1

Prestressing force P and the cable profile are based on

Serviceability Requirements:

- Crack Free Design – limit stresses

- Control Deflections
- Camber
- Axial Shortening

For Crack Control need to specify Stress Limits.

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 3

Short − Term: G +ψ sQ + P

Long − Term: G +ψlQ + P

G - Dead Load Q - Live Load

ψs - Short Term Live Load Factor
ψL - Long Term Live Load Factor
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 4

2
loading ϕsQ
ϕ lQ

time
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 5

Type of Live Load Short-TermFactor ψs Long-TermFactor ψl

Floors
Domestic 0.7 0.4
Offices 0.7 0.4
Parking 0.7 0.4
Retail 0.7 0.4
Storage 1.0 0.6
Other As per storage, unless As per storage, unless
Assessed otherwise Assessed otherwise
Roofs
Trafficable 0.7 0.4
Non-Trafficable 0.7 0.0

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 6

3
 Table 2.4.2 AS3600

Notes:
1. In flat slabs, the deflection to which the above limits apply is the theoretical deflection of the line diagram representing the
idealized frame defined in Clause 7.5.2
1. Deflection limits given may not safeguard against ponding
2. For cantilevers, the values of ∆/Lef given in this table apply only if the rotation at the support is included in the calculation of ∆.

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 7

Stress
True curve fpu
f py
A pprox. curve
0.2% proof
stress

S train

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 8

4
 CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 9

7-wire Strand AS1311

G ra d e M in . N o m in a l f p u (M P a )
b re a k in g 2
A re a (m m )
fo rce (kN )
R e g u la r 1 2 .7 165 94 1750
1 5 .2 227 139 1630
Super 1 2 .7 184 100 1840
1 5 .2 250 143 1750
ETH 1 5 .2 261 143 1820

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 10

5

0.8 fpu pretensioned tendons

0.85 fpu stress-relieved post-

tensioned tendons

0.75 fpu not stress-relieved post-

tensioned tendons

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 11

Pj – Pi –
jacking prestress initial prestress
During the stressing operation, immediate losses can
occur by:

• elastic contraction of the concrete,

• friction along the ducts and
• slip and deformation in the end anchors.

Estimate ~ 8% Pi ~ 0.92 Pj
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 12

6
 Pi – Pe –
initial prestress effective prestress

• inelastic creep and shrinkage strains at the level of the

bounded steel.

• stress relaxation in the tendons.

Estimate ~ 15-20% Pe ~ 0.8 Pi

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 13

The initial stress level in prestressing steel after transfer is usually high,
often in the range 60-75% of the tensile strength of the material.

If a tendon is stretched and held at a constant length (constant strain), the

development of creep strain in the steel is exhibited as a loss of elastic strain,
and hence a loss of stress.

Relaxation in steel is highly dependent on the stress level

and increases at an increasing rate as the stress level increases.

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 14

7
+ - - -
-

- +

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

Transfer Full Service Load Condition Ultimate Load
Condition
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 15

Prestress Cable

- Pi

Immediately after application of Prestress

Pi - initial prestress
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 16

8
 + -
-
Prestress Cable

- + Pe

After full service loads and Time Dependent

Losses
Pe - effective prestress
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 17

Concrete Compressive Stress Limit: Fci = 0.5 f’ci

• Large nonlinear creep strains.
• Large prestress losses
• Safety against brittle failure (should check strength at
transfer)

Tensile Stress Limit: Fti = 0.25 f ci'

• advisable especially in unreinforced zones
• cracks may not close completely (local spalling)
• if cracking allowed add conventional steel
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 18

9
 No Limits needed unless Cracking
To be avoided
Tensile Stress Limit: Ft = 0.25 f c' to 0.5 f c'
• upper limit some cracking due to shrinkage, may need
added reo.

