Fundamentals of Post-Tensioned Concrete Design For Buildings
Fundamentals of Post-Tensioned Concrete Design For Buildings
Fundamentals of Post-Tensioned Concrete Design For Buildings
FundamentalsofPostTensioned
ConcreteDesignforBuildings
PartOne
by
JohnP.Miller
FundamentalsofPostTensionedConcreteDesignforBuildingsPartOne
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Roman Aqueduct
Segovia, Spain
st
(1 Century)
Brunelleschi's Dome
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
Florence, Italy (1461)
In the middle of the 1800s, the idea of adding iron to concrete to resist tensile stresses
was first developed. Joseph Monier exhibited this invention at the Paris Exposition in
1867. With the invention of steel in the later part of the 1800s, the use of steel
reinforcing bars to resist tensile forces in concrete structures quickly became
widespread. Early reinforced concrete structures included bridges, buildings, retaining
walls, culverts, tunnels, docks, and roadways. Thus, "mild" reinforcing steel is
strategically placed within, and continuously bonded to, concrete members to resist
tensile forces to which they may be subjected. Mild steel reinforcing is also commonly
used in combination with concrete to resist compressive and shear forces.
In the early 1900s, the idea of tightening the reinforcing bars to compensate for the
shrinkage of the concrete was first suggested. Embedded high strength steel rods were
coated to prevent bond with the concrete. After the concrete hardened, the steel rods
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were tensioned and anchored to the ends of the concrete member by means of
threaded nuts. This is known as post-tensioning, since the steel reinforcing is tensioned
after the concrete is placed. Post-tensioning can be used with virtually any cast in place
concrete member. The following two figures illustrate this concept.
Unbonded
SteelRod
CastinPlace
Concrete
Formwork
Tensioned
SteelRod
Compressive
Force
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Fixed
Buttress
Bonded
Tendon
Tensile
Force
Compressive
Force
Prestressed
Reinforcement
Bridge Girder
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Double Tee
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Box Culvert
Pre-stressed concrete is the general term used to describe concrete members that have
stresses induced in them before the application of any design loads. Pre-stressed
concrete includes both pre-tensioned and post-tensioned concrete.
Post-tensioned concrete is widely used in bridges, shell structures, water tanks, and
folded plates. However, the primary focus of this course covers applications of posttensioning that are typically used in buildings and parking structures, specifically oneway slabs, two way slabs, and continuous beams.
There are two general types of pre-stressed reinforcement in use today; bonded and
unbonded. Bonded reinforcing typically consists of high-strength steel wires twisted into
a 7-wire strand. These so-called mono-strands are commonly used in pre-tensioned
concrete members, although there are other types not as common. Bonded monostrands are first tensioned, and when concrete is cast around these mono-strands, there
is excellent mechanical bond between the concrete and the steel throughout the
strand's entire embedded length. After the concrete has cured a sufficient amount, the
strands at both ends of the member are released and the force is transferred to the
concrete through bond stress. Pre-tensioned strands generally can only be straight
between two points (i.e., not draped), unless they are placed inside special hollow tubes
that have been cast into the concrete member.
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Unbonded reinforcing usually consists of a 7-wire strand coated with grease and
encapsulated in a plastic sheathing over its entire length to prevent bond to the
concrete. This is called a tendon. Tendons are draped in a specific profile and secured
within the concrete formwork before concrete is placed. After the concrete has been
placed and has cured sufficiently, one or both ends of the unbonded tendon are
tensioned by using a hydraulic jack to physically stretch the tendon. The stretched
tendon is then locked off against the end of the concrete member thereby transferring
the tendon force to the concrete through bearing of the cast-in anchorage. Common
anchorage hardware is shown below.
When very large post-tensioning forces require numerous strands, hollow metal tubes,
or ducts, are cast into the concrete member in a specific profile. The duct contains
uncoated, unstressed strands and has multi-strand anchorages at both ends. After the
concrete has been placed in the formwork and cured sufficiently, the strands are
tensioned one by one from one or both ends of the member. Once the appropriate
amount of tension has been applied to all strands, they are locked off and the remaining
air space in the duct is replaced by grout which is pumped in under high pressure. The
grout ensures and effective bond between the strands and the concrete and also
provides corrosion protection.
Since we will be dealing only with post-tensioned concrete structures in this course, that
is, structures that are first cast-in-place and then post-tensioned in place, we will only
cover unbonded tendon applications.
