TOPIC 3

DESIGN OF PSC BEAM

AT SERVICEABILITY
LIMIT STATE
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Able to determine concrete stresses
are within specified limits
(permissible stresses) at transfer
and service conditions.
2. Able to determine minimum cross-
section properties of beam.
3. Able to draw Magnel diagram, select
prestress force and eccentricity of
tendon.
4. Able to determine tendon profile
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The design of PSC member is based on:

• Maintaining concrete stresses within specified limits at

all stages in the life of the member.
• Design based on SLS with the concrete stress limits
based on the acceptable degree of flexural cracking.

Allowable maximum concrete compressive stress in bending (Section

5.10.2.2, Code) :

i) At final :
fmax < 0.6 fck under action of characteristic loads (Eqn. 5.42, Code)

< 0.45 fck under action of quasi-permanent loads **

• At transfer: Permanent (Gk) + Prestressing load (Pm,t ) +

f ’max < 0.75 (0.6 fck) proportion () of variable action (Qk)
< 0.45 fck** NOTE: P = KPo, since losses has incurred.
3
See Example 11.4, textbook
 Similar to Table 2.4, Text book,
for quasi-permanent loads

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Allowable tensile concrete stress (minimum): 5

i)At Final:
Minimum stress is limited to fctm given in Table 3.1of Code
(or Table 6.11, Text book).
Example: for Concrete Grade 40, fck = 40 MPa,
fctm = 3.5 MPa
i.e. fmin > fctm

i)At transfer:
f ’min > - 1.0 MPa (-ve shows tensile)
a) For beam with a cantilever span or a continuous beam:
~ necessary to consider the loading pattern of the live loads at service in
order to determine the minimum and maximum moments.

b) For a single-span, simply supported beam:

~ consider minimum moment at transfer and the maximum moment at

service that will govern as shown in figure below.

Wmin

ft>f'min

Transfer
Po fb<fmax
Po

Wmax

ft<fmax

KPo KPo

fb>fmin
Service 6
At transfer :
Po Poe M min ------------- Equation 3.1 (Text book : 11.9)
   f ' t  f ' min
A zt zt

Po Poe M min
   f ' b  f ' max ------------- Equation 3.2 (11.10)
A zb zb
At service :
KPo KPoe M max
   ft  f max
------------- Equation 3.3
A zt zt
KPo KPoe M max
   fb  f min ------------- Equation 3.4
A zb zb
Determination of minimum of section properties
The two pairs of expression can be combined (Subtracting Equation 3.3 from 3.1)

( M max  KM min)  ( f max  Kf ' min) zt ------------ Equation 3.5

(Subtracting Equation 3.4 from 3.2)

( M max  K M min)  ( Kf ' max  f min ) zb ------------ Equation 3.6

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 Mv
zt  ----------------- Equation 3.7
( f max  Kf ' min)
Mv
zb 
( Kf ' max  f )
min ------------------ Equation 3.8

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 Example 1: (Eg.11.2 (Text book)
Select a rectangular section for a post-tensioned beam to carry, in addition to its
self-weight, a uniformly distributed load of 3 kN/m over a simply supported span of
10 m. The member is to be designed with a concrete strength class of C40/50 and is
restrained against torsion at the ends and at mid-span. Assume 20% loss of
prestress (K=0.8)

Solution:
At service: Take fmin = 0 N/mm2
fmax = 0.6 fck = 0.6  40 = 24 N/mm2,

At transfer :
Say: f ’max = 0.6 f ‘ck = 16 N/mm2 , f ’min = -1.0 N/mm2

Due to live load, Mv = 3.0 x 102/8 = 37.5 kNm

From equations 3.7 and 3.8,
Mv Mv
zt  zb 
( f max  Kf ' min)= 1.50 106 mm3 ( Kf ' max  f=min2.93
) 106 mm3

Taking b = 200 mm,

hence, Z = bh2/6 = 200h2/6 > 2.93x106 mm3
Therefore, h > (2.93x106 x 6/200)1/2 = 297 mm
Adopt 200 x350 mm size of the beam for the first attempt.
9
Thus z provided = 200 x 3502/6 = 4.08 106 mm3
DESIGN OF PRESTRESS FORCE :
The inequalities of equations 3.1 to 3.4 may be arranged to
give expressions for the minimum required prestress force
for a given eccentricity:

zt f max  M max
Po  ----------------- Equation 3.9 (Text: 11.17)
K ( zt / A  e)
zt f ' min  M min
Po  ------------------ Equation 3.10 (11.18)
( zt / A  e )
zb f min  M max
Po  ------------------ Equation 3.11 (11.19)
K ( zb / A  e )
zb f ' max  M min
Po  ------------------ Equation 3.12 (11.20)
( zb / A  e )

