UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE CARTAGENA

Escuela de Arquitectura e Ingeniería de Edificación

ARQUITECTURA TÉCNICA

Final Year Project

PRECAST
PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE
Author:
SOFÍA LORENZO ROMERO

Tutors:
D. CARLOS JOSÉ PARRA COSTA
D. ALFONSO MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ
Abstract
Prestressed concrete has been the latest great revolution in the building
industry; it provided solutions to problems that could not be resolved with simply
reinforced concrete or any of the other materials available at the time. It was
soon related to long-line mass-production operations for economical reasons and
the benefits of a controlled production environment. It provided engineers and
architects the chance to design lighter and more resistant structures, allowing for
higher quality materials to be used and being these more efficiently applied.

This report lays down the principles for the design, production and
reception of precast-prestressed products for the building industry. From the
history of its development, mainly by the work of the brilliant French engineer
Eugene Freyssinet, to the relevance given to prestressed-prefabricated products
by the latest national and European standards.
Acknowledgements

With this final dissertation I complete my degree in Architectural

Technology for which I must thank my parents in the first place, for their
support and motivation through all these years. I must also thank my
brother and sister for their patience through the many hours spent on this
report, and my boyfriend for his encouragement and continuous support.

Also my gratitude goes towards my dissertation tutors Carlos José

Parra Costa and Alfonso Martínez Martínez, for their knowledgeable advice
and guidance through the writing of this report.
Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................... 1
1.1. Objectives ............................................................................... 1
1.2. Introduction ............................................................................ 1
1.3. Chapter summary ................................................................... 2

2. History of prestressed concrete .................................................... 3

2.1 Introduction ............................................................................ 3
2.2 Freyssinet’s discovery of creep ............................................... 6
2.3 Invention of prestressed concrete.......................................... 9
2.4 History of precast-prestressed concrete in Spain................... 13

3: Prestressing materials and systems ................................................. 17

3.1 Types ....................................................................................... 20
3.1.1 Pretensioning .............................................................. 20
3.1.2 Postensioning ............................................................... 22
3.2 Prestressed concrete vs. reinforced concrete ....................... 23
3.3 Materials ................................................................................ 25
3.3.1 Concrete ....................................................................... 25
3.3.2 Steel .............................................................................. 30
3.4 Production of precast-prestressed concrete ......................... 34
3.4.1 Stressing beds............................................................... 34
3.4.2 Strand profile................................................................ 37

i
 3.4.3 Accelerated curing ....................................................... 41
3.4.4 Removing products from forms ................................... 42
3.4.4.1 Lifting devices ......................................................... 42
3.4.4.2 Form suction........................................................... 46
3.4.5 In-plant transport and storage ..................................... 46
3.4.6 Transportation.............................................................. 48

4 Precast-prestressed structures .................................................... 50

4.1 Usual sections of precast/prestressed products .................. 50
4.2 Advantages of precast construction ....................................... 51
4.3 Quality assurance of precast products: marks ...................... 53
4.3.1 CE Marking ............................................................ 53
4.3.2 Quality marks ........................................................ 57
4.4 Precast-prestressed structures ............................................... 60
4.4.1 One way slab and floor systems ........................... 60
4.4.1.1 Joist and filler block floor systems............... 61
4.4.1.2 Hollow-core slabs ........................................ 66
4.4.1.3 Double-t floors ............................................. 70
4.4.1.4 Prestressed floor slabs ................................ 72
4.4.2 Prestressed beam and column framings............... 73
4.4.3 Prestressed piles ................................................... 77

5 Uncracked beam design example ................................................ 79

6 Conclusions .................................................................................. 104

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Bibliography ........................................................................................ 107

iii
 1 Introduction

1.1 Objectives
With the purpose of obtaining the degree in Architectural Technology, Sofía
Lorenzo Romero has completed this dissertation titled “Prestressed Precast
Concrete”. This paper has been guided by Professor Carlos José Parra Costa and
Professor Alfonso Martínez Martínez from the Polytechnic University of
Cartagena.
It is intended as an introduction to prestressed concrete as a precast
structural material given the tendency towards a more industrialized building
construction and the relevance given to prefabrication by the latest national and
European standards. This dissertation lays down the principles for the production,
reception and design of precast prestressed products.

1.2 Introduction
Reinforced concrete’s tensile strength is limited, while its compressive
strength is extensive. Consequently prestressing becomes a tool to fully utilize
that compressive strength and to eliminate or control cracking and deflection.
This active combination of concrete and steel, along with the quality in design and
production, makes precast prestressed units extremely structurally efficient.
Eurocode 2 and the latest EHE standard make provision for reduced partial safety
factors and special conditions for precast units, in acknowledgement of the
controlled production environment.
There is also an increasing demand for construction options that will
contribute to achieving sustainable development, giving importance to factory-
made prestressed concrete for its excellent resource efficiency for materials,
labor, energy and processes. Also the trend is towards lower material costs and
higher labor costs, despite crisis that may temporarily affect that tendency. For all
these reasons, precast-prestressed structural members will become increasingly
relevant in building construction.
 1.2 Chapter summary
In this dissertation the basic principles for prestressed precast structural
products will be summarized.
In Chapter 2, a brief introduction of the concept behind prestressing
concrete and the history of its development are described. The technique behind
pretensioning concrete is further detailed in Chapter 3, from materials to
production processes, and how it compares to simply reinforced concrete.
Chapter 4 shows usual precast prestressed units produced by the methods
described in the previous chapter and how CE marking and officially recognized
quality marks affect the production and reception of these products. Finally,
Chapter 5 covers a design example of a usual precast prestressed structural
member in flexion: an uncracked, simply supported, double-t beam; while
Chapter 6 reveals the final conclusions of this dissertation.

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 2 History of Prestressed
Concrete
2.1 Introduction
Prestressed concrete is one of the leading materials in modern construction
of the 21st century, yet the concept of prestressing has been employed long
before we could figure out a way to apply it to structures. Traditional examples
include a cartwheel, a barrel or simply the act of carrying a horizontal stack of
books between our hands. These have been used in text books since the middle of
last century to explain the concept behind prestressed concrete.
The system of the cartwheel is formed by a wood wheel which is tightened
by an iron rim of slightly smaller radius that has been previously expanded by
heat. As the steel band cools it is now in tension while the wood wheel is being
compressed and is transferring the compression to the spokes. The load of the
vehicle (F) is applied on the hub (Fig 2.1) increasing the compression of the lower
spokes (B-B’) which are shortened. Simultaneously the upper spoke (A-A’) is
extended but due to the previous compressive stress applied it remains
compressed. Without this previous compression applied to the wheel rim the
system would not work since the wood spokes could not withstand the tensile
stress.

Figure 2.1 Practical Prestressing examples

 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

This simplified system of a tensioned member (tendon) and a compressed

member is essentially the same applied in modern prestressed concrete
structures.
Even though the weakness of concrete in tension had been known ever
since the Romans started using it, a long time and experience was needed to
overcome this issue, first with reinforcement and later with prestressing. The
Romans tried to reinforce concrete by using bronze bars with little success due to
the different coefficients of expansion. Although the intuition of the potential
benefits of combining concrete with other materials was already there, after the
collapse of the Roman Empire the knowledge of how to make and use concrete as
a primary structural material was lost for many centuries.
It was not until the nineteenth century that the reinforcement of concrete
using iron or steel was discovered, noticing that these were more or less
complementary materials. Joseph Monier developed the idea of reinforced
concrete and received a patent for it in 1849. This meant a step further towards
prestressed concrete as it can be seen in this flowchart about the development of
the different building materials.

MATERIALS MATERIALS MATERIALS

RESISTING RESISTING RESISTING TENSION
COMPRESSION TENSION AND COMPRESSION

STONES BAMBOOS
TIMBER
BRICKS ROPES

CONCRETE IRON BARS STRUCTURAL

STEEL WIRE STEEL

PASSIVE REINFORCED
COMBINATION CONCRETE

HIGH-STRENGTH HIGH-STRENGTH
CONCRETE STEEL

ACTIVE PRESTRESSED
COMBINATION CONCRETE

Figure 2.2 Development of building materials .Transcript from (Kramer,2005)

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Steel and concrete where first combined in a passive manner and

prestressed concrete would later result in an active combination.
With this combination the steel can provide the tensile strength and
probably some of the shear strength while the concrete, strong in compression,
protects the steel giving it durability and fire protection. Since the coefficients of
thermal expansion for steel and for concrete are of the order of 10x10-6 per ºC
and 7-12x10-6 per ºC respectively, it is assumed that there is a perfect bond.
Therefore the strain in the reinforcement is identical to the strain in the adjacent
concrete, known as ‘compatibility of strains’ across the cross section of the
member.
The following figure illustrates the behaviour of a simply supported beam
subjected to bending and shows the position of steel reinforcement to resist the
tensile forces, while the compression forces on top of the beam are carried by
concrete. In this case, wherever tension occurs it is likely that cracking of the
concrete will take place. Even though this cracking does not detract from the
safety of the structure provided the bonding stops the cracks from opening, the
next natural step was to figure out a way in which concrete had only to resist
compressions which lead to the invention of prestressed concrete. One of the
fundamental approaches of prestressed concrete is to limit tensile stresses, and
hence flexural cracking, in the concrete under working conditions.

Figure 2.3 Reinforced simply supported beam: strain distribution

Prestressing concrete is providing a longitudinal compressive force by

tensioned steel wires or strands which are anchored against the concrete. With
the creation of stresses in the member before loading we can use concrete

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

moreefficiently by maintaining it in a state of compression throughout. Detailed

information on the process of prestressing and its comparison to simply
reinforced concrete will be given in following chapters.
At the beginning of the 20th century prestressed concrete became the most
significant new direction in structural engineering first and architecture at last
(Billington, 2004) .It gave architects a new realm of reinforced concrete design
pushing both the structural and architectural limits of design to a level that
neither concrete nor structural steel could achieve.
In search of a system that allowed for prestress to be efficiently applied to
the concrete member many were unsuccessful. The first attempt at prestressed
concrete that is documented is a patent for a concrete pavement taken in 1888 by
P.H. Jackson of the United States. Several patents were taken out for prestressing
schemes using low-strength steel where the long term effects of creep and
shrinkage of the concrete reduced the prestress force so much that any advantage
was lost. It was the French engineer Eugene Freyssinet who developed the theory
and systems that allowed for prestressed concrete to be practicable.

2.2 Freyssinet’s discovery of creep.

The underlying idea of prestressing concrete had been around for a long
time but it was Eugene Freyssinet who came up with the invention that allowed
the idea to be put into practice. Early attempts worked with the beams being less
likely to crack in tension, but after a few months the cracks reopened.
The answer to this problem was found when it was realised that creep
occurred. It was then recognised that the initial prestressing force was reduced
appreciably by losses, and hence high-strength steel (and therefore high initial
tensional stress) were essential (Abeles, Bardham-Roy, 1981).
It was Freyssinet who recognised that high strength concrete and high steel
pre-strains were needed to leave some prestress after creep had taken place. In
1932 when he was asked by the Science etIndustrie journal to write about his
progress in prestressing, he outlined the following conditions for practical use of
prestressing (Billington,2004):

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

• Using metals with a very high elastic limit.

• Submitting the steel to very strong initial tensions, much greater
than 500 N/mm2
• Associating the metals with concretes of a very low, constant and
well-known rate of deformability, which offer the additional
advantage of very high and regular strengths of resistance.
• High strength steel and high strength concrete to reduce the loss of
prestress to a minimum.

In the mid 1920’s Freyssinet had built three similar bridges over the River
Allier, near Vichy, in France. They were built using reinforced concrete arches with
open spandrels (figure 2.4). He installed jacks between the two halves of each
arch span in order to avoid the problems of the use of wedges over the falsework
that supports the arches while being built. When the wedges are knocked out it
drops the falsework away and transfers the deadweight to the arch making the
operation rather dangerous. By jacking the two arches against each other they
lifted slightly away from the falsework, which could then be safely removed. The
gap between the arches was then filled with in-situ concrete.
He was able to reinstall the jacks when he realised months later that the
parapet over the bridge was no longer straight and was dipping at midspan. He
concluded that the arch must have shortened and led him to realise that concrete
creeps under load. By reinstalling the jacks he was able to push the arches apart
again and make good the structure.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

Figure 2.4 Boutiron Bridge. The only of the three similar built that survived World War II.

Until then it had been assumed that concrete had a Young’s modulus which
remained fixed, but he realised that the deferred strains due to creep explained
why the prestress was not effective in the early trials. In order to minimise the
total amount of creep he reasoned that high quality concrete should be used, as
well as high tensile steel so that some prestress would remain after the creep had
occurred.
Before using the jacks in the bridges Freyssinet tested the technique in a 50
m span arch built in Moulins in 1908. The arch was tightened by a lower tie which
was stressed thus controlling its reactions. This is the ancestor of all the
prestressed concrete works.
The discovery of creep was the first step that allowed Freyssinet to invent
prestressed concrete and even precast segmental construction.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

2.3 Invention of Prestressed Concrete

There were three inventions that Freyssinet patented in order to apply

compression to concrete. The first, in 1928, was a process of applying
compression by “pre-tension and bonded wires”, known as the birth of
prestressing. After this he invented the flat jack (Fig. 2.5), in 1938 and in 1939 he
patented the concrete anchorage shaped by a parallel wire system of cables
tensioned and locked off by anchor cones (Xercavins, 2008).

Figure 2.5 Flat jack invented by Freyssinet.

These three inventions were the results of the great efforts made by
Freyssinet in order to transform the idea or prestressing into an industrial reality.
This was necessary since at the time of the first patent the scientific community
did not believe in prestressing.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

Figure 2.6 Concrete anchorage patented in 1939 by Freyssinet

The 1928 patent came after 25 years of work and laboratory tests
(Xercavins, Demarthe, Shushkewich, 2008) .On the 2nd of October 1928, Freyssinet
and Jean Séailles applied for the patent which described the process to
manufacture precast beams, sleepers, poles, pipes, etc. The theory of permanent
precompression in concretes or other materials was precisely described. At that
time no one believed the process could be commercially exploited and all
Freyssinet was able to produce were prestressed concrete pilons for electric
power lines which was technically a success due to the improvement on industrial
precasting techniques but it also was a commercial failure due to the worldwide
depression of 1929 (Marrey, Grote, 2003).
Some of the advances he made in the area of precast concrete were the
invention of steam curing, which accelerated the concrete hardening and rate of
production, and the perfection of the grinding fineness of cement and the
industrial process for precast concrete elements. So Freyssinet set the guidelines
to allow for the construction of all the large structures being built nowadays,
where both prestressing and precasting are techniques widely used.
The first practical application of prestressing devices in a building was the
strengthening of the Maritime Station in Le Havre in 1934. It was sinking 25 mm
per month into a deep layer of clay that was beneath the foundations. Although
the solution proposed by Freyssinet was considered very bold at that time, as he
said “imminent collapse seemed to be inevitable and this was the only possible
hope of avoiding disaster” (Xercavins, Demarthe, Shushkewich, 2008).