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P
a=drape
P
L/2
L/2
If we sum the moments about the force P at the left support, we get:
2
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0
4
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The load balancing concept is further illustrated in the figure below, which shows a
simply supported beam and a tendon with a parabolic profile. The beam shown in the
first figure below may be analyzed with an equivalent set of tendon loads acting on the
member as shown in the second figure. Thus, the equivalent loads acting on the beam
consist of the axial force P, an upward uniform load of w, and a clockwise moment M at
the left end due to the eccentricity of the tendon with respect to the neutral axis of the
beam.
P
P
NeutralAxis
a=drape
CrossSectionat
MidSpan
SpanLength=L
M Pe
NeutralAxis
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Note that reactions are induced at both ends to keep the system in equilibrium. If we
sum the moments about the left support, we get:
And if we sum the vertical forces we find the left reaction is:
4
Note that the vertical component of the applied pre-stressing force is neglected. This is
practical since the tendons are customarily horizontal, or very nearly horizontal, at the
end of the members, and the vertical component is usually small.
As we have seen, a draped tendon profile supports, or balances, a uniformly distributed
load. Now let's consider a beam that is required to support a concentrated load. In the
case of a concentrated load on a beam, a concentrated balancing load would be ideal.
This can be achieved by placing the pre-stressing tendons in a harped profile. This
concept using harped tendons is illustrated in the figure below.
ExternalApplied
Concentratedloads
P
e
NeutralAxis
a=drape
cL
cL
SpanLength=L
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Harped tendons can be used in pre-tensioned, precast concrete members, but this is
not common. In precast members, since the tendons are tensioned in the forms prior to
concrete placement, it is challenging to hold the pre-tensioned tendons in the proper
position within the formwork until the concrete is placed and has reached a sufficient
strength to release the tension. Harped tendons are easily accommodated in posttensioned construction since the tendons may be positioned within the formwork in the
field in virtually any arrangement because they are not tensioned until after the concrete
is placed and hardened. Harped tendons in post-tensioned construction are commonly
used, for example, in a transfer beam that carries the concentrated load of a
discontinuous column. The tendons in a transfer beam are sometimes stressed in
stages to balance a certain portion of the column dead load as the construction
progresses. Harped tendons are also commonly used in the repair or strengthening of
existing beams where the post tensioning forces are applied externally.
The following figure illustrates the equivalent set of loads due to the harped tendons
acting on the member shown above. The upward component of the tendon force P at
the point where its direction changes from sloped to horizontal, B, is a function of the
drape, a, and the distance from the end of the member, cL, and is equal to Pa/cL.
Since the harped tendons are symmetrical in this case, the reactions in the free body
diagram are equal. For unsymmetrical harped tendons, the upward component, B, and
the reactions are found using statics. Thus, the equivalent loads acting on the beam
consist of the axial force P, upward concentrated loads B where the tendon changes
direction, and moments M at both ends due to the eccentricity of the tendon with
respect to the neutral axis of the beam.
M Pe
M Pe
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Example
Find:
Choose an effective post-tensioning force, Fe, to balance 80% of the dead load for the
following beam.
wD=uniformlydistributeddeadload
NeutralAxis
Drape=18"
SpanLengthL=60'0"
Given:
o Beam Size 16" x 36"
o wD = 2.85 kips per foot (includes beam self weight and tributary dead load)
Solution:
0.8 2.85 60
8 1.5
684
Thus, an effective post-tensioning force of 684 kips would be required to balance 80%
of the dead load for this tendon profile. The effective force is the force remaining in the
tendons after all pre-stress force losses. More on pre-stress losses later.
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InflectionPoints
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Now let's consider the figure below, which shows a two span continuous beam with a
cantilever on the right end. Each span has a different tendon drape as shown.
Drape=c
Drape=b
NA
Drape=a
L1
L2
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W2
W1
W3
NA
Example
Given:
o A post-tensioned, continuous, five-span concrete slab strip 1'-0" wide
o Spans are 10'-0", 12'-0", 9'-0", 13'-0", and 15'-0"
o Maximum available drape is 3.5" and 2.625" for interior spans and end spans,
respectively
Find:
Choose the minimum effective post-tensioning force, Fe, to balance 60 psf and
determine the drape in each span.
