Warsaw University of Technology

Department of Civil Engineering

Institute of Roads and Bridges
Warsaw 2!"
Foreign language Master Diploma Seminar
Post tensioning in
concrete bridge structures
Author: Engineer Jankowski Tadeusz
eader: Associate Pro!essor "i#e$owski Marian
Table o! contents:
Preface
1. Purpose of stressing
2. Basic assumptions to calculations
3. Classic method of stressed cross section calculations
4. Example of calculation of two span continuous beam with constant eccentricity and force
5. Example of modelling and FEM results of stressed round sla#
6. Technical and realisation details
7. Simple support beam stressed with parabolic path of cable finding the path.
8. Friction and tension looses
9. Calculation of influence line from moving bending moment M=1 on simple support beam
10.Calculation of influence line from moving bending moment M=1 on two spans beam
11. Examples of stressed bridge constructions in Poland
12.Examples of stressed bridge constructions in Europe
$ummary
%oca#ulary
Pre!ace
The main o#&ect of this essay is a try to answer the 'uestion( how stretching forces
inside the steel of ca#le interact with concrete in stressing technology)
Essay presents commonly *nown #ridge structures made from stressed concrete and
tal*s a#out using stressed concrete in wide range in civil engineering)
%& Purpose o! stressing
The main purpose of stressing is to deform structure due to designers will) Ideal
e+ample is function with values opposite to dead weight) It could #e write ,w
g
-+./w
s
-+. in case
of #eam 0 one dimension element) Desired deformation is get as every other deformation of
structure) Designer should put the load in e+act places on construction and ma*e
calculations) In other words( $tress is effectuated programmed state of tension inside the
element) Descri#ed state of tension is characterised #y no,stretching concrete along element
under the load( dead weight 1 stress)
The a#ility of #uilding concrete medium,length spans -232m. is also the purpose of
stressing) Building such spans from reinforced concrete is impossi#le) $teel truss is more
e+pansive than stressed concrete) $tressing gains ",45 savings in reinforcing steel)
6Initial stressing leads to savings in material) In many cases in stressed structures
usage of concrete is 75 and reinforcing steel 85 in comparison to reinforced
concrete9:position 8 page !4;
<ractically= from the #eginning of reinforced concrete in structures there were
pro#lems with crac*ing) Concrete crac*s #ecause of low endurance under stretching)
$tructural engineers started to put steel elements in the area of stretching was helpful #ut it
wasn>t enough to solve pro#lem completely)
Continuous technological progress and collected e+perience have lead to diffuse
advanced technologies in stressing concrete in many #ranches of engineering) ?owadays steel
anchorages constructed from cones are most common)
$tressing ca#les are often use to increase carrying capacity of e+isting old #ridges and
structures)
'& (asic assumptions to calculations
The first step of calculations is determine type of stressed element) In this essay
#eams are considered) There are two types of differential e'uation connected to #eam(
the first is commonly *nown for #eams with constant cross section
the second for #eams with parametric cross section often used in cantilever
continuous #ridges :position " page @;
In further part of an essay only the constant cross section will #e considered)
The second assumption to design is eccentricity of stressing force in every cross
section) The path of a ca#le determines the e'uivalent load from stressing put on the #eam
element) The path imprecates to straight line or some function e-+.) Aor e+ample e'uivalent
vertical load from para#olic path is e'ual p-+.) The form of e'uivalent load e'uation is similar
to e'uation of #eam I-+./constant)
)& *lassic method o! stressed cross section calculations
Classic method advised #y standard <?,22,82B" rely on e'uili#rium in every cross
section along the element) E'uili#rium in stressed section depends from value of #ending
moment= eccentricity and value of the force= geometry of section)
Designer must choose several cross sections and then chec* normal stresses) Arom the
viewpoint of structures mechanics it>s very simplified algorithm) Designer can>t calculate the
structure>s function of deflection)
It should #e remem#er that if we act massive forces in one element it has influence on
others) Especially if the connections are solid= li*e in frame rail #ridges) Designer should
consider field of tension in whole construction= not only in one element)
Clgorithms of design #asing on parameters of cross section is to e+tensive for this