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• Range of values of permissible prestress force can be found, but eccentricity must
lie within the beam.
• Necessary to consider effect of limiting the eccentricity to a maximum practical
value for the section under consideration.
• limitation is most severe when considering maximum moments acting on the
section, (the inequalities of equations 3.3 dan 3.4).
• If the limiting value for maximum eccentricity emax depends on cover requirements,
equation 3.3 becomes:
 zt 
M max  f max zt  KPo  e max  ------- Equation 3.13 (Eqn. 11.21 Text book)
A 
 zb 
M max  KPo  e max   f min zb
A 

 zb   zt 
KPo   e max   f min zb  f max zt  KPo   e-------
max 
Equation 3.14 (Eqn. 11.22)
A  A 

f zt  f min zb
max
Po 
 zb  zt 
K 
 A 
-------- Equation 3.15 ( Eqn. 11.23) 11
 Mmax
Eq 133.14
Eqn.

Eq 143.13
Eqn.
Max moment
inequalities satified
in this zone

Y' Po

Po = Y’ : max. economic prestress force

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 Example 2: (Calculation of prestress force) (Eg.11.3)
The 10 m span beam in earlier example was determined to have a breadth
of 200mm and a depth of 350mm (zb = zt = 4.08106 mm2).
Determine the minimum initial prestress force required for an assumed
maximum eccentricity of 75 mm.
f ' max  16 N / mm 2
SOLUTION: f max  24 N / mm 2
f ' min  1.0 N / mm 2
Self-weight of beam = 0.2  0.35  25 = 1.75 kNm f min  0.0 N / mm 2
a) From Equation 3.9 M min  1.75 x 102 / 8  21.9 kNm
zt f max  M max
Po  M max  3.0 x 10 2 / 8  21.9  59.4 kNm
K ( zt / A  e max)
4.08 x 106 x 24  59.4 x106
Po  x 10 3   2881 kN
0.8(4.08 x 10 / 70000  75)
6

Po > - 2881 kN
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Similarly for equations 3.10, 3.11 and 3.12,
Po   1555 kN
Po  557 kN
Po  654 kN

Therefore, 557 kN < Po < 654 kN

b) Check the upper economic limit to prestress force:

From Equation 3.16:
f zt  f min zb 24 zA
max
Po < 
 z b  zt  2 Kz
K 
 A 
 12 A / K  12 x (350x 200) x 10 3 / 0.8
 1050 kN
•Note: This is greater than the upper limit. Thus design initial
prestress force should be : 557 kN < Po < 654 kN

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 CONSTRUCTION OF MAGNEL DIAGRAM
• Equations 3.9 to 3.12 can be used to determine a range of possible values
of prestress force for a given or assumed eccentricity.
• Calculations would be tedious and repetitive.
• Useful approach to design if equations are treated graphically. Equations
3.1 to 3.4 can be rearranged into the following form:

1 K (1 / A  e / zt )
 --------- Equation 3.16 (11.11 Textbook)
Po ( f max  M max/ zt )

1 (1 / A  e / zt )
 --------- Equation 3.17
Po ( f ' min  M min/ zt )

1 K (1 / A  e / zb)
 --------- Equation 3.18
Po ( f min  M max/ zb)

1 (1 / A  e / zb )
 --------- Equation 3.19
Po ( f ' max  M min/ zb )
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• Equations are linear relationship between 1/Po and e.

• Magnel diagram is a powerful design tool; covers all possible solutions

of the inequality equations.
• enables a range of prestress force and eccentricity values to be
investigated.
• Values of minimum and maximum prestress forces can be readily read
and easily determined.
• shows that minimum prestress force (largest value 1/Po) corresponds to
maximum eccentricity,
• as eccentricity reduced, the prestress force must be increased to
compensate.

3 3
1/Po 2 1/Po 1 2
1 3 3

4 4

e e
(a) (b) 16
Magnel diagram construction
 Example 3: ( Construction of Magnel diagram)
Construct the Magnel diagram for the beam given in Example 2 and
determine the minimum and maximum possible values of prestress force.
Assume a maximum possible eccentricity of 125 mm allowing for cover etc.
to the tendons.
The properties from Example 2:

f ' max  16 N / mm 2
From equation 3.16, substitute the values
f ' min  1.0 N / mm 2
1 K (1 / A  e / zt )  1 e  3  59.4 x106 
  0.8  6 
x10 /  24  
6 
M min  21.9 kNm Po ( f max  M max/ zt )  70000 4.08x10   4 .08 x10 
K  0.8
A  70000mm 2 106
  1210  20.77 e
Po
f max  24 N / mm 2
f min  0.0 N / mm 2 Similarly from the other 3 equations:
M max  59.4 kNm
106
zb  zt  4.08 x 10 6 mm3   2243  38.5 e
Po

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/contd:

106
 785  13.5 e
Po
106
 669  11 .5 e
Po
Based on the Magnel Diagram (graph of 106/ Po versus
eccentricity, e), the maximum and minimum prestress
forces can be determined.