Solution:
Let's begin by examining the following equation which is used to compute the effective
post-tensioning force:
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We can see that the effective post-tensioning force, Fe, is a function of the span length
and the available drape, for a given balanced load. By observing the above equation,
we can see that the minimum effective post-tensioning force will be found in spans with
small spans and large available drapes. However, if the smallest possible effective
post-tensioning force is selected (the left end span would only require 3.42 kips/foot)
and used in all the spans, there would not be enough available drape to balance 60 psf
in all the other spans.
Referring to the diagram below, the effective post-tensioning force has been calculated
for each span using the maximum available drape.
Allowableupperlimit
oftendonprofile
IdealTendonProfile
10'0"
12'0"
9'0"
Fe=3.42k/ft
Fe=3.70k/ft
Fe =2.08k/ft
13'0"
Fe =4.35k/ft
Allowablelowerlimit
oftendonprofile
15'0"
Fe=7.71k/ft
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10'0"
Drape=2.06"
TendonProfile
12'0"
9'0"
Drape=2.98"
Drape=1.67"
13'0"
Drape=3.50"
Fe=7.71k/ft
thisspanonly
15'0"
Drape=2.625"
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7"
Fe=300k
Fe=200k
26"
30'0"
25'0"
300"
By inspection of the above diagram, we see that the drape for the left span is:
26
LeftSpanDrape
29.5
8 200
30
29.5
12
4.37
Next, we can find the concentrated balanced load in the right span due to the harped
tendon by adding the vertical components on both sides of the harped point as follows:
B=53.3k
300k
300k
33"
26"
30'
25'
300sin tan
2.75/30
300sin tan
27.4
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25.9
300 sin
2.17/25
53.3
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Now we can construct the balanced loading diagram below. The left span has a
uniformly distributed upward load of 4.37 kips/ft and the right span has a concentrated
upward load of 53.3 kips.
4.37k/ft
53.3k
+515ftk
267ftk
488ftk
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+M(TensioninBottom)
Positive Moment
M(TensioninTop)
Negative Moment
+eaboveNA
+e
NeutralAxis
P
ebelowNA
Eccentricity
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BalancedUniformLoad
HyperstaticReaction
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HyperstaticReaction
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The above illustrations serve to introduce you to the concept and source of hypersatic
forces in continuous post-tensioned structures. The hyperstatic moment at a particular
section of a member is defined as the difference between the balanced load moment
and the primary moment. We refer to the primary moment as M1 and this is the
moment due to the eccentricity of the post-tensioning force with respect to the neutral
axis of the member. In equation form,
P
Drape=a
e1
Drape=a
e2
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Using our sign conventions, we can construct a primary moment diagram for moments
M1. The primary moment is obtained from the product of the post tensioning force times
its eccentricity with respect to the neutral axis of the beam. Thus, referring to the
diagram above, the primary moment at the center support is P x e1 and the primary
moment at the mid-span of each span is P x e2. According to our sign conventions, the
primary moment at the center support is positive.
Primary Moment
Diagram
4
7
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Example
Given:
The two-span post-tensioned beam shown below.
Fe
7"
Fe
Drape=26.5"
23"
60'0"
60'0"
Beam size 14 x 36
WDead = 1.84 kips/ft
Find:
Determine the hyperstatic moments due to post-tensioning resulting from balancing
80% of the dead load.
Solution:
Determine Balanced Load Moments
0.8
1.84
1.47
Using well known formulas for a beam with two equal spans subjected to a uniformly
distributed load, we find the balanced moment diagram to be:
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1.47 60
300
8
8 26.5 /12
Referring to the beam diagram above, we see that the primary moments are 300 x 7"
and 300 x 23" at the center support and at mid-span, respectively. Using our sign
convention, we find the primary moment diagram to be:
Primary Moment
Diagram
Therefore, using the relationship of
At Center Support:
662
Near Mid-Span:
378
175
we find:
487
575
197
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ftk
ftk
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determined to satisfy the given effective pre-stress force. Even though most design
offices do not need to calculate pre-stress losses, it is informative and relevant to
understand how losses are calculated. Therefore, each type of pre-stress loss is
discussed in more detail below.
