PRESTRESSED CONCRETE

Pamban Road Bridge, Rameshwaram

PRESTRESSED CONCRETE- GENERAL
WHAT IS PRESTRESSING?
Prestressing, it self means, an intentional application of a pre-determined force
on a system, for resisting the internal stresses that may be developed in the
system, due to external loads

A prestressed concrete structure is different from a conventional reinforced concrete

structure due to the application of an initial load on the structure prior to its use. The
initial load or ‘prestress’ is applied to enable the structure to counteract the stresses
arising during its service period.
WHY IS PRESTRESSING?
The initial load or “prestress” is applied to enable the structure to
counteract the stresses arising during its service period.

As we are well aware of the fact that concrete is poor in bearing tension.

In figure , the middle beam is in state with no live load(no external load), thus
a compressive stress in lower part.

So when loading will be applied, the beam will come to its shape as shown in
lowermost beam, thereby inducing minimum compressive stress on lower
part, as stress is induced in reinforcing bars.

Meaning, post loading tensile stress will be balanced by initial

compressive stress.
The High Tensile wires/strands, when bunched together are called Cables. These cables are generally placed inside a
cylindrical duct made out of either metallic or HDPE material. The Anchorages, one of the main components of the Prestressing
activity, are used to anchor the H.T. Cable after inducing the Load. The whole assembly of the Anchorage and the H.T. Cable is
named as ‘TENDON’.
WHY IS PRESTRESSING?

Controlled or Reduced Cracking

Prestressing process involves application of an initial

compressive pre-stress on a structure to minimize or eliminate
the internal tensile forces this will help to control or eliminate
cracking.
Controlled Deflections

Prestressing will impose internal forces which are of reverse in

sign to the external loads and therefore it will significantly
reduce or even eliminate deflection in the member.
PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE: METHODS
There are two basic methods of applying pre-stress
to a concrete member Pre-Stressing
Systems

− Pre- Tensioning

− Post- Tensioning Pre- Post-

Tensioning Tensioning

Bonded Unbonded
Wires Strands
Tendons Tendons

Mono Multi
Bars Strands
Stressing Stressing

Wires, Bars Wires and

and Strands Strands
THE PROCESS
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE- PRE/POST TENSIONING
5 STEPS OF PRE-TENSIONING

1. Anchoring the tendons against the end abutments

2. Placing of Jacks

3. Applying tension to the tendons

4. Casting of concrete

5. Cutting of the reinforcement

Sequence of Pre-tensioning
7 Steps of Post-tensioning
1. Layout & Profiling of the cables/sheathing.

2. Fixing of tube unit/end block.

4. Cable cutting and threading.

[Link]

[Link] of Bearing plate & Wedges.

6. Stressing.

7. Cutting and end Sealing.

7. Grouting.
SEQUENCE OF POST-TENSIONING
 PRESTRESSED CONCRETE- MATERIALS

Pamban Road Bridge, Rameshwaram

THE MATERIALS- PRE- STRESSING STEELS
Pre-stressing Steels are best known as the High Tensile Steel Wires, Strand or Bars and are available in various sizes
and configurations to impart a range of UTS. A few of them are as listed below:

High strength prestressing steels requires careful handling during transportation and storage. They should neither
be dragged on hard rough surface nor laid unprotected on naked soil. It should be properly wrapped and
covered with tarpaulin etc. to prevent ingress of moisture and dirt in a humid or corrosive atmosphere. They should
be stored at an elevated platform to prevent them from rising moisture if any, from the humid / wet ground condition.
The Storage area must also have an adequate ventilation, to prevent condensation.
THE MATERIALS- ANCHORAGE SYSTEMS

Guide - This is specially formed component made out

of graded Cast Iron, which generally gets embedded in
the concrete and used to distribute the tendon forces to
the concrete.
Bearing Plate - This is cylindrical round shaped
component made out of forging of graded Alloy Steel.
This plate contains a number of tapered holes for
wedging the Prestressing Steel with the help of grips.
Grips & Circlips - This is a tapered shaped
components made out of Alloy Carbon Steel and
subsequently hardened & tempered. These grips are
slitted in three equal parts to work like a split jaws and
contains serrations inside.
THE MATERIALS- ANCHORAGE COUPLERS
In the construction of continuous deck bridges, it is essential to extend
Prestressing cables as the construction proceed.

