Pre stressed and Precast Concrete

Pre stressed and precast concrete

Submitted BY: Faizan Rasool

Reg. No: BSCET01183026
Submitted To: Engr. Hafiz Muhammad Shahzad

Department of Civil Engineering & Technology

The University of Lahore

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 Pre stressed and Precast Concrete

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.1 Prestressed Concrete

1.2 Prestressed concrete is used

1.3 Prestressing
1.4 Method of Prestressing
1.5 Concrete used for Prestressed Work
1.6 High-strength Concrete is required for prestressing
1.7 High-strength Steel is required for prestressing
1.8 Advantages of Prestressed Concrete
1.9 Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete
1.10 Basic principles of prestressing
1.11 Applications of prestressed concrete
1.12 Reference

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1.1 Prestressed Concrete

Concrete can withstand a great amount of compressive stress but it has a very low tensile
strength. Because of low tensile strength, concrete gets cracks when subjected to maximum
load.

As the name indicates prestressed concrete is a form of concrete in which internal stresses are
introduced before its application so that it can counteract the tensile stresses produced in
concrete due to external load.

When we design a concrete structure, we design it for ultimate-strength it means in the worst-
case scenario the structure should not collapse.

1.2 Prestressed concrete is used

Before the failure of any concrete structure, cracks are formed in the concrete and then the
structure collapses and cracks are formed due to deflection or moment in structure. When water
comes in contact with these cracks the steel gets corroded.

To avoid these cracks, to increase the strength of member and to reduce the deflection
prestressing is done.

Pre-stressing means tensioning the reinforcement.

For example, just take the case of a bridge over a river if we try to construct this bridge with
traditional concrete then we will have to increase the depth of span so there will be no enough
space under the bridge for ships to pass. So, to have a lower depth, longer span and more
strength prestressing is done.

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1.3 Prestressing
To understand prestressing see the image below when we apply load on the concrete member
the member bends like this

You can see compression develops on the top portion and tension develops at the bottom
portion and due to this elongation at bottom concrete gets cracks.

That is why we add some steel bars at the bottom section and stretch it so that it can resist most
of the tension and save concrete from cracking. This is called as prestressing and this type of
concrete is known as prestressed concrete.

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Prestressing removes design limitations of conventional concrete and permits the building
roofs floors, bridges and walls with longer unsupported spans. Because of this ability pre-
stressed concrete is used in school auditoriums shopping-centers, gymnasiums, parking
garages and cafeterias.

It is now commonly used for floor beams, pile and railway sleepers as well as structures such
as water tanks and runways.

When highly stressed steel attempts to contract, the concrete gets compressed then the concrete
will be in a permanent state of maintaining pre-stressed strength.

Generally, the pre-tensioning concrete elements are precast in a factory and must be transported
to the construction site.

In place of tendons wire strands or cables, high tensile steel bars can also be used for pre-
tensioning. examples of pre-tensioning concrete precast products are foundation pile railway,
sleepers, electrical or lighting Pols, floor, slab beam, pipe partition wall etc.

1.4 Method of Prestressing

 Pre-tensioning
 Post-tensioning

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Pre-tensioning
In the pre-tensioning process, the steel is stretched before the concrete is placed. High tensile
steel (ultimate strength of 2100 N/mm2) wires or tendons are used between two ends and
stretched to 70 to 80% of their ultimate strength.

After that, the concrete is poured around the tendons and allowed to cure. Once the concrete
gains desired strength, the stretching forces are released.

Post-tensioning
In post-tensioning the steel is stretched after the concrete hardens unlike pre-tensioning work
post-tensioning is usually carried out at the project site. In the case of post-tensioning, a duct
is placed into the concrete structure.

Concrete is cast and allow to cure. When the concrete reaches its required strength the tendons
are stretched and locked with anchors. The excess ends of tendons are then cut away and the
duct will be grouted and covered with concrete for rust prevention.