Seating Loss
When an unbonded tendon is tensioned, or stretched, to its full value, the jack releases
the tendon and its force is then transferred to the anchorage hardware, and thereby into
the concrete member. The anchorage hardware tends to deform slightly, which allows
the tendon to relax slightly. The friction wedges deform slightly, allowing the tendon to
slip slightly before the wires are firmly gripped. Minimizing the wedge seating loss is a
function of the skill of the operator. The average slippage for wedge type anchors is
approximately 0.1 inches. There are various types of anchorage devices and methods,
so the calculation of seating losses is dependent on the particular system used.
Loss of pre-stress force occurs in tendons due to friction that is present between the
tendon and its surrounding sheathing material as it is tensioned, or stretched. Friction
also occurs at the anchoring hardware where the tendon passes through. This is small,
however, in comparison to the friction between the tendon and the sheathing (or duct)
throughout its length. This friction can be thought of as two parts; the length effect and
the curvature effect. The length effect is the amount of friction that would occur in a
straight tendon - that is the amount of friction between the tendon and its surrounding
material. In reality, a tendon cannot be perfectly straight and so there will be slight
"wobbles" throughout its length. This so called wobble effect is rather small compared
to the curvature effect. The amount of loss due to the wobble effect depends mainly on
the coefficient of friction between the contact materials, the amount of care and
accuracy used in physically laying out and securing the tendon against displacement,
and the length of the tendon.
The loss in the pre-stressing tendons due to the curvature effect is a result of the friction
between the tendon and its surrounding material as it passes though an intentional
curve, such as drape, or a change in direction, such as a harped tendon. The amount
of loss due to the curvature effect depends on the coefficient of friction between the
contact materials, the length of the tendon, and the pressure exerted by the tendon on
its surrounding material as it passes through a change in direction.
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Concrete Creep
Concrete Shrinkage
The hardening of concrete involves a chemical reaction called hydration between water
and cement. The amount of water used in a batch of concrete to make it workable far
exceeds the amount of water necessary for the chemical reaction of hydration.
Therefore, only a small portion of the water in a typical concrete mix is consumed in the
chemical reaction and most of the water needs to evaporate from the hardened
concrete. When the excess mix water evaporates from a particular concrete member, it
loses volume and therefore tends to shrink. Reinforcing steel and surrounding
construction can minimize concrete shrinkage to some extent, but nonetheless
shrinkage stresses are developed. Factors that influence concrete shrinkage include
the volume to surface ratio of the member, the timing of the application of pre-stressing
force after concrete curing, and the relative humidity surrounding the member.
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Tendon Relaxation
.
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The allowable extreme fiber tension stresses in flexural members at service loads are
as follows:
:
7.5
:7.5
12
12
ACI 318 stipulates two cases of serviceability checks. The first is a check of the
concrete tension and compression stresses immediately after transfer of pre-stress.
The concrete stresses at this stage are caused by the pre-stress force after all short
term losses, not including long term losses such as concrete creep and shrinkage, and
due to the dead load of the member. These limits are placed on the design to ensure
that no significant cracks occur at the very beginning of the life of the structure. The
initial concrete compressive strength, , is used in this case. is normally taken as
75% of the specified 28-day concrete compressive strength, but can be any specified
minimum as long at it is greater than 3000 psi. The maximum permissible concrete
stresses at force transfer are as follows:
Extreme fiber stress in compression at force transfer:
0.70
0.60
:
3
If the above stresses are exceeded at force transfer, then additional bonded
reinforcement shall be provided in the tensile zone to resist the total tensile force.
The second serviceability check is a check of the concrete tension and compression
stresses at sustained service loads (sustained live load, dead load, superimposed dead
load, and pre-stress) and a check at total service loads (live load, dead load,
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superimposed dead load, and pre-stress). These checks are to preclude excessive
creep deflection and to keep stresses low enough to improve long term behavior. Note
that the specified 28-day concrete compressive strength is used for these stress
checks. The maximum permissible concrete stresses at the service load state are as
follows:
0.45
0.60
If the above stresses are exceeded, then additional bonded reinforcement shall be
provided in the tensile zone to resist the total tensile force. Also note that the above
stress checks only address serviceability. Permissible stresses do not ensure adequate
structural strength.
The tensile stress in pre-stressing steel shall not exceed the following:
Due to Jacking Force:
0.94
0.70
= 0.90
or 243 ksi.
Permissible stresses for other type of pre-stressing steel, including deformed bars, vary
slightly and can be found in the ACI 318 commentary. Since the scope of this article is
limited to unbonded post-tensioned systems, and we will only be considering Grade 270
low-relaxation steel, the permissible stresses for other steels are not given here.
