PRE-STRESSING

INTRODUCTION

The process of induction of compressive stresses in the structure before it is put to its actual use is known as Pre-stressing. Pre-stressed Concrete member is a member of concrete in which internal stresses are introduced in a planned manner, so that the stresses resulting from the superimposed loads are counteracted to a desired degree

Pre-stressing is the intentional creation of permanent stress in a structure or assembly, for improving its behaviour and strength under various service conditions. In ordinary reinforced concrete, consisting of concrete and mild steel as basic components, the compressive stresses are born by concrete while tensile stresses are born entirely by steel. The concrete only acts as a binding material; it does not take part in resisting the external forces. In pre-stressed concrete, compression is induced prior to loading in the zones where external loads would normally cause tensile stresses. In the case of long beams, where large shear forces exist, the beam sizes have to be large to limit the diagonal tensile stresses under certain limits. Pre-stress decrease diagonal tensile stresses. This has led to adopt modified I-section and T-section in which there is substantial reduction in web area.

In order to get the maximum advantage of a pre-stressed concrete member, it is necessary to use not only high strength concrete but also high tensile steel wires. Concrete used for pre-stressed work should have cube strength of 35N/m m2 for post-tensioned system and 45N/m m2 for pre-tensioned system. In the design of a pre-stressed concrete member, the estimated loss of pre-stress due to shrinkage of concrete and creep of concrete and steel is at the order of nearly 200N/m m2 Tendon A high strength steel strand or bar for prestressing concrete
Abutment A structure for anchoring the reinforcing tendons in the pre- tensioning of a concrete member

Anchor A mechanical device for locking of a stressed tendon in position and delivering the prestressing force to the concrete either permanently in a post tensioned member or temporarily during hardening of a pretensioned concrete member

Jacking force The tensile force exerted temporarily by a jacking the pre-stressing of a concrete member

Need of Pre-stressing

To offset the deficiency of tensile strength in concrete, steel reinforcement is provided near the bottom of simple beams to carry the tensile stresses.
ADVANTAGES OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE 1. Durability As this technique eliminates weakness of concrete in tension, such members remain free from cracks; hence can resist the effects of impact, shock, and reversal of stresses more efficiently than R.C.C. structure.

They provide reliable long-term performance in extremely harsh conditions that could destroy lesser materials.
They are resistant to deterioration from weather extremes, chemical attack, fire,accidental damage and the determined efforts of vandals.

Winter construction can proceed with few weather delays as pre-cast components are Prefabricated in heated plants.

2. Adaptability

Pre-cast pre-stressed concrete products can be designed and manufactured for any application, ranging in size from short span bridges to some of the largest projects in the world.
Permits pre-cast manufacturers to vastly expand the design variety possible using pre-cast components. the inherent plasticity of concrete permits to create pre-cast components in shapes and sizes, which would be prohibitively expensive using other materials 3. Fire resistance

Pre-stressed concrete bridges are not easily damaged by fire. Have excellent fire resistance, low maintenance costs, elegance, high corrosion resistance, etc.

4. impacts local economy directly Pre-stressed concrete is produced by local small business - employing local labour. Most of its raw materials are also locally purchased and the health of the local prestressed concrete industry directly impacts further on the local economy. Due to smaller loads, due to smaller dimensions being used, there is a considerable saving in cost of supporting members and foundations. standard structural shapes such as hollow core, double tees, beams, columns and panels can be mass-produced at low cost. 5. Fast and Easy Construction

Pre-cast concrete components lend themselves to fast construction schedules.

Pre-cast manufacturing can proceed while site preparation is underway. Pre-cast units can be delivered to the jobsite and installed the moment they are needed in any weather. Fast construction means earlier completion and the resulting cost savings. Saves the cost of shuttering and centring for large structures.

6. Aesthetics

Pre-cast components can be delivered with a wide range of shapes and finishes ranging from smooth dense structural units to any number of architectural treatments.
Strikingly rich and varied surface textures and treatments can be achieved by exposing colure sands, aggregates, cements and colourings agents using sandblasting and chemical retarders. custom form liners can be used to introduce reveals, patterns and other architectural effects.

