approved air-entraining admixture. The entrained air content shall be not less than 4
percent or more than 6 percent.

3. Steel-High tensile steel , tendons , strands or cables The steel used in prestress shall
be any one of the following:-

(a) Plain hard-drawn steel wire conforming to IS1785 (Part-I & Part-III)

(b) Cold drawn indented wire conforming to IS6003

(c) High tensile steel wire bar conforming to IS2090

(d) Uncoated stress relived strand conforming to IS6006

High strength steel contains: 0.7 to 0.8% carbons, 0.6% manganese, 0.1% silica

Durability, Fire Resistance & Cover Requirements For P.S.C Members

- According to IS: 1343-1980

20 mm cover for pretensioned members

30 mm or size of the cable which ever is bigger for post tensioned members.

If the prestress members are exposed to an aggressive environment, these covers are
increased by another 10 mm.

Necessity of high grade of concrete & steel

Higher the grade of concrete higher the bond strength which is vital in pretensioned
concrete, Also higher bearing strength which is vital in post-tensioned concrete. Further
creep & shrinkage losses are minimum with high-grade concrete. Generally minimum
M30 grade concrete is used for post-tensioned & M40 grade concrete is used for
pretensioned members.
Advantage of Prestressed Concrete:

1. The use of high strength concrete and steel in prestressed members results in lighter
and slender members than is possible with RC members.

2. In fully prestressed members the member is free from tensile stresses under working
loads, thus whole of the section is effective.

3. In prestressed members, dead loads may be counter-balanced by eccentric

prestressing.

4. Prestressed concrete member posses better resistance to shear forces due to effect
of compressive stresses presence or eccentric cable profile.

5. Use of high strength concrete and freedom from cracks, contribute to improve
durability under aggressive environmental conditions.

6. Long span structures are possible so that saving in weight is significant & thus it will
be economic.

7. Factory products are possible.

8. Prestressed members are tested before use.

9. Prestressed concrete structure deflects appreciably before ultimate failure, thus

giving ample warning before collapse.

10. Fatigue strength is better due to small variations in prestressing steel,

recommended to dynamically loaded structures.

Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete

1. The availability of experienced builders is scanty.

2. Initial equipment cost is very high.

3. Availability of experienced engineers is scanty.

4. Prestressed sections are brittle

5. Prestressed concrete sections are less fire resistant.

Two types of prestressed concrete based on prestressing methods are:

Pre-tensioned Prestressed Concrete: the tendons are first stressed to a given

level then the concrete is cast. Tendons may consist of wires, bars or strands.
The term pre tensioning is used to describe any method of prestressing in which the
reinforcement are stretched or tensioned before the concrete is placed. The steel rods
are temporarily anchored against some posts when tensioned and the prestress
transferred to the concrete after it has set. In contrast to pre tensioning, post tensioning
is a method of prestressing in which the reinforcement is tensioned after the concrete
has hardened.

Post-tensioned Prestressed Concrete: the concrete is first poured with one or more
pipes or tubes post-tensioned for the future insertion of the tendons. Once the concrete
is strong enough, the tendons become stressed when they hit the concrete. When the
desired prestressed level is reached, the tendons are locked under tension using
anchors or final clamps. Subsequently, the conduit is filled with grout to protect the steel
against corrosion and provide additional secure protection of the joint.

when a member is designed so that under the working load there is on tensile stress in
it then the concrete is said to be fully prestressed. If some tensile stresses will be
produced in the member under working load then it is termed partially prestressed.

The various methods by which pre-compression are imparted to concrete are classified
as follows:

1. Generation of compressive force between the structural elements and its abutments
using flat jack.

2. Development of hoop compression in cylindrically shaped structures by

circumferential wire binding.

3. Use of longitudinally tensioned steel embedded in concrete or housed in ducts.

4. Use of principle of distortion of a statically indeterminate structure either by

displacement or by rotation of one part relative to the remainder.

5. Use of deflected structural steel sections embedded in concrete until the hardening of
the latter.
 6. Development of limited tension in steel and compression in concrete by using
expanding cements.

Tensioning Devices The various types devices used for tensioning steel are grouped
under four principal categories, viz.

1. Mechanical devices: The mechanical devices generally used include weights with or
without lever transmission, geared transmission in conjunction with pulley blocks, screw
jacks with or without gear devices and wire-winding machines. These devices are
employed mainly for prestressing structural concrete components produced on a mass
scale in factory.

2. Hydraulic devices: These are simplest means for producing large prestressing
force, extensively used as tensioning devices.

3. Electrical devices: The wires are electrically heated and anchored before placing
concrete in the mould. This method is often referred to as thermo-prestressing and used
for tensioning of steel wires and deformed bars.

4. Chemical devices: Expanding cements are used and the degree of expansion is
controlled by varying the curing condition. Since the expansive action of cement while
setting is restrained, it induces tensile forces in tendons and compressive stresses in
concrete.

Prestressing System

1. Pretensioning system: In the pre-tensioning systems, the tendons are first

tensioned between rigid anchor-blocks cast on the ground or in a column or unit –mould
types pretensioning bed, prior to the casting of concrete in the mould. The tendons
comprising individual wires or strands are stretched with constant eccentricity or a
variable eccentricity with tendon anchorage at one end and jacks at the othe
2. Post-tensioned system

In post-tensioning the concrete unit are first cast by incorporating ducts or grooves to
house the tendons. When the concrete attains sufficient strength, the high-tensile wires
are tensioned by means of jack bearing on the end of the face of the member and
anchored by wedge or nuts. The forces are transmitted to the concrete by means of end
anchorage and, when the cable is curved, through the radial pressure between the
cable and the duct. The space between the tendons and the duct is generally grouted
after the tensioning operation.

Most of the commercially patented prestressing systems are based on the following
principle of anchoring the tendons:

1. Wedge action producing a frictional grip on the wire.

2. Direct bearing from the rivet or bolt heads formed at the end of the wire.

3. Looping the wire around the concrete.

 ARCH 1323
MT-RSW-01

PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE
OCTOBER 09,2018

ELIZAGA,JERRY B. Ar.CHERYLL MORENO