A

Seminar Report
On

“PRESTRESSED CONCRETE”

Ko lhapur I nst it ut e o f T echno lo g y’ s

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING (AUTONOMOUS), KOLHAPUR
DEPA RTM E NT OF CI VIL EN GI NEE RIN G

Acad e mic Ye ar : 20 20 - 21

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 DEPA RTM E NT OF CI VIL
EN GIN EER IN G

CERTIFICATE

T his is cer t ify t hat M i raj ka r Ru sh i k esh S u resh ( 222 ) O f

T . Y. B. T ech ( C ivil E ng ine er ing) ha s succ ess fu l l y su bm it t ed a semina r
r eport o n t it led “P rest re ssed Con c ret e ” dur ing t he acade m ic yea r
2 0 2 0 - 2 021.

Dat e:

Mr. M. A. Chavan
Mr.Suraj V. Shah
Head,
Assistant Professor,
Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Civil Engineering

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 INDEX

SR.NO. CONTENT PAGE

NO.

1. Abstract 4, 5

2. Introduction 5

3. Literature review 6

4. Objective of study 7

5. Historical development 8, 9

6. Pre-stressing material and system 10-18

7. Post tensioning, Advantages and 19-26

Disadvantages

8. Grouting of Post-Tensioning Tendons 27-32

9. Conclusion 33

10. References 34

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ABSTRACT

Pre-stressing is one of the methodologies applied by civil engineers to mitigate natural

drawbacks of steel concrete structures. The methodology is deployed to produce various
structures for commercial utilisation such as floors, bridges, and beams among others.

Concrete withstands more loads while subjected to compressive loads than while subjected to
tensile loads. This behaviour implies that, when used to produce columns that are to be
subjected to compressive loads, it can withstand more loads relative to when it supports loads
that subject it to tension.

A similar scenario is experienced when concrete is deployed to produce a beam. For instance,
when a beam is simply supported and loaded, the dead load (load due to the weight of the
beam) and the applied load subject the upper portion of the beam to compressive
deformation. The lower side is subjected to tensile strains, which otherwise induces tensile
stress. Since non-reinforced concrete is stronger in compression than in tension, the beam can
only support a limited amount of load in tension.

When the span of a beam is increased, the load, which can be supported, reduces because
longer spans buckle more than shorter spans. One way of dealing with this challenge is by
providing more supports to the beam. However, this strategy is inconvenient especially when
a beam is used to support floors in multi-storey buildings requiring large floor surface areas.
Cost also becomes prohibitive.

The amount of concrete used to make a beam to support a given amount of load is also higher
than in the case of a reinforced beam. Traditionally, reinforcing was done using steel bars,
which provide the required strength in tension. With a reinforced beam, the spans, which can
support an equivalent load with a non-reinforced concrete beam with equal cross-sectional
dimensions is higher.

The need to increase such spans even higher gives rise to the need of utilisation of pre-
stressed concrete. The aim of this paper is to discuss the historical developments of pre-
stressed concrete, the basic concepts of pre-stressed concrete, and the manufacturing of the
pre-stressed concrete. An effort is also made to discuss the design of pre-stressed concrete

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together with its new developments.

INTRODUCTION:-
To overcome concrete’s weakness in tension, Professor Magnel develop the concept of
prestressing in which internal stresses are introduced by means of high strength reinforcement.
Prestressed concrete was developed literally to overcome the reinforced concrete’s limitations
especially on cracking. This improve shear and torsion strengths as well as protecting the
reinforcement steel.

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LITERATURE REVIEW:-
The literature survey for the topic has been carried out. Technical papers, magazine articles,
previous year thesis and books related to topic were studied and their reviews are presented
below.
Miller and Juarez (1978)
gives an insight into the preliminary design of segmental precast box girder bridges using
optimisation. Decisions about cross-sectional dimensions made during preliminary design can
have a substantial influence on the final cost of the bridge. To help the designer obtain an
economical starting point for a final design, a program was written to determine section
dimensions and mid span and pier prestressing steel areas to give minimum cost. The
optimization algorithm used was the generalized reduced gradient technique. Since a preliminary
design is obtained, the analysis techniques and design criteria have been simplified to reduce
computation. Because of simplifications made in the analysis and design, the resulting design is
intended to be used as a starting point from which detailed design can be carried out. The program
produces designs that appear realistic compared to those used in practice, although the results
appear to indicate that somewhat shallower bridges than are currently used would be optimum.
For the only problem for which an actual design was compared, the program produced a design
about 5%
,
less costly than the design that was built. The design produced by the program will satisfy
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) specification
requirements and the recommendations of the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI) Bridge Committee.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:-
• To be able to know the difference between reinforced concrete design and prestressed concrete
design.
• To have an experience in analyzing and designing a prestressed bridge while at the same time
learning.
• To plan and design a Prestressed Bridge Structure that is safe to use and well planned.

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HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

The current achievements of the utilisation of pre-stressed concrete in civil engineering rest
on the undying effort of scientists and engineers within the last 100 years. A San Francisco-
based engineer, Jackson, was the first to patent pre-stressed concrete when he applied “patent
for construction of artificial stone and concrete pavements in 1886” (Raju 2009: 2).

In his patent, pre-stressing was realised through tensioning. Various rods used for reinforcing
concrete were set in the form of sleeves. Two years later in 1888, small beams coupled with
slabs were produced in Germany, Dorhring through deployment of tensioned wires that were
embedded in concrete for purposes of crack prevention.

