Post-Tensioned Concrete Design

Brian Swartz
University of Hartford
 Load Balancing (Equivalent Forces)
• Single Drape Point
• Force required to hold prestressing strands in place:
P θ P

Psinθ Psinθ
Pcosθ θ Pcosθ

2Psinθ

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 2

 Load Balancing (Equivalent Forces)
• Single Drape Point
• Force applied to the beam at transfer:
Psinθ Psinθ

Pcosθ θ Pcosθ
e

2Psinθ
L

4 Pe
2 P sin  
L Internal moment due to equivalent
 4 Pe  force system equals P*e
 L
FL  L 
M max    Pe
4 4
09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 3
 Load Balancing (Equivalent Forces)
• Parabolic Profile
 2 P sin  
 
 L  Psinθ
Psinθ

Pcosθ Pcosθ
θ e

la
bo
ra
Pa A
to
nt
nge
Parabola

 2 P sin   8Pe
Ta

A   2
 L  L
L

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 4

 Load Balancing (Equivalent Forces)
• Straight Profile with Eccentricity

M = P*e M = P*e
e
P
P

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 5

 Load Balancing (Equivalent Forces)

Source: PTI Manual

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 6

 Load Balancing (Equivalent Forces)

Source: Aalami (1990)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 7

 Load Balancing
• Rule of Thumb:
– PT should balance ~70%-100% of structural dead
load

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 8

 Indeterminate Structures
• “Primary” Effects

M = P*e M = P*e
e
P
P

• Deflection due to “Primary” Effects

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 9

 Indeterminate Structures
• Deformation compatibility with supports
– “Secondary” Reactions

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 10

 Indeterminate Structures
Primary Moment (P*e)
M = P*e M = P*e

Secondary Moment

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 11

 Indeterminate Structures

Source: Aalami (1990)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 12

 Indeterminate Structures

Resultant Moment = Primary Moment + Secondary Moment

P*e

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 13

 Exercise: Eq. Forces and Secondary Moments
Steel Centroid

e1

Mprim = P*e1

Source: Lin and Burns, 1981

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 14
 Exercise: Eq. Forces and Secondary Moments

Msec = Mres - Mprim

Mres

M res Center of Compression

e2 
P Steel Centroid

e1

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 15

 Secondary Moments as a “Load”

ACI 318-08

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 16

 Flexural Analysis: Concrete Stress
• Concrete stress due to prestressing:

P P*e
e
P

P Pey
f  
A I

• Concrete stress due to loads:

My
f 
I

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 17

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress
Ultimate Strength, fpu

Loss of
Prestress
Initial Prestress, fpo

Effective Prestress, fpe

Bonded Tendons
Stress in Steel

Jacking, Elastic Unbonded Tendons

Shortening, and
Camber

Girder Service Cracking Ultimate

Selfweight Load Load Load

Load on Beam

Source: Lin and Burns, 1981

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 18
 Bonded vs Unbonded

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 19

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress
• Steel stress due to loads (Bonded System)
– Concrete Stress My
fc 
I

– Concrete Strain c 
f c My

Ec Ec I
Strain
– Steel Strain My Compatibility
s  c 
Ec I

Es My My
– Steel Stress f s  Es s  n
Ec I I

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 20

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress
• Steel stress due to loads (Bonded System)

Compatibility

Large steel strain/stress

Small steel strain/stress

Moment

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 21

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress
• Steel stress due to loads (Unbonded System)

Slip Slip

Average steel
strain/stress
Large steel strain/stress

Small steel strain/stress

Moment

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 22

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress
• Steel stress due to loads (Unbonded System)
– Concrete Stress
My
fc 
I

– Concrete Strain (at any position)

f c My
c  
E c Ec I

– Concrete Strain (total over length of tendon)

M  x  y x 
L L
  d  
x 0
c x dx
x 0
Ec I

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 23

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress
• Steel stress due to loads (Unbonded System)
– Steel strain (average of concrete strain)
M  x  y x 
L

   s
L dx
x 0
LEc I

– Steel stress
M  x  y  x  Es n M  x  y x 
L L
f s  Es s   dx   dx
x 0
LEc I L x 0 I  x 