Examples – Roads, bridges, railways, tunnels, dams, foundations, buildings industrial facilities,
containment tanks, reservoirs, underground constructions, Airports and Seaports, special
structures or any form of prestressed concrete structures etc.

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1.5 Concrete used for Prestressed Work

Concrete used for prestressed work should have a cube strength of 35 N/mm2 for post-
tensioned system and 45 N/mm2 for the pre-tension system.

1.6 High-strength Concrete is required for prestressing

 If the concrete is not strong enough it can be cracked or failed when it is
stretched by tendons moreover high strength concrete is less subjected to
shrinkage cracks. It has a higher modulus of elasticity and smaller creep
strength.
 Since large prestressing forces are applied to the member by the tendons, high
bearing stresses are developed at the end by anchoring devices.
 Bursting stresses liable to at the ends of the beam can not be satisfactorily
resisted by low strength concrete.
 When the stress transfer to concrete has to take place by bond action, the
concrete should have high bond stress which can be offered by high strength
concrete.
1.7 High-strength Steel is required for prestressing
The mild steel used in ordinary reinforced concrete has a yield point of 200 N/mm2 to 300
N/mm2. If such steel is used and if even it is subjected to stress say 200 N/mm2 at the stage of
tensioning, we find that due to creep and shrinkage of concrete the net tensile stress left over
will be extremely low.

In the design of prestressed concrete member, the estimated loss of prestress due to shrinkage
of concrete and creep of concrete and steel is at the order of nearly 200 N/mm2. But high-
tension steel has an ultimate strength of 2100 N/mm2 and if initially, to say 1000
N/mm2 there will still be large stress in the reinforcement after making a deduction for the
loss of prestress.

Prestressed concrete is the most durable, reliable and strongest concrete that is widely used
for the construction of mega buildings and bridges. It is a type of concrete in which high-
strength tendons placed in tension regions of the cross-section are stressed during the
construction of the element to act against tensile stresses generated due to applied loads .
Prestressed concrete is very beneficial to construct crack-free structural members and tackle
shrinkage and temperature effects. As a result, the ingression of detrimental agents is prevented
which helps in avoiding reinforcement corrosion.

The prestressed concrete allows the construction of longer span beams and girders in addition
to increase the ultimate load carrying capacity for the same member cross-section.

However, the construction process in prestressed concrete requires extensive monitoring and
complicated devices and equipment
at all stages.

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1.8 Advantages of Prestressed Concrete

1. Contrary to conventional concrete elements, the entire concrete cross-section of

prestressed concrete resists applied load. This is because the concrete in tension zone
does not suffer cracking and hence it would take part in carrying loads.

2. The spans of prestressed beams and girders are longer compared with that of reinforced
concrete.

3. Longer span length increases untroubled floor space and parking facilities.

4. Longer spans results in fewer joints, as a result, less maintenance is needed.

5. Possibility of steel corrosion and subsequent concrete deterioration is declined because

concrete is crack-free.

6. It has long-term durability.

7. Prestressed concrete members are able to bear reversal of stresses, impact, vibration
and shock due to the absence of cracks.

8. Practically, dead loads are neutral in a prestressed concrete beam. Consequently, the
dead load weight of the structure is decreased which results in reduced consumption of
materials.

9. Thinner slabs, that are important for high-rise building as with the same amount of cost,
it can construct more slabs than traditional thicker slabs.

10. The use of curved tendons and the pre-compression of concrete helps to resist shear.

11. The quantity of required steel in prestressed concrete is 1/3 of that required for
reinforced concrete, but the steel for the former should have high tensile strength.

12. The development of prestressed concrete results in the construction of a sizable liquid-
retaining structure that would not otherwise be possible.

13. Large liquid retaining structures constructed from prestressed concrete have low cost
and are preferably safe against cracking and consequent leakage.

14. Prestressed concrete can be used with advantage in all those structures where tension
develops, such as tie and suspender of a bow string girder, railway sleepers, electric
poles, upstream face of gravity dam etc.