Stone, tile brick and other materials can be cast into pre-cast panels at the factory,enabling designers to achieve the expensive look of masonry.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE Although pre-stressing has many advantages, there are still some drawbacks of this process. The unit cost of high strength materials being used is higher as mostly high tensile steel is used. extra initial cost is incurred due to use of pre-stressing equipment and its installation. extra labour and transportation cost for pre-stressing is also there.

pre-stressing is uneconomical for short spans and light loads.

COMPARISON OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BEAMS WITH RCC BEAMS 1. In RCC beams, the concrete in the compression side of the neutral axis alone is effective and the concrete in the tension side is ineffective. But, in the prestressed beams, the entire section is effective. Reinforced concrete beams are generally heavy. Pre-stressed concrete beams are lighter. RCC beams being heavy and massive are more suitable in situations where the weight is more desired than strength. Pre stressed beams are very suitable for heavy loads and long spans. In RCC beams, there is no way of testing the steel and the concrete. In prestressed concrete beams, testing can be done while pre stressing. RCC construction does not involve many auxiliary units. But pre-stressed beams require many auxiliary units.

2. 3.

4. 5.

Assumptions in design of pre-stressed concrete members

Pre-stressed concrete members are analysed and designed on the basis of the following assumptions given below: A transverse plane section of the member will remain a plane after bending also. Within the limits of the deformation taking, Hooks law is applicable to concrete and steel components. The stress in the reinforcement does not change along the length of the reinforcement. Stress changes take place for the concrete component only. Variation of stress in the reinforcement due to changes in the external loading is ignorable.

Principles of pre-stressing: -

large pre-stressing force are applied to the member by the tendons, high bearing stresses are developed at the ends by the anchoring devices. The anchorages are generally designed to be meant for use only for high strength concrete work. Busting stresses liable to at the ends of the beam cannot be satisfactorily resisted by low strength concrete work.
When stress transfer to concrete has to take place by bond action, the concrete should have a high strength concrete.

Shrinkage cracks will be very little when high strength concrete is used.
Due to the high modules of elasticity of high strength concrete, the elastic and creep strain are very small resulting in smaller loss of pre-stress in all steel reinforcement.

CLASSIFICATION OF PRE-STRESS CONCRETE

There are many ways of classifying pre-stress concrete members based of the member of design, construction and application of pre-stress, some of them are as follows:-

1. External or internal pre-stressing 2. Linear or circular pre-stressing 3. Pre-tensioning and post tensioning Pre-tensioning system (fully bonded constructions) Post tensioning system (end anchored constructions) 4. Full pre-stressing or partial pre-stressing

A. EXTERNAL AND INTERNLLY PRESTRESSED MEMBERS

In External Prestressing, the member is prestressed by external reaction offered by rigid abutments. In this, the necessary prestressing force can be applied by compressing the member by jacking against abutments. A sliding surface may be provided underneath the beam. After the prestressing is over, the space between the end of the beam and the abutment may be packed with concrete and the jack recovered. Disadvantages Prestress transferred to the member is likely to be lost due to any possible outward displacements of the abutments. Shrinkage and creep of concrete are likely to affect the initially applied prestress.

Even slight vertical deformations of the supports will disturb the stresses seriously.
In Internal Prestressing tendon is provided from which the prestress can be applied

B. LINEAR OR CIRCULAR PRESTRESSING.

Linear prestressing is a term applied to prestressing straight members like beams and slabs.

The term circular prestressing is applied to prestressing circular structures like cylindrical tanks, silos and pipes. In this case, the tendons are provided in the form of rings

C.

PRE-TENSIONING AND POST TENSIONING

Pre-tensioned members- In these, the tendons

are tensioned even before casting the concrete. One end of the reinforcement (i.e. tendon) is secured to an abutment while the other end of the reinforcement is pulled by using a jack and this end is then fixed to another abutment. The concrete is now poured. After the concrete has cured and hardened, the ends of the reinforcement are released from the abutments.

The reinforcement which tends to resume its original length will compress the concrete surrounding it by bond action. The prestress is thus transmitted to concrete entirely by the action of bond between the reinforcement and the surrounding concrete.

Post-tensioned member - It is one in which the reinforcement is

tensioned after the concrete has fully hardened. The beam is first cast leaving ducts for placing the tendons. The ducts are made in a number of ways - by leaving corrugated steel tube in the concrete, by providing steel spirals, sheet metal tubing, rubber have or any other duct forming unit in the form work.