Concrete Compressive Stress Limit: Fc = 0.45 f’c

• usually not enforced.
• prevents large creep strains

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 19

Fti – tensile stress limit at transfer

Ft – tensile stress limit under full

load

Fci – compressive stress limit at transfer

Fc – compressive stress limit under full

load
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 20

10
 AS3600 Clause 8.1.4.2

F ci = 0 .5 f '
ci compression
TRANSFER
F ti = 0 . 25 f '
ci tension

F c = 0 . 45 f '
c compression FULL
SERVICE
Ft = 0 . 5 f '
tension LOADS
c

These limits are not explicitly suggested in AS3600

but are generally used for most prestressed designs.
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 21

If Cracking Permitted - CHECK CRACK WIDTHS

• Increment in Steel Stress near the Tension Face

< 200 MPa as the load increases from its value
when the extreme tensile fibre is at zero stress
to the full short-term service load

• c/c spacing ≤ 200 mm for beams;

≤ 500 mm for slabs

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 22

11
 STRESSES

yt
+ - + σt
Mo
C A

y
e yb + =

- + σb -

SECTION Due to Pi Due to Mo Resultant

(prestress force) (w, applied load)
 P P ey  Moy wL2
− i + i  Mo =
A
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete
I  I 8 23

Axial Bending Bending

stress (due to Pi) (due to Mo)

P P ey M o yt tensile
σt = − i + i t − ≤ F ti stress limit
A I I at transfer

Pi (Pi e − M o )
=− + ≤ Fti
A Zt

Pi  Ae  Mo wL2
(1) F ti ≥ −  1 −  − Mo =
A  Zt  Zt 8

TENSILE STRESS LIMIT AT TRANSFER

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 24

12
 Axial Bending Bending
stress (due to Pi) (due to Mo)

P P ey M o yb compressive
σb = − i − i b + ≥ F ci stress limit at
A I I transfer

wL2
Mo =
due to Pi due to w 8

Pi  Ae  Mo I
(2) F ci ≤ −  1 +  + Zb =
yb
A  Zb  Zb
COMPRESSIVECVEN9806
STRESS LIMIT AT TRANSFER
Prestressed Concrete 25

MT = moment due
STRESSES to total service load

σt
+ - +
yt
C A

y + =
e yb N A
- + - σb

Due to RPi Due to MT Resultant

SECTION (prestress force) (w, applied load)

R ≈ 0.75 − 0.85  RP RP ey 
− i + i 
 A I 
MT y
I
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 26

13
 Axial Bending Bending
stress (due to Pi) (due to MT)

RPi RPi ey b M T yb Bottom

σb = − − + ≤ Ft fibre
A I I stress

RP i  Ae  MT I
(3) F t ≥ −  1 +  + Zb =
A Zb  Zb yb

TENSILE STRESS LIMIT
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 27

Axial Bending Bending

stress (due to Pi) (due to MT)

R Pi R Pi ey t M T yt Top
σt = − + − ≥ Fc fibre
A I I stress

due to Pi due to w

R Pi  Ae  MT
(4) Fc ≤ −  1 −  − Zt =
I
A Zt  Zt yt

COMPRESSIVE STRESS LIMIT
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 28

14
 Equations (1) – (4) can be rearranged to express 1/Pi
as a linear function of e.

 Mo   Ae 
Equation (1) gives: A  F ti +  ≥ − Pi  1 − 
 Zt   Z t 

1 − 1 + Ae / Z t I I
≥ Zt = Zb =
A (F ti + M o / Z t )
or
Pi yt yb

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 29

A A
If αt = αb =
Zt Zb

1 α te − 1 1 R (α b e + 1 )
(1) ≥ (3) ≤
Pi AF ti + α t M o Pi − AF t + α b M t

1 α be + 1 1 R (α t e − 1 )
(2) ≥ (4) ≤
Pi − AF ci + α b M o Pi AF c + α t M t

Fti , Fci - TRANSFER Ft , Fc – FULL LOADING

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 30

15
 1/Pi
Equation 4
Equation 1 Fti
Fc
Pi − minimum Equation 3 Ft

Equation 2 Fci
acceptable region

αb
-1/α αt
1/α emax eLimit Eccentricity, e

In order to minimise prestressing costs,

the smallestCVEN9806
possible value of P would generally be selected.
Prestressed Concrete i 31