In 1886, Mandl introduced the idea that pre-stressing was essential in countering the stress
introduced by loads in concrete structures. Later, in 1907, “ Koenen, of Germany, further
developed the subject by reporting on the losses of pre-stress due to elastic shortening of
concrete”(Raju 2009: 2). However, the significance of the loss of these stresses was identified
first by an American Engineer, Steiner, in the year 1908. A Vienna-based Engineer,
Emperger, used these findings to produce wire-bound concrete pipes.

According to Raju (2009), these pipes were made by “binding high tensile steel wires on
pipes at stresses ranging from 160 to 800 N/mm2” (2). Dischinger first demonstrated that
unbounded tendons could also be utilised to make pre-stressed concrete structures in the year
1928. This task was accomplished through construction of deep-girder version of major
bridges through use of pre-stressed wires, which were secured inside his girder that did not
have any bond.

The losses of pre-stress encountered were taken up by corresponding re-tensioning of wires

that were deployed in the concrete structure. Based on these structures and exhaustively
studying the steel and concrete properties, in 1928, Freyssinet argued that high-strength steel
was advantageous for use in making pre-stressed concrete since more accounting of pre-stress
losses could be realised. He singled out that such losses arose principally from shrinkage and
creep in steel structures when loaded.

From 1928 to 1933, Freyssinet is recognised for having made the most significant

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achievement in the development of pre-stressed concrete. These achievements were due to
“development of vibration techniques for production of high-strength concrete and the
invention of the double acting jack for stressing high-tensile steel wires” (Raju 2009: 2).

These discoveries marked the beginning of the intensive spread of the practical applicability
of the pre-stressed steel as from 1935. In the US and Europe, civil engineers began
constructing long-span bridges from 1945 to 1950. A good example of such a bridge is
shown in fig.1 below. Christian Menn designed and fabricated it in 1962. The bridge is found
in Tamins-Reichenau in Switzerland.

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 Prestressing Materials and Systems
Materials
This typical bridge is mainly a prestressed concrete material.

1.Concrete
Concrete is an artificial engineering material made from a mixture of port- land cement, water,
fine and coarse aggregates, and a small amount of air. It is the most widely used construction
material in the world (Microsoft Encarta 2009)”. Concrete is the only major building material that
can be delivered to the job site in a plastic state. This unique quality makes concrete desirable as a
building material because it can be molded to virtually any form or shape. Concrete provides a
wide latitude in surface textures and colors and can be used to construct a wide variety of
structures, such as highways and streets, bridges, dams, large buildings, airport runways,
irrigation structures, break- waters, piers and docks, sidewalks, silos and farm buildings, homes,
and even barges and ships.
The following are the main materials from which concrete is made:

2.Cement
”Cement, is any material that hardens and becomes strongly adhesive after application in plastic
form. The term cement is often used interchangeably with glue and adhesive.In engineering and
building construction, the term usually refers to a finely powdered, manufactured substance
consisting of gypsum plaster or portland cement that hardens and adheres after being mixed with
water (Microsoft Encarta 2009).”

3.Aggregates
”Is a granular materaial, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone and iron blast furnace slab, and when
used with a cementing medium forms a hydraulic cement concrete or mortar (NSCP,2010 6th
Ed.).”

4.Water
”Water used in mixing concrete shall be clean, free from injurious amounts of oils, acids, alkalis,
salts, organic materials or other substances deleterious to concrete or reinforcement.

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5.Admixtures
”Is a material other than water, aggregate or hydraulic cement used as an ingredient of concrete
and added to concrete before or during its mixing to modify its properties (NSCP,2010 6th Ed.).”

 Nonprestressing Reinforcement
Steel reinforcement consisting of bars, wire fabrics and welded wires all of which are
manufactured according to ASTM Standards.
The most important properties of reinforcing steel are: 1. Youngs’s Modulus, Es 2. Yield Strength
, fy 3. Ultimate Strength , fu 4. Steel grade designation 5. Size or diameter of bar or wire.
To increase the bond of concrete and steel, deformations are rooled unto the surface of the bar and
must conform in accordance to ASTM specifica- tions inorder to be accepted as deformed bars or
reinforcement. 9

 Prestressing Tendons
Because of the high creep and shrinkage losses in concrete, effective pre- stressing can be
achieved by using very high strength steels in the range of 270,000 psi or more. Such high-
stressed steels are able to counterbalance these losses in the surrounding concrete and have
adequate leftover stress levels to sustain the required prestressing force.

Prestressing Systems
Classification and Types of Prestressing
Prestressing is applied to concrete by means of high-strength tendons (usu- ally steel)in tension,
passing through the concrete. This can be achieved in one of two ways, namely pretensioning and
post-tensioning, the main distinction between the two methods being whether the steel is
tensioned before or after the concrete is cast,hence the terms pre and post.

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Types of Prestressing
1. Full Prestressing: sufficient precompression to ensure crack-free at full design load. Freyssinet
1930.
2.Partial Prestressing: Precompression is not sufficient to prevent cracks under full design load.
Therefore, the member will normally contain some conventional reinforcement bars. In many
cases, partial prestressing improves the structural performance and is commonly used.

Other method of Prestressing:

a. Thermal prestressing by application of electirc heat. Electric and me- chanical combination has
been also used in USSR.
b. Prebending high strength steel beam and encasing its tensile flange in concrete. Releasing the
bending will place the concrete under compression.
c. Chemical prestressing by means of expansive cement which expand chem- ically after setting
and during hardening started in France 1940 and known as self stressing.