• Mild reinforcement required for crack control…

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 24
 Flexural Analysis: Ultimate Capacity
dt d’s dp εcu .85f’c

a/2
A’sf’s ε’s a
C c f’s C

Tp = Apsfps Tp = Apsfps
Ts = Asfy εt Ts = Asfy

εp εpe

a   a  a
M n  A's f 's   d 's   Aps f ps  d p    As f y  d t  
2   2  2

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 25

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress at Ultimate
Stress
fpu
Prestressing Steel
fps

fpy

fpe

Reinforcing Steel
fy

Strain

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 26

 Flexural Analysis: Steel Stress at Ultimate

(most beams)

(most slabs)

ACI 318-08

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 27

 Moment Redistribution
• Assumed bi-linear Moment-Curvature relationship

Moment, M
φMn

Curvature, θ

 Moment-Curvature Exercise

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 28

 Moment Redistribution: Neg M Hinges
w

Fixed

Fixed
L

M n  4.0
M n  4.0
wL2
24

wL2 wL2
 
12 12

Source: Bondy (2003)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 29

 Moment Redistribution: Neg M Hinges
w

Fixed
Fixed
L

“Plastic Hinge” – 48
w1 
Add’l curvature w/o L2
taking more load

Additional load
carried by effective
simple-span

-4.0

Source: Bondy (2003)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 30

 Moment Redistribution: Neg M Hinges
w

Fixed
Fixed
L

64
w2 
L2
+4.0
Theoretical M- Additional plastic
+2.67
diagram if w2 is hinge (and failure)
carried elastically follows

-4.0
-5.33
Source: Bondy (2003)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 31

 Moment Redistribution: Neg M Hinges

• If the design load is w2, the negative moment region

can only carry 4/5.33 = 75% of its demand
• Therefore (1-4/5.33) = 25% of the demand must be
“redistributed” to other sections
+4.0

+2.67

-4.0
-5.33

Source: Bondy (2003)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 32

 Moment Redistribution: Pos M Hinges
w

Fixed
Fixed
L
Flexural
capacity w1, plastic hinge
forms at
midspan
Theoretical M-
diagram if w2 is +1.33
+1.0 w2, plastic hinge
carried elastically
forms at end
supports

-2.67
-3.0

Source: Bondy (2003)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 33

 Moment Redistribution: Pos M Hinges

• If the design load is w2, the positive moment region

can only carry 1/1.33 = 75% of its demand
• Therefore (1-1/1.33) = 25% of the demand must be
“redistributed” to other sections

+1.33
+1.0

-2.67
-3.0

Source: Bondy (2003)

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 34

 Moment Redistribution: ACI 318-08

Ductility

Re-analyze

Source: ACI 318-08

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 35

 Moment Redistribution
• Plastic hinges do not cause secondary moments to
“disappear”

• Why is it important for post-tensioned structures?

– Same “reinforcement” entire length
– Continuous construction common
• Max effects from pattern loads

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 36

 Moment Redistribution
LL
DL

Elastic M-diagram for load case yielding M+max

Redistributed M-diagram for load case yielding M+max
Elastic M-diagram for load case yielding M-max
Redistributed M-diagram for load case yielding M-max

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 37

 Other Considerations
• Volume Change
– Provide slip detail to prevent restraint cracks
• “Banded” Tendons for two-way slabs

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 38

 Development Length

Ld ~ 0

Source: ASBI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 39

 Loss of Prestress

270 ksi
fpu
0.9*fpu = 243 ksi
fpy

fjack
Stress

Strain
Jacking

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 40

 Loss of Prestress
• Friction
• Anchor Set Specific to post-tensioning
• Elastic Shortening
• Shrinkage
• Creep Similar to pre-tensioning
• Relaxation

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 41

 Friction Loss
• Length effect – “wobble”
• Curvature effect
• Coefficient of Friction

• Monitor elongation in addition to pressure during

jacking

• Overcoming Friction:
– Over-tensioning (limited)
– Jacking from “dead end”

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 42

 Anchorage Set Loss

Concrete Anchor cast in concrete

Duct

Strand

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 43

 Anchorage Devices

ENCAPSULATED STANDARD ANCHORS ENCAPSULATED

ANCHOR ANCHOR

WEDGES

Source: PTI
09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 44
 Anchorage Devices: Wedge

