UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

CHAPTER I: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRESTRESSED AND REINFORCED CONCRETE

The following are the learning outcomes to be discussed in this module, to wit:

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, you will be able to:

1. Define Prestressed Concrete

2. Learn the history of Prestressed Concrete
3. Understand the behavior of prestressed beams under elastic and ultimate
loading conditions.
4. Determine the sources of Prestressed Concrete

1.1 Introduction

What is Prestressed Concrete?

A Prestressed Concrete is a highly versatile construction material as a result of it being an

almost ideal combination of its two main constituents: high-strength steel, pre-stretched to allow
its full strength to be easily realized; and modern concrete, pre-compressed to minimize cracking
under tensile forces. Its wide range of application is reflected in its incorporation into the major
design codes covering most areas of structural and civil engineering, including buildings, bridges,
dams, foundations, pavements, piles, stadiums, silos, and tanks.

Can you define Prestressed Concrete Design?

What are the advantages of using Prestressed Concrete Design?

In your own understanding, what is the general principle of Prestressing in Prestressed Concrete
Design?

PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN

 a form of concrete used in construction which is "pre-stressed" by being placed under

compression prior to supporting any loads beyond its own dead weight.

 used in a wide range of building and civil structures where its improved performance can
allow longer spans, reduced structural thicknesses, and material savings compared to
simple reinforced concrete.

 Prestressed concrete member can be defined as one in which there have been introduced
internal stresses of such magnitude and distribution that the stresses resulting from the
given external loading are counteracted to a design degree.

 Defined as one in which there have been introduced internal stresses of such magnitude
and distribution that the stresses resulting from the given external loading are
counteracted to a desired degree.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

Prestressing – applies a pre-compression to the member that reduces or eliminates undesirable

tensile stresses that would otherwise be present.

 Cracking under service loads can be minimized or even avoided entirely.

 Deflections may be limited to an acceptable value, or zero deflection.
 Permit the engineer to make use of efficient and economical high – strength
steels in the form of strands, wires or bars in conjunction with high – strength
concrete.

GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF PRESTRESSING

Prestressing, in its simplest form, can be illustrated by considering a simple

prismatic flexural member which is rectangular in cross section pre-stressed by a
concentric force. It is readily seen that if the flexural tensile stress in the bottom fiber, due
to dead and live load are to be eliminated, the uniform compressive stress due to
prestressing must be equal in magnitude to the sum of these tensile stresses.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

Activity # 1

TRUE OR FALSE. Write TRUE if the statement is true. If the statement/phrase is

incorrect, write FALSE. Justify your answer why is it a true or false. Write
your answer in the space provided.

1. Prestressed Concrete Design is a highly

versatile construction material because of it
being an almost ideal combination of its two
main constituents.

2. In conventional reinforced concrete beam

subjected to an external load produces both
tension and bending stresses.

3. Prestressed Concrete Member defined as the

internal stresses of such magnitude and
distribution that the stresses resulting from the
given external loading are counteracted to a
designed degree.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

4. Prestressing applies a pre- compression to

the member that reduces or eliminates
undesirable compressive stresses.

5. In prestressing, deflection under service load

can be minimized or even avoided entirely.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

1.2 HISTORY OF PRESTRESS CONCRETE DESIGN

Here is the summary of the Brief History of Pretressed Concrete Design:

HISTORY OF PRESTRESS CONCRETE DESIGN

Brief history of Prestressed Concrete Designs:

Significant Events Person Involved

Period/Date

Twelfth Century -Thousands of years after those early structures were

constructed, another powerful instance of a pre-
stressed structure was achieved: the construction of
the first sailboat (likely Egyptian) in which the mast
was pre-stressed and stabilized by pre-tensioned
stays.

-Masonry arches tied with wooden posts(Kairouan

orUqba, Mosque, 9th AD) or iron rods (Lombard
medieval churches, such as Parma Cathedral.