Maximum 106/ Po = 2415; thus minimum Po = 414 kN

(e = 121mm)
Minimum 106/Po = 862; thus maximum Po = 1160 kN
( e = 17mm)
18
Can tabulate with a fixed e value

e (mm) Eqn 3.16 Eqn. 3.17 Eqn. 3.18 Eqn. 3.19

0
20
40
60
80
100
120

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Magnel Diagram

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 TENDON PROFILES
• Tendon profiles can be either straight line or parabolic shape.
• Normally, parabolic shape/function is used to design tendon profile for post
-tensioned members.
• The tendons are used to provide forces to the structures.
• Cable is denoted as the resultant of all the individual tendons.

Straight line tendon

21
Parabolic Tendon
 PARABOLIC TENDONS
Y

y=4ax2/L2
a

For Post-tensioned beam; let tendon profile behave likes a

parabolic function;
y =Ax2+Bx+C
Then for x=0, y=0, C=0
The slope at (0,0) =0, then dy/dx = 2Ax+B = 0
Therefore, dy/dx=0, B=0
At X=L/2; y = a, A=4a/L2
The equation for the parabolic, y = 4ax2/L2 22
LOCATION OF TENDONS

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 DESIGN OF TENDON PROFILES
• After prestress force determined and satisfied at the
critical section, it is necessary to determine
eccentricity at which this force must be provided not
only at the critical section but also throughout the
length of the member.
• At any section along the member, e is the only
unknown term in the four expressions and these will
yield two upper and two lower limits which must all
be simultaneously satisfied.
• This requirement must be met at all sections
throughout the member and will reflect both
variations of moment, prestress force and section
properties along the member.

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• At transfer Constant value

 zt f ' min zt  M min

e    ------- Equation 3.20
A Po  Po

 zb f min zb  M max -------- Equation 3.21

e     
 A KPo  KPo Value changes with
respect to Mmax or Mmin
• At service (based on BMD)

 zt f max zt  M max
e    ---------- equation 3.22
A KPo  KPo

 zb f ' max zb  M min ---------- equation 3.23

e     
 A P o  Po

25
 • Evaluate equations at any section to determine the range of eccentricities
within which the resultant force Po must lie.
• Moments Mmax and Mmin are those relating to the section being considered.
• For a member of a constant cross-section, if minor changes in prestress
force along the length are neglected, the terms in brackets in the expressions
are constant. Therefore the zone within which the centroid must lie is
governed by the shape of the bending moment envelopes, as shown in
Figure below.

equation 3.23
-zb/A+fminzb/KPo
Mmax/KPo
centroidal axis
+zb/A-fminzb/Po
equation 3.20

Mmin/Po

Cable zone limits 26

 Example 4: Calculation of cable zone
Determine the cable zone limits at mid-span and ends of the member designed
in previous example for a constant initial prestress force of 500 kN.
a) Ends of beam
Limits to cable eccentricity are given in equation 3.20, which is at the end
span of the beam.
 zt f ' min zt  M min
e   
A Po  Po
 4.08 x10 6 (1) x 4.08 x10 6 
e  3   0  66.5mm M =0 at end,
 350 x 200 500 x10  M at midspan = Mmax
By applying equation 3.23 at the end of span, or Mmin

 zb f min zb  M max
e     
 A KPo  KPo BMD

 4.08 x10 6 
e    0  0  58.3mm
 350 x 200 
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 b) Mid-span, Equation 1 becomes

 4.08 x10 6 (1) x 4.08 x10 6  21x10 6

e  3   500 x10 3  108.5mm
 350 x 200 500 x10 
Equation 3.22 becomes  4.08 x106 (16) x 4.08 x106  21x106
e  3  3
 114.3 mm
 350 x 200 500 x10  500 x10
Equation 3.23 becomes
 4.08 x10 6 (13.33) x 4.08 x10 6  52.5 x10 6
e  3   0.8 x500 x10 3  68.6mm
 350 x 200 0 . 8 x 500 x10 
Equation 3.24 becomes
 4.08 x10 6  52.5 x10 6
e    0  3
114 .3mm  88mm
 (350 x 200 )  0.8 x 500 x10

Eqn. 3.24
equation 4
e=-58.3
e = 146.25mm
centroidal axis
e=66.5
Eqn. 3.21
equation 1

e=42mm

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THANK YOU VERY
MUCH FOR
YOUR ATTENTION

AAB/ ECS528 29