When the concrete has hardened and developed its strength, the tendon is passed through the duct. One end is provided with an anchor and is fixed to one end of the member. Now, the other end of the tendon is pulled by a jack which is butting against the end of the member. The jack simultaneously pulls the tendon and compresses the concrete.

After the tendon is subjected to the desired stress, the end of the tendon is also properly anchored to the concrete. To avoid crushing of concrete due to excessive bearing stress, a distribution plate is provided at each end.

SYSTEMS OF PRESTRESSING
A system of prestressing means the actual process adopted in making a prestressed beam. A system of prestressing involves : process of tensioning the tendons securing them firmly to the concrete
A. Pre-tensioning system

HOYER SYSTEM
The Hoyer system is usually adopted for the production of pre-tensioned members on a large scale like precast beams. Wires are stretched between two bulkheads at large distance apart. The concrete is now poured so that a number of beams can be produced in one line, by providing suitable shuttering between them. After the concrete has hardened, the wires are released from the bulkheads and between the different units in one line of beams. The prestress is transferred to the concrete through bond between the tendons and the concrete. Pre-tensioning system is found uneconomical for large spans. In order to grip the pre-tensioned wires properly to the bulkhead the devices are shown

SYSTEMS OF POST- TENSIONING

1. THE FREYSSlNET SYSTEM High tension steel wires 5 mm to 8 mm diameter about 12 in number are arranged to form a group into a cable with a spiral spring inside. The spiral spring provides proper clearance between the wires and thus provides a channel which can be cement grouted. It further assists to transfer the reaction to concrete. The whole thing is enclosed in thin metal steel.

The anchorage consists of a good quality concrete cylinder and is provided with corrugations on the outside. It has a central conical hole and is provided with heavy hoop reinforcement. The conical plugs are pushed into the conical holes after cables are tightened. The central hole passing axially through the plug permits cement grout to be injected through it. In this way the space between the wires will be filled with the grout. This provides additional restraint against the slipping of the tendons.

Advantage of the system (i) Securing the wires is not expensive. (ii) The desired stretching force is obtained quickly. (iii) The plugs may be left in the concrete and they do not project beyond the ends of the member.

Disadvantage of the system (i) All the wires of a cable are stretched together. Hence the stresses in the wires may not be exactly the same. (ii) The greatest stretching force applied to a cable is from 250 KN to 500 kN. This may not be sufficient. (iii) The jacks used are heavy and expensive.

2. THE MAGNEL BLATON SYSTEM In this system a cable of rectangular section is provided, which contains layers of wires 5 mm to 8mm diameter. The wires are arranged with four wires per layer. The wires in the same layer and the wires in adjacent layers are separated with a clearance of 4mm.

The geometric pattern of the wires is maintained throughout the length of the cable by providing grills or spacers at regular intervals. The grills do not offer any appreciable frictional resistance to the wires which can be moved relative to each other during the tensioning process.
The wires are anchored by wedging, two at a time into sandwich plates (25 mm thick and are provided with two wedge-shaped grooves on its two faces). The wires are taken two in each groove and tightened by jacking two wires at a time. Then a steel wedge is driven between the tightened wires to anchor them against the plate. Each plate can anchor eight wires. The various sandwich plates forming a unit are arranged one above the other against a distribution plate.

3. GIFFORD UDALL SYSTEM

This method offers the following three methods of prestressing:

First method This is earliest of the three methods of this system. In this method the wires are stressed and anchored one by one in a separate cylinder using small wedging grips called udall grips. Each grip consists of two-half cones. The bearing plate bears against a thrust ring which is cast into the concrete. The duct end is encircled by a helix. Anchorages are supplied to suit cables of 2, 4, 6 and 12 wires. Second method In this method, the wires are anchored by wedges which fit directly into tapered recesses made in the bearing plate. The bearing plate bears against a tube unit containing the tube unit and the helix. This tube unit is cast into the concrete. Anchorages are supplied for cables of 8 to 12 wires. This arrangement is compact and minimizes the congestion of the steel wires in anchor block.