Minimum Bonded Reinforcing
All flexural members with unbonded tendons require some amount of bonded
reinforcing. For beams and one-way slabs, this bonded reinforcing is required
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regardless of the services load stresses. For two-way slabs, the requirement for this
bonded reinforcing depends on the services load stresses. This bonded reinforcing is
intended to limit crack width and spacing in case the concrete tensile stress exceeds the
concrete's tensile capacity at service loads. ACI requires that this bonded
reinforcement be uniformly distributed and located as close as possible to the tension
face. For beams and one-way slabs, the minimum area of bonded reinforcing
is:
0.004
is defined as the area of that part of the cross section between the flexural tension
face and the center of gravity of the cross-section.
is graphically defined below for
several typical cross sections.
Act
NA
NA
NA
Act
NA
Act
Rectangular Beam
One-Way Slab
For two-way post-tensioned slabs with unbonded tendons, bonded reinforcing is not
required in positive moment areas (in the bottom of the slab) if the extreme fiber tension
at service loads, after all pre-stress losses, does not exceed the following:
2
, so a
Recall that the maximum extreme tension fiber stress in a two-way slab is 6
minimum amount of bottom steel is required for tensile stresses in the range of:
2
For two-way post-tensioned slabs with unbonded tendons, the minimum area of bonded
reinforcement in positive moment regions is:
0.5
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Where
is the tension force in the concrete due to unfactored (service) dead plus live
load and is illustrated below.
CG
Nc
When2
0.5
ft
For two-way post-tensioned slabs with unbonded tendons, the minimum area of bonded
reinforcement required in negative moment regions at column supports is
0.00075
Where
is defined as the area of the larger gross cross-sectional area of the slabbeam strips in two orthogonal equivalent frames intersecting at the column. The
dimensions and geometry are as defined in ACI 318 Chapter 13 Two-Way Slab
Systems and will not be reiterated here. The bonded reinforcing required in negative
moment regions at columns shall be distributed between lines that are 1.5h outside both
sides of the face of the column support, shall be a minimum of four bars, and shall be
spaced no more than 12" on center.
ACI 318 also requires a minimum length of bonded reinforcing in positive and negative
moment regions. It should be evident that the minimum lengths and areas of bonded
reinforcement required by the ACI 318 may be exceeded by structural demand, as we
will see later on. The minimum length of bonded reinforcing is shown below.
As
As
As
As
As
0.33
ClearSpan
0.33
ClearSpan
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Example
Given:
The post-tensioned beam shown below.
120"
7"
3"
NA
20"
16"
58'0"clearspanbetweenfaceofsupports
Find:
Determine the minimum area and length of bonded reinforcing required.
Solution:
Let's begin by finding
, the area of that part of the cross section between the flexural
tension face and the center of gravity of the cross-section for the top and bottom of the
beam. The neutral axis has already been determined to be 10 inches from the top of
the beam.
Top
Bottom
Now we can compute the minimum required area of bonded reinforcing using
0.004 :
Top
Bottom
The ACI 318 states that this minimum bonded reinforcement shall be uniformly
distributed as close as close as possible to the tension face. Therefore, the bottom
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steel would be spaced approximately 6 inches on center, allowing for concrete cover on
the side of the stem and beam stirrups. This seems like an appropriate spacing, but in
all likelihood, flexural demands will require a larger area of steel and possibly more than
three bars.
The minimum bonded reinforcing in the top of the beam will be placed at both ends,
where negative bending moments will occur due to support fixity. 12#5s were selected
instead of 8#6s to avoid having fewer bars spaced farther apart. The 12#5s result in a
spacing of approximately 10 inches on center, which seems to be better than almost 18
inches on center had 12#6s been selected. However, either spacing would probably
meet the intent of the ACI 318.
The minimum length of the bottom bars is one-third the clear span, or 58/3 = 19.33 feet.
The top bars need to extend into the clear span by at least one-sixth the clear span, or
58/6 = 9.67 feet.
Example
Given:
A continuous post-tensioned one-way slab is 5 1/2" thick. It is supported by 16" wide
concrete beams that are at 22'-0" on center.
Find:
Determine the minimum area and length of bonded reinforcing required.
