Methods of Prestress

Introduction

This prestressing of the steel may be performed either before or after pouring of the
concrete. Thus, two methods of prestressing a concrete beam are available:
PRETENSIONING and POSTTENSIONING.
 “
Pretensioning
Pretensioning

Pre-tensioning is a common prefabrication technique, where the resulting concrete

element is manufactured remotely from the final structure location and transported to
site once cured.
 “
Components of Prestressing Bed
Harping – is holding the strand down in the
middle of the beam to maximize eccentricity
in the middle and minimize eccentricity at
the ends
 “
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Pretensioning/Prefabrication/Precast
Advantages

▫ Moving partial assemblies from a factory often cost less than moving pre-
production resources to each site
▫ Deploying on-site can add costs; prefabricating assemblies can save costs by
reducing onsite work.
▫ Factory tools such as jigs, cranes, and conveyors, can make production faster and
more precise.
▫ Consistent indoor environments of factories eliminate most impacts of weather
on production.
▫ Cranes and reusable factory supports can allow shapes and sequences without
expensive on-site falsework.
Advantages

▫ Factory tools such as shake tables and hydraulic testers can offer added quality
assurance
▫ high-precision factory tools can aid more controlled movement of building heat
and air, for lower energy consumption and healthier buildings.
▫ Factory production can facilitate more optimal usage, recycling, noise capture,
and dust capture
▫ Machine-mediated parts movement and freedom from wind and rain can improve
construction safety.
Disadvantages

▫ Transportation cost may be higher for voluminous prefabricated sections

(especially sections that are huge can constitute oversize loads required special
signage, escort vehicles, and temporary road closures) than for their constituent
materials, which can often be packed more densely and are more likely to fit
onto-standard-sized vehicles.
▫ Large prefabricated sections may require heavy-duty cranes and precision
measurements and handling to place in position.
 “
Process in Pre-tensioning
An example of a detail from the original 1958
engineering plan for the pretensioned girder
design of Bridge 6579 in St. Paul.

This shows three cross-sections of one

beam or girder. At the left (A-A) is an end
view and at center and right are two views at
midpoints.
The drawings indicate that the beam is
shaped like an I-beam except at the ends
where it is thicker to prevent cracking.

The dots on the sections represent the

location of the prestressing steel strands
that extend from one end to the other.

These are casted inside the concrete beam

In the fabrication stage, we can see the
highly tensioned steel strands or wire
cables, which are the very long horizontal
lines at the top and bottom and diagonally
across the middle, all extending from one
end of the future beam to the other.

The green vertical steel elements, curved,

and shaped at the top and bottom, are the
traditional “rebars” or reinforcing steel,
creating the steel cage that gives shape and
added strength to the finished beam
The steel strands are stretched to create an
extremely high state of tension or stress and
anchored in the large yellow bulkhead at the
end of the beam. When stretched and
stressed, the strands will become 20 to 30
inches longer. You’ll see the cut ends of the
elongated strands extending out to the right
of the yellow bulkhead.
The long prestressing and fabricating bed
allows more than one beam to be made at
the same time, end to end. For economy and
efficiency, the steel strands are pulled and
tensioned through two beams at once.
After all the steel is in place, yellow metal
forms are positioned on both sides of the
steel cages for the concrete mix. The metal
forms will create the traditional I-beam
shape of the finished prestressed concrete
beam.
With the yellow metal forms in position
around the steel cage, concrete is poured
into the tops of the forms
When forms are removed, the finished
concrete beam emerges, displaying its
iconic I-beam shape. It is now “prestressed
pretensioned”, because the concrete has
formed and hardened around the tensioned
steels strands.
At that point, the strands are cut at the ends
of the beams. The stretched steel strand
wants to return to its original, shorter length,
but the concrete hardened around it
prevents it from returning back. The force in
the strand is induced to the concrete to put
the concrete beam in a state of high
compression as the stress is incorporated
into the whole beam
The beam is now ready to be hauled to a
bridge construction site.
Some prestressed concrete beams are
huge. The weight of the larger beam can
exceed 100 tons and be as long as 180 feet.
Special trucks with multiple axles may be
required to distribute the load into the
roadways. And a “steerable” trailer in the rear
might be needed to get around the corners.

Images of the prestressed production

process provided courtesy of James Fink,
PE, Forterra, Inc., Maple Grove, Minnesota.
 “
Post-Tensioning
Post-tensioning

Post-tensioned concrete is a variant of prestressed concrete where the tendons are

tensioned after the surrounding concrete structure has been casted
Post-tensioning

The tendons are not placed in direct contact with the concrete, but are encapsulated
within a protective sleeve or duct which is either cast into the concrete structure or
placed adjacent to it.
Post-tensioning

At each end of a tendon is an anchorage assembly firmly fixed to the surrounding

concrete. Once the concrete has been cast and set, the tendons are tensioned by
pulling the tendon ends through the anchorages while pressing against the concrete.
Post-tensioning

The large forces required to tension the tendons result in a significant permanent
compression being applied to the concrete once the tendon is “locked-off” at the
anchorage
1. In Stage 1, the strands or tendons are
fed through the ducts.