4. P.S.C. MONOWIRE SYSTEM In this system also the wires are tensioned individually. The anchorage consists of a single piece collet sleeve wedging in a concial hole. A steel truncated guide leads each wire from the cable to the anchorage point along a gentle curvature. In addition to the guide a central block is also provided to anchor the central wires.

MONOWIRE SYSTEM

5. ELECTRICAL PRESTRESSING
This is a method of post tensioning without the use of jacks introduced by Bittner and Carlson, Steel bars are provided with a coating of su]phur, before they are embedded in concrete. After the hardening of concrete electric current of low voltage and high amperage is used to heat the bars to a temperature of 1700 C. As the bars expand longitudinally, the nuts on the projecting ends are tightened against heavy washers. As the temperature falls, the prestress is developed in the bars and the bond is again restored by the resolidification of the sulphur coating.

Post-tensioning system
In order to ensure the correct prestress in the reinforcement, it is preferable to measure the load applied by the jack as well as the consequent extension of the reinforcement. Extension measurements give an idea as to how much of the steel is being properly stretched. For instance the sides of the ducts may obstruct the stretching of the reinforcement particularly at the end remote from the jack and this part of the reinforcement may not receive the full tension. This defect is liable to occur when curved cables are provided.

On the other hand; it may be possible that the extension might have taken place due to a certain part of the tendon being overstressed. For this reason, it is necessary to measure the prestressing force applied.
Excessive bearing stresses will be produced at the ends of the members due to the anchoring devices which bear against the concrete. In this part of the member it will be necessary to provide additional reinforcement to prevent local splitting and failure by shear.

SUITABILITY OF THE SYSTEM

Pre-tensioning and post tensioning are the only practically adopted methods of making prestressed concrete members. In pre-tensioning, the compressive force in concrete is due to the bond between concrete and the steel wires, which are kept stretched between buttresses. This method is economically adopted in mass production in factories which make concrete products of limited size. This is so because, handling as well a transporting large products are highly expensive and may be practically impossible, if thee members are too large. The length of a prestressed concrete product that can be economically made by this method may not exceed 20 m. Even this length involves considerable difficulty in transport.00 In post tensioning, the prestressing wires are stretched after the hardening of concrete. This can be done by many ways like the following:

These methods can be adopted in sites or on the ground, and later hoisted into position. For instance, if timber is costly or scarce it may be economical to make the member on the ground in steel moulds.

MATERIALS FOR PRESTRESSED CONCRETE:

1- High-Strength Concrete: High strength concrete mix:

Pre-stressed concrete requires concrete which has a high compressive strength, with comparatively higher tensile strength. Low shrinkage, minimum creep characteristics and a high value of Youngs modulus are generally deemed necessary for concrete used for concrete used for pre-stressed members. A minimum cement content of 300 to 360 kg/m3 is prescribed mainly to cater to the durability requirements. In high-strength concrete mixes, the water content should be as low as possible with due regard to adequate workability. To safeguard against excessive shrinkage, the code prescribes that the cement content in the mix should preferably not exceed 530kg/m3.

Aggregate of rock types having high moduli of elasticity and low values of differed strain are more effective in restraining the contraction of the cement paste and their use reduces the shrinkage of concrete. The commonly used aggregates, in increasing order of effectiveness in restraining shrinkage, are sand-stone, basalt, granite, quartz and limestone. The values of total residual shrinkage strain recommended in the I.S. code for the purpose of design are 3.0X10-4 for pre-tensioned members and(2.0X10-4)/log(t+2) for post-tensioned members, where t is the age in days of the concrete at transfer.

Light-weight Aggregate Pre-stressed Concrete:

The main advantage of light weight concrete is that it reduces the self weight of the structure, thus minimizing the amount of concrete and steel required for carrying the load.
The light weight criterion becomes important especially in long span structures where dead load forms the major portion of the total design load on the structure, or when the self-weight of the member is a factor to be considered in the transportation and erection, as in precast concrete construction.

The light-weight aggregates, generally used for prestressed concrete are foamed slag, lytag and aglite. The modulus of elasticity of light-weight concrete is about 50 to 55 percent of the modulus of elasticity of normal- weight concrete and hence the loss of prestress due to elastic deformation is higher and deflections of flexural members are comparatively higher due to the lower values of modulus of elasticity. The unit weight of light-weight concrete varies considerably between 1450 and 1750 kg/m3. The shrinkage and creep of light-weight concrete is comparable, with marginal variations, to that of sand and gravel concrete.