15. Prestressed concrete beams have usually low deflection.

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1.9 Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete

1. Prestressed concrete requires high-quality dense concrete of high strength. Perfect

quality concrete in production, placement and compaction is required.
2. It requires high tensile steel, which is 2.5 to 3.5 times costlier than mild steel.
3. Prestressing process requires complicated tensioning equipment and anchoring devices.
4. Construction requires perfect supervision at all stages of construction.
5. Prestressed concrete needs skilled labors.
6. Pre-stressed concrete requires high-quality dense concrete of high-strength.
7. High strength concrete in production, placement and compaction is required.
8. It requires high tensile steel which is 2.5 to 3.5times costlier than mild steel.
9. Prestressing process requires complicated tensioning equipment and anchoring devices
which are very costly.
10. Pre-stressed concrete construction requires very good quality control and supervisions.
11. Pre-stressed concrete needs skilled labourers.
12. Prestressing is uneconomical for shorts spans and light loads.

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1.10 Basic principles of prestressing

A beam resting on supports at each end trends to bend under its own weight and under applied
loading. This causes compression along the top part of the beam and tension along the bottom
part. In other words, there is a tendency for the bottom of the beam to stretch.

Concrete is strong in compression, but weak in tension, and for this reason, a plain concrete
beam has little strength. The tensile weakness of concrete is overcome by casting steel bars
into the sections where tension is likely to occur. When a load is applied on beam, cracks still
occur in the concrete, but the tension is carried by the steel reinforcement.

The principle of prestressing is to compress the beam before it is loaded in such a way that
stresses are induced in the section which is opposite in action to those arising under loading.
Thus, the bottom of the beam is compressed by the prestressing so that tension arising when it
is loaded will be entirely neutralized.

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Furthermore, the compression in the concrete is also of great importance in resisting shear. If
one imagines a prestressed beam as a row of blocks pressed together, it is easy to see that if
they are pressed together sufficiently tightly, they will not fall out when a load is applied. This
condition aided by the device of sweeping cables upwards at the end of the beam will usually
eliminate the need for steel reinforcement to resist shear stresses.

1.11 Applications of prestressed concrete

1. FOUNDATION:

Prestressed Concrete Piles: Prestressed concrete piles have been used extensively in the
construction of buildings and marine structures. Due to its high strength for handling and a
high degree of durability in seawater and other adverse environments, the use of prestressed
concrete piles became very popular in the construction of marine structures. The prestressed

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concrete piles have many advantages in comparison with conventional piles - a few of them
are:

 High load-carrying capacity.

 Crack-free under handling and driving.
 Ability to take up-lift (tension).
 Can bear hard-driving and can penetrate hard strata.
 Durability in an adverse environment.
 High column strength.

In view of the above advantages, the prestressed concrete pile is an ideal choice for deep
foundations with heavy loading on weak soil. At present, prestressed concrete piles are being
used as sheet piles, fender piles and soldier piles. It also used for carrying vertical loads with
different soil strengths and found to be durable in varied environments ranging from sub-arctic
to the desert.

Rock /soil Anchors: Prestressing techniques are now used for strengthening an existing
structure by anchoring it to the rock or soil. In places where rocks are not available immediately
below the ground level, rock-anchors are used to anchor the pile to the rocks that are situated
at very large depth. The use of prestressed anchors avoids the driving of the pile all the way to
the rock which is available at very large depth. The pile is driven only to a certain depth,
depending on the soil condition and prestressed cable is sent through the pile to the rock. The
cable is then stressed and grouted.

Precast Pre-stressed Centrifugal concrete piles

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2. BRIDGES:

The spectacular contribution of prestressed concrete can be seen in the construction of

superstructures of bridges. It has been extensively used in both rail and road bridges.
The technique of prestressing lends itself beautifully to the construction of different types of
bridges.