COUPLER RING is placed between the GUIDE and the BEARING

PLATE. The coupler Ring contains the required number of slotted lugs to
accommodate SWAGED GRIPS fitted on the strands for Second stage
cable.

After the completion of first stage of prestressing and grouting, the

strands fitted with swaged grips are installed for second stage stressing.
Swaged grips are prepared with the help of a specially designed sleeves
and locks, on an extrusion press.

The strands are then deflected through a conical shaped trumpet called
REDUCER CONE, which also prevents ingress of concrete and slurry
during casting of second stage.

This Reducer Cone provides a grout exit point, which should be placed at
the top location to prevent any air being trapped during grouting.
Small end of the Reducer cone is securely tapped to the duct of second
stage.
THE MATERIALS- TENDON DUCTS (SHEATHING)
Sheathing is used to create a void in the concrete
structure, through which the stressing steels are inserted
and remain free to stretch during stressing operation.
Sheathings are available in two types:
A) Metallic Ducts
B) H.D.P.E. Ducts
LAYOUT & PROFILING OF SHEATHING PIPES
After completion of alignment of bottom shuttering & bottom reinforcement of girder, layout & Profiling of cables shall be carried
out in following steps :
• Layout of cables is carried out as per given ordinates & related reference drawings.
• After all ordinates are plotted, tie bars of 10 mm. dia. shall be installed as per ordinates to place the sheathing pipe wherever
required. Installation of sheathing pipe is carried out over the tie rods.
• Sheathing pipe shall be supported in the bottom by tie rods & shall be cross bound using double binding wire. It should be
ensured that the sheathing pipes are fixed firmly in position so as to prevent displacement during concreting by weight of
concrete, vibration or by floatation.
• Connect the sheathing with the help of couplers provided at the end of each pipe.
• Sealing of sheathing joints will be done using PVC tapes. It will be ensured that no joints are remaining unsealed.
• Cable profile shall be checked. Vertical ordinates shall be check from soffit of the bottom shutters. Horizontal ordinates shall
be check from the face of the side shutters, which has been already checked for verticality or as in drawing.
PLACEMENT OF TENDONS SUPPORT
To ensure the adequate transfer of calculated forces to the
structure, it is very important that the tendon profile and the
location of the duct, in ‘X’ & ‘Y’ directions are maintained as
shown in the drawing.

For this purpose; the ducts needs to be properly supported and

secured at an intervals of 0.50 – 0.70 meter. The axis of the duct
is considered as the line of Center of Gravity of the tendon.

PROPER CARE TO BE TAKEN FOR INSTALLING TENDON SUPPORT:

1. In the case of lightly curved tendons or ducts, which are not supported by the strands during concreting, the
supports must be placed at shorter distance to prevent uplift.
2. Tendon supports shall never be placed directly underneath the Guide Castings, Duct Joints or Sleeve for Grout
Vent.
3. Tendon Supports shall never be welded near ducts or already placed tendons.
FIXING OF TUBE UNITS
Fixing of tube unit shall be carried out after installation of end shuttering plate.

