Structures 2009: Don't Mess with Structural Engineers © 2009 ASCE 203

SECONDARY MOMENTS OF CONTINUOUS PRESTRESSED CONCRTE BEAMS

USING CLOSED FORM EQUATION

Authors
Venketaramani Tiruchirapalli, Graduate Student, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois,
USA,vtiruchirapallic@bradley.edu
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Riyadh Hindi, PhD, PEng, Associate professor, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, USA,
hindi@bradley.edu

Abstract
This paper provides practical engineers with an equation to calculate the secondary moments
of prestressed concrete continuous beams. Normally the prestressed secondary moments are
calculated by deriving it from the net moment and the primary moments. This involves
extensive calculations and sometimes complex integration techniques but the proposed
equation described in this paper will give the secondary moment directly. The secondary
moment calculated using the equation is compared with the secondary moment calculated
using various existing methods such as support displacement method, moment distribution
method and stiffness method, and also using the structural analysis software STAAD. For the
purpose of analysis, two span, three span and four span beams are considered. This equation
can be applied to multiple span beams/girders. Finally the equation is used to show the
principle of concordant profile where the secondary moments are zero at the intermediate
supports.

Introduction:
Statically indeterminate structures do not have a simple solution when solved using
equilibrium equations, in other words a structure becomes indeterminate when the
unknowns are more than the basic equilibrium equations. Continuous prestressed concrete
girders are indeterminate structures and in analyzing them, the secondary moment plays a
prominent role in the design calculations. However, continuous prestressed concrete beams
give several advantages such as elimination of joints, sustainability to heavy loads, need for
longer spans, increase in girder spacing, smooth riding surface and resistance against
corrosion and floods. The design of such structures, however, becomes a challenging task.
As a recap the prestressing force on a prestressed concrete girder makes the structure deflect
at the intermediate support, and a reactive force is required to bring this back to the original
position. The moment developed due to that reaction in the structure, is known as secondary
moment. This secondary moment must be added to the primary moment to obtain the net
moment in the girder. Therefore, in order to obtain the net moment of the prestressed
concrete girder the calculation of the secondary moment becomes essential. The secondary
moment can be calculated using various methods, but this paper is aimed to provide
practical engineers with an equation that will calculate the secondary moments of a
continuous prestressed concrete girder. The equation proposed in this paper uses basic
parameters such as span length, eccentricities and ultimate prestressing force to calculate the
secondary moment directly. In order to examine the proposed equation, the secondary
moment obtained using the proposed equation is compared with other methods such as

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support displacement, moment distribution and stiffness method in addition to the structural
analysis software, STAAD.

Many researchers have studied the behavior of prestressed concrete structures, but this
paper is related to the continuity in the prestressed members and their effects, especially
the secondary moments. In the methods used by designers, the calculation of the
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secondary moment involves numerous calculations often involve integration and

differentiation. The objective of this paper is to derive an equation that calculates the
secondary moment directly so that it can be easily utilized by practicing engineers. The
aim of this Paper is to use basic principles of structural analysis such as support
displacement and moment area method and derive an equation with which the secondary
moment can be calculated directly. The secondary moment is calculated by determining
the reaction of the intermediate supports using the parameters such as span length and the
eccentricity. For this purpose the prestressing force is converted to an equivalent uniform
load (UDL). The secondary moment can then be calculated using this load, span length
and eccentricity.

Extensive work has been done to study the behavior of prestressed concrete members in the
past and very few of them deal with the calculation of secondary moments (i.e., Foderberg
and Branson, 1968, Lin and Thornton, 1972, Kong, 2004, Xiong and Xu, 2005). A
simplified method to determine the secondary moments has not yet been explored. The
following methods are the key methods used in this paper to substantiate the validity of the
equation:

1. Moment area method

2. Support Displacement method
3. Moment distribution
4. Stiffness method
5. STAAD

Derivation of the Equation:

The equation for determining the secondary moment is derived from the basic principles of
moment area and support displacement. For the purpose of analysis a two span continuous
prestressed prismatic concrete girder over supports A, B and C is modeled and shown in
Figure 1. The physical parameters of the girders are shown below.

L = Span length of AB & BC in ft

P = Prestressing force on the tendons in ksi
e1 = Eccentricity at mid span in inches
e2 = Eccentricity at intermediate support in inches

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CG LINE
e2
e1 e1
D D
L/2 L/2
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L L C
A B
Figure 1: Two Span Girder Showing Span Length and Eccentricities.

The first step is to draw the moment diagram due to the prestressing force P. The
prestressing force induces primary moment (M1) in the girder as shown in Figure 2. Due to
the prestressing moment, the intermediate support undergoes a vertical deflection which
can be determined by the moment area method .
P e1

B
C
A P e2

Figure 2: Primary Moment Diagram M1.