Pretensioning vs. Post-tensioning

The term ”pretensioning” means the pretensioing of the prestressing steel not the beam itself.
Steel is tensioned before casting of concrete mix. It is normally performed at pre-casting plants
where a precasting stressing bed, of a long reinforced concrete slab is cast on the ground with
vertical anchor bulk heads or walls at its ends.
In Summary: Pre-tensioned
• Stress strands
• Cast concrete
• Cut strands
• Force transferred to concrete by bond.
On the other hand in Post-tensioning, the steel is tensioned after concrete is cast. Concrete is cast
and hollow ducts are placed during casting in the concrete. Tendons are located inside the hollow
ducts. A tendon comprises a number of individual strands in the same duct. After the concrete has
at- tained the required strength the tendons are stressed using prestressing jacks at the ends of the
concrete member (from one or both ends simultaneously) and anchored.

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In Summary: Post tensioned
• Provide tendon inside duct
• Cast concrete
• Tension tendon after concrete attains required strength
• Inject grout into duct

Anchorages
Anchorages is a prestressing system loacted at the end of a high tensile strength section. After the
wires are stressed, these anchor serves as lock at both ends. Such anchorages are supported by
large and stable bulkheads to support the exceedingly high concentrated forces applied to the
individual tendons.
Type of Achorage

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Jacking Systems
One of the fundamental components of a prestressing operation is the jacking system
applied,i.e.,the manner in which the prestressing force is transferred to the steel tendons. Such a
force is applied through the use of hydraulic jacks of capacity 10 to 20 tons and a stroke from 6 to
48 in.,depending on whether pretensioning or post-tensioning is used and whether individual
tendons are being prestressed or all the tendons are being stressed simulta- neously.

Strands and Bars

Strand for post-tensioning is made of high tensile strength steel wire. A strand is comprised of 7
individual wires, with six wires helically wound to a long pitch around a center “king” wire. All
strand should be Grade 1860 MPa (270 ksi) low relaxation, seven-wire strand conforming to the
requirements of ASTM A416 “Standard Specification for Steel Strand, Uncoated Seven Wire
Strand for Prestressed Concrete.” ASTM A416 provides minimum requirements for mechanical
properties (yield, breaking strength, elongation) and maximum allowable dimensional tolerances.
Strand from different sources may meet ASTM A416 but not necessarily be identical in all
respects. Strand is most commonly available in two nominal sizes, 12.7mm (0.5in) and 15.2mm
(0.6in) diameter, with nominal cross sectional areas of 99mm2 and 140mm2 (0.153 and 0.217
square inches), respectively. Though the majority of post-tensioning hardware and stressing
equipment is based on these sizes, the use of 15.7mm (0.62in) diameter strand has beenincreasing.
Strand made from fiber material (such as carbon or aramid fibers) has limited application as post-
tensioning to date. These composite materials offer advantages for enhanced corrosion resistance,
but lack the benefit of a high modulus of elasticity that is routinely provided by steel and which is
crucial to good load-deflection behavior of a prestressed structure without excessive cracking
under service loads.
Bars should be Grade 1035 MPa (150 ksi), high strength, thread bar meeting the requirements of
ASTM A722, “Standard Specification for Uncoated High-Strength Steel Bar for Prestressing
Concrete,” Type II bar. Bars are available in both a coarse and fine thread depending on the
manufacturer. Each may have advantages in different situations. It is good practice to limit the
stress level and number of re-uses for temporary applications, according to recommendations of
the Manufacturer. In the absence of such information, it is suggested that for new bars, the stress
should not exceed 50% fpu and the number of re-uses be conservatively selected based on the

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critical nature of usage. Re-use of bars should only be after inspection for damage from previous
uses.
Post-tensioning bars are available in various sizes from 16mm (5/8in) to over 50mm (2in)
diameter. However, for convenience in handling, installation, and removal and re-use in normal
applications for post-tensioned bridges, 32mm (1-1/4in) or 35mm (1-3/8in) diameter bars are
typically used

Wedges and Strand-Wedge Connection

Wedge performance is critical to the proper anchoring of strands. Different wedges have been
developed for particular systems and applications such that there is no single standard wedge.
However, wedges for post-tensioning systems should have the following characteristics: • Wedge
length at least 2.5 times the strand diameter. • Wedge angle of 5 to 7 degrees. • Internal serrated
teeth for gripping the strand. • Case-hardened low carbon or alloy steel. • Two or three parts with
a spring wire retainer clip or o-ring in a groove around the thick end. Wedges are case hardened
with a ductile core, in order to bite into the strand and conform to the irregularity between the
strand and wedge hole. In so doing, the surface may crack. This is normally acceptable and does
not affect performance so long as wedge sections do not break completely into separate pieces.
Often, it is only the portion outside the retainer ring that cracks.

Ducts
Ducts are used to form a continuous void through the concrete for later placement of the post-
tensioning tendon steel. Originally, little attention was paid to the possible role of the duct as a
barrier to corrosive agents. Today, strong emphasis is placed on the quality, integrity and
continuity of the duct as a corrosion barrier in itself. This has resulted in a move toward the use of
plastic ducts in some states. Nevertheless, previous duct materials are still available and their use
continues in other regions.