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

He designed an integrated system: completing the existing footings with

new ones in the spaces between and making them as monolithic as possible by
tightening prestressed cables around them (Fig. 2.7) and also increasing the
bearing capacity of the foundation by adding piles that reached sufficient resisting
layers of soil.
These piles were cast inside the building in 2 m sections using the
techniques of steam curing and vibration of the concrete developed by Freyssinet
in order to improve the rate of casting and the quality of concrete.
The intervention was a great success and it earned Freyssinet at last a
worldwide reputation and also the chance to work with the constructor
EdmeCampenon. The Campenon Bernard Group had a range of sites around the
world and this meant the proliferation of the prestressing techniques that the
French engineer had developed. The early history of prestressed concrete is an
interesting subject since it was much related to rearmament and war effort.
Germany wished to save steel for World War II and so the company Wayss&
Freytag obtained a license from Freyssinet to use his system for the construction
of bunkers.

Figure 2.7 Horizontal prestressing on footings in Le Havre

Eventually the chief negotiator of the company (Professor Karl W. Mautner)

ended up in a concentration camp (he was a Jew by birth) and was rescued by a

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

British Engineer’s firm along with the help of the secret services of several
governments. Since he had records of prestressing trials carried out in France and
Germany, this event led to the advance of the technique in Britain (Marrey, Grote,
2003). The war created a need to provide emergency structures and along with
the shortage of steel this made prestressed concrete the best choice regarding
the scale and speed needed in the construction process (Burgoyne, 2005).
It is also of great importance the work that the engineer Gustav Magnel did
in putting in writing and communicating the technical concepts that Freyssinet
developed. During WWII he was responsible for a laboratory in the University of
Ghent (Belgium) which was equipped for testing reinforced concrete; this allowed
him to do his own research and testing on prestressed concrete, exploring
Freyssinet’s ideas. By testing he found out that creep also existed in steel and
therefore that prestressed wires were a more significant contributor to creep in
prestressed concrete structures than the concrete itself. It was him who
introduced prestressed concrete in the U.S.A. through his books and through his
practice and teaching there, since he was fluent in English and an experienced
college Professor. Freyssinet knew the concept and method of prestressed
concrete thoroughly, as displayed through his brilliant bridge designs and his
patented anchorage devices. He clearly could communicate his passion for
prestressing through design and construction, but he could not put in writing his
technical concepts (Billington, 2004).
It was soon noticed that prestressed concrete could benefit from the
advantage of controlled mass production and so this new technique was soon
adopted by the precast concrete industry.While developing prestressed concrete,
Freyssinet also came up with new techniques and perfected others towards a
more efficient process of fabrication of the pieces. Steam-curing and the vibration
of concrete are probablytwo of the most important ones. These two techniques
allowed for precast/prestressed concrete to be efficiently produced and used as a
structural material worldwide.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

2.4 History of precast/prestressed concrete in Spain

The early history of prestressed concrete in our country starts in 1943 when
the civil engineer Francisco FernándezConde is granted the first patent for
Freyssinet’s prestressing systems.The production of prestressed-precast concrete
solutions in Spain begins when the company PACADAR is created in 1944. The first
prestressed joist was cast on February the 15th in 1945, it had a span of 3.20 m
and was prestressed by eight wires of 2 mm. These prestressed-precast joists
were manufactured in Madrid under the name ‘Freyssi joists’. This was the first
industrial installation for the production of prestressed products in Spain (figure
2.8).

Figure 2.8First casting bed for precast/prestressed members

By 1950 prestressed joists were a common solution for floor construction in

all sorts of arrangements, from slabs completed with poured on site concrete to
peaked roof structures. Flat elements such as prestressed slabs and double-t
beams are developed to avoid the need for hollow-core blocks, also larger precast
members are produced for industrial installations. In 1955 the first continuous
prestressed slab is produced by PACADAR.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

During the 1960 prefabricated construction is promoted through

government’s programs. One of the milestones in precast concrete in that decade
was the construction of the Central LecheraAsturiana factory, were state-of-the-
art precast technology was used.
Another example of a great industrial factory that was built during the
1970’s, was a 250.000 m2 warehouse for El Corte Inglés which was probably the
largest warehouse built with precast members in the world. The rate of
production, transport and assembly was of 10002 per day(Burón, Fernández-
Ordóñez, 1997).
During this decade considerable advances were made in the production of
prestressed members such as floor slabs and double-t beams for larger loads and
spans (figure 2.9)

Figure 2.9Double-t beams slab in the 1970’s

It is during these years that prefabricated construction is the chosen

technology to build hundreds of schools in Spain. One example is a contract award
for the construction of 191 prefabricated schoolsin 1977 in 23 Spanish provinces
(Pons, 2010). The concrete member mostly used for this purpose was hollow-core
slabs in combination with concrete pillars and panels. The economic crisis in the
late 70s and the transfer of authority on educational issues to the communities

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

practically interrupted the construction of standard prefabricated schools during

the following two decades. Even so the first high-rise prefabricated building was
constructed in Madrid in the 1980s, with a total height of 110 m and great
technical accuracy in its assembly. Also a new type of prestressed beams for
pedestrian crossings over motorways was developed along with a system for
connections (Burón, Fernández-Ordóñez, 1997).During the following decade the
use of totally precast structures becomes more popular for sorting out various
types of buildings such as shopping centres, industrial factories and even football
stadiums. One remarkable project from these years is a building for the regional
government of Extremadura, in Mérida, where a totally precast structure shaped
by 25 m long prestressed beams was constructed to preserve archeological
remains underneath (figure 2.10).

Figure 2.10 Prestressed precast beams. Architect:Juan

Navarro Baldeweg

During the last years the importance of precast-prestressed structures has

become increasingly relevant. The projects designed nowadays are more flexible
than those from the 70s, where standard projects were usually repeated at each
location. These days precast-prestressed construction has evolved to become an
adaptable technology, which can provide special solutions for each particular
case. The tendency is towards creative solutions instead of the reproduction of
standard shapes. The use of high performance concrete, especially high strength

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
History of prestressed concrete

and lightweight mixes, has become frequent and this has been regarded in the
latest edition of the national standard EHE (2008). With special articles in the
standard regarding the design, production, quality control and reception of
precast-prestressed members it is clear that this technology has gained relevance
in the building industry in Spain and will continue to do so in the future.

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 3 Prestressing materials and
systems

We already described the origins and first attempts at prestressed concrete

and now we will focus on the technique, how it compares to traditional reinforced
concrete and its relation with the precast industry.
According to the Eurocode 2 the definition of prestressing for concrete
structures is as follows:
“The process of prestressing consists in applying forces to the concrete
structure by stressing tendons relative to the concrete member. Prestress is used
globally to name all the permanent effects of the prestressing process which
comprise internal forces in the sections and deformations of the structures. Other
means of prestressing are not considered in this standard.”
The Spanish national standard EHE (2008), article 20.1.1, defines
prestressing as:
Prestressing shall be understood to be the controlled application of a stress
to the concrete by means of the tensioning of steel tendons. The tendons shall be
made of high strength steel and may consist of wires, strands or bars. No other
forms of prestressing may be considered in this Code.
This means the structure is prepared to receive a load by applying a pre-
emptive countervailing load. The basic concepts of prestressing can be
represented by considering a simply supported rectangular beam as in the
following figure (figure 3.1) (Nawy, 2010), assuming it is homogeneous and elastic.
 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

Figure 3.1 Concrete fiber stress distribution in a beam with straight tendon.
(a)Concentric tendon, stress only.(b)Concentric tendon plus self-weight. (c) Eccentric tendon,
prestress only.(d) Eccentric tendon plus self-weight.

In (a) the compressive stress on the beam cross section is uniform and
P
equal to − . When an external transverse load is applied to the beam, causing
Ac
a maximum bending moment at midspan, the resulting stress becomes:

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

P Mc
ft = − − , at the top fibres.
Ac Ig

P Mc
fb = − + , at the bottom fibres.
Ac Ig

As seen in 3.1(b) the application of the loading stress –Mc/I increases the
compressive stresses at the top fibres of the beam, and so reducing the
compressive stress capacity of the member. In order to avoid this, the
prestressing tendon is placed below the neutral axis at midspan to induce tensile
stresses at the top fibres due to prestressing (figure 3.1(c)). The tendon placed at
eccentricity e from the center of gravity of the concrete, creates a moment Pe,
and so the stresses at midspan become:
P Pec M c
ft = − + −
Ac I g Ig

P Pec M c
fb = − − +
Ac I g Ig

In the design of prestressed beams it is important not to overlook the

minimum moment condition, especially when employing straight tendons, as
stresses near the ends of beams where moments are small may often exceed
those at sections nearer mid-span(Mosley, Bungey, Hulse, 2007).
Whether this prestress load is applied before or after the concrete has
hardened will determine the two main categories of the technique: pre-
tensioning or post-tensioning.
There are several ways to classify prestressed concrete based on different
aspects of the technique:
• Pretensioning/post-tensioning: based on the sequence of casting
the concrete and applying tension to the tendons
• External/internal prestressing: depending on the location of the
prestressing tendon with respect to the concrete section.
• Full/partial prestressing: based on the amount of prestressing force
and the allowance for tension or cracks to be developed.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

• Uniaxial/biaxial or multiaxial prestressing: according to the

directions of prestressing a member.
• Linear/circular prestressing: based on the shape of the prestressed
member.
The main category for prestressing concrete methods is that for
pretensioning and post-tensioningso it will be the one detailed here.

3.1 Types
3.1.1 Pretensioning
In pretensioning, first the steel is tensioned between end-anchorages and
then the concrete is placed in moulds around it. Once the concrete has achieved
sufficient compressive strength, the steel is released, transferring the force to the
concrete through the bond between both materials (figure 3.2). Because the force
is transferred by bond, as large an area of contact as possible is desirable, and
therefore these members will have a large number of wires or strands.

Figure 3.2 Prestressed concrete factory production schemes

This method is ideally suited for factory production since permanent

stressing beds (figure 3.3) and large anchorages are required and this equipment
can be amortized producing large numbers of identical units. It will be the method

20
Sofía Lorenzo Romero

detailed in this dissertation since it is focused on precast members. The most

effective method is long-line production where a number of similar units are
produced at the same time.

Figure 3.3Long-line production of pre-tensioned members

(Prefabricados Castelo).

In prestressed concrete construction, a rapid initial gain in strength is

usually desirable in order to apply the prestress as early as possible. This is
particularly so in the case of precast, pretensioned production. Steam curing and
high early strength cement are often used to this end(Gilbert, Mickreborough,
1990).The majority of pre-tensioned units produced have straight tendons that
are continuously bonded to the concrete although in larger units the prestress
force can be more efficiently used by deflecting the tendons or debonding some
of them by sheathing to prevent adherence. This is economically viable in case of
large flexural members of constant section although the cost of operating and
maintaining the mechanisms required for deflecting the tendons has deterred
manufacturers. This technique is mainly used in bridge beams (Mosley, Bungey,
Hulse, 2007) (figure 3.4).The different processes for producing prestressed
concrete will be discussed in detail in the following sections.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

Figure 3.4 Tendon deflections in prestressed concrete

3.1.2 Post-tensioning
In post-tensioning the concrete is first cast and allowed to harden and then
the prestress force is applied. The tendons are threaded through ducts cast into
the concrete, which can be arranged in a curved shape (Fig. 3.5), and so the
prestress force can be distributed more efficiently according to the bending
moment at each section. These ducts can be shaped by preformed circular metal
ducting or by using removable solid or inflatable rubber formers.

Figure 3.5 Post-tensioned concrete

Special built-in anchorages at the ends of the ducts are fixed to the mould
and transfer the prestress to the concrete once the tendons have been stressed to
their full force. The prestress force in these members is usually provided by
several wires or strands grouped into large tendons in one anchorage. These
anchorages, that are permanent in the structure, are quite expensive and so its
cost outweighs the saving of steel (compared with pretensioning) in short
pieces.Post-tensioned concrete is most commonly used in large building projects
such as high-rises, and is especially relevant in bridge construction, being mainly
an in-situ technology. Post tensioning in the precast industry is mostly used in the
production of pieces for segmental construction that are assembled and stressed
on site.

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The steel in the tendons is protected from corrosion by either grease-based

coating or grout, which are injected in the sheathing. The tendons would be
unbonded or bonded depending on the material injected.

Figure 3.6 Post-tensioning duct (VSL International Ltd.)

One advantage of post-tensioning over pretensioning is that the tensioning

can be carried out in stages for all tendons or for some of them.
Post-tensioning in buildings is most usually seen in floor slabs although
there are many other areas where it can be an interesting option such as:
foundations, post-tensioned masonry, transfer beams and plates, and as a means
of combination between precast elements and cast-in-place concrete. However
post-tensioning in buildings is not usual in Europe and is mostly a technology
carried on-site, and since this report is centered on precast-prestressed concrete
in the building industry we will focus on pretensioned/precast concrete.