• Fix tube unit to End plate with the help of 4 nos. of bolts.
• Bursting reinforcement shall be fixed according to the drawing.
• Connecting the tube unit to sheathing pipe.
• Joint shall be sealed with the help of PVC tape.
• The face of the tube unit shall be truly perpendicular to the axis of the cable and about 1.5 m of cable
before trumpet should be in straight alignment.
• After the fixing of tube unit and cable layout, insert the HDPE pipes Or HTS Strand inside all ducts to avoid
the damage of sheathing pipe & ingress of cement slurry inside the duct at the time of concreting.
PLACEMENT OF PRE-STRESSING STEEL
The strands are inserted or placed into the ducts, provided in the concrete structures. Placement / Insertion of the strands
can be done either prior to concreting or after the concreting as well, but the insertion before the concreting is more
dependable and therefore, should be given more preference.
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS – FOR INSTALLING DUCTS & STRANDS
1. Fix the Sheathing duct firmly on the smaller end of the Guide or trumpet
2. Test Certificate of the Prestressing Steel and Identification Label from the Strand Coil should be kept in safe
custody. These data sets are very important and shall be used for Calculating the modified force and elongation at the
time of carrying out stressing operation. Strand data from the “Identification label” and Tendon number, in which the
strand has been used, should be recorded.
3. Strand should be uncoiled in such a manner that it does not get twisted and should not be laid or dragged on soiled
or rough surfaces. A wooden palate should ideally be erected in the yard for dragging & laying the strands after de-
coiling.
4. Strand should not be laid or dragged on soiled or rough surfaces. A wooden palate should ideally be erected in
the yard for dragging & laying the strands after de-coiling.
PLACEMENT OF PRE-STRESSING STEEL
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS – FOR INSTALLING DUCTS & STRANDS
5. Strands should be cut evenly by an abrasive cutter in desired length.
6. Strands ends should be ground smooth, to prevent any damage to the duct during insertion by pushing. If required a
suitable bullet end can also be employed to have a smooth insertion.
7. When the strands are pulled into the tendon ducts together in bundle, special care should be taken to prevent the
damage to the duct or the strands. Roller cradles can be used to carry the tendons on the rough ground.
8. In case of threading of strands after concreting, it is recommended to use a De-Coiler and the Strand Pushing Machine
for uncoiling and threading of strands into the duct.
9. Before concreting, check the entire length of the ducts for any opening or damages. Seal them firmly with the adhesive
tape or any suitable sealant.
10. Both the ends of the duct should be closed after installation, and the strand ends should be wrapped firmly with anti
moisture wraps to prevent the ingress of any foreign particles, cement slurry, concrete or moisture inside the duct. They
may damage the duct and the strands in long run.
PLACEMENT OF PRE-STRESSING STEEL
NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS – FOR INSTALLING DUCTS & STRANDS
11. Precaution should be taken to prevent the sheathing/ducts from getting damaged due to the use of Needle vibrators
during concrete. Damage or puncture of Sheathing may cause a severe ingress of cement slurry into the duct and will
result in blocking the Strands up to certain length.
12. Clogging of strands inside the duct will cause an unequal elongation during stressing and will obstruct the passage
during grouting.
CONCRETING
Although concreting is not a part of stressing but it has very important role in successful completion of stressing of structure.
• It shall be noted that the needle vibrator is not placed directly on sheathing pipe, which may damage the sheathing pipe.
• HDPE pipe Or HTS Strands in all the cables should be moved in both directions during the period of concreting.
• More attention should be given while concreting in the end block portion. Adequate compaction of concrete to be ensured to
avoid any kind honeycombing.
CABLE CUTTING AND THREADING
After completion of concreting & removing end block shuttering, cable threading shall be done.
• H. T. Strands shall be threaded manually.
• For cutting strands, a portable grinding wheel shall be used.
• H. T. Strands shall be cut as given in drawings, considering site conditions & gripping length of jack.
CABLE CUTTING AND THREADING
Fixing of bearings plates & wedges is done before stressing.
• It is ensured that the tapered holes in bearing plates & wedges are free of rust.
• Insert the strands into the tapered holes provided in the bearing plate.
• Install the wedges over the strands and push them with a pipe into the tapered holes of the bearing plate.
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE- STRESSING OPERATION
PERPETRATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
The Stressing Operation can be initiated, only after concrete attains it’s strength (usually to 80% of it’s characteristic
strength in 28 days). This can be ascertained by testing the cube strength of the concrete.
Stressing drawing should be thoroughly studied to ascertain following parameters, and if required, should be consulted
with the Design consultant.
i. Stressing Schedule - Minimum Stay period after concreting, Minimum Concrete strength for Stressing, Sequence of
Stressing for various cables etc. should be obtained from the drawing.
ii. Anchorage/Cable Type – The configuration and type of the cables is also shown in the drawing (i.e. No. of Strand x
Dia. of Strand). A suitable Guide/Trumpet and suitable size of Sheathing duct should be installed in the structure at the
time of fixing of reinforcement cage and before the actual concreting is done.
iii. Assumptions – At the time of designing any structure, designer assumes the standard values of certain parameters
for deriving the designed forces & elongations. These parameters are shown in the drawing as Assumptions and are
mainly known as Cross-Sectional Area of Prestressing steel (Strand), Modulus of Elasticity of Prestressing Steel,
Friction & Wobble Coefficient of Duct and the Wedge Set etc
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
iv. Stressing Force - Stressing force to be applied on each cable. Different cables may require to be stressed at
different force level.
v. Elongation - Elongation to be achieved, in each cable? Different cable may require to be stressed for different
elongation.
vi. Type of Stressing - One End Stressing or Stressing from both the ends.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION

1. The Prestressing Engineer should physically check the access of the Prestressing point, for personnel and
equipments.
2. Jack Clearance from the structure, distance between two cables, Pocket dimensions of the End block should be
checked, with respect to the size and dimensions of our equipment and accessories.
3. If required necessary platform for the personnel and equipment, and the handling gantry for the equipment
should be erected for easy and comfortable access to the Stressing point.
4. Availability of electricity to be checked to operate our equipment and to illuminate the Job site for night work.
5. Availability of potable water (calcium/sulfur/chlorine free) is also required to be checked. This is a most essential
commodity for carrying out the grouting operation
6. Make a thorough visual inspection of the equipments to ascertain, if they are visibly not damaged, or having any
of its parts truncated, dislocated or damaged. Check for any visual leakages etc. in the hydraulic equipments.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
7. Check the quality & quantity of all the accessories of the Hydraulic Jacks and Accessories; such as Conversion
Kits, Master Grips, Terminal Adaptors, Grip releasing Agent etc., for it’s perfection.
8. Check the condition of Pressure Gauges, it’s fittings & connections etc. for correctness. Obtain necessary Gauge
Calibration Certificate from the competent authority. The calibration certificates should not be older than 3 months
9. Check the Hose pipes and it’s end fittings are intact and are connected correctly with the pump & Jack.
10. Obtain Jack efficiency data from the Factory or the manufacturer/supplier of the Jack. It should also be checked
periodically at site level to update the stressing record.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
1. Check the concrete strength and if it attains its prescribed value, Stressing operation may be started.
2. Apply necessary correction to the ‘Stressing Force’ and ‘Elongation’, with respective available ‘Cross-sectional
Area’ & ‘Modulus of Elasticity’ of Prestressing steel, ‘Friction & Wobble Co-efficient’, if any, and the recommended
‘Wedge Set’ for the equipment etc.
3. Stressing operation is monitored in two ways:
a. By Pressure Gauge Reading: The tendon force can be calculated by multiplying the pressure gauge reading
to the ‘Ram Area’ of the Jack.
b. By Elongation Method: Actual elongation can be compared with the theoretical elongation of the Prestressing
steel. It can be calculated with respect to data available for the Prestressing steel used.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
At the Stressing Ends:
1. If the Prestressing steel (Strands) are laid prior to concreting, Try to move the strands to & fro, individually or in
group, to ascertain, the cable is free from any incursions or clogging. If the cable is found to be free, we can
proceed with the stressing operation. Otherwise some efforts are required to make the cables free and stress
able.
2. Pull the projected length of the strands outside the cable opening, up to a length equals to the “Strand Gripping
Length of the Prestressing Jack” + “Double of the Elongation required”. Thoroughly clean them with some fluid
cleaner and make them free from corrosion, dust and any short of inhibitions etc.
3. Repeat the above procedure from the other end of the cable too.
4. Push the extra length of the strands, inside the cable and adjust the projected length of the strands equal to the
prescribed “Strand Gripping Length” for the Jack in use. Repeat this procedure from other end of the cable too.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