essay) The most common is Magnel+s method)
Deformations in ultimate
limit state of carrying
capacity :possition B page
7D;
Aorces in cross section
under #ending moment
:position B page 7@;
,& E-ample o! calculation o! two span continuous beam with constant
eccentricit. and !orce
En the picture #elow there is an e+ample of two span continuous #eam under the load
from ca#le with constant eccentricity and force) Aorce method was used to calculate #ending
moment= shear and a+ial forces in every point of structure)
Fraph of #ending moments is not o#vious) Designer must ta*e care a#out stretching
a#ove ca#le on #oundary supports and #elow ca#le in the middle support) Goreover very
important is great opposite reaction in middle support which may cause a lot of trou#les with
stretching concrete a#ove #earing) $uch opposite reactions weren>t considered in FdaHs*
$outh overpass and lead to destroy concrete a#ove #earings)
/& E-ample o! modelling and FEM results o! stressed round slab

Round sla# model in Ro#ot structural AEG software shows the #ehaviour of structure
under load from ca#le with constant eccentricity and force along one of diameters) The ca#le
was replaced with a+ial force
$-+./$/const and
continuous #ending
moment G-+./$Ie/const=
#ecause it>s impossi#le to
model ca#le in this software)
It>s a general rule of
theoretical mechanic= if one
move vector #y section)

There were values ta*en
ar#itrarily( $/4*?Jm and G/,
!*?ImJm -stretching in
upper fi#ers.) Uplifting
calculated #y AEG engine
e'uals ! cm in direction due
to e+pectations)
0& Technical and realisation details
$tressing techni'ues in #ridge structures can #e separate into several types(
C. <retension concrete 0 strains are 7 wires weaves contain small diameters 2)4 0 B mm)
Weaves are put into forms= tension #y trac*s and then concrete is poured directly on wires)
Aorces are transferred through the friction to he concrete completely) Wires may have straight
or several sections -rare. path) Ariction in strain,concrete has a *ey role and designer has to
calculate structure with it) <retension concrete is the most popular of all types stressed
structures) Disadvantage of this method is relatively small length up to 2"m in road
transport= and "4 in water transport :position 2 page @4;)
B. <ost,tension without friction 0 it>s an amount of weaves inside wa+ and armour with
normaliKed area usually !"mm
2
or !4mm
2
) Every weave contain of 7 wires turned around
one in the centre) Ca#le tu#e is installed to reinforcement #ars #efore pouring the concrete
and has a designed height from #oarding in every cross section) Designed path of ca#le must
#e end #y anchorages( active if stressing &ac* will tension this end= passive if it>s poured with
concrete completely) Ga&or element of active anchorage construction is massive steel plate
with cones #loc*ed inside wholes) <assive end is a we# of single wires ended with little plates
flooded with concrete) There is no access to passive end of a ca#le) Cfter concreting and
waiting till concrete mature= stressing &ac* will tension the ca#le to the designed level)
<ressure from anchors causes the #iggest tension in concrete in whole structure) Ca#le tu#e
is filled with patented wa+es to reduce friction #etween stressing steel and concrete to
minimum 0 practically Kero) Ca#le tu#e is often made from high endurance polyethylene to
reduce friction for every weave separately :position ! page D;) In real structures friction can>t
#e reduce to Kero= #ut it has so small level= that designer can calculate it as e'ual Kero) That is
the reason why this type of stressing is called Lwithout friction9)
C) Ca#le in concrete with friction 0 it>s the same situation as a#ove #ut tu#e is filled with
cement,#ase= #ituminous or synthetic resin su#stances :position 2 page !"";)
D. E+ternal ca#les -inside or outside cross section. without friction -E+tra,dosed if
outside. 0 ca#les touch concrete only in specified places called deviators) Deviator is an
element specially formed to transfer clamp and to construct enough #ig eccentricity) Cnalysis
of structure is made without friction #ut with dynamic and non,linear aspects) The longest
spans can #e #uilt with this technology of stressing)
Drawing !) $tressing steel -from left( !+ wire= 4+ weaves= !+ stay ca#le. :position 2 page D@;
1& Simple support beam stressed with parabolic path o! cable 2 !inding
the path

<ara#ola is the most fre'uent path of the ca#le= #ecause of easy calculations) E+ample
of influence from ca#le in this shape is given #elow) To calculate the function through whole
structure three points must #e given( supports and span eccentricity) E+ample #elow shows