3.2 Prestressed Concrete vs. Reinforced Concrete

There are several advantages of using prestressed concrete over simply
reinforced, although these will only become relevant regarding the circumstances
and needs of the project. It is in a fully prestressed concrete member (which is
subjected to compression during service life) where we can see how prestressing
rectifies several deficiencies of simply reinforced concrete. Some of these
advantages are the following:

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

• For a given span and loading a smaller prestressed concrete

member is required.
This is especially relevant for large structures such as bridges or
high-rise buildings, where the reduction in self-weight saves a
considerable amount of concrete also in vertical members and
foundations. In high-rise buildings this smaller depth of the slabs
and saving of concrete may allow for extra floors to be built. Also
slender sections provide a more aesthetic appeal.
• High elastic limit steel can be used (≥ 1500 N/mm2 )
The use of this type of steel in simply reinforced concrete would
render inadmissible values of deflections and cracking.
• Section remains uncracked under service loads
This means a reduction of steel corrosion and therefore and
increase in durability. This characteristic makes prestressed
concrete suitable for liquid retaining structures and also improves
the performance under dynamic and fatigue loading.
• High span-to-depth ratios
The typical values for slabs are 28:1 for non-prestressed concrete
and 45:1 for prestressed concrete
• It offers a means of controlling deflections
Since eccentric prestressing causes a vertical deflection usually in
the opposite direction to that caused by the applied load,
deflections can be precisely controlled to protect partitions, finishes
and associated structures.
• Suitable for precast construction
Pretensioned concrete is mostly carried out in industrial
installations where the cost of casting beds, anchorages and
equipment makes it economically viable. Industrialization yields a
higher quality of these members, a safer work environment on site
and reduces the building process and the safety coefficients to be
applied.

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As we can see there are several advantages when using prestressed

concrete over reinforced although several factors, including structural and
economic reasons, will determine the choice of each technique.Nevertheless
there are also some disadvantages that must be carefully considered when
choosing prestressed concrete over simply reinforced.
One of them is the fact that most, if not all, of the concrete cross section is
in compression under all load conditions so that any inherent problems due to
long term creep movements are increased. Also connections must be carefully
designed and considered in order to achieve an acceptable degree of
monolithism. Even though a prestressed concrete member requires less concrete
and about 20-30% the amount of reinforcement, many times this saving in
material costs is balanced by the higher cost of the higher quality materials and
professionals of prestressed concrete (Nawy, 2010).The difference between the
initial costs of reinforced and prestressed concrete is reduced when a large
enough number of precast units are manufactured, and also indirect long term
savings are quite substantial since less maintenance is needed.

3.3Materials
3.3.1 Concrete
The development of prestressed concrete has been closely related to that
of high-strength concrete, since strength and endurance are qualities that are
particularly important in prestressing. In pretensioned concrete a high-strength
concrete is desirable since it will improve bond and allow for an earlier transfer of
the prestress force, in post-tensioning the strength of the concrete is especially
relevant in the anchorage zone where local tensions are important. The use of
high-strength and high-performance concretes is usual in the precast industry
where the optimization of the production process justifies the higher cost of
materials.
According to the Spanish standard EHE the types of cement that may be
used in prestressed concrete are: CEM I, CEMII/A-D, CEM II/A-V and CEM II/A-P.
Where CEM I refers to common or general purpose cement (with up to 5% of
minor additional constituents), CEM II/A-D is silica fume cement (6-10%), CEM
II/A-V is fly ash cement (6-20%), and CEM II/A-P is pozzolana cement with 6-20%
of pozzolanic materials. For prestressed concrete the addition of silica fume and
fly ash is limited to 10% and 20% respectively regarding the cement weight. Both

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

of these additions increase the concrete’s density and ultimate strengthand

therefore the bond between concrete and steel. For this same reason air-
entraining admixtures are generally not recommended for pretensioned concrete
structures (which depend on adherence for bond), since the air bubbles reduce
the bonding properties of concrete. The Spanish standard specifies that this type
of admixtures may only be considered in a certain type of precast production for
slabs where the final results in bonding can be assessed through testing of the
member.
The minimum strength of concrete for prestressing according to the
national standard is 25 N/mm2, although usually the range employed goes from
35 to 50 N/mm2. Since prestressing is performed prior to the concrete’s achieving
its 28 days’ strength, it is important to determine the concrete compressive
strength at the prestressing stage. This is generally referred as the ‘initial’ or
‘transfer condition’. The Eurocode 2 also mentions that it may be required to
specify the compressive stage at a number of stages such as demoulding, transfer
of prestress, etc. This is one of the differences between simply reinforced and
prestressed concrete. An early development of the concrete’s strength is
desirable to optimize the production process, and some techniques, such as
steam-curing, make possible that strengths attained after 28 days might be
reached after a few hours.
For early stages of the concrete, such as that of transfer in pretensioning,
the evolution of the concrete’s compressive strength and the modulus of elasticity
must be determined from expressions that give an approximate value for an age
different than the 28 day value.
The modulus of elasticity and compressive strength of concrete at a certain
age (and under certain curing conditions, 20°C,95% humidity)according to the
Eurocode 2 and the EHE standard is:
fcm (t ) = β cc (t ) fcm ,28

E cm (t ) = β E (t )E cm ,28

β E (t ) = [β cc (t )]0.3
  28 1 / 2 
s 1 −   
β cc (t ) = e   t  

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

0.3
 f (t ) 
E cm (t ) =  cm  E cm ,28
 fcm ,28 
Where fcm(t) is the concrete’s compressive strength at a given age t (in
days), fcm,28 is the value of resistance inup to 28 days (that can be estimated as
fck+8), Ecm,28 is the modulus of elasticity at 28 days of age, and s is a coefficient that
depends on the type of cement:
S=0.20 Class R cements (rapid)
S=0.35 Class N cements (normal)
S=0.38 Class S cements (slow)
Creep of concrete (the inelastic deformation due to sustained load) is
another factor that is especially relevant when designing prestressed concrete
members, since it reduces the prestress in the tendon with time and so it must be
carefully considered when calculating the prestress losses.
Since prestressed concrete is mostly done in the precast industry, usually
higher-strength and performance mixes are used compared with poured on site
concrete members. The special quality control of the concrete production in the
precast industry is relevant in many stages of the design, minimum concrete
covers and material coefficients are reduced for that situation.
Minimum concrete covers in the EC2 standard are determined, among
other factors, on account of the exposure class and the structural class, which is
generally taken as 4 and then can be reduced under some circumstances which
apply to the precast industry. Also the value for deviation Δcdev may be reduced
from the minimum 10 mm value to zero. The minimum cover for a pre-tensioned
member would be the maximum satisfying the requirements for both bond and
environmental conditions.
cmin= max {cmin,b; cmin,dur; 10 mm}
The minimum cover for bond in a pre-tensioned tendon is: two times the
diameter of strand or plain wire and three times the diameter of indented wire.
The minimum cover for durability is related to the exposure and structural
classes as detailed in the following tables from EC2:

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Prestressing materials and systems

Table 3.1 Structural classification according to EC2

Table 3.2 Minimum cover requirements with regard to durability for

prestressing steel.

As we can see, the higher concrete strengths and quality control procedures
used in the precast industry allow for a reduction in the minimum concrete
covers. The new 2008 version of the Spanish standard EHE has included special
requirements for precast elements in the design, production and reception stages
as well as for products in possession of a quality mark.
The general partial factors for materials for the ultimate limit states, γc and
γs, according to the National Annex for the Eurocode 2 are:

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Design situations γc for concrete γs for reinforcing/prestressing steel

Persistent and transient 1.5 1.15

Accidental 1.3 1.0

Table 3.3 Partial factors for materials for ultimate limit states

These values can be reduced according to the circumstances described in

sections 15.3.1 and 15.3.2 of the EHE 2008 standard which are copied below:
15.3.1 Modification of the partial safety factor for steel
The partial safety factor for steel may be reduced to 1.10 when at least two of the
following conditions are met:
a) That the construction of the structure is closely controlled pursuant to the
provisions of Chapter XVII and that the attachment tolerances of the reinforcement
comply with those explicitly laid down in the design, which must be at least as
demanding as those indicated in paragraph 6 of Annex No 11 to this Code.
b) thatthe passive or active reinforcements, dependingon the case, bear an officially
recognized quality mark with a guarantee level compliant with Section 8 of Annex
19 to this Code, or which form part of a precast element bearing an officially
recognized quality mark with a guarantee level compliant with the aforementioned
Section.
c) That the steel for the passive reinforcements bears an officially recognized quality
mark.
15.3.2 Modification of the partial safety factor for concrete
The partial safety factor for concrete may be reduced to 1.40 in general and to 1.35
for precast elements, when the following conditions are met simultaneously:
a) that the construction of the structure is closely controlled pursuant to the
provisions of Chapter XVII and that deviations in the geometry of the cross-section
in relation to the nominal cross-sections of the design comply with those explicitly
laid down in the design, which must be at least as demanding as those indicated in
Section 6 of Annex No 11 to this Code, and
b) that the concrete bears an officially recognized quality mark with a guarantee
level compliant with Section 8 of Annex 19 to this Code, or which form part of a
precast element bearing an officially recognized quality mark with a guarantee
levelcompliant with the aforementioned Section.

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Prestressing materials and systems

These circumstances are common in the precast industry and so it is one of

the advantages when designing with precast members.

3.3.2 Steel
As we described in previous sections, because of high creep and shrinkage
losses in concrete, only high-tensile steel may be used for prestressing
reinforcement, and it is usually in the form of cold-drawn wires of bars. There are
3 types of steel products for prestressed reinforcement:
• Wires: vary in diameter from 3 to 7 mm, supplied in mill-coils.
• Bars: hot-rolled alloy-steel bars, vary from 20-40 mm diameter
• Strands: produced by spinning several wires around a central core
wire. Can be made up of 2,3 or 7 wires. Usually 7 wires with an
overall diameter of 8 to 18 mm.
According to EC2, prestressing tendons (which can be made of wires,
strands and bars) shall be classified on account of:
• Strength: giving the value of the 0.1 proof stress (fp0.1k) and the
value of the ratio of tensile stress to proof stress (fpk/fp0.1k) and
elongation at maximum load (εuk).
• Class: indicating the relaxation behavior
• Size
• Surface characteristics: wires and bars may have indentations.
Prestressing wire can be found with the following characteristics:

Designation Nominal diameter (mm) Nominal tensile strength fpk

Y 1570 C 9.4-10 1570
Y 1670 C 7.0-7.5-8.0 1670
Y 1770 C 3.0-4.0-5.0-6.0 1770
Y 1860 C 4.0-5.0 1860

Table 3.4 Prestressing wire sections

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According to the EHE-2008, the geometric characteristics will match those

established by the UNE 36094:1997 standard for steel wire and strand for
prestressed concrete reinforcement. Wire is the product used in pretensioned-
prestressed concrete. The designation of prestressing wire will be according to
this standard as follows:
• Reference to the product standard (UNE 36094:1997)
• Steel designation including:
o Letter Y for prestessing steel
o Nominal tensile strength in MPa
o Letter C for cold-drawn wires
o Nominal diameter
o Letter I for indented wires followed by 1 or 2 depending on
the type of indentation, in case of smooth wires this would
be left blank.
For strands, the same designation applies, except the letter C is replaced by
S followed by the number of wires shaping the strand (2, 3 or 7). The nominal
tensile strength for strands according to the EHE-2008 should match the following
tables:

Designation Nominal diameter (mm) Nominal tensile strength fmax

Y 1770 S2 5.6-6.0 1770
Y 1860 S3 6.5-6.8-7.5 1860
Y 1960 S3 5.2 1960
Y 2060 S3 5.2 2060

Table 3.5Prestressing strands: 2 and 3 wires

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Prestressing materials and systems

Designation Nominal diameter (mm) Nominal tensile strength fmax

Y 1770 S7 16.0 1770
Y 1860 S7 9.3-13.0-15.2-16 1860

Table 3.6Prestressing strands: 2 and 3 wires

Seven-wire strands are helically wound round a central straight wire, after
this it can be drawn through a die and compacted, these are known as ‘drawn’
strands. The two cross sections are shown in the following image:

Figure 3.7 seven wire strands: wound and drawn.

The yield point for high strength steels is not as well-defined as that for mild
steel, and so the proof stress is defined as the stress at which, when the load is
removed, there is a given permanent deformation of 0.1 elongation.
The maximum stressing force, measured as the force applied to a tendon at
the active end, should not exceed:
Pmax= Apσp, max
Being Ap the sectional area of the tendon and σp, max the maximum stress
applied to the tendon. This value will be the minimum of:
k1fpk
k2fp 0.1 k
The Spanish Annex to EC2 (which is yet to be approved) provides a general
value for those coefficients of k1=0.70and k2=0.85. These can be increased to 0.75

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and 0.90 when the steel and the precaster possess a mark certificate. Temporary
overtensioning is allowed if the force in the jack can be measured to an accuracy
of ±5% of the final value of the prestressing force. In this case the maximum
prestressing force may be increased to k3fp0.1k, where k3=0.90 or may be
increased to 0.95 when both the product and process is mark certified. A practical
example on the design of a pretensioned member and an estimation of the
prestress losses is detailed in chapter 5. One of the factors contributing to the loss
of prestress is the relaxation of steel.
The Eurocode defines 3 classes of relaxation:
• Class 1: wire or strand-ordinary relaxation
• Class 2: wire or strand-low relaxation
• Class 3: hot rolled and processed bars
Relaxation of steel defines the decrease in stress with time under constant
strain. It reduces the prestress in the tendon with time, and so the study of
relaxation is important in order to calculate the loss in prestress. Initial prestress
force and the temperature are also relevant factors besides the type of steel. The
relaxation loss may be obtained from the manufacturers’ test certificates or taken
from the estimated values given in standards. These values refer to a percentage
ratio of the initial stress, at 1000 hours after tensioning and at a mean
temperature of 20°C.In EHE-2008 (article 38.9) the required value is that of
relaxation for an initial tensile stress equal to 70% of the characteristic tensile
stress, for which the relaxation value should be 2.0. Eurocode 2, in section 3.3.2.,
provides expressions for the determination of the relaxation loss for the different
steel classes, in absence of the value given by the manufacturer.

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Prestressing materials and systems

3.4 Production of precast-prestressed concrete

3.4.1 Stressing beds
Prestressing of beams and slabs is most economically applied in long-line
precasting mass-production operations, where a higher efficiency allows for
reduction in labor, formwork and hardware costs.
The simplest procedure is pretensioning with individual molds, where the
tendons are anchored directly to the steel mold in which concrete is cast (figure
3.8). The molds must be designed to withstand the additional forces induced by
the tendons. These are known as self-stressing forms and this solution is
economical when the location of the prestressing force is not excessively high or
eccentric.

