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Prestressedconcrete
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Prestressedconcreteisamethodforovercomingconcrete'snatural
weaknessintension.Itcanbeusedtoproducebeams,floorsor
bridgeswithalongerspanthanispracticalwithordinaryreinforced
concrete.Itisoftenusedincommercialandresidentialconstruction
asafoundationslab.Prestressingtendons(generallyofhightensile
steelcableorrods)areusedtoprovideaclampingloadwhich
producesacompressivestressthatbalancesthetensilestressthatthe
concretecompressionmemberwouldotherwiseexperienceduetoa
bendingload.Traditionalreinforcedconcreteisbasedontheuseof
steelreinforcementbars,rebars,insidepouredconcrete.Prestressing
canbeaccomplishedinthreeways:pretensionedconcrete,and
bondedorunbondedposttensionedconcrete.

Contents
1Pretensionedconcrete
2Bondedposttensionedconcrete
2.1Historyofproblemswithbondedposttensioned
bridges
3Unbondedposttensionedconcrete
4Applications
5Designagenciesandregulations
6Seealso
7References
8Externallinks

Prestressedconcretediagram

Pretensionedconcrete
Pretensionedconcreteiscastaroundsteeltendonscablesorbars
whiletheyareundertension.Theconcretebondstothetendons
asitcures,andwhenthetensionisreleaseditistransferredtothe
concreteascompressionbystaticfriction.Tensionsubsequently
imposedontheconcreteistransferreddirectlytothetendons.

Stressedribbonpedestrianbridge,
GrantsPass,Oregon,USA

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Pretensioningrequiresstrong,stableanchoringpointsbetween
whichthetendonsaretobestretched.Thus,mostpretensioned
concreteelementsareprefabricatedandtransportedtothe
constructionsite,whichmaylimittheirsize.Pretensionedelements
maybeincorporatedintobeams,balconies,lintels,floorslabsor
piles.Aninnovativebridgedesignprestressingisthestressed
ribbonbridge.
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Bondedposttensionedconcrete
Bondedposttensionedconcreteisthedescriptivetermforamethod
ofapplyingcompressionafterpouringconcreteandduringthe
curingprocess(insitu).Theconcreteiscastaroundaplastic,steel
oraluminiumcurvedduct,tofollowtheareawhereotherwise
tensionwouldoccurintheconcreteelement.
Asetoftendonsarefishedthroughtheductandtheconcreteis
poured.Oncetheconcretehashardened,thetendonsaretensioned
byhydraulicjacksthatreact(push)againsttheconcretemember
itself.
Whenthetendonshavestretchedsufficiently,accordingtothe
Multistrandposttensioninganchor.
designspecifications(seeHooke'slaw),theyarewedgedinposition
andmaintaintensionafterthejacksareremoved,transferring
pressuretotheconcrete.Theductisthengroutedtoprotectthetendonsfromcorrosion.
Thismethodiscommonlyusedtocreatemonolithicslabsforhouseconstructioninlocationswhere
expansivesoils(sometimescalledadobeclay)createproblemsforthetypicalperimeterfoundation.All
stressesfromseasonalexpansionandcontractionoftheunderlyingsoilaretakenintotheentiretensioned
slab,whichsupportsthebuildingwithoutsignificantflexure.
Posttensioningisalsousedintheconstructionofvariousbridges,bothafterconcreteiscuredaftersupport
byfalseworkandbytheassemblyofprefabricatedsections,asinthesegmentalbridge.
Amongtheadvantagesofthissystemoverunbondedposttensioningare:
Largereductionintraditionalreinforcementrequirementsastendonscannotdestressinaccidents.
Tendonscanbeeasily"woven"allowingamoreefficientdesignapproach.
Higherultimatestrengthduetobondgeneratedbetweenthestrandandconcrete.
Nolongtermissueswithmaintainingtheintegrityoftheanchor/deadend.

