CIVE1151

Concrete Structures 2
Course Coordinator: Dr Rebecca Gravina

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Course Structure CIVE1151

• Topics
– Prestressed concrete
– Analysis and Design of Prestressed concrete beams
– Analysis and Design of RC Flat Slabs
• Assignment (30%)- Prestressed concrete bridge
• Grillage analysis of bridge deck and PC girders due end of week 4 (submit
via blackboard group assignment task, for feedback no marks allocated)
• Major project full report submission due Thursday 16th May by 5pm in
hardcopy to school office, (mark allocation 30% of course)
• Mid Semester test (20%) – week 6 in lecture
• Semester Exam (50%)

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Major Project Groups

Up to maximum 3 people per group

You must allocate yourself to a group via blackboard

goto tools – groups – select a Major project group

number and signup

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Introduction to
Prestressed Concrete

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Prestressed Concrete: Practical Examples

• Post-tensioning
– I beams (typically 20m)
– Slabs
– Large tanks (circumferentially prestressed)
• Prestressing
– Super T beam (typically 32m)
– Planks (typically 10-12m)
– Concrete piles, bridge decks

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Prestressing: Super T beams

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
 Prestressed Concrete: Applications
• Bridges beams

Precast prestressed concrete box girder.

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 • Water retaining Structures

The steel wire is shown being applied around the tank in the photo
above. The tank wall is circumferentially prestressed using high strength
steel wire wrapped around the tank in a continuous helix. The tension in
the wire is measured to within 2% of accuracy. Wall prestressing is
designed to carry the tanks hydraulic load.

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Suspended floor systems

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Prestressed Concrete piles

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 I Beams- Over Merton St, Laverton

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 ©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

Note cross section & provision for starter bars! This is a railway bridge

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Formworks, reo, Reidbars, cast-in angle

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
 Formworks, reo, Reidbars, cast-in angle

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Post-tensioning duct

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Post-tensioning duct – Note end block!

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Post-tensioning duct, cast-in angle

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Post-tensioning operation

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina ©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast
 Beams being delivered to site in specialised trucks

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina ©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast
 Prestressed Planks- note strands epoxied

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T Beams- mould & hydraulic Jack

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina ©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast
 Super T Beams- Lifting monocranes

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
 Super T Beams- strand coils 15.2mm

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T Beams- Reinforcements

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T Beams- Ferrules & Shim plate

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T Beams- reo cage, strand plate, stopend

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T Beams- Edgeform & styrene

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T beams – Cover & Boiler

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
 Super T beams – Voids, web stiffeners, lifters, ligs

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T beams – transport to site!

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Super T beams – installation on site with crawler cranes

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina ©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast
 Super T beams – typical bridge layout

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Super T beams – Bearing pad

©Syed Rahman, Westkon Precast

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 What is Prestress ?

Prior to
Prestressing

Effect of
prestressing
ignoring self
weight

WG
Prestress plus
self weight

WG + WQ
Prestress plus
self weight
and live load
RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
Internal force and moment in concrete due to prestress only

P
P P
P MP=Pe

Tensile force in tendon, Axial force P and

and equal compressive moment Mp in concrete
force in concrete cross- section due to prestress
section

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Why prestress ?

• Improve service-load behaviour

– Reduce cracking
– Excessive cracks are unsightly
– Cracks may cause durability problems
– Structure may be liquid retaining
– Cracks reduce the stiffness of the member
– Reduce deflections
– Usually the depth required to satisfy deflection requirements in an PSC beam is
about 70% of that of an RC Beam.

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Methods of prestress

• Pretensioning

Tendons stressed between abutments

Concrete cast and cured

Tendons released and prestress transferred

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 • Post-Tensioning

Beam cast with an unbonded tendon inserted in a

duct

Tendons stressed and prestress transferred

Tendons anchored and ducts grouted
It is normal for one end to be anchored against concrete
(dead end) and the other end “jacked” against concrete.
This end that is being jacked is known as the live end.