Installation of pre-stressed concrete girders for a Bridge

a. Simply Supported Bridges: They are adopted for medium and short spans. The cross-
sections of these beams maybe I, T, two T's or Box shape. The girders can be pre or post-
tensioned. These beams may be precast or cast-in-situ and are usually supported by neoprene
or other types of bearings at either end.

b. Cantilever Bridges: This method is usually adopted for longer span bridges. In this method,
there will be cantilevers extending from each of the piers. There will be a suspended span of
the shorter length to connect the cantilevers. The cantilevers are usually extended by anchoring
precast segments of short length. Each segment is anchored to the balancing extension on the
other side of the pier.

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c. Cable-Stayed Bridges: Extremely long spans constructed by using this method of

construction. In this type of construction, the deck or slab is held by a number of prestressed
cables anchored to the anchor tower. Using this method spans up to 300 m can be constructed.

Other types of bridges like bridges with Bow String Truss, Stressed Ribbon Deck and Arch
Bridges are included.

3. MARINE STRUCTURES

Prestressed concrete has gained acceptance in the field of marine structures due to its durability,
strength and economy. Its application to foundations has already been discussed in the earlier
section. Prestressed concrete is now being applied increasingly in the super-structures of the
marine projects. A few types of marine structures where prestressed concrete has been adopted
are:

 Coastal jetties.
 Wharves.
 Bulkheads.
 Offshore platforms.
 Navigation structures.
 Protective fenders.

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In these structures, the prestressed concrete elements may be in the foundation, such as bearing
pile, sheet pile, etc. or in the super-structure, such as the deck, beam slab, etc.

It is a well-known fact that marine construction has many problems of its own in its
construction procedures. The difficulty at the site especially for the movement of materials and
workers, makes quality control a difficult exercise.

Further, highly skilled labour is required in such projects. Such labor is either not available or
available at a very high cost. All such factors show that precasting is an ideal choice for marine
structure. In precasting, the efficiency and economy can be increased by means of prestressing,
especially by pre-tensioning. The pre-tensioned materials can then be made to act
monolithically by post-tensioning them subsequently.

4. WATER CARRYING STRUCTURE

a. Aqueducts: Prestressed concrete is found to be the ideal choice for construction of aqueducts
due to its water tightness and crack-free surface. Prestressed concrete, due to its high strength,
enables the construction of long-span aqueducts with high water carrying capacity.

b. Water Tanks: Circular water tanks are also constructed by using prestressed concrete. They
withstand higher circumferential stress than R.C.C. The wall thickness of the prestressed
concrete tanks is much less than that of R.C.C because of its high strength. With these
advantages, the use of prestressed concrete for the construction of overhead water tank and
reservoirs is gaining popularity.

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5. INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURES

Application of prestressed concrete in the field of construction of industrial structures is getting

momentum. The tie members of the trusses are usually prestressed. The advantages of using
prestressed concrete are:

 longer spans of trusses can be constructed.

 The aesthetic look of the structure is enhanced.

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6. PRETENSIONED PRODUCTS

In the field of pretension, much progress has made to great advantage. The extensive
manufacture of prestressed electric transmission poles is just one of the many applications of
pretension. The recent and important addition in the list is railway sleeper. A number of plants
manufacturing these sleepers springing up in every corner of the world. Precast pre tensioned
members are also used extensively for prefabricated houses.

This application has potential and offers excellent scope for development and diversification.

7. NUCLEAR STRUCTURE

In this atomic age, the concept of prestressed concrete lives up to its reputation as the
technology that can offer solutions even to the most difficult and intricate problems faced by
the civil engineering industry. The designers of the reactors have realized the advantages of
prestressed concrete and are now designing their pressure-vessels and container-vessels of the
reactors, recommending the use of prestressed concrete.

This application should prove the versatility and superiority of the concept of prestressed
concrete over conventional methods.

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1.12 Reference
 Article by: Gobinda Burman from: Green Environmet
 Madeh Izat Hamakareem

 Madeh is a Structural Engineer who works as Assistant Lecturer in Koya University.

He is the author, editor and partner at theconstructor.org.
 CIVIL LEAD
 Piping Stress Engineer

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