Figure 3.8 Mold method pretensioning

The system that is frequently used in the precast industry is the long line
method (or Hoyer system), where end anchor blocks are kept a sufficient distance
apart and several members are cast in a single line. Initially prestressing in beds
was carried out in abutment beds where an anchor block was simply cast in the
ground. Since back then the size of the members and the steel density was
smaller, these abutments where sufficiently stiff to resist the stresses caused by
the tendons. When large prestressing forces are required this method becomes
very expensive because of the necessity of stiff and strong foundations for these
anchor blocks.This is solved by connecting the two abutments by a full length
concrete slab which is substantially thickened at each end to provide foundations
for the support of these abutments (figure 3.9). The steel anchor blocks were

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initially cast in the concrete, and these were heavy members designed for the
highest steel density across the bed which was a costly solution (Calavera, 2010).
Today the common practice is the use of slots or trenches cast into the
foundations so that the anchor blocks can be efficiently distributed across the
prestressing bed. This provides a larger degree of flexibility.

Figure 3.9 Prestressing bed with fixed abutments (PCI Bridge manual)

Another solution to avoid the need of stiff and strong foundations in

prestressing beds is the adoption of a self-equilibrating system using a tension
frame. This is known as a strutted bedin which thebed is designed to act as a strut
without deformation when tensioning forces are applied.Steel shapes or
prestressed concrete members running from end-to-end act as independent
compression struts (figure 3.10) (PCI Bridge design manual).
In order to limit the amount of wasted strand when casting members that
are shorter than the total length of the bed, another method includes slots or
trenches between the ends. The anchor blocks can then be placed in intermediate
positions limiting the amount of strands that need to be cut and later spliced to
be used. These type of prestressing beds allow for the production of very different
members (Calavera, 2010)

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

Figure 3.10 “Strutted” prestressing bed.

There are other accessories such as distributions or templates that are

independent of the stressing hardware and employed to arrange strands from the
configuration of the holes in the standard stressing hardware to the specific
configuration required by the precast member. This must be done with a
maximum deflection of 20° in order to avoid greater prestress losses(Calavera,
2010).
Other systems that are used mostly for the production of hollow-core slabs
are the dry-cast or extrusion systemand slip-forming. In the extrusion system a
very low slump concrete is forced through a machine in which tubes shape the
cores of the slab.Due to the intense high frequency vibrations and pressure within
the machine the concrete mix is 'plasticized' during the short time that it is passed
through the extruder which allows it to be molded and formed into the required
section.The slip-forming system uses a higher slump concrete. The sides are
created by stationary forms (or by slip forming) with forms attached to the
machine. Cores are typically created by pneumatic tubes attached to the form or
by slip forming with long tubes attached to the casting machine, which travels
along the prestressing bed (figure 3.11).

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Figure 3.11 Top to bottom: extruding machine (Elematic) and slipformer (Echo
engineering)

3.4.2 Strand profile

Straight pretensioning strands are the simplest solution and the most
common arrangement in the production of members for the building industry,
such as slabs. It is appropriate for moderate span simply supported beams. These
members are wide and relatively shallow, and necessarily the eccentricity of the
prestressing force is small. Otherwise the member’s dead load moment at the
ends is not enough to offset the excessive tensile and compressive stresses
developed in that area.In large units, where the self-weight is considerable, it can
be advantageous to increase the eccentricity of the tendons within the central

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

portion of the span. The approach to control end stresses with straight tendons is
to debond some strands at the end. This method can also be used to allow the
casting of members that have different numbers of strand in the same bed and to
prevent concrete bonding to strands placed for handling and shipping purposes.

Debonding is also known as shielding since it is usually done by placing a

length of plastic tube or shield over the strand to prevent it from bonding to the
concrete. Some recommended guidelines are: not to debond all strands in the
bottom row and not to debond more than 50% of the strands below a dapped end
or adjacent strands.

Figure 3.12 Debonded tendons (Allen, 1999)

When casting relatively deep members, such as I-beams, harped strands

can provide a better correlation to the moment envelope. Hold-down devices are
placed in the beds; they can be attached on the forms or directly to the concrete
floor depending on the system used. Some examples of harping devices and the
disposition of a pretensioning bed with deviation devices are given in figure 3.13
and 3.14 respectively.

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Figure 3.13 Harping devices (reference 19)

When using harped tendons the vertical component of the prestressing

nonstraight tendon has a balancing effect when the prestress beam has to carry
heavy loads. Since the required prestressing force for a harped tendon is smaller
at midspan than the force required for a straight tendon, for the same stress level,
a smaller number of strands are needed in the case of harped tendons.
Sometimes even a smaller concrete section can be used, increasing the efficiency
in the design.

Figure 3.14 Typical pretensioning bed profile

The typical pretensioning set-up shown in figure 3.14 consists of a “live”

end, from which the strands are jacked,and an opposite end called the “dead”
end. When not using a bed with multiple lengths dispositions, the member is
positioned in the line as close as possible to the dead end in order to reduce the
amount of strand that is cut off and wasted. If the strands are going to be

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

deflected a minimum dimension is needed to maintain a shallow slope (not

greater than 20°) on the strands from the abutments to the endplate in the
precast member. Since this type of disposition still leaves a considerable amount
of free strand at the live end, some producers use “lead” strands that are spliced
to the production strands and reused each day.
The temporary grips that hold the wires or strand during and after
tensioning, usually consist of a barrel and wedge (figure3.15), which is the
commonest system. This is generally shaped by two or three pieces and the
wedge has grooves on the surface in contact with the tendon to improve grip.
These grips are forced onto unstressed tendons close to the anchor plate and at
the live end, where the prestressing is applied, these grips are simply placed. The
jack is then positioned on the tendon and stressing begins, pulling the tendon
through the grip. Once the required load and extension has been reached, the
wedge is forced onto the tendon, the jack is released and the wedge is forced
onto itself and firmly gripped as the tendon tries to pull through it. The strands
can be tensioned individually or as a group.

Figure 3.15 Grip assembly for pretensioning

When the concrete in the member has reached sufficient strength for
transfer (after curing), a prefabricated “stool” is inserted between the anchor
block and the jack(PCI bridge design manual). The tendon is jacked to its original
force, allowing the barrel-and-wedge anchorage to be removed once relieved of
its pressure. Then the jack pressure is released and the prestressing force is
transferred to the concrete members along the prestressing bed. When using
harped tendons, the strands are tensioned in the original straight profiles and
then deflected and locked by a holding-down device. Otherwise the friction
between the tendons and the holding-down devices must be taken into account.

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3.4.3 Accelerated curing

In a precast plant it is desirable to achieve a daily production cycle for the
installations to have a greater efficiency. Accelerated curing is usually the only
way to achieve the necessary concrete’s strength for prestressing release in the
available curing period. The following example of a production cycle, which can be
repeated on a daily basis, is given by Calavera:

• Prestressing bed cleaning 0.5 h

• Setting and alignment of forms
• Release agent application to forms
• Placing of steel reinforcement 3.0 h
• Stressing and anchoring
• Concrete casting and compaction 1.5 h
• Initial set period 2.0 h
• Steam curing 6.0
• Release of prestress/strand cutting 0.5 h
• Transport of members to yard storage 2.0 h
TOTAL 15.5 hours

Figure 3.16 Production cycle example (Calavera,2010)

Curing of the concrete takes place usually by covering to prevent loss of

moisture and sometimes by the application of radiant heat or steam. This last
procedure is the commonest since it is very flexible and has the advantage of
providing a water-saturated environment. Steam curing allows the concrete to
reach a strength that would take a week with regular curing.
The system consists of a steam generator and a network of pipes that go
along the prestressing bed, releasing steam so that a uniform temperature is
obtained. The materials used to “tent” the forms are polyethylene sheet or

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Prestressing materials and systems

insulated tarp (PCI Bridge Manual). The treatment involves a preset or initial set
period since the concrete is cast and then a period during which the temperature
is increased at a rate of 20/30° C per hour. Once the maximum curing
temperature is reached, this temperature is maintainedand then progressively
decreased (Calavera, 2010). Before the concrete reaches room temperature the
prestressing force is transferred to it, to compress the concrete and avoid
cracking.
This heating process causes additional prestress force losses by steel
relaxation and thermal expansion of the reinforcement, that have to be taken into
account through the modification of the concrete’s load age as described in the
EHE 2008 standard, article 20.2.3. It provides expressions for a fictitious age
adjusted to temperature and for the additional loss due to thermal expansion.

3.4.4 Removing products from forms

The procedure followed to remove the member from the form is referred
to as “stripping” the products or “stripping the beds”. The necessary lifting
devices for each member, to keep stresses within allowable limits, are carefully
designed and arranged during production. The Spanish standard EHE in its latest
edition (article 59) covers the need for these temporary situations (such as the
stripping of members, handling, transport and assembly) to be considered in the
action’s analysis and limit state verifications “given the evolutionary nature of
their construction, when designing precast structures and members”.
Usually the same devices are used for stripping the members off the forms
and for erection. Orientation of components during storage, shipping and final in-
service position is critical in determining stripping requirements.
3.4.4.1 Lifting devices
Lifting devices in precast/prestressed concrete members usually consist of
strand lift loops, bolts or proprietary metal inserts. Strand lift loops are made of
the same strand used in the production of the prestressed members, making it an
economical option since it takes advantage of “waste” material. Some typical lift
loop configurations are shown in figure 3.17. The surrounding concrete where the
lift-loop is inserted should be reinforced to prevent splitting and loss of bond.Cast-
in rope wires can be cut-off once the member is in its final position.

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Figure 3.17 Typical lift-loop configurations (PCI Bridge design

manual)

Other type of lifting devices involve casting a threaded insert in the

concrete member, securely anchored, in which different lifting devices can be
later attached. For example, swivel lifting eyes (figure 3.18) are installed that way.
This type of device is more suitable for repeated use and is specially designed to
allow angled lifts.
The stresses that the members have to bear during stripping, lifting,
transportation and erection are carefully considered by manufacturers and usually
factored in the member design. It is also very important to determine the force
per anchor in order to provide the necessary lifting points. In this calculation both
manufacturing plant and site conditions are taken into account. An example for a
slab unit with two anchors is provided by Halfen (figure 3.19).

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

Figure 3.18 Swivel lifting eye device (Halfen)

Figure 3.19 Anchor calculations for manufacturing and

construction site (Halfen)

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In larger members, to avoid excessive sling angles in lifting lines, spreader

beams are used to allow for a better static weight distribution.This technique, as
well as rolling blocks and lifting trusses, are necessary when multiple lifting points
are used. These lifting systems are known as rigging arrangements. When using a
spreader beam (figure 3.20), the component acts as a continuous beam with
multiple supports; therefore consideration of lifting-hook locations, hook heights,
and sling angles are critical to ensure even lifting of the component. To minimize
concrete stresses due to the eccentricity of prestress, pretensioned flexural
members are handled with lifting devices as close as possible to the location
where the member will be supported in the structure.

Figure 3.20 Rigging for multiple point lifting (PCI Bridge design
manual)
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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

3.4.4.2 Form suction

The most critical time in handling a precast member in the plant is when it
is initially lifted from the form, since the concrete strength is lower and the
prestressing force is higher than at any other time in the life of the member. Also
careful considerationhas to be given to the amount of suction expected from the
specific form. This effect has to be considered when choosing the crane, rigging
and lifting device as well as in the determination of concrete stresses. It is
common practice to apply a multiplierto the component weight and treat the
resulting force as an equivalent static load. This multiplier is based on the
experience and specific formwork of the individual precast concrete producers
(PCI Design handbook). On pretensioned members whose sides have been
removed suction is normally minimal since the elastic shortening and camber will
usually break the bond between the remaining forms and concrete.

3.4.5 In-plant transport and storage

Usually products are moved to a designated finishing area after being
stripped from the casting bed. A variety of equipment can be used for moving the
products around the yard; the choice depends on each manufacturer. However
the common cranes used to lift and transport the products in plant are usually
overhead travelling cranes (bridge cranes)and gantry cranes (figure 3.21)

.
Figure 3.21 Gantry crane lifting a panel

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Precast plants are normally designed in linear fashion to facilitate the most
efficient movement of products from the casting bed to yard storage. This storage
is usually located at the end of the production line, where access for trucks and
moving cranes is readily available. The storage area should be provided of a
sufficient sized foundation to resist crushing or excessive settlement.Wherever
possible, a component should be stored on points of support located at or near to
those used for stripping and handling. The importance in the design of storage
relies mostly on the control of permanent concrete deformations rather than
control of concrete stresses. Supports which cause no apparent initial damage can
result in undesirable permanent deformations caused by creep of the concrete,
while cracking and spalling are easily noticed.
Storing techniques depend also on whether the members are eccentrically
prestressed or concentrically prestressed. In eccentrically prestressed flexural
members an undesirable camber growth can result from storing them on supports
a significant distance from the ends. Concentrically prestressed members, such as
piles, have to be supported during storage at relatively short intervals along their
length. These members carry a high level of prestress, and being long and slender,
this can result in permanent deformations when stored with relatively large
spaces between supports. When using multiple supports, care must be given to
provide uniform support to the member, since differential settlements can have a
substantial effect on both concrete stresses and permanent deformations. In two-
point supports, differential settlements have no detrimental effect on concrete
stresses as illustrated in figure 3.22.
Since yard storage is limited, precast members are stacked whenever
possible, which is the case for shallow members. Deep flexural members such as I-
beams are simply placed close to one another. Where units are stacked the
timber spacing blocks used as support should be positioned vertically above one
another. This is important because pre-tensioned single-span members cannot act
as cantilevers, which they will try to do if the packing pieces do not line up.
The height between supports must be sufficient in order not to damage any
projecting steel, such as stirrups, or lifting devices which also have to remain
accessible.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Prestressing materials and systems

Figure 3.22 Product storage points, moment redistribution

3.4.6 Transportation

The most common system to transport precast/prestressed members to

site is by truck:crane trucks of flat-bed trailers. Crane trucks are used for standard
units, whenever possible. Trailer dimensions and hauling capacity will depend on
the type of precast members to ship, but preferably a center of gravity as low as
possible and the possibility to center the units is recommended. Steerable trailers
are required when transporting large and long-pan members. The driver should
be aware beforehand of any limitations regarding overheadhigh-voltage lines and
the size restrictions for transport and special permits if required for overloads.
The precaster must ensure that the elements are loaded in a sequencecompatible
with the required unloadingsequence on site.

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The supports on the truck should be located as close as possible to the

lifting devices. However impact during transportation is a factor that must be
considered by the manufacturer when checking concrete stresses.