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 45

 Friction and Anchorage Losses
Jacking1 Jacking2

Anc. Seating
Loss2
Effect of live end
Force in Tendon

jacking2
Jacking Stress1

Jacking Stress2
Anc. Seating Loss1

Increased PT
due to jacking2

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 46

 Elastic Shortening Losses
• Shortening of concrete compensated in jacking as the
two occur simultaneously

• If only one strand (tendon) – no ES losses

• If multiple strands (tendons)

– Tendons jacked early in the sequence will suffer
losses as subsequent tendons are stressed
– The first strand stressed will suffer the most total
loss
– The last strand jack has zero loss
– Reasonable to take the average of first and last
09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 47
 Anchorage Zone Confinement

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 48

 Anchorage Zone
Confinement

General Zone

Local Zone

Anchorage Device

NCHRP Report 356

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 49

 Anchorage Zone Design: Local
Friction from bearing plate

Compression stress under

anchorage bearing plate

Shear forces transfer force into

surrounding concrete reducing
compression stress on Confining pressure
confined core produced by spiral

Compression stresses at
lower end of confined cylinder

Source: VSL
09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 50
 Anchorage Zone Design: General

Source: NCHRP Report 356

Strut and Tie Model

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 51

 Grouted Post-Tensioned Systems
• Objectives in grouting:
– Durability – corrosion protection
– Structural bonded – “bonded” behavior

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 52

 Grouting: Anchor Details

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 53

 Grouting

Vent

Grout In

Vent

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 54

 Grouting: Materials
• Fluidity
• Bleed
• Segregation
• Set Time
• Strength
• Permeability
• Volume Change
Source: Andrea Schokker
• Corrosion Protection

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 55

 Grouting: Materials
• Must be easy to pump Bleed

• Must have minimal bleeding

– “Thixotropic”
Intermediate Lens

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 56

 Multistrand Stressing

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 57

 Monostrand Jacking

Source: PTI

Source: PTI
09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 58
 PT Advantages: Structural
• Increase span-to-depth ratio
– Reduce floor thickness
• Dead Load
• Story (building) height
– Increase span lengths
• More usable space
• Connection of precast components

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 59

 PT Advantages: Geometric Flexibility

Source: PTI
09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 60
 PT Advantages: Geometric Flexibility

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 61

 PT Advantages: Geometric Flexibility

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 62

 PT Advantages: Constructability
• Earlier stripping of formwork
– Faster construction cycle
• Reduced need for re-shoring
– Approx. weight of one floor “balanced” by post-
tensioning force
• Schedule flexibility
– Earlier installation of non-structural components

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 63

 PT Advantages: Serviceability
• Uncracked behavior
– Reduced deflection (for the same thickness)
– Durability

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 64

 PT Applications: Buildings

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 65

 PT Applications: Slab on Grade

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 66

 PT Applications: Mat Foundations

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 67

 PT Applications: Industrial Floors

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 68

 PT Applications: Parking Structures

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 69

 PT Applications: Prestressed Ground Anchors

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 70

 PT Applications: Prestressed Ground Anchors

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 71

 PT Applications: Storage Structures

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 72

 PT Applications: Spliced Girder Bridges

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 73

 PT Applications: Segmental Bridges

Source: ASBI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 74

 PT Applications: Barrier Cable

Source: PTI

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 75

 PT Applications: Retrofit & Strengthening

Source: Seneca Structural Engineering

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 76

 Summary: Why teach post-tensioning?
• Reinforce basic mechanics in the curriculum
• Do not treat as a separate concept from pre-
tensioning
• Increasingly common in practice

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 77

 Resources: PTI

Post-Tensioning Institute
38800 Country Club Dr.
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248-848-3180
www.post-tensioning.org

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 78

 References
• Aalami, B.O. “Load Balancing: A Comprehensive Solution to Post-Tensioning.” ACI Structural
Journal, V. 87, N.6, Nov-Dec 1990. pp 662-670.
• Bondy, K.B. “Moment Redistribution: Principles and Practice Using ACI 318-02.” PTI Journal,
Jan 2003, pp 3-21.
• Post-Tensioning Institute. “Post-Tensioning Manual.” Sixth Edition. 2006.
• Lin, T.Y. and Burns, N.H. “Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures .” Third Edition. John
Wiley and Sons. 1981.

09/20/2021 Developed by Brian Swartz for the PCA Professor’s Seminar 79