1784 – 1864 FIRST PRE-STRESSED TIMBER STRUCTURES Stephen Harriman

Long
- The first structural engineer of the United
States when he participated in the design and
construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
Shortly after becoming interested bridge construction
(1827), Long built an indegnious prestressed truss
timber bridge in Baltimore in 1829.
1836 – 1848 PRESTRESSED CAST IRON STRUCTURES IN Robert Stephenson
EUROPE:
George Parker Bidder
- The first European prestressed structures
designed by engineers appear to have been cast iron Charles Blacker Vignoles
trussed compound girders for bridges designed and
Stephenson
built around 1836 to 1839.
- Although those early bridges were not
designed correctly and should be classified as first-
age structures, their development was closely related
to the first European second-age prestressed
structures explained in the following paragraphs.
Those compound trusses were composed of three
cast-iron truss segments joined by bolts and
prestressed externally by flat wrought-iron ties
working as polygonal tendons.
1840 – 1845 FIRST PRESTRESSED CAST IRON STRUCTURES SQUIRE WHIPPLE
IN THE UNITED STATES
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE
- The idea of prestressing cast iron was not
unique to Great Britain. Less than five years after the
first prestressed cast-iron bridges were built in
Europe, Squire Whipple developed his own original
system in the United states. His proposal, first
designed in 1840 and patented soon after.
- Whipple’s bridges (some of them still
standing) are supported by arches trusses with or
without vertical posts and cross braces and ties. The
upper chord is an arch made of cast-iron segment
bolted together, and the lower chord a straight
wrought-iron tendon. One of the most interesting
features of this bridge is that the tendon is tightened
by pre-compressing the vertical posts (or braces if
there are no posts) so that they push away the tendon
to give it a polygonal layout.
1858 – 1888 PETER H. JACKSON’S ADVANCEMENTS PETER H. JACKSON

- Jackson is traditionally cited as the first

engineer to patent prestressed concrete structures,
even though his patents are not those of an engineer,
designed under efficient and rational mechanical
criteria.
- He was likely inspired by metal trusses, and if
he knew about prestressed trusses, those of Whipple
were likely to be his mind because they were among
the most popular when he started patenting his
prestressed system.
1890 – 1894 THOMAS A. LEE’S ADVANCEMENTS THOMAS A. LEE
- Lee secured a patent for flat floors made of
prestressed masonry of hollow blocks. The system
was advantageous mainly because of its fireproof
qualitites, similar to Jackson in 1972, which is why the
blocks in his drawings look like tiles.
1903 – 1908 FREYSSINET and an idea of prestress as an asset EUGENE FREYSSINET

- Freysinnet wrote that the idea of prestressing

came to him in 1903 or 1904 as a student during the
lectures of Rabut, which were devoted on the one
hand to reinforced concrete and, on the other hand, to
the systematic study of spontaneous or provoked
deflection in structures.
1889 – 1912 VERIFICATION OF SHRINKAGE AND THE FIRST ARMAND CONSIDERE
ATTEMPT TO CONTROL IT

- The shrinkage of unreinforced cement and

other hydraulic materials began long before reinforced
concrete was invented, the first relevant report on
shrinkage in reinforced concrete
1905 – 1937 THE SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF CREEP FRANCOIS MERCIER

- Although shrinkage was soon accepted by

scientists and engineers, the path to general
acceptance was far more complicated for creep.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE
- The contractor, whom Freyssinet worked for,
became completely devoted to an audacious project
that the 28-year-old engineer had designed, as only a
fantasy, to replace an old, damaged suspension
bridged over the Allier River in Boutiron.
1928 – 1936 FREYSSINET DEVOTES HIS LIFE EXCLUSIVELY EUGENE FREYSSINET
TO PRESTRESSED CONCRETE

- Once Freyssinet tests for Plougastel were well

advanced and he felt able to control the
consequences of creep, he made a dramatic decision
in October 1928 that would change his career and the
history of construction.
- The recommendation to use high-quality
concrete (one of his very important contributions) and
very high strength steel (wires), a variety of methods
to tension the wires.
1937 – 1940 THE EXPANSION OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE EWALD HOYER
IN EUROPE DUE TO THE WAR

- Failed to decade before in his attempts with

prestressed concrete beams at Magdebourg, was now
encouraged by Freyssinet’s successes. That year, in
Austria and Germany, he secured for patents on
precasting prestressed concrete beams and similar
those described in Freyssinet patent.
1940 – 1950 THE 1st WAVE OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE
ADVANCEMENT IN EUROPE AFTER THE WAR

1950 – 1955 THE 2nd WAVE OF PRESTRESSED CONCRETE GUSTAV MAGNEL

EXPANSION IN EUROPE AFTER THE WAR

Civil Structures:

Bridges
Of the wide range of alternative methods and materials that are available for the
construction of bridges, concrete remains the most popular structural material, and
prestressed concrete in particular is frequently adopted.