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Duct Size
Strand Tendons
Section 5.4.6.2 of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications calls for the inside cross-
sectional area of the duct to be at least 2.0 times the net area of the strand tendon. The one
exception cited by AASHTO is in the case where the tendons are to be placed by the pull- through
method. In this case, the inside duct area should be 2.5 times the net area of the strand tendon.
Section 4.3.5 of “Guide Specification for Grouted Post-Tensioning” (PTI/ASBI M50.3- 12)
standardizes the inside cross-sectional area of the duct to be at least 2.5 times the net area of the
strand tendon cross sectional area. Oval “flat” ducts are commonly used for transverse tendons in
deck slabs of concrete box girders. These transverse tendons have typically been made of up to 4
strands of 0.6in diameter, though there are systems that will accept up to 5 strands. The internal
clear dimensions of oval duct should be a minimum of 25mm (1 in) vertically and 75mm (3 in)
horizontally.

Bar Tendons
Tendons containing a single post-tensioning bar should have an internal duct diameter at least
12mm (½ in) greater than the maximum outside dimension of the bar or bar coupler. A greater
clearance may be preferred or be necessary for some applications. Examples of this use would be
to provide greater tolerance for temporary bars or to accommodate bridges with slightly curved
alignments.

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Ducts for Tendons
Corrugated Steel
Corrugated steel ducts are spirally wound to the necessary diameter from strip steel with a
minimum wall thickness of 0.45mm (26-gauge) for ducts less than 66mm (2-5/8 in) diameter or
0.6mm (24-gauge) for ducts of greater diameter. The strip steel should be galvanized to ASTM
A653/A653M with a coating weight of G90. Corrugated steel ducts should be manufactured with
welded or interlocking seams with sufficient rigidity to maintain the correct profile between
supports during concrete placement (Figure 2.6). Corrugated steel ducts should also be able to
flex without crimping or flattening. Joints between sections of duct and between ducts. and anchor
components should be made with positive, metallic connections that provide a smooth interior
alignment with no lips or abrupt angle changes.

Grout
Grouting can be defined as the filling of duct, with a material that provides an anticorrosive
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 water-reducing admixtures, expansion agent and
pozzolans. The properties of grout are discussed in Section 1.6, “Concrete (Part-II)”. The
following figure shows a grouting equipment, where the ingredients are mixed and the grout is
pumped. Grouts made of only cement and water often exhibit segregation and voids due to
excessive bleed water. Like concrete, admixtures may be used to improve workability and reduce
the water required, reduce bleed, improve pumping properties or entrain air. Care must be
exercised to use the correct quantities in the proper way according to the manufacturer’s
instructions and to remain within the mix properties established by qualifying laboratory tests.
Calcium nitrite may help improve corrosion resistance in some situations by bonding to the steel
to form a passive layer and prevent attack by chloride ions. The use of calcium nitrite may
influence other properties such as setting time and strength. High range water reducer (HRWR)
improves short term fluidity. However, a grout with HRWR may lose fluidity later when being
injected through hoses and ducts. Unlike a concrete mix, it is not possible to re-dose a grout
especially when it is in the pump, hoses and ducts. Also, HRWR tends to cause bleed in grouts.
On-site grout mixing with HRWR is not recommended. Other admixtures include: Set

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Controlling, Air Entraining, Anti-Bleed, Expansion Creating, and Corrosion Inhibiting. The
addition of these should be strictly in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations.
Furthermore, the mix should be qualified by appropriate laboratory testing. On site, daily grout
production must be monitored by various field tests in order to maintain quality control and
performance.

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 POST-TENSIONING
Introduction
One of the major advancements in bridge construction in the India in the second half of the
twentieth century was the development and use of prestressed concrete. Prestressed concrete
bridges offer a broad range of engineering solutions and a variety of aesthetic opportunities. The
objective of this Manual is to provide guidance to individuals involved in the design, installation,
grouting and inspection of post-tensioning tendons for prestressed concrete bridges. Prestressing
systems have developed over the years and 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
information given in this section is introductory in nature, with emphasis on the basic concepts of
the systems.

 Principle of Prestressing
The function of prestressing is to place the concrete structure under compression in those regions
where load causes tensile stress. Tension caused by applied loads will first have to cancel the
compression induced by the prestressing before it can crack the concrete. Figure 4.1 (a) shows a
plainly reinforced concrete simple span beam and fixed cantilever beam cracked under applied
load. Figure 4.1(b) shows the same unloaded beams with prestressing forces applied by stressing
post-tensioning tendons. By placing the prestressing low in the simple-span beam and high in the
cantilever beam, compression is induced in the tension zones; creating upward camber.
Figure 4.1(c) shows the two prestressed beams under the action of post-tensioning and applied
loads. The loads cause both the simple-span beam and cantilever beam to deflect down, creating
tensile stresses in the bottom of the simple-span beam and top of the cantilever beam. The
designer balances the effects of load and prestressing in such a way that tension from the loading
is compensated by compression induced by the prestressing. Tension is eliminated under the
combination of the two and tension cracks are prevented. As a result, durability is increased and
more efficient, cost effective construction is realized. Prestressing can be applied to concrete
members in two ways, by pretensioning or post-tensioning. In pretensioned members the
prestressing strands are tensioned against restraining bulkheads before the concrete is cast. After

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the concrete has been placed, allowed to harden and attain sufficient strength, the strands are
released and their force is transferred to the concrete member. Prestressing by post-tensioning
involves installing and stressing prestressing strand or bar tendons after the concrete has been
placed, hardened and attained a minimum compressive strength for that transfer