the method to find eccentricity and angle of ca#le in every cross section for every #oundary
conditions) Calculated values are necessary for(
values of continuous #ending moment
a+ial load changing it>s value through the #eam
shear load reliant to angle of ca#le to a+is of a #eam)
%alues of all loads is necessary to chec* #eam in ultimate limit state especially on supports)
3& Friction and tension looses

Tension loose along the ca#le is e+treme important in calculations) They are caused #y
many reasons :position 7 page !D;(
, immediate( friction #etween ca#le and ca#le tu#e or concrete is given #y function f-+. along
whole element
, immediate( elastic deformation of pressed concrete constant along whole element
, immediate( cones slip inside active anchorage differ along section +o from anchorage
, rheological( shrin*age and creeping of concrete
, rheological( stressing steel rela+ation
The loss of stressing force from friction #etween steel and concrete is shown on the
drawings #elow) It depends from friction coefficient= angle of the path and unintentional
waves of ca#le tu#e along the path) E'uation descri#ing friction loss was proposed #y Euler
for the first time :position 2 page !DB;)
4& *alculation o! in!luence line !rom mo5ing bending moment M6% on
simple support beam
In case of traditional loading of influence line= uniform '-+. and point forces < are
multiplying #y proper fieldsJordinates of influence line of given static value) This method of
design is the #est for #ridges #ecause of massive moving load from vehicles) Designer has to
place the vehicle a#ove ma+imumJminimum ordinates of the influence line for static values
of every cross section along the #ridge)
Influence lines from
moving point force are
useless for uniform or point
#ending moment) If we have
such a load on a #eam we
should find the influence line
from moving point #ending
moment G/!) It>s necessary
#ecause there is always
moments with eccentricity of
the force)
%7& *alculation o! in!luence line !rom mo5ing bending moment M6% on
two spans beam
Calculations are o#vious for one span simple support #eam) <ro#lems #egin with static
indeterminate level) The higher is level the calculations are more difficult) Two span
continuous #eam was calculated #y force method) It has one level static indeterminate)
Bending moment a#ove middle support was replaced #y moment M/!)
?e+t step is calculating #ending moments from e+ternal G/! and overtime M/! loads
in #asic system of simple #eams) Bending moments graph from moving load must #e
addicted to L+9 coordinate) It should #e remem#ered that graph>s &ump in the place is e'ual to
G/!) Calculations are made for every #eam interval) There are local coordinates for every
#eam to simplify calculations) Rotation can #e calculated from Ga+well,Gohr graphical rule)
Cll local coordinates must #e imprecated to one glo#al at the #eginning of the #eam)
Drawing charts for 2/!m EII/! G/! in Gathematica software is the last chapter of
calculations)
Chec*ing of hand calculations was performed in Ro#ot structural software) There is
not possi#le in this program to model point moment load moving on the #eam= so several
situations was chec*ed) Results are shown a#ove) Nand made algorithm is !5 correct)
%%& E-amples o! stressed bridge constructions in Poland
Increase of stressed #ridge #uilt in <oland is a fact) Ever the past 24 years many
companies have entered polish construction mar*et) Cccording to professor Nenry* Oo#el at
the #eginning of @>s there were 88B8 #ridges in <oland -B2" stressed.) Cccording to FDDPiC
data= in 2! year there were 8B@ #ridges -D2D stressed.) It>s easy to calculate that during 2
years in <oland 827 #ridges were #uilt and 2" stressed among them) It>s B25 of the mar*et)
Ef course this amounts are estimated= #ut give #ig argument to *now how to design and
realiKe stressed concrete as cheap and relia#le alternative for comple+ #ridges) Bridge over
Bug in WysK*Qw with ma+imum span 2ma+/!8Bm= over WisRa in FrudKiSdK 2ma+/!Dm=
south #ypass of PTdKierKyn PoUle 2ma+/!"m are the most impressive ca#le stressed
realisations in <oland) Cll of them have parametric cross section along the #ridge= odd
num#er of spans and were #uilt in cantilevering method)
%'& E-amples o! stressed bridge constructions in Europe
C#road= stressed concrete has #een using for a longest time and for longer spans) Aor
e+ample in ?orway Raftsund Bridge 2ma+/2@Dm and 2ofots Bridges -interesting #ecause of
its curved shape.= in Custria 2avant #ridge 2ma+/!Bm -!Bm high a#ove valley.) 2ist could
#e longer and richer for e+tra,dosed #ridges #ut it isn>t a su#&ect of this article)
Summar.
