BT4 /ALTERNATIVE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM

Part 2: Module 7

PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE
ARCHT. MARCELINO ENALAS DUMPA,
ASST PROF
 PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE

• What is Pre-stressed Concrete?

• We all know that concrete is strong in compression and weak in
tension. This is reason for providing reinforcement (in the form of
steel bars) to resist tension/tensile force acting on
beams/columns/slabs etcetera.
• RC structures under service load undergoes deflection causing the
bottom of the beam (tensile zone) to elongate, causing cracks.
• Generally, steel bars are provided to limit the crack widths and
resist the tensile force which the concrete lacks.
• Here, the rebar acts as ‘passive reinforcement’. Rebars (steel
reinforcement) provided at the bottom of the bar, does not carry
any forces until the concrete has already deflected enough to
crack.
 PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE

• How it is used?
• The principle behind Pre-stressed concrete is that compressive
stresses induced by high-strength steel tendons in a concrete
member before loads are applied will balance the tensile stresses
imposed in the member during service.
• Simply, Permanent pre-compression is produced in the areas
subjected to tension using high tensile strength steel wires or
alloys. Now, a portion of tensile stress is counteracted, thereby
reducing the cross-sectional area of steel reinforcement.
• As a result, the concrete does not crack because the pre-stressing
has reduced the tensile stress in the section below cracking stress,
hence concrete is treated as a elastic material.
BEAM DIAGRAM
 Compressive Force
• Two (2) Types of Compressive Forces:
1. Internal Pre-stressing force
2. External forces (Dead load, Live load etc.)
• These two forces must counteract each other.
• When loads are applied, reinforcing steel takes on more
stress and the compressive force in the concrete is
reduced greatly, so that it doesn’t become a tensile force.
• As a result the concrete is less prone to cracks or failures
because it is always under compression.
 Definition:

PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
• A concrete that has had internal stresses introduced to
counteract, to the degree desired, the tensile stresses that
will be imposed in service.
• The stress is usually imposed by tendons of individual
hard-drawn wires, cables of hard-drawn wires, or bars of
high strength alloy steel. Pre-stressing may be achieved
either by pre-tensioning or by post-tensioning.
CHARACTERISTICS
 TYPES OF PRE-STRESSED
CONCRETE
Pre-stressed concrete structures can be
classified in a number of ways depending
upon the feature of designs and
constructions.
2 Types of Pre-stressed Concrete
1. Pre-tensioning
2. Post-tensioning
 Pre-tensioning

• The steel wires or tendons are tensioned first and the

concrete is poured later.
• Tendons are temporarily anchored and tensioned and the
pre-stress is transferred to the concrete after it is
hardened.
• Then the tendon tries to shrink back to the original length,
but resisted by the bond between the concrete thereby
inducing compressive force in it.
DIAGRAM

PRE-TENSION CONCRETE
DIAGRAM
 Post-tensioning

• Concrete is poured first, allowed to harden and the

tendons is tensioned later.
• Tendons are placed in sheathing at suitable places in the
member before casting and later after hardening of
concrete.
• Post-tensioning tendons, which are pre-stressing steel
cables inside plastic ducts or sleeves, are positioned in the
forms before the concrete is placed.
 Post-Tensioning
Construction Basics
• Construction of post-tensioned slabs on grade is very
similar to using reinforcing steel, except for the tensioning
step.
• Cables are arranged as indicated by the engineer and
chaired to run through the center of the slab.
• For residential construction, tendons at 48 inches on center
are common.
• Commercial foundations will have much more steel.
• Tendons can be easily routed around obstructions.
DIAGRAM
• Tendons today are seven high-strength steel wires wound
together and placed inside a plastic duct.
• At each end a PT anchor is located and these are located in
pockets embedded into the slab edge. When the strands are
stressed, the wires will stretch—about 4 inches for a 50 foot
strand—to apply 33,000 pounds of load.
• Stressing should only be done by qualified workers.
• After stressing, the tendon is cut off and the pocket in
which the anchors are located is filled with grout to protect
them from corrosion.
• Larger structural concrete members may also be post-tensioned,
especially in bridges and floors and beams in parking structures.
• One interesting difference is that the tendons will often be "draped" so
that they are low at the midpoint of a beam and high at the
supports—this places the steel at the point of highest tension where it
can keep the concrete held together tightly.
• With structural members the duct is often grouted full following
stressing to bond the strand to the concrete along its entire
length—these are called bonded tendons.
• Un-bonded tendons, used in residential slabs, remain free to move
within the duct and are protected from corrosion by grease.
ILLUSTRATION

Tendon (cable) tails after tensioning. The cables

are pulled to 33,000 pounds, resulting in 8 inches
of elongation in a 100-foot cable.
ILLUSTRATION
ILLUSTRATION
ILLUSTRATION
 PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE

THANK YOU