In short-span bridges (~10-40m spans), prestressing is commonly employed in the

form of precast pre-tensioned girders or planks;for medium-length structures (~40m-200m
spans), precast-segmental, in-situ balanced-cantilever and incrementally-launched
designs are all efficiently constructed using prestressing; while for the longest bridges,
prestressed concrete deck structures often form an integral part of cable-stayed designs.

Dams
Concrete dams have used prestressing to counter uplift and increase their overall
stability since the mid-1930s. Prestressing is also frequently retro-fitted as part of dam
remediation works, such as for structural strengthening, or when raising crest or spillway
heights.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE
Most commonly, dam prestressing takes the form of post-tensioned anchors drilled
into the dam's concrete structure and/or the underlying rock strata. Such anchors typically
comprise tendons of high-tensile bundled steel strands or individual threaded bars.
Tendons are grouted to the concrete or rock at their far (internal) end and have a
significant "de-bonded" free-length at their external end which allows the tendon to stretch
during tensioning. Tendons may be full-length bonded to the surrounding concrete or rock
once tensioned, or (more commonly) have strands permanently encapsulated in
corrosion-inhibiting grease over the free-length to permit long-term load monitoring and
re-stress ability.

Silos and tanks:

Circular storage structures such as silos and tanks can use prestressing forces to
directly resist the outward pressures generated by stored liquids or bulk-solids.
Horizontally curved tendons are installed within the concrete wall to form a series of
"hoops" spaced vertically up the structure. When tensioned, these tendons exert both axial
(compressive) and radial (inward) forces onto the structure, which can be used to directly
oppose the subsequent storage loadings. If the magnitude of the prestress is designed to
always exceed the tensile stresses produced by the loadings, a permanent residual
compression will exist in the wall concrete, assisting in maintaining a watertight, crack-
free structure under all storage conditions.

Nuclear and blast-containment structures

Prestressed concrete is long-established as a reliable construction material for

high-pressure containment structures such as nuclear reactor vessels and containment
buildings, and petrochemical tank blast-containment walls. Using prestressing to place
such structures into an initial state of bi-axial or tri-axial compression increases their
resistance to concrete cracking and leakage, while providing a proof-loaded, redundant
and monitorable pressure-containment system.
Nuclear reactor and containment vessels will commonly employ separate sets of
post tensioned tendons curved horizontally or vertically to completely envelop the reactor
core, while blast containment walls for tanks and similar will normally utilise layers of
horizontally curved hoop tendons for containment in combination with vertically looped
tendons for axial wall prestressing.

Hardstands and pavements

Heavily loaded concrete ground-slabs and pavements can be sensitive to cracking

and subsequent traffic-driven deterioration. As a result, prestressed concrete is regularly
used in such structures as its pre-compression provides the concrete with the ability to
resist the crack-inducing tensile stresses generated by in-service loading. This crack-
resistance also allows individual slab sections to be constructed in larger pours than for
conventionally reinforced concrete, resulting in wider joint spacings, reduced jointing costs
and less long-term joint maintenance issues.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

Some notable civil structures constructed using prestressed concrete includes:

Incheon Bridge
South Korea Autobahn A73
Itz Valley,
Gateway Bridge Ostankino Tower CN Tower
Germany
Brisbane, Aust. Moscow, Russia Toronto, Canada

Roseires Dam
Ad Damazin,
Sudan Wanapum Dam
Norcem silos Washington, US Ringhals nuclear
LNG tanks plant
Brevik, Norway
South Hook, Videbergshamn,
Wales Sweden
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

Activity # 2

TRUE OR FALSE. Write TRUE if the statement is true. If the statement/phrase

is incorrect, write FALSE, then write the word/phrase to make
the statement True. Write your answers on a separate sheet
of paper.

1. Eugene Freyssinet is the first structural engineer

of the United States when he participated in the
design and construction of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad.

2. Arman Considere was secured a patent for flat

floors made of prestressed masonry of hollow
blocks .