Once on site there should be a designated area were the ground has been
compacted in order to facilitate truck circulation. Precast members must be
handled following the manufacturer’s instructions, using the adequate lifting
devices and support arrangement for storage/stacking when necessary as it was
done during production.
The reception of precast products on sitewill be detailed in the following
sections.

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4 Precast/prestressed structures
We will now detail the specific building process and reception of units for
precast/prestressed structures. There are many structural options for the
available precast prestressed units, which can be combined in several ways with
many different materials and structural systems, but since this report is based on
precast/prestressed concrete members we will focus on the usual systems where
these are more frequently used.

4.1 Usual sections of precast/prestressed products.

There use of prestressed concrete members to provide structural solutions
allows producers to develop very different systems that cannot possibly be
described in this report. Also even though precast and prestressed concrete
components can be manufactured in a variety of customized sizes and shapes,
maximum economy is achieved by using the common products that have evolved
in the industry. We will focus on the most usual sections and structural systems
available.
Some typical prestressed units are shown in figure 4.1. Among the most
prevalent of these products are prestressed hollow-core slabs and joists.
Prestressed beams and purlins are a frequent solution for industrial warehouse
construction where totally precast structures have been traditionally used.The
ability of prestressed concrete to span long distances with shallow depths and
carry heavy loads is particularly suitable for warehouses and industrial buildings
Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Figure 4.1 Typical precast/prestressed sections

4.2 Advantages of precast construction

As we mentioned previously the use of precast products is regarded in the
construction standards as an advantage towards reducing some of the coefficients
used in design, but there are other specific advantages of precasting that are
easily noticed on site. Some of these specific advantages are (Gerwick, 1993):
• Control of shrinkage: the use of lower water to cement ratios in
precast concrete and steam curing, as well as proper aging and
drying before erection, may reduce shrinkage and allow for it to
take place before being part of the building.

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• Reduction of creep: again, higher strengths concretes and proper

curing may produce concrete of reduced creep characteristics.
• Quality control: the factory production of precast concrete
elements is inherently manufactured under the best conditions for
forming, placement of reinforcement and concrete, vibration and
curing. The accuracy and uniformity of concrete cover makes it
possible to assure greater durability. It also permits the application
of special manufacturing techniques that cannot be applied to cast-
in-place concrete. Prestressing steel and inserts may accurately be
positioned and held during concreting. Dimensional tolerance
control is facilitated and more easily corrected.
• Timely availability: most plants are able to produce to order at the
desired rate and even meet accelerated schedules. Many
standardized, mass produced elements can be furnished to a
construction size on very short order.
• Reduction in site construction time: actual erection time and site
construction time may be efficiently reduced. In favorable
circumstances, the floor of a building may be erected and jointed in
two days.
• Economy: mass production of standardized elements reduces the
cost of forms and manufacturing labor and site labor can be kept to
a minimum. Since higher strengths and thinner sections are used,
deadweight may be reduced, resulting in overall savings in concrete
and steel or the possibility to add extra floors.
• Suitability for composite construction: precast members may
frequently be combined with cast-in-place concrete to improve the
monolithic behavior of the structure. The units may serve as partial
forms or support for forms for the cast-in-place concrete.
• Reduced maintenance: the higher quality materials and control
used in precast concrete increase durability and reduce the need
for maintenance.

One of the greatest advantages when using precast products is that usually
these products are in possession of officially recognized quality marks. For these

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marks the EHE-2008 standard regards special considerations that may be applied
by the project management. Also CE marking is mandatory for precast concrete
structural products and this guarantees that the minimum requirements laid by
standards are covered, meaning a quality assurance and a reduced need for
control checks during the building process. We will now describe the situation
regarding CE marking (mandatory) and officially recognized quality marks
(voluntary).

4.3 Quality assurance of precast products: marks

4.3.1 CE Marking
According to the Guidance paper D on CE Marking under the Construction
Products Directive (CPD, 89/106/EEC) by the European Commission:
“[…] In the case of the CPD, theCE marking indicates that the product complies with
the relevant national standards transposing the harmonized standards, or a European
technicalapproval, or one of the national technical specifications referred to in Article 4
(2.c), and that the system of attestation of conformity laid down in the Commission
Decision relating to the product has been applied.”
It is not a mark of origin or a quality mark, it symbolizes that the
construction products have been assessed for characteristics which have an
influence on the satisfaction for the essential requirements for the works and are
in compliance with the harmonised part of European standards. Each standard
contains an annex ZA, detailing several tasks for the manufacturer and for the
Notified Body in order to carry out CE marking.CE marks can be based on either a
compliance with a harmonized European Standard (hEN) or a European Technical
Approval (ETA).
The CPD aims to break down technical barriers to trade in construction
products between Member States in the European Economic Area (EEA). To
achieve this, the CPD provides for the following four main elements:
• a system of harmonized technical specifications
• an agreed system of attestation of conformity for each product
family
• a framework of notified bodies

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• The CE marking of products.

Any product that will be permanently incorporated in construction works
must assess for certain characteristics which have an influence on the satisfaction
of the following essential requirements for the works:
1. Mechanical resistance and stability
2. Safety in case of fire.
3. Hygiene, health and the environment.
4. Safety in use.
5. Protection against noise.
6. Energy economy and heat retention.
These essential requirements (aimed towards not endangering the safety of
persons, domestic animals, property and/or the environment) are performance
based, since no technical provisions regarding specific design or construction tips
are given. According to this Directive, any product that may affect at least one of
those essential requirements is subject to CE marking. This guarantees that the
product fulfils the specific technical criteria agreed by the European countries for
that purpose.
There is an agreed system of attestation of conformity for each product
family that relates to the degree of involvement of third parties. There are six
systems of attestation under the CPD going from the least onerous 4 of
manufacturers’ tasks only, to system 1+ of product conformity certification with
audit testing. Structural precast products are certified with system 2+ that
involves factory production control certification with continuous surveillance. A
notified body is involved apart from the manufacturer’s tasks.Notified attestation
bodies are the product conformity certification bodies, factory production control
(FPC) certification bodies, and test laboratories that are competent to carry out
the attestation tasks to establish product conformity. There is an external body
certifying the conformity with the CE mark and a manufacturer’s declaration of
conformity.Therefore it is safe to assume that the products leave the factory
satisfying all the requirements that the specific standard requires. The attestation
tasks for system 2+ are given in table 4.1.

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Tasks for the Tasks for the notified

System Documents
manufacturer body
Initial type testing Certification of FPC CE marking label
on account of:
Factory production Declaration of
control (FPC) -Initial inspection of conformity to CE
2+ factory and FPC mark from the
Further testing of
manufacturer
samples taken at -Surveillance of FPC
factory FPC certificate by the
notified body

Table 4.1 Tasks for system of attestation 2+

The label for the CE mark must be in compliance with directive 93/68/CE
and contain the following information:
• Identification number of the certification body
• Name or identifying mark and registered address of the
manufacturer
• Last two digits of the year in which the marking was affixed
• Number of the FPC certificate
• Reference to the European standard
• Product description: generic name and intended use
• Information on regulated characteristics required in Z Annex of the
corresponding European Standard.
This information must be provided by the manufacturer in all cases, but a
simplified label which contains basic information may be used during the supply.
The EHE 2008 standard allows the precaster of a product with a CE mark to
use a material coefficient in the design of 1.70 for concrete and 1.15 for steel. The
next guarantee level (for products with CE mark) that the manufacturer may apply
optionally is to produce concrete according to the requirements given by the EHE
standard in Article 86.9 and certify it by an authorized third-party. In this case the
concrete’s coefficient may be reduced to 1.50 (for steel 1.15).

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The documents that the producer of precast/prestressed structural

products must provide to the project management/client, before the supply, are:
• CE Label
• Technical information (product catalogue): optional and according
to the particular standard.
• Declaration of conformity to CE mark from the manufacturer
(optional)
• Copy of the FPC certificate by the notified body.
• FPC certificate that proves compliance with EHE 2008 standard
regarding the production of concrete: this is optional for CE marked
products, it is certified by an authorized body and reduces the
concrete’s coefficient to 1.50.
During the supply, each batch of products must be provided with a
document containing information such as the manufacturer’s details, CE mark
certificate number, date and time of delivery, product description (identification,
materials and amount supplied) and place of supply.
According to Annex 19 of the EHE standard:
“The Manufacturer of any product, the Person responsible for any process or the
Constructor may, voluntarily, opt for a quality mark that ensures a guarantee level that
exceeds the minimum requirement laid down by this Code. In the case of products with a
CE marking, said quality marks must bring added value with regard to characteristics not
covered by CE marking.”
Officially recognized quality marks are frequent in the precast/prestressed
structural members’ industry, since the advantages to both producers and clients
are a powerful marketing tool.

4.3.2 Quality marks.

The conditions that allow differentiation when there is an additional
guarantee level to the minimum required by regulation are laid down in Annex 19
of the EHE 2008 standard. These are general requirements in order for a quality
mark to be officially recognized. There are specific requirements for precast
elements (point 5.3) that deal with many aspects, including the traceability of the

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products, installation and factory production control requirements and quality

surveillance in general.Most of precast/prestressed products are manufactured
under a quality mark and this allows the Project Management to apply special
considerations.
Some of the requirements that a manufacturer has to fulfill to be awarded a
quality mark are:
• The production installation shall have implemented a quality
system audited by an authorized certificatory body according to the
standard UNE-EN ISO 9001, where applicable.
• The continuous control of production and product through a
laboratory, being own or contracted.
• Have defined and implemented a continuous production control in
factory, whose data from six months before the concession has to
be available.
And particularly for precast products, some of the requirements are:
• Guarantee the requirements laid down in this Annex for the
installations for producing the component elements (concrete,
passive and active reinforcement, etc.)
• Guarantee that the prefabricator has a fixed concreting installation
and a workshop for passive reinforcements capable of producing all
the materials necessary for the manufacture of the precast
elements
• Having a data management system of the concrete plant in order to
supervise in real time the production of concrete.
• Statistic control of the concrete’s strength: more determinations
than the minimum required and external control of the values of
strength obtained.
• Use appropriate systems so that traceability is available for both
the materials used and the precast elements themselves.
• For precast units for one-way floor slabs: provide a specification
sheet and the corresponding Memory of Calculation of floor slab

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systems in which the products might be used. This specification

sheet shall include, among other, the following information:
o All the geometric and mechanical characteristics of the
constituting systems and elements considered by the
producer as useful in order to check their compliance with
the EHE standard.
o Geometric characteristics and weight (per meter or square
meter depending on the element) and of its constitutive
elements if they are not included in the CE mark.
o The designation of materials used, giving the design
strength, elastic limit or maximum unit load for each, if
necessary according to this Code.
o The mechanical characteristics of the resistant elements
considered as isolated, indicating the maximum resistant
moments on secondary supports and at midspan. In case of
prestressed elements: the bottom resistant module, the
stress due to prestressing in the top and bottom fiber, and
the value of the prestressing force multiplied by the
eccentricity of the equivalent tendon relative to the
section’s gravity center, will also be indicated.
o The mechanical characteristics of the different types of
floor slabs defined in the specification sheet, in both
negative and positive bending, indicating the ultimate
bending and cracking moments, gross and cracked stiffness,
the limit moments in service according to different
exposure classes and ultimate shear condition. The values
for stiffness and cracking moment will be calculated at an
age of 28 days indicating the coefficients to obtain these
values at a different age.

One of the greatest advantages of having a quality mark is the possibility of

reducing the safety factors for materials, as the following table shows:

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Safety factors
CONCRETE STEEL
Precast concrete products
γC γs
With CE marking 1.70 1.15
Concrete control according to EHE-08, attestation of conformity by
a certified body:
1.50 1.15
Voluntary for CE marked products
Mandatory for products without CE mark
With a quality mark according to Annex 19 and when the
construction of the structure is closely controlled (according to
(1)
chapter XVII) :
Concrete: deviations in the geometry of the cross-section
in relation to the nominal cross-sections comply with
those mentioned in design (also as required by Annex 11)
Steel: 1.35 1.10
Attachment tolerances for the reinforcement
comply with those laid down in design (and
also Annex 11) and/or
That the steel for passive reinforcement bears
a quality mark

(1)
According to the commentaries in Article 15.3 for the modification of the partial safety
factors to the lowest values 1.35 and 1.10, the manufacturer of precast members should
provide instructions for the assembly of the units so that the construction of the structure
can be closely controlled.

Table 4.2 Safety partial factors for different guarantee levels

Another advantage regarding the use of materials is that the tensioning

force in active reinforcements can be a 5% increased. The stress provided by the
tensioning force P0, at any point, must be the lowest of the following values:

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Permanent situations: 0.70 fpmaxk; 0.85 fpk

Temporary situations: 0.80 fpmaxk; 0.90 fpk
When the precaster has a quality mark for the product:
Permanent situations: 0.75 fpmaxk; 0.90 fpk
Temporary situations: 0.85fpmaxk; 0.95 fpk
Being fpmaxkthe characteristic maximum unitary load, and fpk the
characteristic yield strength.
During the building process, the conformity control of the precast units
prior-to and during supply is simplified. The checking of installations of the precast
elements required by article 91.4.2 (EHE-08) can be dismissed by the Project
Manager since it is already covered by the Certifying Body for the quality mark.
Also the Project Management can exempt the precast units from some of the
document checks (prior to supply) such as the weld type approval certificate and
certificates guaranteeing the appropriate training of the staff carrying out non-
resistant welding of passive reinforcement. Among the tests for checking the
conformity of the materials used, in case of precast elements with a quality mark,
the Project Manager is exempted from checking samples taken in the precasting
installations.

4.4 Precast/prestressed structures

4.4.1 One way slab and floor systems.
Prestressed concrete is a technology related to members in flexion and in
case of pretensioned units, these are usually simply supported at the ends.
Therefore the most common use for precast/prestressed units in the building
industry is in the construction of floor and roof structures working in a one-way
span.

4.4.1.1 Joist and filler block floor systems.

This floor system is probably the most familiar use of precast/prestressed
products in Spain. It is the one traditionally used for the construction of
residential buildings and therefore the most suitable option in order to easily find
trained professionals. It does not require any special teams or skills and that is

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part of its popularity as a floor and roof system.It is shaped by joists that span
between girders, hollowcore filler blocks, and extra reinforcement (for negative
moments and load distribution) and concrete cast on site. Annex 12 of the EHE
2008 standard provides specific design and construction criteria for this type of
slabs.

