SYSTEMS OF

PRESTRESSING

Prestressing systems have developed over the years

Various companies have patented their products
Detailed information of the systems is given in the product
catalogues and brochures published by companies.
There are general guidelines of prestressing in Section 12 of
IS:1343 1980
The prestressing systems and devices are described for the two
types of prestressing,
Pre-tensioning
Post-tensioning

PRETENSIONING SYSTEM
Tendons
The

abutments are fixed at the ends of a prestressing bed.

Once

cut

are pulled between two end abutments prior to the casting of concrete.

the concrete attains the desired strength for prestressing, the tendons are

loose from the abutments.

The

prestress is transferred to the concrete from the tendons, due to the bond

between them.
During
If

the transfer of prestress, the member undergoes elastic shortening.

the tendons are located eccentrically, the member is likely to bend and

STAGES OF PRETENSIONING
Anchoring
Placing

of tendons against the end abutments

of jacks

Applying

tension to the tendons

Casting

of concrete

Cutting

of the tendons.

DEVICES FOR PRETENSIONING

Prestressing bed
End abutments
Shuttering / mould
Jack
Anchoring device

PRESTRESSING BED , END

ABUTMENTS AND MOULD

Hoyer system for mass production

The end abutments have to be sufficiently stiff and have good

foundations.
The necessity of stiff and strong foundation can be bypassed by a
simpler and cheaper option.
It is possible to avoid transmitting the heavy loads to foundations,
by adopting self-equilibrating systems.
This is a common solution in load-testing. Typically, this is done by
means of a tension frame.
The following figure shows the basic components of a tension
frame.
The jack and the specimen tend to push the end members. But the
end members are kept in place by members under tension such as
high strength steel rods

 The frame that is generally adopted in a pre-tensioning system

is called a stress bench.
The concrete mould is placed within the frame and the tendons
are stretched and anchored on the booms of the frame.

JACKS

The jacks are used to apply tension to the tendons.

Hydraulic jacks are commonly used.
These jacks work on oil pressure generated by a pump.
The principle behind the design of jacks is Pascals law.
The load applied by a jack is measured by the pressure reading
from a gauge attached to the oil inflow or by a separate load cell.

ANCHORING DEVICES
Anchoring devices are often made on the wedge and friction
principle.
In pre-tensioned members, the tendons are to be held in tension
during the casting and hardening of concrete.
Here simple and cheap quick-release grips are generally adopted.

Chuck assembly for anchoring tendons

CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY
SLEEPERS USING PRETENSIONING
SYSTEMS

POST-TENSIONING SYSTEMS

Here the ducts for the tendons are placed along with the
reinforcement before the casting of concrete.
The tendons are placed in the ducts after the casting of concrete.
The duct prevents contact between concrete and the tendons
during the tensioning operation.
Tendons are pulled with the reaction acting against the hardened
concrete.
If the ducts are filled with grout, then it is known as bonded posttensioning.

The grout is a neat cement paste or a sand-cement mortar

containing suitable admixture.
In unbonded post-tensioning , the ducts are never grouted and
the tendon is held in tension solely by the end anchorages.
The following sketch shows a schematic representation of a
grouted post-tensioned member.
For a simply supported member, the duct has a sagging profile
between the ends.
For a continuous member, the duct sags in the span and hogs
over the support.

STAGES OF POST-TENSIONING

Casting of concrete.
Placement of the tendons.
Placement of the anchorage block and jack.
Applying tension to the tendons.
Seating of the wedges.
Cutting of the tendons.

DEVICES FOR POST-TENSIONING

The essential devices for post-tensioning are as follows.
Casting bed
Mould/Shuttering
Ducts
Anchoring devices
Jacks
Couplers (optional)
Grouting equipment (optional).

CASTING BED , MOULD AND DUCTS

ANCHORING DEVICES
In

post-tensioned members the anchoring devices

transfer the prestress to the concrete.
The devices are based on the following principles of
anchoring the tendons.
Wedge action
Direct bearing
Looping the wires

WEDGE ACTION
The anchoring device based on wedge action consists of an
anchorage block and wedges.
The strands are held by frictional grip of the wedges in the
anchorage block.
An example of system based on the wedge-action are Freyssinet,
Gifford-Udall, Anderson and Magnel-Blaton anchorages.
The following figures show some patented anchoring devices

DIRECT BEARING
The rivet or bolt heads or button heads formed at the end
of the wires directly bear against a block.
Th Prescon post-tensioning system are based on this
principle.
The following figure shows the anchoring by direct bearing

LOOPING OF THE WIRES

The Baur-Leonhardt system, Leoba system and also the
Dwidag single-bar anchorage system, work on this principle
The wires are looped around the concrete.
The wires are looped to make a bulb.
The following photo shows the anchorage by looping of the
wires in a post-tensioned slab.

SEQUENCE OF ANCHORING

JACKS
The working of a jack and measuring the load were discussed
in the previous portion about the Pre-tensioning Systems and
Devices .
The following figure shows an extruded sketch of the
anchoring devices

COUPLERS
The couplers are used to connect strands or bars.
They are located at the junction of the members, for example
at or near columns in post-tensioned slabs, on piers in
posttensioned bridge decks.
The couplers are tested to transmit the full capacity of the
strands or bars. A few types of couplers are shown

GROUTING
Grouting can be defined as the filling of duct, with a material that
provides an anti-corrosive alkaline environment to the
prestressing steel and also a strong bond between the tendon
and the surrounding grout.
The major part of grout comprises of water and cement, with a
water-to-cement ratio of about 0.5, together with some waterreducing admixtures, expansion agent and pozzolans.
The following figure shows a grouting equipment, where the
ingredients are mixed and the grout is pumped.

CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGE
GIRDERS USING POST-TENSIONING
SYSTEMS

THANK YOU