Catalog Description

This course covers basic understanding of the behavior of prestressed concrete and the design of statically determinate and indeterminate prestressed concrete structures. Design of simple beams for flexure and shear -- as well as service load performance (deflections and stress control) is covered. Development of estimates for loss of prestress are discussed. Composite behavior and design of precast beams, and design of one-way post-tensioned slabs are addressed.Prestressing is introduced as just another load on the structure ("Equivalent Load Concept").

Course Prerequisite(s)

CE 473.

Textbook(s) and/or other required material

  1. ACI 318-05, "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete," American Concrete Institute (required).
  1. Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures by Lin & Burns (optional reference material).
  1. PCI Design Handbook, Prestressed Concrete Institute, Precast and Prestressed Concrete, 6th Ed (recommended design aid-we will attempt to provide at no cost to you).

Topics covered

Throughout the course we consider the materials and techniques used in construction of prestressed concrete members. Actual material properties are used in problems throughout the course and practical construction problems are considered.

Use of superposition in getting stresses from prestress combined with loads. Equivalent load concept for design of prestressed concrete structures will be used.

Discuss principles of momentvs. curvature relationship for members with bonded and unbonded tendons. ACI Code procedureis used in the flexural design of these members.

Discuss loss of prestress due to various sources for pretensioned and post-tensioned members.

Shear strength and design of stirrups for prestressed concrete beams with emphasis on cracking mechanisms being checked. ACI Code approach is used in design.

Design of simple-span prestressed beam for flexure and shear. Show how prestressed beams are designed to meet limit stresses under service load and provide sufficient strength at ultimate. Discuss Magnel diagram and calculation of tendon layout. Illustrate deflection check in beams. Show time-dependent camber and deflection estimates with sustained loads. Illustrate significance of flexural cracking on the approach to estimate of deflections.

Design of composite simple beam with standard precast prestressed section is illustrated including both shored and unshored construction.

Calculation of restraints in statically indeterminate prestressed concrete structures is illustrated. Design of continuous one-way post-tensioned slab is carried out.

Class/laboratory schedule

Sem. 2. Class 3, cr. Meets9:30 to 10:20 AM; Civl 2107; Starting 9 January 2006, MWF.

Contribution of course to meeting the professional component

This course integrates science and engineering principles to design prestressed concrete members and structural systems. The application of scientific and engineering knowledge in solving engineering problems associated with the design of a precast prestressed building Double-Tee member, a precast prestressed composite girder, and a one-way post-tensioned floor slab is exercised to provide experiences in realistic design practice. Subjects are used to solve engineering problems: calculus and differential equations; computer programming, data manipulation, statistical analysis, numerical calculation, and reinforced concrete design principles.

Grading Policy

Homework 25%, Exam 1 (16 February 7:00-9:00 PM), 25%; Exam 2(21 March 7:00-9:00 PM), 25%; and Final Exam (as scheduled), 25%.

Person(s) who prepared this description

Professor Julio A. Ramirez

Date of preparation

January 2006

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