Post-Tensioning System
Many proprietary post-tensioning systems are available. Several suppliers produce systems for
tendons made of wires, strands or bars. The most common systems found in bridge construction
are multi-strand systems for permanent post-tensioning tendons and bar systems for both
temporary and permanent situations. Refer to manufacturers’ and suppliers’ literature for details
of available systems. Key features of three common systems (multiple-strand and bar tendons) are
illustrated in Figures 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4

Stages of Post-tensioning
In post-tensioning systems, the ducts for the tendons (or strands) 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. Unlike pre-tensioning, the tendons are pulled with the reaction acting against the
hardened concrete.
If the ducts are filled with grout, then it is known as bonded post-tensioning. The grout is a neat
cement paste or a sand-cement mortar containing suitable admixture. The grouting operation is
discussed later in the section
In unbounded post-tensioning, as the name suggests, 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. The profile of the duct depends on the support
conditions. 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.

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Advantages of Post- Tensioning
The relative advantages of post-tensioning as compared to Pre-tensioning are as follows-

Post Tensioning is suitable for heavy cast in place members.

The waiting period in the casting bed is less.

The transfer of prestress is dependent on transmission length.

Disadvantages of Post- Tensioning

The relative disadvantages of post-tensioning as compared to pre-tensioning are as follows.

Requirement of anchoraging devices.

Complexity of a work, The local workers may not have the necessary skills required to prepare
this complex work

Poor workmanship, many a times, ignorant workers do not fill the gaps of the tendons and
wiring completely. These gaps cause corrosion of the wires which may break untimely, leading to
some untoward events.

A skilled and experienced work is one of the key requirements while making these slabs, on the
other hand, carelessness in the manufacture process may lead to disastrous results.

Post-tensioning duct and tendon installation

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Shop Drawings
To permit competition and to encourage further development in the field of post-tensioned bridge
construction, in general, normal contract plans and specifications do not specify a particular
manufacturer’s post-tensioning system. The Engineer of Record usually selects the type, size,
location and number of tendons, but the Contractor selects the anchorage system. All post-
tensioning systems should have prior approval before being used.
All systems now in general use have been developed by independent companies and represent
different methods by which the prestressing force is applied. Each offers certain advantages as
compared to the others, but each will, when properly installed and stressed, accomplish the
intended result.
A post-tensioning system proposed by a Contractor should be shown on shop drawings. These
drawings should include details for the methods and materials used, including all plan
reinforcement and any rearrangement of or addition to reinforcing steel that differs from that
shown on the Contract Plans. Shop drawings represent an important supplement to Contract
Plans.
Shop drawings are normally reviewed by the Bridge Designer or Construction Inspector (CEI).
The Designer normally checks them for completeness, contract compliance, clearances or
interference of ducts and reinforcing steel. Despite the approval process, the Contractor remains
responsible for the correctness of the shop drawings and ensuing construction.
Shop drawings are needed for integration of approved post-tensioning systems (i.e. post-
tensioning supplier’s information and details), reinforcement, post-tensioning, and other
embedded items (including those for the Contractor’s chosen “means and methods” of
construction) for precast and cast-in-place components. Shop drawings should also include
corrosion protection details and designate the level of protection achieved, as defined in “Guide
Specification for Grouted Post-Tensioning,” PTI/ASBI M50.3-12.

Tendon Testing On Site

On-site testing may be required to establish or confirm design parameters related to the post-
tensioning tendons. Procedures for two of these tests, friction evaluation and modulus of elasticity
evaluation, are provided in the following Sections.

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Friction The purpose of a friction test is to verify the assumptions for the coefficients of friction
and wobble. This test would be appropriate for all but small scale applications where it would
suffice to adopt friction and wobble values from other, previous, experience
A friction test is normally performed on a typical tendon representative of the type or group of
tendons being installed – for example, on one tendon in one girder of several in the span or on
perhaps two similar cantilever tendons in the top of precast or cast-in-place segments
For any tendon, there are two unknowns, the coefficients of friction (μ) and wobble (k). However,
for any given test set up where the force is measured at each end of the tendon, there can only be
one equation and result based upon the standard force loss equation. Consequently, two unknowns
(μ and k) have to be derived from one equation. This is not possible unless one of the unknowns is
already known.
For an external tendon in, say a span-by-span bridge, the points of curvature are relatively discrete
and the angles consumed are known. In the straight portions there is no wobble. So in such a case,
providing that the pre-curved steel pipe ducts in the pier diaphragms and deviator saddles have
been correctly installed, then it may be assumed that k = 0. Thus a test on this type of tendon
should provide a reasonable result for the effective coefficient of friction, μ, between the tendon
and the steel pipes. When performing friction tests, it is recommended that forces and elongations
be reconciled within a tolerance of 5% for all tendons. The 5% to 7% tolerance in AASHTO
LRFD 17 Construction Specifications is for production tendon elongations – no guidance is given
for friction tests.
If the total measured elongation is different to the anticipated (calculated) elongation by more
than 5% then the reasons for it should be investigated. It may be necessary to make more detailed
calculations or to run a similar test on another tendon. It is suggested that assumed values for
friction (μ) and wobble (k) not be varied by more than 10% when attempting to reconcile
measured and anticipated results.
A significant shortfall in elongation is indicative of poor duct alignments or obstructions. The
likely causes should be examined and appropriate corrective measures taken.
The strands must be removed after completion of the friction test in order to remove the load cell,
and the strands cannot be reused due to wedge “bite marks” on the strands.