Figure 4.2 Top to bottom: one way slabs with semi-resistant joists and self-
bearing joists

There are two types of prestressed joists employed, depending on whether

the floor is totally precast or partially precast (figure 4.2). In partially precast
floors, precast elements provide a partial resistance that has to be completed
with cast-on-site concrete so that the slab can bear the loads it is designed to
resist, during all the construction stages. The joists used in this system are known
as semi-resistant joists, these prestressed/precast units have an inverted t shape
and a limited flexural strength that requires propping (typically every 2.5 m) in
order to resist loads during construction and as long as the system has not been
completed with the concrete poured on site.
When the floor is totally precast, it means that the precast joists used are
able to withstand the loads that the slab has to resist during construction, without
the need to be propped (for up to 5 m spans). These prestressed joists have a
double-t shape and are known as self-bearing joists. This system is mostly used in
the construction of insulating suspended ground floors, where propping/forming
is not possible due to the limited space. In “regular” floor and roof slabs the
partially precast system with semi-resistant joists is the usual choice, due to

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tradition and since it provides a higher degree of monolithism on its own. Also the
safety criteria require forming the whole surface of the slab or installing nets in
this type of floors so the advantage of the self-bearing properties of joists is
sometimes irrelevant (figure 4.3) if forming is going to be arranged.

Figure 4.3 Semi-resistant joists slab with safety net and propping

The filler blocks that are placed between prestressed joists to work as
forming for a topping concrete slab can be made of concrete, ceramic or
styrofoam. They can either be resistant or not, and the design criteria for
calculation is given in Article 36 of the EHE 2008 standard. The shape of these
hollow-core blocks varies according to manufacturers and also the system they
are employed in. For precast/prestressed joists the walls of filler blocks in the ribs
usually have an open profile so it does not reduce the shear capacity. Also in case
of self-bearing joists, the shape of the infill blocks must allow the double-t shape
of the joists to fit in the ribs (figure 4.3). The minimum concrete topping over
joists and resistant filler blocks can be reduced to 40 mm or 50 mm when blocks
are not resistant (Styrofoam) or when the building is in a zone with a seismic
acceleration > 0.16 g (Calavera,2008).

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Figure 4.4 Filler block cross sections and rib dispositions (FECEA)

The connection between joists and the supports are classified as direct or
indirect, depending on whether the shape and depth of the supporting member
allows for the introduction of the joists or not. The minimum anchoring lengths
for l1 and l2 (see figure 4.4), for prestressed joists, should be l1> 100 mm for single
supports and l2> 60 mm for supports receiving two opposite joists. In case of
beams that have the same depth as the floor slab another solution is to add extra
reinforcement that can efficiently connect the precast joist with the cast on site
concrete of the beam to complete the anchorage lengths above. Some usual
support layouts given in the EHE standard are given in figure 3.5. These anchorage
lengths are measured from the beam’s concrete face in direct supports and from
the links in case of indirect supports.

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Figure 4.5 Support layouts given in the EHE standard for precast-prestressed
joists

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In the alignment of ribs a deviation smaller than the straight distance

between faces in inner supports and 5 cm in cantilevers is allowed. In case of
perpendicularly opposed floor slabs such as in cantilevers, the top reinforcement
should be anchored in a length not smaller than the length of the cantilever or
twice the joist inter-axis, as in the following layouts:

Figure 4.6 Opposed ribs and cantilevers.

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3.4.1.2 Prestressed hollowcore slabs

These types of totally precast floor solutionsare usually employed in office
buildings, shopping centers or wherever the advantages of a quick erection and
no need for propping the floor are desirable. The voids in these precast units can
be used for installations and even to regulate the internal temperatures of the
building as part of a system for air circulation (such as Termodeck).The webs of
the slab are punctured at various positions to create one continuous tube snaking
along the floor slab.
It may be used along with a layer of concrete cast on site, to resist
compressive stresses and increase the monolithic properties of the floor, or
simply filling the joints between slabs (figure 4.7), depending on the requirements
and loads for the structure. The in-situ cast concrete may be eliminated when
compliance with the Ultimate and Serviceability Limit States is evidenced, in which
case in order to ensure transverse transmission of loads and combined working of
the slabs, a tie must be fitted in the zone where the slabs are connected to the
main beams or walls acting as supports (EHE, Article 59.2.9). Perimeter
reinforcement and grouted joints allow the hollow-core slab to work as a
diaphragm.

Figure 4.7 Hollow-core slabs with joint filling and concrete topping.

The maximum widths of 2.40 m and 1.20 depend on whether there is a

concrete topping or not, and also these dimensions are related to the fact that
2.40 m is the maximum width a truck can transport without special arrangements
or permits. The depth/span ratio is usually between 1/25 and 1/30. The extra
reinforcement in joints between slabs is also provided to fulfill the fire protection
requirements in the CTE standard. When there is no concrete topping, the top

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reinforcement required to resist negative moments at supports and for continuity,

is cast in the joints, therefore using more slabs instead of wider slabs allows more
space for this extra reinforcement. These joints also transmit the shear force
between slabs, and the dimensions required by article 59.2.1 e) of the EHE
standard are:
• A minimum top width of 30 mm
• In the area of the reinforcing bar, the width should be the greater
of ф +20mm and ф+ 2D.

When the reinforcement in joints is not sufficient, the bars can also be
concreted into the voids through openings cut on site or provided during
production of the hollow-core slabs (figure 4.8).

Figure 4.8 Reinforcement in joints and voids for slabs without concrete
topping (AIDEPLA)

The use of these structural members is more efficient as a totally precast

floor, since it barely requires any other materials on site except for the concrete
poured in the joints between slabs. It is a faster process for completing a floor or
roof since a single unit covers a larger surface in less time than joist and block
systems. Transport, unit reception and storage are also simpler since a single
element is shaping the floor, unlike joist and filler block floors where several
precast units and on site materials are required (BoletínAIDEPLA, 2006). The single

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source of responsibility in this type of floors, usually combined with other precast
concrete elements, makes project management and construction of these
buildings much easier and eliminates the cost and schedule risk created by having
many different material suppliers all working on the site at one time.

The supports for prestressed hollow-core slabs are detailed in Annex 12 just
like in joist floors and can also be divided in direct supports and indirect supports.
In case of direct supports there are two cases for the minimum bearing length l1
(measured from the edge of the slab to the inner edge of the support). According
to the following criteria:
a) If all the following conditions are simultaneously met:
• the design loads are distributed and there are no significant point
loads or major horizontal loads, including seismic loads,
• the overload is equal to or less than 4 kN/m2
• the depth of the hollow-core slab is equal to or less than 30 cm, and
• the design shear Vd is less than half that withstood by the
prestressed hollowcore slab Vu2according to Article 44.2.3.2
Vd ≤ Vu2/2
The nominal minimum bearing l1 will be 50 mm, on which a tolerance of
-10 mm is permitted so that the actual bearing in situ will never be less than
40 mm.
If any of these conditions are not met, passive reinforcement can be
provided in the joints between adjacent slabs or in the voids as previously
described.
Indirect supports depend on whether shoring is required for the execution of the
connection (if the slabs rest on the supporting element or just the connecting
reinforcement reach the support). The following details are provided in the
Annex:

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Figure 4.9 Indirect supports with connecting reinforcement in joints or voids:

a) without shoring, b) with shoring

In case a) without shoring, the minimum value of l1 will be 40 mm with a

tolerance of ±10 mm. These indirect supports must be designed and checked
according to other aspects detailed in the EHE standard, and it is generally
recommended to tie opposite slabs with passive reinforcement that crosses the
support and is properly anchored on each slab, whether it is placed in the site-cast
concrete slab or the joints/voids of the hollow-core slab. If the hollow-cores are
going to be infilled, at least two voids must be concreted with reinforcement if the
slab is wider than 60 cm.
The connection of slabs with supporting members will be detailed in the
project, and during the design process care should be given to avoid unwanted
constraints in hollow-core slabs as detailed in point 9 of Annex 12.
Further examples of connection of hollow-core slabs with different
supports are given in figure 4.10. The criteria for connection of precast concrete
members are detailed in article 59 of the EHE standard.

Figure 4.10 Hollow-core slabs supported in different structural elements.

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 Precast-prestressed structures

4.4.1.3 Double-t slabs

These precast-prestressed concrete members can be used for most
applications requiring a long span floor or roof system and/or additional load
carrying capability, such as parking garages, office buildings, commercial buildings
or industrial buildings. The use in residential buildings is not very common in
Spain, although it is a good totally-precast solution for peaked roofs were its self-
bearing properties and the possibility to install roofing tiles without any concrete
poured on site can be an advantage. It is a simple solution for simply supported
members where continuity is not required. The primary tension and shear steel
reinforcement consists of prestressing strand, placed longitudinally in each stem,
and mild reinforcement.

Figure 4.11 Prestressed double tee section with topping.

As it happened with hollow-core slabs, these units can be installed with or

without a layer of concrete poured on site. Also the manufacturer can provide
pre-topped slabs. As a totally precast floor and roof solution it is frequently used
in parking structures as part of a precast concrete column-beam-deck framing
that is ideal for the requirements of these structures (figure 4.12). The ribbed
finishing of these units may be a disadvantage compared to the flat surface on
hollow-core slabs, but the space between ribs can be used to suspend
installations.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Figure 4.11 Typical precast concrete parking structure with double tees.

As a simply supported element these members can be connected to

concrete beams (precast or cast-on-site), concrete or brick walls and steel beams.
The usual practice is to provide a direct support of 7 cm (product brochure,
Extremadura2000 Estructuras), and it is a floor system most usually combined
with precast concrete beams and columns.In order to adjust the width of the
finished slab, double tees are sometimes produced with dapped ends so that the
beam end can sit flush on the bearing seat.
These slabs are also used for sloping roofs in industrial buildings in
combination with other precast concrete members. They are manufactured
according to the EN 13224 standard regarding the required CE mark.

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 Precast-prestressed structures

Figure 4.12 Double tee slabs for sloped roof construction (Trumes)

4.4.1.4 Prestressed concrete slabs

Another group of prestressed concrete members to produce one-way slabs
are shaped by precast-prestressed slabs with an inverted-t shape, of prestressed
ribs and in-fill materials such as clay or polystyrene blocks, or voids to be filled up
by concrete cast on site. These are also self-bearing elements that may not
require propping, for up to a certain span, and allow a fast assembly on site. The
system is completed with cast on site concrete and passive reinforcement with
the advantage that there’s a possibility to build in-situ beams by removing some
of those blocks and placing the required reinforcement without the need of extra
forming. It may be considered as a resistant forming system for a light-weight cast
on site slab.
As a partially precast floor system, these units are lighter than other
solutions such as hollow-core slabs and also provide greater monolithic properties
since they are completed with cast-on-site concrete. The flat bottom surface and
concrete topping allow for easier supporting conditions and continuity of
members when required.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Figure 4.13 Prestressed slab (HERMO S.L.)

4.4.2 Prestressed beam and column framings

Totally precast framings are a typical structural system in industrial

buildings and other large projects such as schools and commercial buildings.
Prestressed members such as beams, girders and purlins are in this category.
Prestressed concrete girders can be totally precast, for simply supported
solutions, or be manufactured with top reinforcement to be completed with
concrete poured on site to allow for the connection with different precast or site
built floors. Prestressed girders have a wide variety of sections, depending on the
manufacturer or framework that they will be part of. Some usual sections are in
the following image.

73
 Precast-prestressed structures

Figure 4.14 Prestressed girder sections.

The harmonized European standard for these elements is UNE EN

13225:2005, and as all other precast structural members they require CE marking.
The most frequent use in Spain of prestressed beams combined with
precast columns is probably in industrial buildings such as warehouse construction
that are usually sorted out with totally precast structures. So these framings are
usually combined with other precast-prestressed floor units such as hollow-core
slabs and double tees. The columns to support prestressed beams in totally
precast structures are provided with corbels to provide a seat for the beams, as in
the following image.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Figure 4.15 Precast concrete column with corbel for girder connection (with
neoprene bearing pads and steel bars for connection)

In figure 4.15 the columns are continuous and the movement between
girder and columns is limited by two vertical steel rods shaping an isostatic
connection. Prestressed purlins combined with precast girders and columns are
also a common solution in the construction of roofs for industrial buildings (figure
4.16).

75
 Precast-prestressed structures

Figure 4.16 Prestressed purlins in combination with precast beams for a peaked
roof.

In residential building structures where continuity is necessary and rigid

connections are required, the solution to use precast columns and girders
requires extra reinforcement and concrete poured in the joints that can be sorted
out as in the following arrangement.

Figure 4.17 Column support for prestressed beams with rigid

connections (PREFACINCA)

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

4.4.3 Prestressed piles

Precast-prestressed piles usually have a square or hexagonal section (figure
4.18). Due to the prestressing steel these elements are able to resist tension,
flexion and shear stresses. These elements are widely used in marine structures
and deep building foundations with special requirements. Their advantages are:
their durability in adverse environments, their strength as a beam for handling
and, as an unsupported column, their ability to resist tension. Their ability to
withstand hard driving and their good soil-pile interaction behavior has led to
rapidly increasing use of prestressed in this application. They can be as small in
cross section as 200x200 mm and as large as 3.5 meters in diameter.

Figure 4.18 Precast-prestressed pile sections

Without joints, these piles are able to reach between 5-14 meters. In
case larger depths of piling are required; several piles can be connected through
joints that must be specially designed and carefully executed to resist larger
stresses than the pile itself. The joints must guarantee protection from the soil as
in the following detail.

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 Precast-prestressed structures

Figure 4.19 Prestressed pile connection details (Terratest)

In residential buildings the use of prestressed piles is advantageous for

high-rise buildings or when in high seismic risk zones or when the phreatic
stratum is above the ground or basement floor level.

78
 5 Design example: uncracked
member.

The code of practice followed for this example is Eurocode 2: Design of concrete
structures, Part 1 General rules and rules for buildings, which will be referred to
below as EC2. Design is based initially on the requirements of the serviceability
limit state, since a fundamental aim of prestressed concrete is to limit tensile
stresses, and hence flexural cracking. Subsequently considered are ultimate limit
state criteria for bending and shear.

Consider simply supported pretensioned double-T beams that are required to

span 15 m, for a parking structure, which bears an imposed load of 4kN/m2. In
addition to self-weight the beams carry a load of a concrete (screed) layer of 1
cm.