Historyofproblemswithbondedposttensionedbridges
ThepopularityofthisformofprestressingforbridgeconstructioninEuropeincreasedsignificantlyaround
the1950sand60s.However,ahistoryofproblemshavebeenencounteredthathascastdoubtoverthe
longtermdurabilityofsuchstructures.
Duetopoorworkmanshiporqualitycontrolduringconstruction,sometimestheductscontainingthe
prestressingtendonsarenotfullyfilled,leavingvoidsinthegroutwherethesteelisnotprotectedfrom
corrosion.Thesituationisexacerbatedifwaterandchloride(fromdeicingsalts)fromthehighwayareable
topenetrateintothesevoids.
Notableeventsarelistedbelow:
TheYnysyGwasbridgeinWestGlamorgan,Walesasegmentalposttensionedstructure,
particularlyvulnerabletodefectsintheposttensioningsystemcollapsedwithoutwarningin
1985.[1]
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TheMellebridge,constructedinBelgiumduringthe1950s,collapsedin1992duetofailureofpost
tensionedtiedownmembersfollowingtendoncorrosion.
FollowingdiscoveryoftendoncorrosioninseveralbridgesinEngland,theHighwaysAgencyissued
amoratoriumontheconstructionofnewinternalgroutedposttensionedbridgesandembarkedona
5yearprogrammeofinspectionsonitsexistingposttensionedbridgestock.
In2000,alargenumberofpeoplewereinjuredwhenasectionofafootbridgeattheCharlotteMotor
Speedway,USA,gavewayanddroppedtotheground.Inthiscase,corrosionwasexacerbatedby
calciumchloridethathadbeenusedasaconcreteadmixture,ratherthansodiumchloridefromde
icingsalts.
In2011,theHammersmithFlyoverinLondon,England,wassubjecttoanemergencyclosureafter
defectsintheposttensioningsystemwerediscovered.[1]

Unbondedposttensionedconcrete
Unbondedposttensionedconcretediffersfrombondedposttensioningbyprovidingeachindividualcable
permanentfreedomofmovementrelativetotheconcrete.Toachievethis,eachindividualtendoniscoated
withagrease(generallylithiumbased)andcoveredbyaplasticsheathingformedinanextrusionprocess.[2]
Thetransferoftensiontotheconcreteisachievedbythesteelcableactingagainststeelanchorsembedded
intheperimeteroftheslab.Themaindisadvantageoverbondedposttensioningisthefactthatacablecan
destressitselfandburstoutoftheslabifdamaged(suchasduringrepairontheslab).Theadvantagesof
thissystemoverbondedposttensioningare:
Theabilitytoindividuallyadjustcablesbasedonpoorfieldconditions(Forexample:shiftingagroup
of4cablesaroundanopeningbyplacing2oneachside).
Theprocedureofpoststressgroutingiseliminated.
Theabilitytodestressthetendonsbeforeattemptingrepairwork.[3]
Picturenumberone(below)showsrollsofposttensioning(PT)cableswiththeholdingendanchors
displayed.Theholdingendanchorsarefastenedtorebarplacedaboveandbelowthecableandburiedin
theconcretelockingthatend.Picturesnumberedtwo,threeandfourshowsaseriesofblackpullingend
anchorsfromtherearalongtheflooredgeform.Rebarisplacedaboveandbelowthecablebothinfront
andbehindthefaceofthepullingendanchor.Theaboveandbelowplacementoftherebarcanbeseenin
picturenumberthreeandtheplacementoftherebarinfrontandbehindcanbeseeninpicturenumberfour.
Thebluecableseeninpicturenumberfouriselectricalconduit.Picturenumberfiveshowstheplastic
sheathingstrippedfromtheendsoftheposttensioningcablesbeforeplacementthroughthepullingend
anchors.Picturenumbersixshowstheposttensioningcablesinplaceforconcretepouring.Theplastic
sheathinghasbeenremovedfromtheendofthecableandthecablehasbeenpushedthroughtheblack
pullingendanchorattachedtotheinsideoftheconcretefloorsideform.Thegreasedcablecanbeseen
protrudingfromtheconcretefloorsideform.Picturessevenandeightshowtheposttensioncables
protrudingfromthepouredconcretefloor.Aftertheconcretefloorhasbeenpouredandhassetforabouta
week,thecableendswillbepulledwithahydraulicjack.