2- High-Tensile Steel:
For pre-stressed concrete members, the high tensile steel used generally consists of wires, bars, or strands. The higher tensile strength is generally achieved by marginally increasing the carbon content in steel in comparison with mild steel. High tensile steel usually contains 0.60 to 0.85 percent carbons, 0.70 to 1.00 percent manganese, and 0.05 percent of sulphur and phosphorus with traces of silicon. The high-carbon steel ingots are hot-rolled into rods and colddrawn through a series of dies to reduce the diameter and increase the tensile strength. The process of cold-drawing through dies decreases the durability of the wires. The cold-drawn wires are subsequently tempered to improve their properties. Tempering or ageing or stress relieving by heat treatment of the wires at 150-420oC enhances the tensile strength. The cold drawn stress relieved wires are generally available in nominal sizes of 2.5,3,4,5,7 and 8mm diameter and they should confirm to the Indian standard code IS: 1785-1983.

The hard drawn steel wires which are indented or crimped are preferred for pre-tensioned elements because of their superior bond characteristics. The small diameter wires of 2 to 5 mm are mostly used in the form of strands comprising two, three or seven wires. The high-tensile steel bars commonly employed in pre-stressing are manufactured in nominal sizes of 10,12,16,20,22,25,28 and 32mm diameter and are covered in IS:2090-1983.

The ultimate tensile strength of a plaindrawn steel wire varies with its diameter. The tensile strength decreases with increases in the diameter of the wires. And referred in the relevant Indian standard codes.

LOSS OF PRE-STRESS

A reduction in initial pre-stress resulting from the combined effect of creep, shrinkage or elastic shortening of the concrete, relaxation of the reinforcing steel, frictional losses resulting from the curvature of the draped tendons and slippage at the anchorage.
The steel wires of a pre-stressed concrete member do not retain all the preliminary pre-stress .

The initial pre-stress in concrete undergoes a gradual reduction with time from the stage of transfer due to various causes. A loss of pre-stress will affect the stress distribution on the section of the member.

The loss of pre-stressed takes place due to many causes. In general these can be classified as: Loss of pre-stress during the tensioning process Loss of pre-stress at the anchoring stage. Losses occurring subsequently PRE-TENSIONING
Elastic deformation of concrete

POST-TENSIONING
1.No loss due to elastic deformation if all the wires are simultaneously tensioned. If the wires are successively tensioned there will be loss of pre-stress due to elastic deformation of concrete 2.Relaxation of stress in steel 3.Shrinkage of concrete 4.Creep of concrete 5.Friction 6.Anchorage slip

Relaxation of stress in steel Shrinkage of concrete Creep of concrete

 In addition there may be losses of pre-stress due to sudden changes in temperature, especially in steam curing of pre- tensioned units. The rise in temperature causes a partial transfer of pre-stress (due to elongation of the tendons b/w adjacent units in the long line process) which may cause a large amount of creep if the concrete is not properly cured. LOSS OF PRE-STRESS DURING THE TENSIONING PROCESS DUE TO FRICTION Friction in the jacking and anchoring system and on the walls of the duct where the wires fan out at the anchorage with the result, the actual stress in the tendons is less than what is indicated by the pressure gauge. The losses due to friction in the jack and at the anchorage are different for different system of pre-stressing. This loss due to friction may be classified into:

Loss Due To Length Effect

The extent of friction met with in a straight tendon due to slight imperfection of the duct (the straight tendon). Hence the cable will touch the duct or concrete, wobbing effect, or wave effect

 Loss due to curvature effect

In the case of curved ducts, the loss of pre-stress depends upon the radius of curvature of the duct and the coefficient of friction between the duct surface and the tendons.
LOSS OF PRESTRESS AT THE ANCHORING STAGE

This loss is due to the fact that the anchorage fixtures themselves are subjected to a stretch.
It is also possible that the friction wedges holding the wires the wires may slip a little The necessary additional elongation may be provided for at the time of tensioning to compensate for this loss. LOSS OF PRESTRESS OCCURIING SUBSEQUENTLY The loss which occur subsequently to pre-stress are:

Loss Of Stress Due To Shrinkage Of Concrete:

Contraction of concrete due to chemical changes and drying. This depends only on the interval of time and the moisture conditions, but is independent of the stresses in the members due to loads

By minimizing the water cement ration and proportion of cement, the shrinkage can be reduced. Loss Of Stress Due To Creep Of Concrete Creep of concrete means the deformation of concrete, which depends upon the interval of time to which the member is loaded

This additional deformation of the stressed member is remaining in a stressed state is called CREEP.
Loss Of Stress Due To Elastic Shortening Of Concrete (a) Pre-tensioned member Due to the pre-stress transfer to the concrete, the concrete will shorten. This results in a corresponding shortening of steel

(b) Post tensioned member

Suppose only a single tendon has been provided in a member, the concrete gets shortened as the tendon is jacked against it. Hence, after tightening, no more shortening of concrete can take place

Loss Of Stress Due To Creep Of Steel(Stress Relaxation)

Total loss of pre-stress depends on many factors such as properties of concrete and steel, moisture and curing condition, the magnitude and system of pre-stress
The first three types of losses take place due to reduction in the length of concrete resulting in reduction in reduction of the initial extension of the steel.

The loss of stress due to elastic shortening of concrete is maximum in pretensioned members.
In the case of post tensioned members those losses occur only when a number of cables are progressively stressed one after another.

APPLICATIONS OF THE PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE:

Concrete is an all-round construction material. Almost every building contains some concrete, but its questionable application in certain buildings-for example in its use in the style of brutalism - has brought it into discredit. Its dull grey colour has contributed to the fact that the word concrete has become a synonym for ugly. In the field of bridges, concrete deserves a more favourable judgement.
MEGA FLOOR,the Prestressed slab Slab:Hollow core slab, Preslab or predalle , prestressed ribs and blocks , lintels. Beam: Prestressed rectangular beam and I-beam for bridges Other prestressed components: Lintels , Wineyard stud. Not all concrete bridges have turned out to be beauties, but pleasing bridges can be built with concrete if one knows the art. Concrete is poured into forms as a stiff but workable mix, and it can be given any shape; this is an advantage and a danger. The construction of good durable concrete requires special know-how - which the bridge engineer is assumed to have.

Pre-stressed concrete - if correctly designed - also has high fatigue strength under the heaviest traffic loads. Pre-stressed concrete bridges soon became much cheaper than steel bridges, and they need almost no maintenance - again assuming that they are well designed and constructed and not exposed to de-icing salt.

In bridge building, concrete beams and arches predominate. The shaping of concrete is usually governed by the wish to use formwork, which is simple to make. Plain surfaces, parallel edges and constant thickness are preferred. This gives a stiff appearance to concrete bridges, and avoiding this is one task of good aesthetic design All types of structures can be built with reinforced and pre-stressed concrete: columns, piers, walls, slabs, beams, arches, frames, even suspended structures and of course shells and folded plates.
Tanks Foundation panels Poles Modular block retaining wall system

Wall panels

Concrete units
Slabs Roofing and flooring Lintel and sunshade Beams Columns girders

TANKS
STRAND Wrapped circular pre-stressed concrete tanks are long life liquid storage structure with virtually no maintenance. Concrete construction makes for a substantial, sturdy tank structure that easily contain the internal liquid pressure while comfortably resisting external forces such as earthquake, wind.

Uses

These tanks are used in portable water treatment and distribution system, wastewater collection and treatment system and storm water management.
They are also used in a variety of commercial applications including thermal energy storage, LNG containments, large industrial process tanks and large bulk storage tanks. Water Pre-stressed concrete is the most efficient material for water tanks and coupled with the circular shape, eliminates all stress conditions.

By placing the steel of the pre-stressed strands in tension and the concrete in compression, both materials are in an ideal states and the loads are uniformly distributed around the tank circumference.
PROPERTIES Low maintenance can be enjoyed throughout the life as these are built with concrete, durable material that never corrodes and does not require coatings when in contact with water or the environment.