For span AB, the moment diagram is shown in Figure 3, the bending moment profile is an
elastic curve that has a deflection at support B from the horizontal line ABC. Based on the
M
moment area theorem, the deviation at any point can be calculated using the diagram.
EI
The moment diagram is redrawn as shown in Figure 3 showing both the positive and
negative moment.
F
P e1+Pe2/2
B
A
P e2 / 2 P e2
E
L
Figure 3: Moment Area Diagram (Span AB).

Applying moment area principle and calculating the moment area of AFB and AEB. The
overall area of the parabola and the triangle is considered. Now taking moment of areas
about point A will give the deviation ∆;

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⎡ P × e2 ⎤ 2L L ⎡ P × e2 2L ⎤
∆ × EI B = ⎢ + P × e1 ⎥ × × −⎢ × L× ⎥
⎣ 2 ⎦ 3 2 ⎣ 2 3 ⎦
(1)

The deflected shape or the upward camber of the intermediate support can be drawn as
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shown in Figure 4. The reaction generated at point B is R, and the supports will get equal
reaction R /2

∆B
B
A
L
R/2
Figure 4: Support Reaction at Intermediate Support B

B
A
L R /2
E
L
Figure 5: Bending Moment Due to the Reaction at Intermediate Support

The moment due to this reaction will be

R
×L (2)
2
Applying Moment Area, the first moment of area is;

R×L 2L
∆ × EI B = ×L (3)
2 3

The reaction R in Equations 2 and 3 indicates the reaction at B and can be written as RB,
comparing Equations 1 and 3 to get the unknown RB

RB =
[ ] [
1 ⎡ 48 (0 .28 × P × e1 + 0 .56 × P × e 2 ) × L 2 − [26 . 88 × P × e1 ]× L 2 ⎤
×⎢
] (4)
⎥
24 ⎣ 0 . 56 L3 ⎦

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R
The reactions at the supports A and C are equal ( R A = RC ), and they are equal to
2

R A = RC =
1
48 × L × 0.56
3
[ ] [
48(0.28 × P × e1 + 0.56 × P × e2 ) × L2 − [26.88 × P × e1 ] × L2 ] (5)
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Now the secondary moment at B can be determined using the reaction at supports A and C

M 2 = RA × L (6)

M 2=
1
48 × L × 0.56
2
[ ] [
48(0.28 × P × e1 + 0.56 × P × e2 ) × L2 − [26.88 × P × e1 ]× L2 ]
(7)

This expression is kept in the above form to get better results when the parameters such
as e1, e2 and span length are not the same in the spans.

If the secondary moment needs to be calculated at various locations in the beam, the
following length factor can be added to the equation.

L−x
Length factor L= (8)
L

Where x is the distance from support A or C.

Therefore, the secondary moment at various locations is gives as;

M 2=
1
48 × L × 0.56
2
[ ] [
48(0.28 × P × e1 + 0.56 × P × e2 ) × L2 − [26.88 × P × e1 ]× L2 × L ]
(9)

The same principle can be applied for the following three span girder as shown in Figure 6.

e1 e2 e1 e2
C G L IN E
A E B F C D
L 1 /2 L 1 /2 L 2 /2 L 2 /2
L1 L2 L3
Figure 6: Three Span Girder.

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L1, L2 and L3 = Span length of AB, BC and CD in ft respectively

P = Prestressing force on the tendons in ksi
e1 = Eccentricity at mid span in inches
e2 = Eccentricity at intermediate support in inches

As described in the case of two-span, the secondary moment (M2) at the supports B and
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C of the three-span girder due to prestressing force can be determined as follows,

M 2 = RD × L (10)
M 2=
48 × L
1
2
× 0 . 56
[48 (0 .28 × P × e 1 ] [
+ 0 .56 × P × e2 ) × L2 − [26 .88 × P × e1 ]× L2 ]
(11)
If the secondary moments on supports B and C are determined, the secondary moment
diagram of span BC would be a linear function between those two values. Hence at any
point within the span, the secondary moment can be found as follows.

⎛ M 2 @ B + M 2 @C ⎞
M 2= L × ⎜⎜ ⎟
⎟ (12)
⎝ 2 ⎠
Where
M2@B = Secondary moment at support B
M2@C = Secondary moment at support C
L = Length factor as defined in Equation 11

As described in Equation 8, the secondary moment at various location of the spans AB

and CD can be determined by,

M 2=
1
48 × L × 0.56
2
[48(0.28 × P × e 1 ] [ ]
+ 0.56 × P × e2 ) × L2 − [26.88 × P × e1 ]× L2 × L (13)

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Verification:
The following nine prestressed concrete girders, as shown in Table 1, are analyzed and the
results of the secondary moment in each case is found to be similar using several methods as
shown in Table 3 and Figure 8.

Table 1 List of Nine Cases.