If section too small line 2 will lie above line 3

When slopes are equal:
αb Rα b
=
− A Fc i + α b M o − A Ft + α b M t

M t − RM o
∴ (Z b ) ≥
Ft − R F c i

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 32

16
 Equation 1 = 3

1 α te − 1 1 R (α b e + 1 )
(1) ≥ = (3) ≤
Pi AF ti + α t M o Pi − AF t + α b M t

a +1 R ( A Fti + α t M o )
e L im it = a =
α t − aα b − A Ft + α b M t

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 33

When the prestressing force and eccentricity are determined for the
critical section, the location of the cable at every section
along the member must be specified.

For a member which has been designed to be uncracked throughout,

the tendons must be located so that
the stress limits are observed on every section.

At any section, Equations (1) – (4) may be used to establish a range of

values for eccentricity which satisfy the selected stress limits.

If Mo and MT are the moments caused by the external loads at transfer and
under full service loads, respectively, and Pi and Pe are the corresponding
prestressing forces at the same section, the extreme fibre stresses must satisfy
Equations (1) - (4).
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 34

17
 After Pi and Pe have been determined at the critical sections,
the friction losses along the member are estimated and the corresponding
prestressing forces at intermediate sections are calculated.

At each intermediate section, the maximum eccentricity that will satisfy

both stress limits at transfer is obtained from either Equation (1) or (2).

The minimum eccentricity required to satisfy the tensile and compressive

stress limits under full loads is obtained from either Equation (3) or (4).

A permissible zone is thus established in which the line of action of the

resulting prestressing force must be located.

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 35

Permissible zone

Equation (3) and (4)

Equation (1) and (2)

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 36

18
 When the prestress and eccentricity at the critical sections are
selected using the load-balancing approach,
the cable profile should match, as closely as practicable,
the bending moment diagram caused by the balanced load.

In this way, deflection will be minimised.

For cracked, partially prestressed members, Equations (1) and (2)

are usually applicable and fix the maximum eccentrictity.

The cable profile should then be selected according to the loading

type and moment diagram.

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 37

A one-way slab is simply supported over a span of 12 m and is

to be designed to carry a service load of 7 kPa (kN/m2) in
addition to its own self-weight. The slab is post-tensioned by
regularly spaced tendons with parabolic profiles.
The slab thickness D = 300 mm.

The material properties are:

f ci' = 25 MPa f c' = 32 MPa f p = 1840 MPa

E ci = 25300 MPa E c = 28600 MPa

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 38

19
 Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)

The prestressing force and eccentricity are to be determined to

satisfy the following concrete stress limits:

F ti = 0 . 25 25 = 1 . 25 MPa

F ci = − 0 . 5 × 25 = − 12 . 5 MPa

F t = 0 . 25 32 = 1 . 41 MPa

F c = − 0 . 5 × 32 = − 16 . 0 MPa

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 39

Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
At mid-span, the instantaneous and time-dependent losses are
taken to be 8% and 16%, respectively. R = 0 .9 4

Slab self-weight
(which is the only load other than the prestress at transfer):

w sw = 24 × 0 . 3 = 7 . 2 kN/m (1 m wide strip)

and the moments at mid-span

both at transfer and under the full service load are:

Mo =
7.2 × 12 2
= 129.6kNm/m M T =
(7.0 + 7.2)×122 = 255.6kNm/m
8 8
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 40

20
 Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)

Cross-section properties:

A = 300 × 103 mm 2 /m I = 2250 × 106 mm 4 /m

Z = Z t = Z b = 15 × 106 mm3 /m

α t = α b = A / Z = 0.02
1 1
= = 50mm
αt αb
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 41