 Pre-stressing counteracts the differential temperature and dryness loads that a tank core wall experience. The tank walls are wet on the inside and dry on outside and the temperature varies between the two sides. If not properly accounted for, these moisture and temperature differential will cause a tank wall to bend and crack. Counteract these force in both the vertical and horizontal direction and diminish subsequently the cracking and leaking Tanks are very ductile, enabling to withstand seismic forces and varying water backfill. Tanks utilize material efficiently steel in tension, concrete in compression Pre-cast tanks can store or treat anything from potable water to hazardous waste to solid storage bins. Storage capacities can range from 0.4 to 120 mega liters Diameters of the tank can vary upto 90 m

METHOD

Pre-cast concrete wall elements are usually pre tensioned vertically in the plant and post tensioned horizontally through ducts cast in the panels.
Vertical pre stressing diminishes vertical bending in the wall and subsequent leakage

Circumferential pre-stressing counteracts bursting loads from interior liquid.

Joints closures are usually poured concrete on site. This method of sealing the joints allow the tank to [perform (after post tensioning) as a monolithic structure to resist hydraulic, temperature and seismic forces.

SHAPE OF THE TANKS

FOUNDATION PANELS
PRECAST CONCRETE foundation panels consist of steel reinforced concrete studs, reinforced tops and bottom beams and concrete facing.
Insulation can be placed between the studs.

A typical panellised foundation can be erected in four to five hours, according to a manufacturer, with no on site concrete work (the panels sit on gravel bed in lieu of footings.)

DETAILS

WALL PANELS
Fast Track Easy Installation
Low Cost Walling Durable Low Maintenance Walling All Weather Construction No Trades Foundation Free Walling High Impact Resistance Cladding Protection Added Security and Fire Stop Properties Steel Frame Compatible Walling System Fast Simple and Robust Angle Bracket Connection Tongue and Groove Joints

Ideally suited for many Building Application such as Industrial, Light Industrial & Commercial, Heavy Duty Warehousing, Bulk Storage and Waste Transfer Stations
Pre-stressed Concrete Panel Division are manufacturers and suppliers of pre-stressed concrete panels for use in both agricultural and construction industries. These panels are used in a variety of applications including fast track wall construction, retaining walls, bulk storage bunkers, grain stores and silage clamps. Manufactured in lengths of up to 7000mm, the pre-stressed panels are offered in a selection of thickness to suit various applications and a range of widths. Their simple clamp bracket connection and tongue/grooved profile make for a fast and efficient installation system.

Variable Height Walling

Simple Top Lifter Installation Any Length

POLES Low maintenance, competitive price and aesthetic appearance of the pre-cast concrete poles make them superior to steel or wood for use in utility, communication area lighting application The use of concrete poles preserve our forest requires no chemical treatment and utilizes environmentally safe materials in he production and placement.

Some other benefits are corrosion resistance, long service life

Because of mineral vibration and deflection, pre-cast concrete poles offer greater service life to ballast for light and this in turn means less down time and less costly equipment repair.

Pre-cast concrete poles can save erection time and money by eliminating the need for anchor based structure, which may take days or weeks to install.

PRECAST STAIRS AND LANDINGS

Straight Flights

Integral Landings (quarter/half landings)

Separate Landings

MODULAR BLOCK RETAINING WALL SYSTEM

Modular block or segmental, retaining walls employ interlocking concrete units that tie back into the earth to efficiently resist loads.
These pre- engineered modular systems are an attractive, economical and durable an alternatives to atone or poured concrete retaining walls. The inherent design flexibility can accommodate a wide variety of site constraint, project sizes and aesthetic preferences. BENEFITS Controlled manufacturing conditions ensures a durable, damage resistant product. These systems allow for some flexibility, such as curved walls . Construction is generally faster than poured in place concrete or stonewalls Site conditions have a major impact on cost

APPLICATIONS (some examples):

The following fig. Shows the typical pre-stressed concrete flat slab floor construction using the lift slab technique

13-storey apartment building with pre-cast Post tensioned lift slab construction, 203mm Thick lightweight concrete slab of 8.6m spans, SAN FRANSICO Pre-stressed concrete twin box girder bridge construction using the segmentally cast cantilever method

Chaco-corrientes Bridge, Argentina, The longest pre-cast pre-stressed concrete Cable stayed box Girder Bridge In South America

Pre-stressed concrete folded plate roof structure