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

•External prestressing

• This can be done similar to post-tensioning with an external tendon – usually

done to rehabilitate structures
• Or with jacking between the beam and the abutment

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Properties of Prestressing steel

• Prestressing wire
– Produced by cold drawing of hot rolled steel rods
– Stress relieved to improve ductility
– Pages 55 to 59 of the text gives stress-strain curves
– And Clause 3.3 of AS3600 properties of tendons
– 7mm wire; minimum tensile stress fp = 1670 MPa, area = 38.5 mm2 (7mm wire)
– Elastic Modulus Ep = 200,000 MPa
– Strain at failure pu = 1670/200000 = 0.0084

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 • Prestressing strands
– Produced by twisting a number of wires tightly into a helix
– Most commonly a strand is made of 7 wires.
– Modulus of elasticity may be less than that of a wire due to relative
movement of wires
– Minimum tensile stress fp = 1860 MPa (pg 59 of text)

• Prestressing tendons
– A tendon comprises of a specified number of strands connected by
common anchorages at each end.
• Duct
– Is a conduit in which a single tendon is placed. The duct is chaired off
the soffit of the formwork in order to achieve the desired tendon profile
(Drape)

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Properties of Concrete

• Compressive strength f’c = 32 MPa minimum

• f’cp = Strength at transfer (at the time of jacking or cutting of tendons) Usually
about 22 MPa for f’c = 32 MPa concrete
• f’cf = flexural strength of concrete (modulus of rupture) = 0.6 √f’c
• f’ct = Tensile strength of concrete = 0.4 √f’c
• Ec = 0.043 ρ1.5 √ fcm
• Creep and Shrinkage

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Flexure in beams with prestress

Chapter 6 text Warner et al.

Behaviour uncracked prestressed beams

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Stresses in a beam section due to prestress – ignoring all external loads

t
T
T
C
P
C
y e MP=Pe e
C
P
b

Stresses due Stresses

Stresses due to
to axial force due to
P (Uniform eccentric
couple Pe pretress
compression)

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Stresses in a beam section due to prestress – ignoring all external loads

P Pe
t  
Pe
y t   y
Ig Ag I g

T
T
C
P
C
y e MP=Pe e
C
P
P Pe
 b  y P Pe
Ag Ig b   y
Ag I g

remember : bending stress theory My/Ig compressive stress taken as positive

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Stresses in a beam section due to applied moment and
prestress –

t
T C C

M
C
y e e
T
P
b
Stresses
due to Applied Combined
eccentric moment stresses
pretress
P Pe My
b   y b  
Ag I g Ig

Can you identify the challenges for the designer ?

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
 Design Issues

• Failure of the top face of the beam in tension during transfer of prestress
• Failure of the bottom fibre of the beam in compression at transfer
• Limiting crack widths at full service load
• Adequacy of the flexural strength
• Adequacy of the shear strength
• Limit deflections
• How do we allow for loss of prestress over time ?

Out of the above, top3 requires analysis of the section at service

loads

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Analysis of concrete sections at service-loads

• Revision of previous work

– Cracked and uncracked sections
– Use of elastic theory (σ =My/I)
– Cracked and uncracked second moment of area
– Use of transformed section

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

Stress at transfer (compression positive)
• Stress at the bottom fibre of the beam after prestress

P Pe
 bp   yb
Ag Ig
• Stress at the top fibre of the beam after prestress
P Pe
 tp   yt
Ag Ig

P= prestress, A = cross sectional area, e= Eccentricity of

prestress, I= second moment of area, yb and yt distance
from NA to the top or bottom edge of the beam

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina

 Decompression moment
Applied moment at which the bottom fibre stress of
the beam becomes zero
 I
M dec
 bp g

y b

T C C

Mdec
C
y e e
T
P

Prestress alone Mdec alone b=0

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
 Cracking moment
• Applied moment at which the bottom fibre of the beam reaches the
tensile cracking stress of concrete

(  f ' ) I
M cr
 bp cf g

y b

If you would like a completely uncracked section, the

applied moment at service loads should be less than this
T C C

M
C
y e e
T T
P

RMIT University© Prestress alone M applied

Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina
f’cf
Example of calculation of stresses
ex 6.1 text

A prestressed concrete beam spans 10 m and has a rectangular

cross-section 800 mm deep and 400 mm wide. It is post-
tensioned by a cable having a cross-sectional area of 1000
mm2. The cable eccentricity varies parabolically from zero
at each end to a maximum of 250 mm at midspan, where
the prestressing force is 1200 kN. f’c = 32 MPa
Determine
1. The stresses at mid-span due to prestress acting alone
2. The decompression moment
3. The cracking moment
4. The stress at midspan due to prestress, self weight and a 30 kN/M load

RMIT University© Lecture Notes prepared by Dr Rebecca Gravina