Solution:
for the and bottom will
Since the concrete slab has a symmetric cross section, the
be the same and equal to 12x5.5/2 = 33 sq. in. per foot. Using this, the minimum area
of bonded reinforcing is:
= 0.004 x 33 = 0.132 sq. in. per foot of slab
The minimum length of the bottom bars is one-third the clear span, or (22-1.33)/3 = 6.89
feet and the top bars need to extend into the clear span by at least one-sixth the clear
span, or (22-1.33)/6 = 3.44 feet. The results are illustrated below.
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#3x8'3@14"o.c.
#3x8'3@14"o.c.
#3x7'0@14"o.c.
20'8"clearspan
0.5
12
2
8,400
8,400 /
0.5 60,000
0.28
/
.
./
This bottom reinforcing should be placed in the middle strip. From chapter 13 of ACI
318, the middle strip width is defined as being bounded by two column strips, which is
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the smaller of the centerline spans of the slab. In this example, our column strip widths
are 20/4 = 7'-6" and the middle strip width is 15'-0". Therefore, the total area of
reinforcing is 15 x 0.28 = 4.20 sq. in. Recall that the minimum length of the bottom
bonded reinforcing is one-third the clear span, or (20-1.33)/3 = 6.22 feet. So, we will
use 14#5 bottom bars, 6'-3" long, equally spaced in a 15-foot wide middle strip, both
ways.
For the minimum area of bonded reinforcement in negative moment regions at the
column supports,
in this example is the entire bay width times the slab thickness, or
20 x 12 x 8 = 1920 sq. in. For columns at the edge of the floor plate, only half of the
larger bay is used. Therefore,
0.00075
0.00075 1920
1.44
The width over which this area of bonded reinforcing is distributed is 1.5h on both sides
of the column face, or 16 + (2x1.5x8) = 40 inches. The minimum length extended
beyond the column face is one-sixth the clear span, or (20-1.33)/6 = 3.11 feet. So, we
will use 5#5 top bars, 7'-7" long, equally spaced in a 40-inch wide strip centered on the
column, both ways.
5#5x7'7bothways
5#5x7'7bothways
14#5x6'3 bothways
20'0"span
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dp
The rectangular compression block has an area equal to a times b. Equating the
compression resultant, C, to the tensile resultant, T, the nominal moment capacity can
be written as:
Where
is
2
2
reinforcement at nominal moment strength, and is the strength reduction factor (0.90
for flexure). ACI 318 defines the approximate value for can be calculated as follows,
depending on the span-to-depth ratio:
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For
35:
For
10,000
100
60,000
> 35:
10,000
300
30,000
Where is the effective stress in the pre-stressing steel after all losses. The depth of
the compression block is defined as:
0.85
Example
Given:
The simply supported post-tensioned beam from page 12 and shown below.
= 7000 psi
= 270 ksi
= 684 kips
16" x 36" beam with 7" x 100" flange
26 " diameter tendons;
= 26 x 0.153 = 3.98 sq. in.;
14"
= 3.98/(16x32) = 0.00777
NeutralAxis
Drape=18"
SpanLengthL=60'0"
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Find:
The nominal moment capacity,
Solution:
The span-depth ratio is 60/3 = 20 which is less than 35. Therefore,
10,000
100
684
1000
3.98 . .
190.9
7000
100 0.00777
Use
191ksi
270
60,000
10,000
231.9
0.85
3.98 . . 191
0.85 7
100
1.28
Now we can compute the nominal flexural capacity at mid-span of this beam section:
0.90 3.98
. 191
32 .
1788
1.28 . 1
12
2
Let's now consider including the contribution of the bonded reinforcing steel to the
nominal moment capacity. Assuming the bonded reinforcement is at the same depth as
the pre-stressing steel in the beam (a slightly conservative assumption since the center
of gravity of the mild reinforcing is often closer to the face of the beam, i.e. deeper, than
the center of gravity of a bundle of tendons), the tensile component of the moment
couple becomes the sum of both pre-stressing steel and the bonded reinforcement and
can be written as follows:
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0.85
Example
Given:
The simply supported post-tensioned beam from the previous example. In addition to
the post-tensioning tendons, the beam has 3#10 bars in the bottom with a yield strength
of 60 ksi.
Find:
The nominal moment capacity,
Solution:
From the previous example, the effective stress in the pre-stressing steel at nominal
moment strength is unaffected by the bonded reinforcing and so it is the same:
191
0.85
3.98
. 191
0.85 7
3 1.27 .