3. Ostankino tower will be found in Brevik, Norway.

4. Prestressed concrete is long-established as a

reliable construction material for low-pressure
containment structures such as nuclear reactor
vessels and containment buildings, and
petrochemical tank blast-containment walls.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

1.3 EFFECT OF PRESTRESSING

There are at least three ways to look at the Prestressing of Concrete:

1. As a method of achieving Concrete Stress Control, by which the concrete is

precompressed so that tension normally resulting from the applied loads is reduced or
eliminated.

2. As a means for introducing Equivalents loads on the concrete member so that the effects
of the applied loads are counteracted to the desire degree.

3. As a special variation of reinforced concrete in which prestrained high-strength steel is

used, usually the conjunction with high-strength concrete.

Note: Each of these viewpoints is useful in the analysis and design of prestressed Concrete Structures

A. CONCRETE STRESS CONTROL BY PRESTRESSING

(a) Unreinforced concrete beam

(plain concrete beam)

 Neglecting ‘self-weight’, and as the load w is gradually applied, longitudinal flexural stress
are induced. If the concrete is stressed only within its elastic range, the flexural stress
distribution at middle span will be linear as shown.

Fr = tensile strength of concrete

as tensile stress reach f r, crack will form and the beam will collapse without further increase
of load.

(b) Axially Prestressed Beam

 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

𝑃
Where: fc = 𝐴
𝑐

P = Longitudinal Axial Force

Ac = Cross Sectional area of concrete
fc = Compressive Stress
Q = Transverse Load
 The force P can be adjusted in magnitude so that, when the transverse load Q is
applied, the superposition of stresses due to P and Q will result in ZERO tensile stress at
the bottom of the beam as shown.
 Tensile stress in the concrete be eliminated in this way or reduced to a specified
amount.

(c) Eccentrically Prestressed Beam

 The stress (applied eccentric load) at the bottom will be exactly twice the value produced
before by axial prestressing.
 For a beam with rectangular cross section, the point of application of the prestressing force
should be at the lower third point of the section depth.

e = eccentricity relative to the concrete centroid

Axial Stress = 2fc

𝑃 𝐶2
= 𝐴 + 𝑃𝑒
𝑐 𝐼𝑐

Where: fc = concrete compressive stress

𝐶2 = Distance from concrete centroid to the bottom of the beam
𝐼𝑐 = moment of inertia of the cross section
 Consequently, the beam capacity will also be twice the value produced before in axial
prestressing on 2Q and still cause no tensile stress.

(d) Beam with variable eccentricity

 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

 The load 2Q produces bending moment that varies linearly along the span, from zero at
the supports to maximum at the middle span.

(e) Balanced load stage for beam with variable eccentricity

CONCLUSIONS:

1. Prestressing can control or even eliminate concrete tensile stress for specified loading.
2. Eccentric prestress is usually much more efficient than concentric prestress.
3. Variable eccentricity is usually preferable to constant eccentricity, from the viewpoints of
both stress control and deflection control.

B. EQUIVALENT LOADS

 P sinƟ = vertical component

 P cosƟ = Horizontal ≈ P for usual flat slope angles
 Sin Ɵ = tan Ɵ (for flat slope)
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE
 A tendon with a parabolic profile will produce a uniformly distributed load. In this case,
the moment diagram will be parabolic, as for uniformly loaded simple span.

 The exact distribution of the load depends on the profile of the tendon.
 There are no vertical forces on the concrete, but the beam is subjected to a moment Pe
at each end, as well as the axial force P, and a diagram of constant moment results.

 It may be evident that for any arrangement of applied loads, a tendon profile can be
selected so that the equivalent loads acting on the beam from the tendon are just equal
and opposite of the applied loads.
 An advantage of the equivalent load concept is that it leads the designer to select what
is probably the best tendon profile for a particular loading.

C. PRESTRESSED CONCRETE AS A SPECIAL VARIATION OF REINFORCED

CONCRETE

Both concrete stress control and equivalent load methods was implied on the following
conditions:

1. That the concrete responded elastically.

2. No cracking occurred.

 These conditions may prevail up to about the service load level, but if the loads should be
increased much beyond that, flexural tensile stresses will eventually exceed the modulus
of rupture and cracks will form.