Modulus of Elasticity The modulus of elasticity, E, is provided per coil of strand, or bundle

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of bars for each of the manufacturers lots. This is derived from proof tests performed by the
manufacturer as part of his quality control of the strand, or bar, production.
The modulus of elasticity for an individual strand is generally about 193 to 200GPa (28,000 to
29,000 ksi.) There is a school of thought that the effective modulus of elasticity of a bundle of
strands made up into a multi-strand tendon may be slightly less than that of an individual strand
because of the bundle effect or the “un-wrapping”, if any, as strands are stressed. This is not
necessarily so. In some bench-tests performed on an approximate gauge length of 9m (30 feet)
with no contact between tendon and duct, the modulus of the group of strands proved to be
thesame as that of an individual strand once appropriate allowance was made for losses in the jack
and anchors. Therefore it is recommended that calculations of elongations be based upon
appropriate assumed or actual production values for strand only. It is also recommended that
when calculating elongations, proper allowances be made for all force loss effects.

Anchor Installation
Anchorages should be firmly attached to bulkheads so that they do not move during casting of the
surrounding concrete. The orientation of the anchorages should be within two degrees of their
orientation shown on the post-tensioning shop drawings. Trumpets should be perpendicular to
anchorages and firmly attached. Connections of the anchorages to the ducts should be made in
accordance with the protection level as recommended in “Guide Specifications for Grouted Post-
Tensioning”, PTI/ASBI M50.3-12. Grout injection ports and inspection vents should be attached
to the anchorages and supported to maintain their functionality after the surrounding concrete is
cast.

Duct Installation
Alignment
Correct duct alignment and profile is of paramount importance to the proper functioning of a post-
tensioning tendon, whether that tendon is internal or external to the concrete. Duct alignment and
profile should be clearly and sufficiently defined on the plans and approved shop drawings by
dimensions to tangent points, radii, angles and offsets to fixed surfaces or established reference
lines and by entry and exit locations and angles at anchorage or intermediate bulkheads.
Alignment, spacing, clearance and details should be in accordance with AASHTO LRFD
Specifications, Section 5.10.3.3 through 5.10.4.3.2.

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General recommendations for fabrication are that ducts should be:
• Installed to correct profile (line and level) within specified tolerances.
• Tied and properly supported at frequent intervals.
• Connected with positively sealed couplings between pieces of duct and between ducts and
anchors.
• Aligned with sealed couplers at temporary bulkheads.
• Positively sealed at connections made on-site and in cast-in-place splice joints.
The elevations and alignments of ducts should be carefully checked.
• Use mandrels to maintain alignment of the ducts during casting across the joints between precast
segments in segmental construction.

Ducts for Internal Tendons in Precast Segments:

In addition to the above general recommendations ducts should be:
Figure 6.1 - Check Longitudinal and Transverse Duct Alignments
• Installed to connect correct duct location in bulkhead with correct duct location in match-cast
segment. • Correctly aligned with respect to the orientation of the segment in the casting cell and
the direction of erection. • Elevations and alignments of longitudinal and transverse ducts should
be carefully checked. Typical features to be checked for transverse tendons are shown in Figure
3.16. The details shown in this Figure are also applicable to the checking of longitudinal tendons.
• Provide a clear distance equal to a duct diameter.
6.5 Tendon Installation
6.5.1Tendon Types Main longitudinal, internal or external tendons set to a curved or draped
profile are usually made up of multiple 12 or 15mm (0.5 or 0.6 in) diameter, seven-wire strands.
The number of strands per tendon depends upon the range of anchor and wedge plate hardware
available for that system. Similar strand tendons are typically used for transverse tendons in the
deck slabs of precast or cast-in-place segments, with up to five strands laid side-by-side in an oval
duct draped to a very shallow profile

Proving of Internal Post-Tensioning Ducts

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Prior to installing internal tendons, it is recommended that ducts be proven to be clear of damage
or obstructions by passing a suitable sized torpedo through the ducts. The torpedo should have the
same cross sectional shape as the duct but 6mm (1/4in) smaller all around than the clear, inside
dimensions of the duct and should have rounded ends. For straight ducts the torpedo should be
about 0.6m (2ft) long. For sharply curved ducts the length should be such that when both ends
touch the outermost wall the torpedo is at least 6mm (1/4in) clear of the inside wall; but it need
not be longer than 0.6m (2ft). A duct should be satisfactory if the torpedo can be pulled easily
through by hand without excessive effort or mechanical assistance.
5.5.3 Installation Methods Post-tensioning strands may be pushed or pulled through ducts to make
up a tendon. Pushing should be done with care using a protective plastic or metal cap provided by
the PT system supplier so that it does not get caught or damage the duct. Pushing single strands
into a duct already containing many strands may become difficult as the duct is filled with more
strands.
Post-tensioning tendons in flat ducts should be placed with the strands preinstalled to provide
necessary rigidity and maintain alignment during concrete pouring. The strands of these tendons
should be checked to see that they can move in the ducts after casting in order to ensure that they
are indeed free before they are stressed.

Jacks and Other Stressing Equipment

Jacks for stressing single (mono) strands generally have two cylinders, one on each side of the
strand, with a wedge device for gripping and pulling the strand (Figure 6.2).Mono-strand tendons
are often used in buildings, where each tendon is a single strand in an extruded sheath. In bridges,
mono strand jacks are normally used to stress transverse tendons, usually comprising 3 or 4
strands, in deck slabs or similar applications. Also, mono-strands are often used for repair or
rehabilitation.
It is extremely important that all strands are orientated properly to the holes in the jack. A "star
plate" or “recessed plate” is used to ensure alignment. Push the "star plate" all the way up to the
wedge plate to ensure alignment. Prestressing jacks must be very accurate and should be carefully
and frequently calibrated.

