Prestressed Concrete

Module 4.

Engr. Grace Dolloso

Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

❑ The most important single property of a structure is its strength, because a

members’ strength relates directly to its safety. Adequate strength of a
prestressed concrete member is not automatically insured by limiting stresses
at service load.
Stress – Strain Curves
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

❖ For under-reinforced beams, failure is initiated by yielding of the tensile steel.

The associated large tensile strains permit widening of flexural cracks and
upward migration of the neutral axis. The increased concrete stresses acting on
the reduced compressive area result in a “secondary” compressive failure of
the concrete, even though the failure is initiated by yielding. The stress in the
steel at failure will be between points A and B as shown in figure a.
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

❖ Over-reinforced beams, failure occurs when the compressive strain unit of the
concrete is reached, at a load when the steel is still below its yield stress,
between point O and A shown in the fig. 3.7a. This second type of failure is
accompanied by a downward movement of the neutral axis, because the
concrete is stressed into its nonlinear range although the steel response is still
linear. This type of failure occurs suddenly with little warning.
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

Equivalent Rectangular Stress Block

All that is needed to calculate the ultimate resisting moment of a prestressed
concrete beam is the value of the compressive resultant C (which must equal
the tensile force T) and the internal lever arm at failure.
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

Effective Flange Width

If the compression flange of a prestressed concrete beam is but little wider than
the web, the entire flange can be considered effective in resisting the
compressive force. However for very wide flanges, the compressive stress in the
flange is not uniform, but decreases with lateral distance from the web. This is so
because of shearing deformation of the flange, which relieves the more remote
elements of some compressive stress.
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

FLEXURAL STRENGTH BY STRAIN-COMPATIIBILITY ANALYSIS

Strains and stresses

as beam load is
increased to failure.

Strains in concrete
and steel
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

Equivalent concrete stress

distribution at failure

It is useful to consider an intermediate load stage (2) corresponding to

decompression of the concrete at the level of the steel centroid. Assuming that bond
remains intact between the concrete and steel , the increase in steel strain produced
as loads pass from stage (1) to stage (2) is the same as the decrease in concrete strain
at that level in the beam given by the expression
(3.14)

(3.15)
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method

(3.16)

(3.17)
Solving this equation for the stress-block depth

(3.18)

The resisting moment at failure is the product of the tensile (or compressive) force
and the internal lever arm. For a member with constant width compression zone,
shown in figure (b), the nominal flexural strength is

(3.19)
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method
Flexural Strength by Strain Compatibility Method
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis
Problem 1:

The stress and strain in the tendons resulting from the effective prestress force are,
respectively
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis Using Graphical Solution for Steel Stress
Problem 2:
Ultimate Flexural Capacity by Strain Compatibility
Analysis Using Graphical Solution for Steel Stress