Designing strains and ca#les in concrete is very responsi#le and 'uite difficult #ut
economically validate what is shown #y statistics of #uilt o#&ects) Calculations enclosed in
this article may seem to #e vast and difficult= #ut it>s only the top of ice#erg) Complete
informations a#out stressing is in the #oo* L$tressed structures V #ridges9 and LTheory of
stressing9 prof) $tefan Paufman) Gentioned #oo*s are 'uite old -!@44,!@B4. #ut give answers
to many 'uestions= which L#lac* #o+9 in the shape of AEG software doesn>t answer)
2evel of technical *nowledge a#out stressing is still rising) <rove for this sentence are
science articles( LC#out design stressed #ridges according to <?,@!J$,!"2 and <?,E? !@@2,
!,!9 authors from WI2 <W 2!8= LIncrement of tension in stressing ca#le without friction from
load on the stressed #eam9 W) <olitals*i 2D) In the second of mentioned articles there is a
conclusion( L<erformed e+periment shows that there is a #ig discrepancy #etween theory and
real structures and additional tests and considers are necessary9 :yadda)icm)edu)plJ#aKtech;)
iterature:
:!; Europe&s*a Cpro#ata TechnicKna ETC 0 BJ!B4 , BBR %T CE?C CGG
:2; Ponstru*c&e K #etonu sprTWonego Xa*u# C&du*iewicK= Xa*u# Games= <ols*i Cement 2D
:8; Betonowe *onstru*c&e sprTWone Pali*st Fra#iec= XerKy Pampioni= <W? !@D2
:"; <restressed concrete #ridges Prystian Genn= Basel !@@
:4; Godelowanie sprTWenia mostQw Gachels*i CKesRaw= DolnoYlSs*ie Wydawnictwo
Edu*acy&ne 2!
:B; <?,22,B,82B"ZPonstru*c&e #etonowe Kel#etowe i spreKone E#licKenia statycKne i
pro&e*towanie
:7; <?,@!J$,!"2 Ponstru*c&e #etonowe Kel#etowe i spreKone E#ie*ty mostowe 0
pro&e*towanie
89*A(:A;<
assumption , KaRoWenie
a+ial force , siRa normalna
#earing , RoKys*o
#ending moment , Kgina&Scy moment
#oarding , des*owanie
carying capacity , noYnoY[
clamp , docis*
cone , stoWe*
cross section , prKe*rQ& poprKecKny
deflection , ugiTcie
diffuse , roKpowsKechniac
dimension 0 wymiar
discrepancy , roK#ieWnoY[
eccenticity , mimoYrQd
enclose , KaRScKa[
e'uivalent load , o#ciaWenie rQwnowaWne
estimated , sKacun*owy
AEG , finite element method
fi#er , wRQ*no
field of tension , pole napreKen
flooded 0 Kalany
frame , rama
friction , tarcie
imprecate , sprowadKa[
imprecate , sprowadKa[
inertia , #eKwRadnoY[
influence line , linia wpRywu
initial , wstTpny
interval , prKedKiaR
lead , doprowadKa[
loss , strata
moreover , ponadto
most fre'uent , na&cKTstsKy
necessity , *oniecKnoY[
odd , nieparKysty
opposite , prKeciwny
ordinate , rKTdna
overtime , nadlicK#owy
path , trasa
preface , prKedmowa
reliant , KaleWny
report , omQwienie
rheology , reologia
round , o*rSgRy
shear force , siRa tnSca
su#merged , Katopiony
support , podparcie
to effectuate , wprowadKa[
truss , *ratownica
validate , uKasadnia[
wa+ , smar
weave , splot
wire , drut