 Loads can usually be increased much beyond the cracking load in well-designed
prestressed beams.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

(a) Beam with factored load applied

 Eventually both the steel and concrete at the cracked section will be stressed into their
inelastic range.

 The beam undoubtedly would be in a partially cracked state with possible pattern of
flexural cracking as shown in (a) above.

(b) Equilibrium of forces on left half of the beam

 At the maximum moment section (midspan), only the concrete in compression is effective,
and all tension is taken by steel.
 External moment from the applied loads is resisted by the internal couple.
Cz = Tz
 The behavior at this stage is almost identical to that of ordinary reinforced concrete beam
at overload.
 The main difference is that the very high – strength steel used must be ‘pre-strained’
before loads are applied to the beam; otherwise high steel stresses would result to
excessive concrete cracking and large beam deflections.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

Activity # 3

INSTRUCTION: Read the instruction carefully and comprehensively. Write

your answer on the space provided before the number.
Indicate by the correct letter which of the following effect of prestressing of
prestressed concrete design listed below belongs in:
a. Concrete Stress Control b. Equivalents Loads
c. Special Variation of Reinforced Concrete

1. Eccentric prestress is usually much more efficient than

concentric prestress.

2. Concrete responded elastically and no cracking occurred.

3. A tendon profile can be selected so that the equivalent

loads acting on the beam from the tendon are just equal
and opposite of the applied loads.

4. Loads can usually be increased much beyond the cracking

load in well-designed prestressed beams.

𝑃 𝐶2
5. Axial Stress = 2fc = 𝐴𝑐
+ 𝑃𝑒 𝐼𝑐

6. It is the advantage of load concept that it leads the

designer to select what is probably the best tendon profile
for a particular loading.

7. The behavior of this stage is almost identical to that of

ordinary reinforced concrete beam at overload.

8. Unreinforced Concrete beam.

9. External moment from the applied loads is resisted by the

internal couple.

10. There are no vertical forces on the concrete, but the beam
is subjected to a moment Pe at each end, as well as the
axial force P, and a diagram of constant moment results.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

1.4 SOURCES OF PRESTRESS FORCE

A. Pre-compressing by the use of jacks reacting against abutments

Post – tensioning by jacking against abutments

B. Post-tensioning by jacking reacting against beam

C. Pre-tensioning with tendon stressed between fixed external anchorages

 It is essential that in all three cases mentioned, that the beam be supported in such a way
as to permit the member to shorten axially without restraint, in order for the prestressing
force to be transferred to the concrete.
 Other means for introducing the desired prestressing force have been attempted on an
experimental basis.
E.G. Thermal Prestressing
 In general, classification of prestressing systems are:
1. Pretensioning system
2. Post-tensioning system

PRETENSIONING – the tendons are stressed before the concrete is placed. This system is well
suited for mass production, since casting beds can be made several hundred ft. long, and the
entire length cast at once, and individual beams cut to the desired length from the long casting.

POST-TENSIONING – the tendons are tensioned after the concrete is placed and has acquired
its strength. Usually, a hollow conduit or hollow box-section beams are used.

The jacking force is usually applied against the ends of the hardened concrete, eliminating the
need for massive abutments.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

Activity # 4

TRUE OR FALSE. Write TRUE if the statement is true. If the

statement/phrase is incorrect, write FALSE, then rewrite
into correct statement/phrase. Write your answers on
this activity box.

1. One of the sources of prestress force is the

pre-compressing using jacks against the beam.

2. Pre- tension with tendons stressed between

internal anchorages.

3. In Post-tensioning, the tendons is tensioned

after the concrete is placed and has required its
weight.

4. Post tensioning is well suited for mass

production.

5. Thermal prestressing is included in the

classification of prestressing.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

SUMMARY

 A Prestressed Concrete is a highly versatile construction material as a result of

it being an almost ideal combination of its two main constituents: high-strength
steel, pre-stretched to allow its full strength to be easily realised; and modern
concrete, pre-compressed to minimise cracking under tensile forces. Its wide
range of application is reflected in its incorporation into the major design codes
covering most areas of structural and civil engineering, including buildings,
bridges, dams, foundations, pavements, piles, stadiums, silos, and tanks.

 It also defined as one in which there have been introduced internal stresses of
such magnitude and distribution that the stresses resulting from the given external
loading are counteracted to a desired degree.