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 Grouting of Post-Tensioning Tendons
This Chapter addresses grouting topics generally in the sequence in which operations occur
on site. Beginning with a grouting plan, this guidance is provided with regard to equipment, on-
site tests of production grout, injection of horizontal and vertical tendons, post-grouting
inspection, vacuum grouting to fill any voids and grouting reports to accompany tendon stressing
reports. An overview of a few grouting problems and their solutions is provided. Finally, a set of
examples for grouting procedures of various types of tendons is offered for information and
guidance.

Grouting Plan
A Grouting Plan should be developed and implemented for construction. In general, project
responsibilities regarding the Grouting Plan are:
• Contractor – The Contractor should prepare and submit a “Grouting Plan” according to the
requirements of the project specification for post-tensioning and grouting.
• Construction Engineering and Inspection Agency (CEI) – The CEI should record submittals,
review and notify the Contractor of the acceptability of his proposed Grouting Plan. The CEI may
seek opinion from the Designer, State or Federal Authority regarding the Grouting Plan.
A Grouting Plan typically addresses the following:
• Grouting procedures to be followed at any precast yard and on the job-site as appropriate – this
may require separate grouting plans.
• Qualifications and Certification of Grouting Personnel at the precast yard and job-site.
• Proposed grout material and reports of appropriate laboratory qualification tests or evidence to
show it meets a pre-qualified or approved product list.
• Storage and protection of all grout material and any additives with procedures to ensure they
remain usable or when they must be discarded.
• A source of potable water.
• Means of measuring correct quantities of grout, water and additives.
• Equipment for mixing and testing daily grout production – e.g. type of mixer, pump, storage
hoppers, flow-cone, or viscosity meter, samples for strength tests, etc.
• Stand-by equipment – e.g. spare hopper, pump, hoses, flushing equipment, etc.
• If necessary, a means of pressure testing the duct system for leaks and appropriately sealing any

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leaks so discovered.
• The sequence of injecting and evacuating grout for each type of tendon.
• The location for injecting grout at the low point of each tendon profile
• The direction of grout injection and sequence of closing vents.
• A means of inspecting to ensure all tendons are completely filled with grout, for example drill
and bore scope or probe.
• The means and details for sealing grout inlets, vents and drains in any surface - including the top
deck (riding) surface if necessary.
• A procedure for secondary grouting using vacuum grouting techniques as necessary in order to
fill any voids found by inspection.

Grout Testing
All materials for grouting should be qualified by appropriate laboratory testing or certification
prior to use in the project. 20

Grouting Operations
Grouting should proceed as soon as possible after installation and stressing of the tendons.
Depending upon environmental conditions, temporary protection may be necessary and temporary
protection of the ends of the strands will be necessary. For example, grout inlets and outlets may
be closed; drains opened and ends of tendons fitted with temporary caps.

Grouting Equipment
Mixer, Storage Hopper, Screen, Pump, Pressure Gauges, Hoses, Water Measurement

Mixer
The mixer should be capable of continuous mechanical mixing to produce a homogeneous, stable,
grout free of lumps or un-dispersed material that it supplies continuously to the pump. Mixers are
of two main types: vane (or paddle) mixers with a speed of about 1,000 rpm or high- speed shear
(colloidal) mixers with a speed of about 1,500 rpm. The high speed mixer
distributes cement more uniformly, improves bleed characteristics and minimizes cement lumps.

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Storage Hopper and Screen
Most grouting equipment has a mixing (blending) tank which discharges through a screen into a
storage hopper or tank mounted over the grout pump (Figure 7.1). The storage hopper should also
have a mixing rotor to keep the grout agitated for continuous use and should be kept partially full
at all times. The screen should contain openings of 3mm (1/8in) maximum size to screen lumps
from the mix. The screen should be inspected periodically. If lumps of cement remain on the
screen, then the mix is not suitable.

Grout Pump
Grout pumps should be of the positive displacement type and able to maintain an outlet pressure
of at least 1MPa (145psi) with little variation. The pump, hoses and connections should be able to
maintain pressure on completely grouted ducts. A shut-off valve should be installed in the line so
that it can be closed off under pressure, as necessary (Figure 7.1).

Pressure Gauge
A pressure gage with a full scale reading of not more than 2MPa (300 psi) should be attached
between the pump outlet and duct inlet. For short lengths (say less than about 10m (30 feet) of
grout hose, the gauge may be placed near the pump - for long lengths, at the inlet. For hose
lengths over 30m (100 ft) or more than 3m (10ft) apart in elevation, the system should have a
gauge at the pump and another at the inlet. Best practice would be to always use two pressure
gauges.

Hoses
The diameter and pressure rating of hoses should be compatible with the pump and anticipated
maximum pressures. All hoses should be firmly connected to pump outlets, pipes and inlets. It is
recommended that grout hoses be at least 20mm (¾ in) inside diameter for lengths up to about
30m (100 ft) and that a reduction in size at connectors be avoided. Also, narrow openings should
be avoided. Both can lead to pressure build-up and possible risk of blockage.
Water Measurement
Accurate measurement of water is necessary for the production of high quality grouts.
Measurement of water by water meter or calibrated buckets should be provided.