100 .
60
1.66 .
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3 1.27 60
32
1.66 1
2 12
2311
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Where is the strength reduction factor (typically 0.75 for shear), is the nominal
shear capacity, and is the ultimate, or factored, applied shear demand. The nominal
shear capacity is the sum of the nominal shear strength provided by the concrete, ,
and the nominal shear strength provided by the steel, , and is written as follows:
For pre-stressed members, the nominal shear strength provided by the concrete is:
0.6
But
700
0.75
50
80
Note that the only place the pre-stressing force comes into play is the third equation
above. Otherwise, the minimum amount of shear reinforcement for pre-stressed
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members is identical to that for non pre-stressed members. The design of concrete
members for torsional forces is outside the scope of Part One of this course but will be
covered in Part Two. Likewise, the investigation of the shear strength of two-way slabs
is not covered here in Part One but will be covered in Part Two.
Where shear reinforcement is required by structural demand, that is when , and
it is perpendicular to the axis of the member, the nominal shear strength provided by the
steel is:
gives:
= 5000 psi
= 60 ksi
= 270 ksi
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o
o
o
o
14"
NeutralAxis
d=28"
CentertoCenterofColumnsL=60'0"
Find:
Design the shear reinforcing at a distance "d" from the face of the support.
Solution:
The factored uniformly distributed load is:
1.2
3.0
1.6
6.0
30
1.5
6.0
180
40"
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At a distance d = 28 inches from the face of support, or 40 inches from the centerline of
the support, the factored shear and moment are:
180
12
6.0 /
180
3.33
160
567
700
160
12
160 2.33
567
0.6
28
0.66
1.0
0.75 0.65000
700
0.66 16
28 /1000
169
Remember that:
5
2
0.75
1.05000 16
28
47.5
0.75
169
1.05000 16
28
118.8
118.8
. This is the maximum nominal shear strength
Therefore we must use
that can be provided by the concrete alone.
Let's now compute the amount of shear reinforcing required by structural demand at a
distance "d" from the face of the support:
160 118.8
0.75 60 28
12
0.39
# @
As a check, let's find the minimum amount of shear reinforcing required and will be the
largest of the following three results:
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0.75
0.755000
80
50
50
2.45
80
16 12
60,000
16 12
60,000
0.17
0.16
270 12 28
16
60 28
0.08
None of these are greater than the reinforcing required by structural demand and so the
minimum shear reinforcing does not control.
Therefore, #5 @ 18 " o.c. double leg stirrups would work, giving us 0.41 in2 per foot.
Most designers would space the stirrups in convenient groups of incrementally larger
spacing away from the support until they are no longer required by structural demand or
minimum reinforcing requirements. However, it is common practice to use stirrups
throughout the entire span to have something to which to tie the tendon bundle support
bars.
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Conclusion
Part One of this three-part course covers many of the fundamentals of post-tensioned
concrete design for building structures using unbonded tendons. With a good
understanding of the material in Part One of this course, you should know something
about the historical background of post-tensioned concrete and the difference between
post-tensioned members and pre-tensioned members. You should also understand the
load balancing concept, hyperstatic moments, pre-stress losses, and the basic
requirements of ACI 318 (Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete). We
also covered nominal flexure and shear capacities of post-tensioned members,
including a few examples. Specifically, you should now be able to:
Compute effective pre-stress force Fe for a given drape and balanced load
Understand allowable stresses according to ACI 318-08
Understand pre-stress losses
Compute the balanced and hyperstatic moments for a continuous structure
Determine the minimum amount of flexural and shear reinforcing required
Calculate the nominal moment capacity Mn and nominal shear capacity Vn of a
cross section
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References
Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, ACI 318-08, American
Concrete Institute, 2008.
Notes on ACI 318-08, Portland Cement Association, 2008.
Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures, T.Y. Lin and Ned H. Burns, Third
Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 1981
Design Fundamentals of Post-Tensioned Concrete Floors, Bijan O. Aalami &
Allan Bommer, Post-Tensioning Institute, 1999
Design of Post-Tensioned Slabs Using Unbonded Tendons, Post-Tensioning
Institute, Third Edition, 2004
Post-Tensioning Manual, Post-Tensioning Institute, Fourth Edition, 1985
Precast and Prestressed Concrete, PCI Design Handbook, Precast Concrete
Institute, Third Edition, 1985
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