PRESTRESS CONCRETE

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Concrete is strong in compression, but weak in tension: its tensile strength varies from 8-14 %
of its compressive strength. Due to a low tensile capacity, flexural cracks develop at early
stages of loading. In order to reduce or prevent such cracks from developing, a concentric or
eccentric force is imposed in the longitudinal direction of the structural element. This force
prevents the cracks from developing by eliminating or considerably reducing the tensile
stresses at the critical mid-span and support sections at service load, thereby raising the
bending, shear, and torsional capacities of the sections.
The prestressing force (compressive force) that pre-stresses the sections along the span
of the structural element earlier to the application of the transverse gravity dead and live loads
or transient horizontal live loads.
Pre-stress is defined as a method of applying pre-compression to control the stresses
resulting due to external loads below the neutral axis of the beam tension developed due to an
external load which is more than the permissible limits of the plain concrete. The pre-
compression loading applied may be axial or eccentric. Resulting in either no tension or
compression.
EXPRESSIONS
1. Pre-tensioning: A method of prestressing concrete in which the tendons are tensioned
before the concrete is placed. In this method, the concrete is introduced by a bond
between steel & concrete.
2. Post-tensioning: A method of prestressing concrete by tensioning the tendons against
hardened concrete. In this method, the prestress is imparted to concrete by bearing.
3. Tendon: A stretched element used in a concrete member of structure to impart
prestress to the concrete.
4. Anchorage: A device generally used to enable the tendon to impart and maintain
prestress in concrete.
A REQUIREMENT OF HIGH GRADE OF CONCRETE AND STEEL
Higher the grade of concrete higher the bond strength which is vital in pre-tensioned concrete,
Also higher bearing strength which is vital in post-tensioned concrete. Further creep and
shrinkage losses are minimum with high-grade concrete.
Generally, minimum C30 grade concrete is used for post-tensioned and C40 grade
concrete is used for pre-tensioned members. The losses in prestress members due to various
reasons are generally in the range of 250 MPa to 400 MPa. Hence high tensile steel wires are
used which varies from 1600 to 2000 MPa.

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PRE-TENSIONING 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 –mold types pre-tensioning bed, prior to the casting of
concrete in the mold. 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 other. With the forms in place, the concrete is cast around the stressed tendon. The system
is shown in Figure below.

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 filling after the tensioning operation.

It is actually possible in posttensioning to have either bonded or unbonded tendons. If

bonded, the conduits are often made of aluminum, steel, or other metal sheathing. In addition,
it is possible to use steel tubing or rods or rubber cores that are cast in the concrete and removed
a few hours after the concrete is placed. After the steel is tensioned, cement mortar is injected
into the duct for bonding. The filling is also useful in protecting the steel from corrosion. If
the tendons are to be unbonded, they should be greased to facilitate tensioning and to protect
them from corrosion.

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BASIC CONCEPTS OF PRESTRESSING
The prestressing force P that satisfies the particular conditions of geometry and loading of a
given element as shown in Figure is determined from the principles of mechanics and of stress-
strain relationships. Sometimes simplification is necessary. As when a pre-stressed beam is
assumed to be homogeneous and elastic. Consider, then, a simply supported rectangular beam
subjected to a concentric prestressing force Pas shown in Figure (a). The compressive stress
( f ) on the beam cross section is uniform and has an intensity:
ࡼ
ࢌൌ
‫ۯ‬
Where P = prestressing force, A = b*h is the cross-sectional area of a beam section. A
(-ve) sign is used for compression and a (+ve) sign for tension.

Also, bending moments are drawn on the tensile side of the member. If external
transverse loads are applied to the beam, causing a maximum moment (M) at mid-span, the
resulting stress becomes:
ࡼ ࡹࢉ
ࢌ࢚ ൌ െ െ
‫ۯ‬ ࡵ
ࡼ ࡹࢉ
ࢌ࢈ ൌ െ ൅
‫ۯ‬ ۷

Where ft =stress at the top fibers, fb =stress at the bottom fibers, c = h/2 for the
rectangular section, I= gross moment of inertia of the section (bh3/l2).

The above equations indicate that the presence of prestressing-compressive stress

(- P/A) is reducing the tensile flexural stress (M c / I) to the extent intended in the design.
Either eliminating tension totally (even inducing compression), or permitting a level of tensile
stress within allowable code limits. The section is then considered un-cracked and behaves
elastically.

The compressive stresses at the top fibers of the beam due to prestressing are
compounded by the application of the loading stress (M c / I), as seen in Figure (b). Hence,
the compressive stress capacity of the beam to take a substantial external load is reduced by
the concentric prestressing force. In order to avoid this limitation, the prestressing tendon is
placed eccentrically below the neutral axis at mid-span, to induce tensile stresses at the top
fibers due to prestressing as shown in Figures (c) and (d). If the tendon is placed at eccentricity
e from the center of gravity of the concrete, termed the center gravity of concrete (cgc) line,
it creates a moment (P.e), and the ensuing stresses at mid-span become:

ࡼ ࡼǤࢋǤࢉ ࡹࢉ
ࢌ࢚ ൌ െ ൅ െ
‫ۯ‬ ۷ ࡵ
ࡼ ࡼǤࢋǤࢉ ࡹࢉ
ࢌ࢈ ൌ െ െ ൅
‫ۯ‬ ۷ ۷

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Since the support section of a simply supported beam carries no moment from the external
transverse load, high tensile fiber stresses at the top fibers arc caused by the eccentric
prestressing force. To limit such stresses, the eccentricity of the prestressing tendon (e)
profile, the center gravity of steel tendon (cgs) line, is made less at the support section than
at the mid-span section, or eliminated altogether, or else a negative eccentricity above the (cgc)
line is used.

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CONCEPTS OF PRESTRESSING CONCRETE IN FLEXURE
To find the stresses of the extreme fibers in simply supported beam there are three concept
(methods).
1. FIRST CONCEPT (ELASTIC MATERIAL)

ࡼ ࡼǤࢋǤ࢚࢟ ࡹࢉ
ࢌ࢚࢕࢖ ൌ െ ൅ െ
‫ۯ‬ ۷ ࡵ

ࡼ ࡼǤ ࢋǤ ࢟࢈ ࡹࢉ
ࢌ࢈࢕࢚ ൌെ െ ൅
࡭ ࡵ ࡵ

Where: P = prestress force, A = gross section area, I = gross moment of inertia

(Ig=σሺࡵ ൅ ࡭ࢊ૛ ሻሻǡyt= distance from section centroid to the top fiber, yb= distance from section
centroid to the bottom fiber, M=bending moment, c.g.c = centroid of concrete (gross section),
c.g.s = centroid of pre-stressing steel (tendon), e = eccentricity.

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