IS 1343 : 2012

of the tendon should not be induced by the a) Relative displacement between prestressing
failure of anchorage components. steel and individual anchorage components
e) The measured anchorage efficiency is: as well as between the anchorage components
F themselves, depending on load and on number
ç A = Tu ≥ 0.95 of load cycles (see Fig. 17).
Fpm
b) Examination of anchorage components and
prestressing steel after test with respect to
Fpm = actual mean breaking load fatigue damage and deformation.
The total elongation in free length of the tendon under
the load FTu should be not less than 2 percent. C-2.4 Steel Requirements
Each test result should meet the following
C-2 DYNAMIC LOAD TEST WITH TENDON- requirements:
ANCHORAGE ASSEMBLY
a) Fatigue failure of anchorage components
The aim of the test is to determine the capacity of the should not occur.
tendon-anchorage assembly under load fluctuations as
b) The minimum fatigue strength of a post-
an indication of the reliability and durability of the
tensioning system should be
assembly.
∆σp Min = 80 MPa
C-2.1 Test Specimen
The fatigue strength is defined as the stress range
The type of specimen should correspond to the ∆σ p which is endured for 2 million cycles without
requirements of C-1.1. If one grade of prestressing steel failure of 5 percent of the initial cross-section of the
of the same type is to be used with the same type of tested tendon at beginning of the test.
anchorage, the tests should be performed with
prestressing steel using the grade with the highest C-3 LOAD TRANSFER TEST
characteristic tensile strength. With the load transfer test, the transfer of the
Where the capacity of the testing machine to be used prestressing force from the mechanical anchorage and
could be exceeded, the number of wires, strands or its components to the concrete should be verified.
bars in the tendon-anchorage assembly to be tested may
C-3.1 Test Specimen
be reduced, provided that the prestressing steel units
with the most severe angular deviation of tendon axis The test specimen is schematically depicted in Fig. 18.
from the prescribed are included and that the test results The specimen should contain those anchorage
are representative for the complete tendon. components which will also be embedded in the
structural concrete. Their arrangement should comply
C-2.2 Test Procedure with the practical application and with the prestressing
The test should be performed in a tensile testing machine contractor’s specification.
with a pulsator at a constant force frequency of not more The test specimen should be a concrete prism tested in
than 500 load cycles per min, and with a constant upper axial compression.
force of 65 percent of the characteristic strength of the
prestressing steel. The range of forces, ∆f = FMax – FMin The part of the specimen containing the anchorage
should be maintained at a constant level throughout should be provided with bursting reinforcement of the
testing. same size and configuration as specified for the
particular system and tendon respectively.
The specimen should be tested in such a way that Reinforcement may be used for the assembly of the
secondary oscillations are precluded. When assembling bursting reinforcement. It should not be considered part
the specimen and fitting it in the testing machine, of the technical approval if the following conditions
special care should be taken to ensure that the force is are not complied with:
evenly distributed to all the tensile elements of the
tendon. In the case of grouted tendons special devices a) Longitudinal bars have a total cross-section
may be used to avoid premature fretting failure of the more than 200 mm2.
prestressing steel remote from the anchorage. b) Stirrups, that is, the secondary reinforcement,
uniformly distributed along the height of
C-2.3 Measurements and Observations specimen, should constitute more than
The following measurements and observations should 0.05 t steel/m3 concrete.
be made and recorded: The concrete of the test specimen should correspond

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 IS 1343 : 2012

FIG. 18 TEST SPECIMEN FOR LOAD TRANSFER TEST

to the actual concrete used for prestressed concrete rig or testing machine. The load should be applied
structures with respect to materials, composition, corresponding to actual loading conditions in the
compaction and its characteristic strength fck. After structure either by loading the tendon or by applying
casting the specimen should be demoulded after one the force directly to the anchorage. The force is
day and then moist-cured until testing. The cubes cast increased in increments of 20 percent from 0 percent
for the determination of compressive strength should up to 80 percent of the characteristic strength of the
be treated similarly. prestressing steel, fp (see Fig. 19).

C-3.2 Test Procedure After reaching the load 0.8 fp at least ten slow load cycles
should be performed, with at least 0.8 fp and 0.12 fp
The specimen should be mounted in a calibrated test being the upper and lower load limits respectively.

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IS 1343 : 2012

The necessary number of load cycles depends upon the of maximum bursting effect under the upper
stabilization of strain readings and crack widths as and lower load at different times for increasing
described below. Following cyclic loading, the numbers of load cycles.
specimen should be loaded incrementally to failure. b) Formation, width and propagation of cracks
During cyclic loading measurements should be taken on the side faces of the specimen, as
at the upper and lower loads of several cycles in order mentioned above.
to decide whether a satisfactory stabilization of strains c) Visual inspection and/or measurement of
and crack widths is being attained. Cyclic loading deformation of anchorage components in
should be continued until stabilization is satisfactory contact with the concrete.
(see C-3.4). Figure 19 shows the sequence of loading d) Location and mode of failure.
and measurements.
C-3.4 Requirements
At the final test to failure the mean compressive strength
of concrete of specimen should be: Each specimen should meet the following requirements
(see Fig. 20):
fcm.e < fck.o and fcm.e < 0.85 fck
a) Crack width upon first attainment of upper
F
force 0.8 (load point 4) should be ≤ 0.10 mm.
Fp b) Crack width upon last attainment of lower
force 0.12 (load point n–1) should be
≤ 0.10 mm.
c) Crack width upon final attainment of upper
force 0.8 (load point n) should be ≤ 0.25 mm.
d) Readings of longitudinal and transverse
strains should have stabilized during cyclic
loading. The strains can be assumed to have
stabilized if the increase of strain in last two
load cycles is less than 5 percent.
e) Readings of crack widths should have
stabilized during cyclic loading. The crack
widths can be assumed to have stabilized if
F IG. 19 PROCEDURE FOR THE LOAD TRANSFER TEST the crack width does not increase by 0.02 mm
C-3.3 Measurements and Observations in the last two load cycles.
f) The measured failure load Fu shall meet each
The following measurements and observations should
of the following requirements:
be taken and recorded:
fcm.e
a) Longitudinal and transverse concrete strains Fu ≥ Fp and Fu ≥ 1.1 Fp
on the side faces of the specimen in the region fck.o

WMax (mm)

F IG. 20 R EQUIREMENTS FOR CRACK WIDTHS

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