M t − RM o
∴ (Z b ) ≥
Ft − R F c i

255.6 − 0.94 × 129.6

(
∴ Z b = 15 × 10 6 mm 3 /m ≥ ) 1.41 − 0.94 × ( −12.5 )
× 10 6

(Z b )
= 15 × 10 6 mm 3 /m ≥ 10.2 × 106 mm 3 /m

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 42

21
 R ( A F ti + α t M )
a = o

− A Ft + α b M t

=
(
0 .9 4 3 0 0 × 1 0 × 1 .2 5 + 0 .0 2 × 1 2 9 .6 × 1 0 6
3
)
3 0 0 × 1 0 × 1 .4 1 + 0 .0 2 × 2 5 5 .6 × 1 0
3 6

= 0 .5 0 4

a +1 0 .5 0 4 + 1
e L im it = =
α t − aα b 0 .0 2 − 0 .5 0 4 × 0 .0 2
= 1 5 1 .6 m m

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 43

Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
Equation (1):

1 0.02e − 1 0.02e − 1
≥ =
Pi ( ) (
300 × 103 × 1.25 + 0.02 × 129.6 × 106 2967 × 103)
Equation (2):

1 0.02e + 1 0.02e + 1
≥ =
Pi ( 3
) (
− 300 × 10 × −12.5 + 0.02 × 129.6 × 10 6
6342 × 103 )

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 44

22
 Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
Equation (3):

1 0.84 × (0.02e + 1) 0.02e + 1

≤ =
Pi ( 3
) (
− 300 × 10 × 1.41 + 0.02 × 255.6 × 10 6
5582 × 103 )
Equation (4):

1 0.84 × (0.02e − 1) 0.02e − 1

≤ =
Pi ( 3
) (
300 × 10 × −16.0 + 0.02 × 255.6 × 10 6
371.4 × 103 )
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 45

Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
( )
1 Fc
× 10 −6 N −1 Equation 4 Equation 1 Fti
Pi
0.588 × 10−6 Equation 3 Ft
Equation 2 Fci

acceptable region

151.6
-50 50 emax Eccentricity, e

DESIGN DIAGRAM
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 46

23
 Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
If 12.7 mm diameter strand is used with 30 mm concrete
cover, then

emax ≈ 150 − 36 = 114mm

And from the Design Diagram, or Equation (3), the
corresponding minimum permissible value of Pi is found to be

1
= 0.588 × 10 − 6 and ∴ Pi = 1700 kN/m
Pi

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 47

Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)

At the jacking point, the required prestressing force is

1700
Pj = = 1850kN/m
0.92

(8% instantaneous losses)

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 48

24
 Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
From table 2.1, a 12.7 diameter 7-wire,
low-relaxation strand has a cross-sectional area of 100 mm2
and a minimum breaking load of 184 kN.

A flat duct containing four 12.7 mm strands

can therefore be stressed with a maximum jacking force of

0.85 × 4 × 184 = 626 kN

For design purposes, the yield strength of stress-relieved wires
may be taken as 0.85 times the minimum tensile strength
(i.e. 0.85fp)
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 49

Example 1
(Gilbert & Mickleborough Ex. 3.1)
The minimum number of cables
required in each metre width of slab is therefore:

1850 / 626 = 2.96

and the maximum spacing between cables is

1000 / 2.96 = 338mm

Therefore use 1-4 strand tendon every 330 mm.
CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 50

25
 Pretensioned Beam Design Strategy
Use the following design strategy:

• Set the tensile stress to zero at top & the compressive stress to 0.6 f’cp at btm
at mid-span (include SW).

Pi Pe M
σ top = − + i − sw
A Zt Zt

Pi Pe M
σ btm = − − i + sw
A Z btm Z btm

• Solve the two stress equations for P & e.

• Determine no. of cables and adjust the jacking load.
• Determine the Cable profile: e at midspan & zero at ends. (use straight cables)
• Distribute the cables along the span to maintain e

Show the cable layout through the span.

CVEN9806 Prestressed Concrete 51

26