Exposure class

We will assume exposure class 2a: interior of buildings with high humidity,
exterior components, and components in non-aggressive soil.
The criterion for the limit state of crack width according to table 5.1 (for
members with bonded tendons only) for this exposure class is: decompression.
This means that all of the tendons lie at least 25 mm within the compression zone.
 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Table 5.1. Criteria for limit state of crack width.

The minimum concrete cover for durability (including a minimum

construction tolerance of 5 mm) according to the exposure class (table 5.2) is:

Prestressing: 40 mm
Reinforcement: 35 mm

Table 5.2. Minimum concrete cover for durability

Loading

Screeding: 0.23 kN/m

Imposed load: 4.00 kN/m

Material Properties

Concrete: fck= 35 N/mm2 (28 days)

f’ck= 25 N/mm2 (7 days)

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Steel: fpk= 1860 N/mm2 (tendons)

fyk= 250 N/mm2 (links)
fyk= 460 N/mm2 (reinforcement)

Allowable stresses

The allowable tensile stresses vary according to the grade of concrete,

which will have to be taken into account at transfer.

Concrete grade
C20 C25 C30 C35 C40 C45 C50
fctm 2.2 2.6 2.9 3.2 3.5 3.8 4.1

Table 5.3 Allowable concrete stresses (N/mm2)

At transfer: f’min= -2.6 N/mm2

During service: fmin= -3.2 N/mm2

The maximum compressive stresses in prestressed concrete are limited to

0.6 fck at transfer and under the rare load combination and 0.45 fck under the
quasi-permanent loads. The last one is limited in order to minimize creep
deformations to those predicted by other parts of EC2.
At transfer: f’max= 0.6×f’ck= 15 N/mm2
In service:
Under quasi-permanent loads: fmax,qp=0.45×fck= 15.75 N/mm2
Under rare-load combination: fmax,ra=0.60×fck= 21N/mm2

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Initial estimate of beam depth

Usual span/effective depth ratios for simply supported prestressed beams

Section type Variable/Imposed load (kN/m²) Span/depth ratio
< permanent load 40

2,4 40-50
4,8 32-42

2,4 20-30
4,8 18-28

2,4 23-32
4,8 19-24

< permanent load 20

< permanent load 30

road girders 18

Table 5.4 Usual span/effective depth ratios

According to table 5.4 we will use a length/height ratio of 18 to estimate

the depth of the beam. Since the span of the double-t beam is 15 m:
H=15/18=0.83 m
We will choose a commercial section of 850 mm.

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Beam section properties

According to beam section tables:

Beam width: 2500 mm Ic= 2.43 × 1010 mm4
Beam depth: 850 mm yb= 575 mm
Rib width: 100 mm Zt= 8.813 × 107 mm3
Ac = 365000 mm2 Zb= 4.22 × 107 mm3

Minimum section size

Table 5.5 Factors γffor quasi-permanent and frequent load combinations.

The coefficients used will be those stated in EC1 for building structures,
particularly for parking areas (table 5.5).

Self weight:
wo= 25×3.65×105/106= 9.1 kN/m
Mo=(9.1×152)/8=256.6kN m
Quasi-permanent uniform load:
wqp=9.1+2.5(0.23 + (0.6×4)) = 15.7 kN/m
Mqp= (15.7×152)/8= 441.6kN m
Frequent uniform load:
wfr=9.1+2.5(0.23 + (0.7×4)) =16.7 kN/m

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Mfr= (16.7×152)/8=469.7kN m
Rare uniform load:
wra= 9.1+2.5(0.23+4) =19.7 kN/m
Mra= (19.7×152)/8=554.1kN m

At this point we will estimate the prestress force losses with the
coefficientsα=0.9 and β=0.75 which represent a short-term loss of 10% and a
long-term loss of 25%.We will calculate the elastic section moduli for the top and
bottom fibresZtand Zb.

Equation (5.1)

(αM qp − βM o ) ( 0.9 × 441.6 − 0.75 × 256.6 )× 10 6

Zt ≥ = = 1.27 × 10 7 mm 3
[α ( f max ′ ]
) qp − βf min [0.9 × 15.75 − 0.75 × ( − 2.6 )]
Equation (5.2)

(αM ra − βM o ) ( 0.9 × 554.1 − 0.75 × 256.6 )× 10 6

Zt ≥ = = 1.47 × 10 7 mm 3
[α ( f max ) ra − βf min
′ ] [0.9 × 21 − 0.75 × ( − 2.6 )]

Equation (5.3)

(αM ra − βM o ) ( 0.9 × 554.1 − 0.75 × 256.6 )× 10 6

Zb ≥ = = 2.29 × 10 7 mm 3
[β ( f max
′ ) ra − αf min ] [0.75 × 15 − 0.9 × ( − 3.2 )]

Since the section properties were:

Z t = 8.813 × 10 7 mm 3
Z b = 4.22 × 10 7 mm 3
Section size is adequate.

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Prestress force

Assuming a link diameter of 6 mm we will calculate the effective depth of

tendons, and eccentricity.
Effective depth of tendons=850-(35+6+ (1.5×12.9) +20) =770 mm
e= yb-(h-770) =575-(850-770) =495 mm
The next step is to find the prestress force based on the maximum
eccentricity obtained from the section properties.
Equation (5.4)

( Z t fmin
′ − Mo ) 8.813 × 10 7 × ( − 2.6 ) − 256.6 × 10 6
P0 ≤ = = 2131.7 kN (*)
α ( Z t Ac + e ) 0.9 × 1000 (8.813 × 10 7 3.65 × 10 5 + 495 )

Equation (5.5)
( Z b f max
′ + Mo ) 4.22 × 10 7 × 15 + 256.6 × 10 6
P0 ≤ = = 1619.8 kN
α ( Z b A c + e ) 0.9 × 1000 (4.22 × 10 3.65 × 10 + 495 )
7 5

Equation (5.6)
(Z t ( fmax )qp − Mqp ) 8.813 × 10 7 × 15.75 − 441.6 × 10 6
P0 ≥ = = −4984.2 kN (*)
β ( Z t Ac − e ) 0.75 × 1000 (8.813 × 10 3.65 × 10 − 495 )
7 5

Equation (5.7)
( Z t ( fmax )ra − M ra ) 8.813 × 10 7 × 21 − 554.1 × 10 6
P0 ≥ = = −6828.2 kN (*)
β ( Z t Ac − e ) (
0.75 × 1000 8.813 × 10 7 5
3.65 × 10 − 495 )
Equation (5.8)

( Z b f min + M ra ) 4.22 × 10 7 × ( − 3.2 ) + 554.1 × 10 6

P0 ≥ = = 915.5 kN
β (Z b Ac + e ) (
0.75 × 1000 4.22 × 10 7 5
3.65 × 10 + 495 )

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

(*)Since the denominators are negative, the original inequality has been
multiplied by a negative number and so the sense of the inequality must be
reversed.
The limits to the prestress force would be 1619.8≥P0≥915.5.

We have chosen to use 12.9 mm diameter super-strands which have a steel

area of 100 mm2. Since the cost of prestressing steel is a significant proportion of
the total cost of prestressed concrete structures, the minimum value within these
bounds will be required. We will try with 8 tendons first.

A p = 8 × 100 = 800 mm 2

800
P0 = 0.7 × 1860 × = 1041.6 kN
1000
Check for decompression
It is now necessary to check if the tendons lie at least 25 mm within the
compression zone, by determining whether or not the concrete stress at 25 mm
below the tendons is compressive under the frequent load combination.Using 0.9
as the partial factor of safety:
2.43 × 10 10
Z b , 25 = = 4.39 × 10 7 mm 3
( 575 − 35 + 25 − 6 − 12.9 / 2 )

  M × 10 6
 1 e  fr
σ b , 25 = 0.9 × β × P0 × 1000 ×  + − = −0.85N / mm 2
A 
 c Z b , 25  Z b , 25

It is not a compressive stress as required (>0), therefore we have to try with

a higher prestress force to satisfy the decompression requirement.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

If we choose 10 tendons, they will provide a section of steel and prestress

force of:

A p = 10 × 100 = 1000 mm 2

1000
P0 = 0.7 × 1860 × = 1302 kN
1000
Checking for decompression again yields:
  M × 10 6
 1 e  fr
σ b , 25 = 0.9 × β × P0 × 1000 ×  + − = 1.61N / mm 2
A 
 c Z b , 25  Z b , 25

This is now a compressive stress as required.Therefore we will use 10

tendons of 12.9 mm diameter super-strand.We must now check that the section
is uncracked at the soffit under the rare load combination, as assumed.
 
 1 e  M ra
σ b ,ra = 0.9 × β × 1000 ×  + − = 1.05N / mm 2
A 
 c Zt  Zt
σ b ,ra > f min = −3.2 N / mm 2 , so the section is uncracked.

Estimate of losses

1. Elasticshortening
P0 × 1000 1302 × 1000
σ p0 = = = 1302N / mm 2
Ap 1000

Es 200
m= = = 6.3
E cm 32

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Ic
r2 = (Radius of gyration)
Ac

Ic  2.43 × 10 10 
r= =  = 258 mm
 5 
Ac  3.65 × 10 
At midspan
σ po M0 e
σ cg = − = 10.2 N / mm 2
  Ic
m + Ac 

 A p (1 + e 2 r 2 ) 
At supports, assuming that the number of tendons to be debonded is 2.
1000(10 − 2)
Ap = = 800mm2
10

σ cg = 12.6N / mm2
The average between both values would be:

σ cg = 11.4N / mm 2
∆σ p = mσ cg Ap / 1000 = 6.3 × 11.4 × 1000 / 1000 = 71.2kN

Midspan α = (1302 − 71.2) 1302 = 0.94

2. Long term losses

According to table 5.6 and the notional size 2Ac u = 87.95 ; being u the
perimeter (8300), the creep coefficient would be 1.5.Considering an outside
environment, with a notional size≤150, the shrinkage strain is 330×10 6 (table
4.7).This is an approximate value according to EC2, since shrinkage is based in
many factors

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Tables5.6 and 5.7 Creep coefficients and shrinkage strains according to EC2

In absence of the 1000 hour relaxation test value given by the tendon
manufacturer, it is specified in EC2 by the maximum relaxation value of 2.5% for
class 2 steel (at 70% of breaking load) multiplied by the factors in table 5.8.

∆σ pr = 0.025 × 1.2 × 0.7 × 1860 = 39.1N / mm2

Table 5.8 Relaxation factors

At midspan:
 1 e 2  Mqp e
σ cg = P0 × α × 1000 +  −
 Ac Ic  Ic

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

 1 4952  441.6 × 106 × 4952

σ cg = 1302 × 0.95 × 1000 ×  5
+ −
10  10
= 6.78N / mm2
 3.65 × 10 2.43 × 10  2.43 × 10
 1 4952 
σ cpo = 1302 × 0.95 × 1000 ×  +  = 15.79N / mm2
 10 
 3.65 × 105 2.43 × 10 
The following expression is given in EC2 for the long term losses due to
concrete shrinkage and creep and to steel relaxation:
ε shE s + ∆σ pr + mφ (σ cg + σ cpo )
σ p,c + s + r =
[
1 + m Ap Ac (1 + Ac e2 Ic )(1 + 0.8φ ) ]
Where εsh is the estimated shrinkage strain from table 4.7; m is the modular
ratio Es/Em; Ф is the creep coefficient from table 4.6; Δσpris the variation of stress
in the tendons due to steel relaxation; σcg is the stress in the concrete at level of
tendons due to self weight and any other permanent loads; σcpo is the initial stress
in the concrete adjacent to the tendons due to prestress.
3.30 × 10−4 × 200 × 103 + 39.1 + 6.3 × 1.5(6.78 + 15.79)
σ p,c + s + r = = 269.2N / mm2
1 + 6.3
103
[( )
1 + 3.65 × 10 × 495 2.43 × 10 (1 + 0.8 × 1.5)
5 2 10
]
3.65 × 105
At the supports:

15.79(10 − 2)
σ cpo = σ cg = = 12.63N / mm2
10
3.30 × 10−4 × 200 × 103 + 39.1 + 6.3 × 1.5 × 2 × 12.63
σ p,c + s+r = = 290.6N / mm2
103
1 + 6.3 [
(1 + 3.65 × 105 × 4952 2.43 × 1010 )(1 + 0.8 × 1.5) ]
5
3.65 × 10

Average long-term losses:

269.2 + 290.6
σ p,c + s+r = = 279.9N / mm2
2

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

279.9 × 1000
∆σ po = = 279.9kN
1000
Midspan β = (1302 − 71.2 − 279.9 ) 1302 = 0.72

Cable Zone

After choosing the prestress force, based on the most critical section,we
can find the limits of the eccentricity along the member.The resultant of all the
individual tendons is referred to as cable;and as long as it lies within the zone
defined, the stresses will not exceed the allowable values at the different loading
stages. Rearranging previous inequalities we have:

Zt 1
e≤ + (Mo − Zt fmin
′ ) (5.9)
Ac αPo
1 Zb
e≤ (Mo + Zb fmax
′ )− (5.10)
αPo Ac

e≥
Zt
+
1
[M qp − Zt ( fmax )qp ] (5.11)
Ac βPo
Zt 1
e≥ + [Mra − Zt ( fmax )ra ] (5.12)
Ac βPo
1 Zb
e≥ (Mra + Zb fmin ) − (5.13)
βPo Ac

Since the values are symmetrical about the centre line, only half of the
beam is shown.These inequalities and the values of Mo, Mqpand Mra along the
length of the beam are shown below:

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Position
0.0 2.5 5 7.5
Mo 0.0 142.6 228.1 256.6
Mqp 0.0 245.3 392.5 441.6
Mra 0.0 307.8 492.5 554.1
2.9 e≤ 427.6 543.5 613.0 636.1
2.10 e≤ 398.7 514.5 584.0 607.2
Equation

2.11 e≥ -1218.2 -960.3 -805.5 -753.9

2.12 e≥ -1704.8 -1381 -1187 -1122
2.13 e≥ -257.6 66.1 260.3 325.0

In simply supported beams with straight strands the prestressing force may
cause excessive end release stresses, in order to control cracking we choose to
debond some strands at the end of the member to reduce the prestress force in
that area. Other methods to control this would be deflecting the tendons, to
reduce the eccentricity at the supports, or adding untensioned reinforcement in
that area.
In order to find out the debonding length, using equation 5.9

    7 
 Z  
′  2  495 − 8.81 × 10 0.95 × 1302 × 1000 + (8.81 × 107 × (− 2.6))
2  e − t αPo + Zt fmin
 Ac     
  =  3.65 × 105  
wo 9.1 × 106
= 18.60

Distance to theoretical debonding point would be:

15 − 152 − (4 × 18.60)
= 1.32m
2

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

The number of tendons to be debonded is two, which leaves a remaining

prestress force in that area of:
(10 − 2) × 1302
Po = = 1041.6kN
10

Limits in debonded zone according to the remaining prestress force are then given
by:
Position
0.0 0.44 0.88 1.32
Mo 0.0 29.2 56.7 82.4
Mra 0.0 63.1 122.4 177.9
2.9 e≤ 474 503.8 531.7 557.8
2.13 e≥ -293.1 -210.2 -132.2 -59.3

In pretensioned prestressed members there is no prestress force at the end

of the tendonsonce cut, since there is no anchorage as in post-tensioned
members. Therefore a certain length for the prestress force to develop by bond
between the concrete and steel is necessary. The length up to a point where the
prestress force developed equals the initial prestress force is known as
transmission length. The distance to the theoretical debonding point does not
take this factor into account so the transmission length has to be considered in
order to stablish the real debonding length. The formula provided in EC2 for
transmission length is:

lbp = βbφ

Equation 5.14

Where β is a coefficient taken from table 5.9 and φ is the diameter of the strands
or wires.