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1.Rollsofposttension
cables

2.Pullinganchorsforpost
tensioncables

4.Pullinganchorsfor
posttensioncables

3.Pullinganchorsfor
posttensioncables

5.Posttensioncables
strippedforplacementin
pullinganchors

7.Posttensioncableends
extendingfromfreshly
pouredconcrete

6.Positionedposttension
cables

8.Posttensioncableends
extendingfromconcrete
slab

9.Hydraulicjackfor
tensioncables

10.Cable
conduitsin
formwork

Applications
Prestressedconcreteisthemainmaterialforfloorsinhighrisebuildingsandtheentirecontainmentvessels
ofnuclearreactors.
Unbondedposttensioningtendonsarecommonlyusedinparkinggaragesasbarriercable.[4]Also,dueto
itsabilitytobestressedandthendestressed,itcanbeusedtotemporarilyrepairadamagedbuildingby
holdingupadamagedwallorflooruntilpermanentrepairscanbemade.
Theadvantagesofprestressedconcreteincludecrackcontrolandlowerconstructioncoststhinnerslabs
especiallyimportantinhighrisebuildingsinwhichfloorthicknesssavingscantranslateintoadditional
floorsforthesame(orlower)costandfewerjoints,sincethedistancethatcanbespannedbypost
tensionedslabsexceedsthatofreinforcedconstructionswiththesamethickness.Increasingspanlengths
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increasestheusableunencumberedfloorspaceinbuildingsdiminishingthenumberofjointsleadstolower
maintenancecostsoverthedesignlifeofabuilding,sincejointsarethemajorfocusofweaknessin
concretebuildings.
ThefirstprestressedconcretebridgeinNorthAmericawastheWalnutLaneMemorialBridgein
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.Itwascompletedandopenedtotrafficin1951.[5]Prestressingcanalsobe
accomplishedoncircularconcretepipesusedforwatertransmission.Hightensilestrengthsteelwireis
helicallywrappedaroundtheoutsideofthepipeundercontrolledtensionandspacingwhichinducesa
circumferentialcompressivestressinthecoreconcrete.Thisenablesthepipetohandlehighinternal
pressuresandtheeffectsofexternalearthandtrafficloads.

Designagenciesandregulations
IntheUnitedStates,prestressedconcretedesignandconstructionisaidedbyorganizationssuchasPost
TensioningInstitute(PTI)andPrecast/PrestressedConcreteInstitute(PCI).InCanadatheCanadian
Precast/PrestressedConcreteInstitute(CPCI)assumesthisroleforbothposttensionedandpretensioned
concretestructures.
Europealsohasitsownassociationsandinstitutes.Itisimportanttonotethattheseorganizationsarenot
theauthoritiesofbuildingcodesorstandards,butratherexisttopromotetheunderstandingand
developmentofprestresseddesign,codesandbestpractices.IntheUK,thePostTensioningAssociation
fulfillsthisrole.[6]
RulesforthedetailingofreinforcementandprestressingtendonsareprovidedinSection8oftheEuropean
standardEN19922:2005Eurocode2:DesignofconcretestructuresConcretebridges:designand
detailingrules.
InAustraliathecodeofpracticeusedtodesignreinforcedandprestressedconcreteisAS36002009.

Seealso
Dyckerhoff&Widmann(Dywidag)
EugneFreyssinet
Hollowcoreslab
Prestressedstructure
Reinforcedcementconcrete

WikimediaCommonshas
mediarelatedtoPrestressed
concrete.

References
1. EdDaveyandRebeccaCafe(3December2012)."TfLreportwarnedofHammersmithFlyovercollapserisk"
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukenglandlondon20533457).BBCNews,London.Retrieved3December2012.
2. HowisUnbondedPostTensioningMade?(http://www.amsyscoinc.com/2009/09/01/howisposttensioning
made/)
3. DetensioningUnbondedPostTensionTendons(http://www.amsyscoinc.com/2011/07/28/detensioningunbonded
posttensiontendons/)
4. BarrierCable(http://www.amsyscoinc.com/2010/03/23/barriercable/)
5. Cement&ConcreteBasics:PrestressedConcrete|PortlandCementAssociation(PCA)
(http://www.cement.org/basics/concreteproducts_prestressed.asp)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prestressed_concrete

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6. PTAHomepage
(http://www.concretecentre.com/technical_information/building_solutions/frame_elements/slabs/post
tensioned_slab/posttensioning_association.aspx)

Externallinks
Thestoryofprestressedconcretefrom1930to1945:AsteptowardstheEuropeanUnion
(http://www.sedhc.es/biblioteca/actas/CIHC1_130_Marrey%20B.pdf)
GuidelinesforSampling,Assessing,andRestoringDefectiveGroutinPrestressedConcreteBridge
PostTensioningDucts(http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo41564)FederalHighwayAdministration
HistoricalPatentsandtheEvolutionofTwentiethCenturyArchitecturalConstructionwith
ReinforcedandPrestressedConcrete(http://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/Downloads/ichs/vol217191740
anaya.pdf)
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