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Batching and Mixing
Pre-qualified, pre-bagged grouts should be mixed in accordance with manufacturer
recommendations. Grouts to be blended on site should be in accordance to the project approved
grout mix design. Dry powder and pre-bagged grout materials should be batched by weight to an
accuracy of +2%. Water and liquid admixtures may be batched by weight or volume to an
accuracy of +1%. Any water content in any liquid admixtures should be counted toward the
quantity of water The materials should be mixed to produce a homogeneous grout without
excessive temperature rise or loss of fluid properties (flow cone). The amount of time that the
water is mixed/recirculated before adding grout should be minimized to help keep temperatures
down. The mix should be continuously agitated until it is pumped. Water must not be added to
increase fluidity if it has decreased by delayed use of the grout. Typically, the mix time for grout
should be in accordance with the qualification trials and generally not more than 4 minutes for a
vane mixer or 3 minutes for a high-speed shear mixer.

On-Site Tests of Production Grout

In order to ensure the correct consistency and density of daily production grout, fluidity and
density should be within acceptable limits according to the following requirements. Additional
water must never be added to a mix to meet fluidity test requirements and surplus, discharged and
tested grout should be properly discarded.

Injection of Grout
Prior to grouting, all grout outlets should be opened and checked to ensure they are free and clear
of any debris and water. Grouting should proceed according to an approved Grouting Plan

Pumping
Grout pumping methods should ensure complete filling of the ducts and encasement of post-
tensioning steel. Grout should be pumped in a continuous operation and be ejected from the first,
and subsequent outlets, until all visible slugs of water or entrapped air have been removed prior to
closing each outlet in turn. At each outlet and final grout cap, pumping should continue until the
consistency of the discharged grout is equivalent to that being injected at the inlet. At least 7.5
liters (2 gallons) of good, consistent, quality grout should be discharged through the final anchor
and cap before closing them.

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Limiting Grout Injection Pressures
Pumping should be done at the lowest pressure possible that will fill the tendon in a reasonable
amount of time but should not exceed 0.52 MPa (75 psi) at the inlet. Pumping pressures should
not exceed 1MPa (145 psi).

Grouting Problemsand Solutions

Interruption of Grout Flow If there is a breakdown, then use the available standby equipment.
Standby equipment should be periodically checked to make sure it is in working order. Standby
equipment may be a second set of production grouting equipment in operation nearby. In any
event, standby equipment should be mobilized as soon as possible. Standby equipment should be
brought into operation within 15 to 30 minutes or else grout may begin to solidify and it will be
too difficult to mobilize the grout, especially on long tendons. 7.4.2 Too High Grouting PressureIf
it requires excessive pressure to inject grout, there may be a blockage. Excessive pressure would
be any pressure about 50% more than the limiting pressure in 7.3.4.2. In no circumstances should
attempts be made to force grout through. Excessive pressure can lead to failure of ducts or
cracking of concrete, depending upon circumstances and details.

Production Grout Fluidity Unacceptable

Prior to grouting, if the flow-cone time exceeds the allowable limits, perform another test. If the
flow time still exceeds allowable limits, check the source, date, storage and mixing of grout
materials. Abandon the batch and begin again with new material.

Incomplete Grouting
In the event grouting operations are interrupted, leaving partially filled tendons, vacuum grouting
equipment should be available to fill the remaining unfilled portions of the duct. Flushing of
tendons is not a recommend practice, but a last resort to be performed under the direction of the
Engineer.
• Consider duct profile and longitudinal gradient and establish direction of grouting.
• Orient end anchors (A and G) so that the vents are at the top.
• Determine location at lowest point of profile for injection vent (in this example, point B).

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Because, in this case, the profile change in the depth of the spliced Ι-girder is significant(i.e.
greater than 0.5m (20in)) grout should be injected from the low point. If two or more low points
are at the same elevation, then select one.
• Provide a vent at crest (D) and at 1 to 2m (3 to 6 feet) beyond crest (at C and E) in both
directions (to avoid potential confusion between work at precast plant and site).
• Provide drainage vents at other low points (B and F).
• Provide grout outlet at end anchor (G).
• Show direction of grouting.
• Sequence of closing vents: A, C, F, D, E, G, B.

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 Conclusion:-

Pre-stressed concrete offer a myriad of advantages compared to the reinforced concrete. From the
discussions of the paper, these merits range from increased spans length of a beam that can be
simply supported to reduction of the dimensions of the beam without sacrificing the strength of
the structure constructed using the pre-stressed concrete beams. Since the weight of a beam is also
less, the strength of the supports required is also reduced.

The paper held that the advantages have prompted hefty research on how such beams can be
cheaply manufactured since they are currently finding wide range of applications in a variety of
fields such as nuclear power plants, rails, and road bridges having long spans and even in
construction of roofs for building requiring large floor areas

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 REFERANCES:-

 PTI: Post-Tensioning Institute, 8601 North Black Canyon Highway, Suite 103, Phoenix,
AZ 85021, Phone: 602-870-7540, Fax: 602-870-7541, http://www.post-tensioning.org.

 PTI/ASBI Publication: “Guide Specification for Grouted Post-Tensioning,” PTI/ASBI
M50.3-12, Post-Tensioning Institute, First Edition, June 2012

 PTI/ASBI Publication: “Guide Specification for Grouted Post-Tensioning,” PTI/ASBI
M50.3-12, Post-Tensioning Institute, First Edition, June 2012.

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