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Concrete grade at transfer

C25 C30 C35 C40 C45 C50
Strands and smooth or indented wires 75 70 65 60 55 50
Ribbed wires 55 50 45 40 35 30

Table 5.9 Transmission length factors βb

The previous table is valid for strands with an area of up to 100 mm2 and for
indented wires with a diameter of 8 mm or less.
Therefore using formula 5.14:
65 × 12.9
lbp = = 0.84m
1000
To find the debonding length we have to allow for 1.2lbp after the point
where the prestress force can theoretically be reduced. Therefore, the actual
debonding length would be:
1.32 − (0.84 × 1.2) = 0.32m from support.

Ultimate strength

Assuming that the neutral axis lies within the flange and using the simplified
stress block given in EC2 (figure 5.1)

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Figure 5.1 Simplified rectangular stress block

0.57 fck × b × 0.8x = 0.78 × fyk × Ap

0.78 × 1860 × 1302

x= = 36.4mm
0.57 × 0.8 × 35 × 2500
Poβ (770 − x )ε cu 1302 × 0.73 (770 − 36.4)
εp = + = + = 0.0753
ApEs x 1000 × 200 36.4

The tendons are initially stressed to 0.7 fpkand the modulus of elasticity for
steel is 200×103 N/mm2 according to EC2, which gives this value for all types of
prestressing steel for design purposes.

1860 × 0.7
ε yk = = 0.00651
200 × 103
0.0753>0.00651, so the steel has yielded (ductile failure).

Mu = 0.78 × 1860 × 1000(770 − 0.4 × 36.4) 106 = 1095.5kNm

The values of γf for the ultimate limit state according with EC2 for building
structures, considering the effect as adverse are

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

 9.1 + 0.23 × 2500  1.5 × 4 × 2500

wult = 1.35 + = 28.1kN / m
 
 1000  1000
28.1 × 152
Mult = = 790.17kNm
8

Therefore the ultimate strength is adequate.

Shear

For beams with distributed loading, since there is enhanced shear

resistance of members close to a support, it is only necessary to check shear
resistance at a distance from the face of a support equal to the effective depth of
the tendons.
The effective depth d to tendons at supports, being the lowest 2 tendons
debonded:
d = 770 − (20 + 12.9) = 737mm
The applied shear force at a distance d away from support is:
L d   15 737 
Vsd = wult  − = 28.1 −  = 190.01kN
   
 2 1000   2 1000 

28.1 × 737(15 − 737 1000)

Msd = = 147.6kNm
2 × 1000

Shear resistance is calculated using a truss analogy, with the concrete being
the compression elements and the reinforcement being the tension elements, as
in figure 5.2.

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Figure 5.2 Truss model

The following formula is given in EC2 for the shear resistance, VRd1, of a
given section of a prestressed concrete member with no shear reinforcement:

Equation 5.15

WhereτRd is the basic concrete shear strength (table 5.10); k is a factor

related to the section depth: k= (1.6-d); bw is the minimum width of the section; ρ1
is the tension reinforcement ratio defined as (Ap+As)/(bwd), with a maximum value
of 0.02; and σcp is the axial stress resulting from the prestressing force and any
applied axial load.

(10 − 2) × 1000
ρ1 = = 0.54% k = 1.6 − 737 1000 = 0.86
2 × 737 × 100 × 10

Concrete grade
C25 C30 C35 C40 C45 C50
0.30 0.34 0.37 0.41 0.44 0.48

2
Table 5.10 Basic concrete shear strength τRd (N/mm )

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Therefore equation 5.15 is:

[ ]
V Rd 1 = 0.37 × 0.87 ( 1.2 × 40 × 0.55 ) + 0.15 × 1302 × 0.70 × 1000 365000 2 × 100 × 737 1000 = 124.3 kN

Since the applied shear force at the section, Vsd, exceeds the shear
resistance, VRd1, then shear reinforcement must be provided.If Vsdexceeds the
maximum shear resistance of the section, VRd2, then the section size should be
increased. In this case:

VRd 2 = 0.3νfck bw d (1 + cot gα )

ν = 0.7 − fck 200 = 0.7 − 35 200 = 0.525 , ν>0.5

For vertical links cotgα= 0, therefore:

VRd 2 = 0.3 × 0.525 × 35 × 2 × 100 × 737 = 812.27kN

In caseσcp>0.27fck, the value should be further reduced to by the expression:
1.67 (1−1.5 σcp/fck) VRd2, to allow for the effect of axial compression in the
section.In this example σcp≈0.8fck so the value does not have to be reduced.
Since the applied shear force is smaller than VRd2, the section size is adequate.
The following formula for the required shear reinforcement is given in EC2
as part of the ‘standard’ method:

A sw s = (V sd − V Rd 1 ) [0.78 df yk ( 1 + cot gα ) sinα ]

WhereAsw is the area of shear reinforcement over a length s, and

fyk=250N/mm2.Once again, since we will be using vertical links cotgα=0.

Asw s = (190.01 − 124.3)1000 (0.78 × 250 × 737) = 0.46

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

The separation of the links can be taken as:

62 × Π
s= = 123.59mm
2 × 0.46

Using single stirrups, for 6mm links at 100 mm centres, Asw=0.56.

The nominal shear reinforcement to be provided at the point where Vs<VRd1
is obtained from the following equation:
Asw s = ρ w bw sinα

Where ρW is a coefficient relating concrete grade and the steel type, from table
5.11.

Steel type
Concrete grade Mild High tensile
C25-C35 0.0024 0.0013
C40-C50 0.0030 0.0016

Table 5.11 Minimum values for ρw

Asw s = 0.0024 × 100 = 0.24

This is covered by 6mm links at 200 mm centres.At 3.5m from the support
Vs=112.4kN which is less than VRd1, and so only the nominal shear reinforcement
would be required.
The next step is to check the force in the longitudinal steel, which generally
is only necessary near supports since at midspan it is sufficient to check that the
ultimate limit state of collapse is satisfied. The additional longitudinal tensile force
is given by:
Td = M sd z + Vsd (1 + cot gα ) 2 = 147.6 (0.9 × 737) + 190.01 2 = 95.23kN

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

Being z the lever arm which can be taken as 0.9d.

95.2 × 1000
fyk=460N/mm2; As = = 238mm2
0.87 × 460
This additional longitudinal steel can be provided by six untensioned 8 mm
bars placed at the bottom of the beam’s cross section and fully anchored past the
point required.

The type and arrangement of the shear reinforcement would be as follows:

Figure 5.3 Beam section.Shear reinforcement

Deflection

Initial camber
Since the prestressed member is uncracked, deflections can be estimated
by applying ordinary strength-of-materials methods. In simply supported
prestressed concrete members with straight tendonsthe moment at any section

100
Sofía Lorenzo Romero

due to the prestress force is equal to Pe.We will use a simplified method of finding
the maximum deflection of concrete members which assumes that the
distribution of curvature is similar to the shape of the bending moment diagram.
Mp = P0 e

This bending moment results in an upwards deflection, known as camber,

which value can be found by the following expression of the curve:
P0 e
y ′′ = −
E cm I0
The integration yields:

P0 e
y′ = − x + C1
E cm
For the value at midspan (x=L/2) and y’=0:
P0 e
C1 =
2E cm I

P0 e P0 eL
∴ y′ = − +
E cm I 2E cm I
Integrating the expression again we obtain:
P0 e 2 P0 e L
y=− x + x + C2
2E cm I E cm I 2

Being y=0 for x=0,then C2=0, and so the camber at midspan results:

P0 eL2
y=−
8E cm I
Also, the midspan deflection due to a uniformly distributed load w over a
span L, for a simply supported member, is given by:
5 wL4
y=
384 EI

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 Prestressed and precast concrete
Design example: uncracked member

With the previous expressions we can now estimate the deflections,

starting withshort-term deflections at transfer. The initial camber will be the sum
of the deflection caused by prestress (upwards) and the one caused by the
distributed load due to self-weight.The value of Ecmused will be that for the
seventh day resistance of concrete,at transfer (fck=25 N/mm)2.

Mean value
Concrete grade 3 2
(10 N/mm )
C20 29.0
C25 30.5
C30 32.0
C35 33.5
C40 35.0
C45 36.0
C50 37.0

Table 5.12 Modulus of elasticity of concrete.

Ecm=30.5 kN/mm2
152 × 1302 × 0.94 × 495 × 10 6 5 × 9.1 × 15 4 × 10 9
δ0 = − + = −15.0mm
8 × 30.5 × 2.43 × 10 10 384 × 30.5 × 2.43 × 10 10

Quasi-permanent load
Long-term creep movements will cause deflections in concrete members to
increase with time. This effect can be estimated by using the expression given in
EC2 for an effective modulus of elasticity Ec.eff:

E c.eff = E cm (1 + ϕ )

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Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Where φ is the creep coefficient taken from table 4.6. In this case φ=1.5
therefore Ec.eff is:
E c.eff = 30.5 1 + 1.5 = 12.20kN / mm2

We can estimate the deflection with the same expressions used for the
deflection at transfer, using the long-term coefficient for the prestress loss and
the quasi-permanent loads as the distributed load:
152 × 1302 × 0.72 × 495 × 106 5 × 15.7 × 154 × 10 9
δ0 = − + = −15.0mm
8 × 12.20 × 2.43 × 1010 384 × 12.20 × 2.43 × 1010
Which is also an upwards deflection.
The usual requirement to be satisfied in respect of deflections is that under
the action of the quasi-permanent load the value for deflection should remain
below the value of span/250. Since in our case the deflection is of 15.0 mm
upwards, the value is satisfactory.

After checking deflections the design of the prestressed concrete beam is

now complete.

103
6 Final Conclusions
6.1 Introduction

In this report we have learned the basic principles of prestressed concrete

as a precast structural material in the building industry, and so its main goal has
been accomplished.
It has been intended to provide a complete glance on the subject: from the
history of its development as a technique, its production process and product
reception on site, to a simple design example of a typical prestressed-precast unit.

6.2 Conclusions
Concrete has been in use as a primary building material since the Roman
times. In the mid-nineteenth century, it was discovered that iron and later steel
bars could be embedded in the concrete, effectively giving it tensile strength. This
allowed it to be used in beams and slabs, where it worked in bending. However
this beams and slabs still deflected significantly under load, requiring stocky
sections to provide adequate stiffness, and cracks created by this deflection left
the reinforcement bars vulnerable to corrosion.
In the 1930’s Eugene Freyssinet invented prestressed concrete, where high
tensile steel cables compressed the concrete, ridding it of its cracks, and
improving both its appearance and its resistance to deteriorations. This allowed
much more slender structures to be built, also making them quicker to build and
less labor intensive. It was soon realized that the higher quality materials and
techniques for prestressing concrete could be more efficiently applied in an
industrial environment, where a large enough number of products could be
produced. The development of prestressed concrete became closely related to
the development of precast industry and materials, providing new solutions to
existing problems.
Sofía Lorenzo Romero

Since then the precast industry is geared towards achieving materials

savings and reducing weight, and thus the cost of transport and assembly. As
prestressed members require less concrete and about 20 to 35% of the amount of
the reinforcement, this technique becomes an excellent option to achieve
materials savings. Prestressing of beams and slabs is most economically applied in
long-line precasting mass-production operations. Because of the inherent
efficiencies of mass-production techniques, large reductions in labor, formwork,
and hardware costs can be realized.
The latest editions of national and European standards have also regarded
the importance of precast products in residential building construction, in terms
of higher quality materials, durability, and sustainable development. They provide
specific conditions that benefit the use of products and processes manufactured
under a controlled production environment. It is safe to assume that factory
produced prestressed concrete will continue to gain relevance in residential
building construction in Spain and across Europe, as it has happened in countries
with a traditional use of precast concrete products such as Japan or the U.S.A.

6.3 Future reports

This dissertation is based on pretensioning since it is the prestressing
technique that traditionally has been more related to the building industry and is
widely used in Spain and across Europe for architectural concrete. Also since this
report is centered on precast products, post-tensioning being mostly an in-situ
technique has been out of its scope. Nevertheless post-tensioning has become
increasingly relevant in buildings, and is frequently used in slabs of high-rise or
special buildings in other countries such as the U.S.A., when continuous beam
solutions are required in long span structures, and even in foundations.
Therefore many interesting reports centered on post-tensioning applied to
residential, commercial or industrial construction could follow this one. One
proposal would be a guide on post-tensioned slab design and production. Another
proposal would be to compare simply reinforced, pretensioned and post-
tensioned members as a structural solution for a building, comparing the three
techniques regarding issues such as economic cost, material saving, site impact
and aesthetics.

105
 Prestressed and precast concrete
Final Conclusions

Finally a dissertation could be completed comparing the actual standards

affecting pretensioned and post-tensioned concrete in Spain, Europe, the U.S.A.
or Japan.

106
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107
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