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Case Number Span Length Eccentricities

number of spans
1 Two L1 = L 2 ; Same e1 = e 3; Same

2 Two L1 ≠ L 2 Different e1 = e 3; Same

3 Two L1 = L 2 Same e1 ≠ e 3Different

4 Two L1 ≠ L 2 Different e1 ≠ e 3Different

5 Three L1 = L 3 = L2 Same e1 = e 3 = e 4 Same

6 Three L1 ≠ L 2 e1 = e 3 = e 4 Same
& L 3 ≠ L2 Different
7 Three L1 = L 3 = L2 Same e1 = e 3 ≠ e 4
Different
8 Three L1 = L 3 ≠ L2Different e1 = e 3 ≠ e 4
Different
9 Four L1 = L 2 = L3 Same Same
e1 = e 3 = e 5

The four-span prestressed concrete girder shown in Figure 7 is selected as an example in this
paper to explain the analysis. Other cases can be found in Tiruchirapalli (2008).

e1 e2 e3 e2 e4 e2 e5

A E B F C G D H E
L1/2 L1/2 L2/2 L2/2 L3/2 L3/2 L4/2 L4/2

L1 L2 L3 L4

Figure 7: Four-Span Girder With Equal Span Length And Equal Eccentricities.

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Table 2 Four-Span Girder Physical Parameters.

Span Eccentricities in Inches
L (in ft )
e e2 e e e
AB 64 9 15
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BC 64 15 9
CD 64 15 9

DE 64 15 9

The girder is analyzed and the results are shown in Table 3 and Figure 8.

Figure 8: Secondary Moment of Four Span Prestressed Concrete Girder.

The secondary moment determined through the equation and all other methods is found to be
similar. Also the secondary moment at various points of the beam is determined using the
length factor and the value in all five methods is also found to be identical. So the equation
can be used for two, three and multiple spans to determine the secondary moment.

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Table 3 Comparison of Secondary Moments Using All 5 methods.

SECONDARY MOMENT ( Kips.in)
Span Support Moment
Equation Stiffness STAAD
Length displacement distribution
1 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 6 76 76 76 76 76
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3 13 153 153 153 153 153

4 19 229 229 229 229 229
5 26 305 305 305 305 305
SPAN I

6 32 382 382 382 382 382

7 38 458 458 458 458 458
8 45 534 534 534 534 534
9 51 611 611 611 611 611
10 58 687 687 687 687 687
11 64 763 763 763 763 763
12 70 763 763 763 763 763
13 77 763 763 763 763 763
14 83 763 763 763 763 763
15 90 763 763 763 763 763
SPAN II

16 96 763 763 763 763 763

17 102 763 763 763 763 763
18 109 763 763 763 763 763
19 115 763 763 763 763 763
20 122 763 763 763 763 763
21 128 763 763 763 763 763
22 134 763 763 763 763 763
23 141 763 763 763 763 763
24 147 763 763 763 763 763
25 154 763 763 763 763 763
SPAN III

26 160 763 763 763 763 763

27 166 763 763 763 763 763
28 173 763 763 763 763 763
29 179 763 763 763 763 763
30 186 763 763 763 763 763
31 192 763 763 763 763 763
32 198 687 687 687 687 687
33 205 611 611 611 611 611
34 211 534 534 534 534 534
35 218 458 458 458 458 458
SPAN IV

36 224 382 382 382 382 382

37 230 305 305 305 305 305
38 237 229 229 229 229 229
39 243 153 153 153 153 153
40 250 76 76 76 76 76
41 256 0 0 0 0 0

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Conclusion:
The secondary moment of prestressed concrete can be determined using the derived
expression so that the designers can use this equation.
• The proposed equation can be used to accurately calculate the secondary moment
using the eccentricities and span length.
• The span length can be modified to any length but the secondary moment of the
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system is not affected due to this change and when the eccentricities are modified
there will be a significant change in the secondary moment.
• It was noticed that the concordant profile can be achieved when the eccentricity at the
e
center of span is twice of eccentricity at the intermediate supports ( e1 = 2 ), which
2
will make the secondary moment zero along the span).

References:
D.L. Foderberg and D.E. Branson, (1968),”Secondary moments in single span prestressed
concrete beams and frames determined by column analogy”, Journal of Prestressed
Concrete Institute, 13(1), February 1968, pp 32.
T.Y. Lin and K. Thornton, (1972),”Secondary moment and moment redistribution in
continuous prestressed concrete beams”. The Journal of Prestressed concrete Institute,
17(0), Jan 1972, pp8-16.
J.F. Kong, (2004), “A practical method for the calculation of secondary prestress
moments”. Hong Kong Institute of Engineers Transactions, Hong Kong, 11(4), December
2004, pp 49-52.
X. Xiong and S.X. Xu (2005),” Computation of secondary moments in Prestressed
concrete structure”, Proceedings of the 2005 Structures Congress and the 2005 Forensic
Engineering Symposium, New York, DOI 10.1061/40753(171)102 ,April, 2005, pp NA.
Venketaramani C. Tiruchirapalli, (2008), “SECONDARY MOMENTS OF
CONTINUOUS PRESTRESSED CONCRTE STRUCTURES”, Master Thesis,
Department of Civil Engineering and Construction, Bradley University, Peoria, IL.

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