2. In stage 2, the tendons are being

induced with tension

3. In stage 3, the tendons are anchored to

the concrete.
Post-tensioned tendon anchorage; four
piece “lock-off” wedges are visible holding
each strand.
Post-tensioning

Tendon encapsulation systems are constructed from plastic or galvanized steel

materials, and are classified into two main types:

1. Those where the tendon element is subsequently bonded to the surrounding

concrete by internal grouting of the duct after stressing (bonded post-
tensioning)

2. Those where the tendon is permanently de-bonded from the surrounding

concrete, usually by means of a greased sheath over the tendons strands
(unbonded post-tensioning)
 “
Bonded Post-Tensioning
Bonded Post-Tensioning

In bonded post tensioning, the tendons are permanently bonded to the surrounding
concrete by the in-situ grouting of their encapsulating ducting (after tendon
tensioning).
Bonded Post-Tensioning

This grouting is undertaken for three main purposes:

1. To protect the tendons against corrosion
2. To permanently “lock-in” the tendon pre-tension, thereby removing the long-
term reliance upon the end –anchorage systems
3. To improve certain structural behaviors of the final concrete structure
Bonded Post-Tensioning

Following concreting and tensioning, the ducts are pressure-grouted and the tendon
stressing-ends sealed against corrosion.
 “
Grouting of Post-Tensioned Tendons
Grouting

The grouting procedure shall be carried out not later than 2 weeks of stressing. The
anchorage ends of the cable are sealed with the same grade of concrete after the
stressing is completed
Pre-grouting Procedure

▫ If any traces of oils are found applied on the steel for preventing corrosion, they
should be removed before grouting operation.

▫ For cleaning and wetting of the surfaces of the duct walls, clean potable water is
flushed into the ducts.

▫ The water should be drained through the lowest vent pipe or by blowing oil-free
compressed air through the duct.
Pre-grouting Procedure

▫ All outlet points including vent openings should be kept open prior to the
commencement of injection grout.

▫ Before grouting process, all air in the pump and hose should be expelled. The
suction circuit of the pump should be airtight.
Injection of Grout

▫ The mixed grout is continuously agitated and should be left stagnant.

▫ The process of injection of grout must be continuous and should not be

interrupted.

▫ Grouting should be commence initially with a low pressure of injection of up to

0.3Mpa increasing it until the grout comes out at the end.

▫ The grout should be allowed to flow freely from the other end until the
consistency of the grout at this end is the same as that of the grout at the injection
end.
Injection of Grout

▫ The grout should be allowed to flow freely from the other end until the
consistency of the grout at this end is the same as that of the grout at the injection
end.

▫ When the grout flows at the other end, it should be closed off and building up of
pressure commenced. Full injection pressure at about 0.5Mpa is maintained for at
least 1 min to ensure effective grouting.

▫ Grout not used within 30 minutes of mixing should be rejected.

Injection of Grout

▫ For vertical cables or cables inclined more than 66 degrees to the horizontal, the
injection should be effected from the lowest anchorage or vent of the duct.

▫ The method of injection should ensure complete filling of ducts. To verify this, it is
advisable to compare the volume of the space to be fitted by the injected grout
with the quantity of grout actually injected.
 “
Benefits of Bonded Post-Tensioning
Reduced Reliance on End-Anchorage Integrity

Bonded tendons are connected to the surrounding concrete along their full length by
high-strength grout. As a result, any inadvertent severing of the tendon or failure of an
end anchorage has only a very localized impact on tendon performance.
Increased Ultimate Strength in Flexure

Any flexure of the structure is directly resisted by the tendon strains at that same
location. This results in significantly higher tensile strains in the tendons, allowing their
full yield strength to be realized, and producing a higher ultimate load quality.
Improved Cracked Control

Bonded tendons respond similarly to conventional reinforcement. With the tendons

fixed to the concrete at each side of the crack, greater resistance to crack expansion
is offered than with unbonded tendons.
Improved Fire Performance

The absence of strain redistribution in bonded tendons may limit the impact that any
localized overheating has on the overall structure. As a result, bonded structures may
display higher capacity to resist fire conditions
 “
Unbonded Post-Tensioning
Unbonded Post-Tension

Unbonded post-tensioning differed by allowing the tendons permanent freedom of

longitudinal movement relative to concrete. This is most commonly achieved by
encasing each individual tendon element within a plastic sheathing filled with a
corrosion-inhibiting grease, usually lithium based
Unbonded slab post-tensioning. Installed
strands and edge-anchors are visible along
with the prefabricated coiled strands for the
next pour.
End view of slab after stripping forms,
showing individual strands and stressing-
anchor recesses.
 “
Benefits of Unbonded Post-Tensioning
Ability to be Prefabricated

Unbonded tendons can be readily prefabricated off-site complete with end-

anchorages, facilitating faster installation during construction.
Improved Site Productivity

The elimination of grouting required in bonded structures improves the site-labor

productivity of unbonded.
Improved Installation Flexibility

Unbonded single-strand tendons have greater handling flexibility than bonded

ducting during installation, allowing them a greater ability to be deviated around
service penetrations or obstructions.
Reduced Concrete Cover

Unbonded tendons may allow some reductions in concrete element thickness, as

their smaller size and increased corrosion protection may allow them to be placed
closer to the concrete surface.
Simpler Replacement and/or Adjustment

Being permanently isolated from concrete, unbonded tendons are able to be readily
de-stressed, re-stressed and/or replaced should they become damage or need their
force levels to be modified in-service
Superior Overload Performance

Although having lower ultimate strength than bonded tendons, unbonded tendons’
ability to redistribute strains over their full length can give them superior pre-collapse
ductility.