 Prestressing applies a pre-compression to the member that reduces or eliminates

undesirable tensile stresses that would otherwise be present.
 Cracking under service loads can be minimized or even avoided entirely.
 Deflections may be limited to an acceptable value, or zero deflection.
 Permit the engineer to make use of efficient and economical high –
strength steels in the form of strands, wires or bars in
conjunction with high – strength concrete.

 EFFECT OF PRESTRESSING

There are at least three ways to look at the Prestressing of Concrete:

1. As a method of achieving Concrete Stress Control, by which the

concrete is precompressed so that tension normally resulting from the
applied loads is reduced or eliminated.

2. As a means for introducing Equivalents loads on the concrete member

so that the effects of the applied loads are counteracted to the desire
degree.

3.
As a special variation of reinforced concrete in which prestrained high-
strength steel is used, usually the conjunction with high-strength concrete.
 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS:

1. Each of the 3 viewpoints described are useful in the analysis and design of
prestressed concrete beams.
2. None of the 3 is sufficient in itself.
3. Neither an elastic stress analysis nor an equipment load analysis provides
information about strength or safety margin.
4. Stress analysis is helpful in predicting the extent of cracking.
5. The equivalent load analysis is often the best way to calculate deflections.
6. Strength (ultimate) analysis is essential to evaluate safety against collapse but
tells nothing about cracking or deflections of the beam under service conditions.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LEARNED?

SELF ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION:

INSTRUCTION: Read the instruction carefully and comprehensively. Write your

answer before the number for Multiple choice and Matching Type. For discussion,
write your answer on the space provided.

I. Multiple Choice. Indicate by the correct letter which of the following effect of
prestressing of prestressed concrete design listed below belongs in:
a. Concrete Stress Control b. Equivalents Loads
c. Special Variation of Reinforced Concrete

1. Neglecting ‘self-weight’ and as the load w is gradually applied,

longitudinal flexural stress is induced.
2. A tendon profile can be selected so that the equivalent loads acting on
the beam from the tendon are just equal and opposite of the applied
loads.
3. External moment from the applied load is resisted by the internal
couple.
4. Prestressing can control or even eliminate concrete tensile stress for
specified loading.
5. The advantage of this effect it leads the designer to select what is
probably the best tendon profile for a particular loading.

DISCUSSION. Discuss the following: Write your answer in separate sheet

of paper
1. General Principle of Pretessing
2. Conventional Beam subjected to an external load produces both tension and
compressive stresses, but only the concrete above the neutral axis, resist
compressive stress. Justify your answer.
3. The conditions of the effect of prestressing.
4. Result of Prestressing.
5. The Sources of Prestressed Force.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

DISCUSSION. Discuss the following: Write your answer in separate sheet

of paper
1. General Principle of Prestressing

2. Conventional Beam subjected to an external load produces both tension and compressive
stresses, but only the concrete above the neutral axis, resist compressive stress. Justify your
answer.

3. The conditions of the effect of prestressing.

4. Result of Prestressing.

5. The Sources of Prestressed Force.

 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

ASSESSMENT TASK. Write your answer on the space provided.

I. Create a timeline that shows the history for the development of

Prestressing/Prestressed Concrete Design that we are using nowadays.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

I. Make a matrix that shows the procedural difference between

Reinforced Concrete Design (RCD) and Prestressed Concrete
Designed (PCD) in terms of formula/equations, code, and limitations
of design.
 UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SCE 104 – PROFESSIONAL COURSE 4 (PRESTRESSED CONCRETE DESIGN)
2ND SEM.SY 2024-2025
PROFESSOR: ENGR. RIC L. GONZAGA, MCE

ASSIGNED READINGS AND/OR ENRICHMENT

An overview of Reinforced and Prestressed Concrete Research.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259312538_An_Overview_of_Reinfor
ced_and_Prestressed_Concrete_Research.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330534588_Comparison_of_Continuous_
RCC_Prestressed_Concrete_Beams_by_Using_Limit_State_Method

https://www.slideshare.net/SpiceShuvo/comparison-of-reinforced-concrete-and-
prestressed-concrete

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/advantages-disadvantages-reinforced-concrete-reza-
din

https://skyciv.com/docs/tutorials/reinforced-concrete-tutorials/reinforced-concrete-vs-
prestressed-concrete/

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