At the Stressing Ends:
5. Check the Taper holes of the ‘Bearing Plates’, and if necessary, remove rust and clean them. Please consider
unpacking and placing of ‘Bearing Plates’ and ‘Grips’ only shortly before the stressing.
6. Thread the ‘Bearing Plate’ over the strands and rotate it for 5 to 6 times in clockwise direction and then reverse
the rotation in anti-clockwise direction for equal number of times. By doing this a considerable length of strand
inside the cable gets freed from entanglement.
7. Install the ‘Grips’ over the strands and push them into the taper holes of ‘Bearing Plate’ with the help of a pipe.
‘Grips’ should be pressed into the ‘Bearing Plates’ simultaneously from both the ends of the tendons, till it gets fixed
on the surface of the ‘Guide Cone’.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
Mounting of Jack & Conversion Kit:
1. Insert the ‘Bearing Ring’ over the ‘Bearing Plate’ at both ends of the Tendon and press to fully to sit properly
over the ‘Guide Ring’.
2. Insert the ‘Pressure Plate’ as per the orientation of the Bearing Plate Hole.
3. Jack should be suspended through a ‘Jack Handling Gantry’ with the help of a ‘Chain Pulley Block’. The
arrangement should be such that it gives a full flexibility of movement to the Jack in both transverse &
longitudinal direction. In small projects, a rigid twin Runway beam structure could be erected at the end of
bridge girder, for easy maneuvering of the Jack.
4. Insert the bunch of the Prestressing steel (strands) in the central hole of the jack and push it down towards the
‘Bearing Ring’ and ‘Anchorage’. Axis of the Jack should coincide with axis of the tendon. Raise, lower or tilt the
jack, as required, the face of the jack should be perfectly seating over the face of the ‘Bearing Ring’.
5. Insert the ‘Rear Anchor Plate’ on the strands as per the orientation of the Tendon and then firmly locate it over
the back seat of the Jack Piston.
PREPARATION OF STRESSING OPERATION
Mounting of Jack & Conversion Kit:
6. Apply ‘Grip Releasing Agent’ on to the external surface of all the ‘Master Grips’ and inside the taper hole of the
‘Rear Anchor Plate’ as well. Grip Releasing Agent works as a lubrication between the metals and prevent, metal to
metal locking of the ‘Master Grips’ with ‘Anchor Plate’. While applying these agents, be careful not to apply or spray
them on the serration /thread portion of the Master Grip.
7. Insert the 3 piece ‘Master Grips’ over the strands coming out of the back side of the ‘Rear Anchor Plate’ holes.
Push ‘Master Grips’ into the taper holes of ‘Rear Anchor Plate’ with the help of a pipe, to sit tightly inside the Anchor
plate.
8. Check all the connection of jack with power pack, giving flexibility to hose pipes for movement of jacks at the time
of stressing
9. It is important that supporting chains or hooks should be slackened off as soon as the jack starts carrying load.
Similarly they should also be ready to support the jack again while retracting.
Now the system is ready for STRESSING OPERATION.
CUTTING AND END SEALING
Cutting should be carried out after checking the 24 hrs. slip loss. Strand should be cut approximately 40 mm. from the
face of bearing plate. End sealing should be done with the help of GROUT CAP or Epoxy & cement Mortar (Mounting the
ends) .
GROUTING
Neat cement slurry should be filled in the annular spaces between sheathing duct & high tensile (H.T.) steel/strands.
8.2 MATERIALS FOR GROUTING :
(A) CEMENT: Ordinary Portland cement should be used for the preparation of the grout..
(B) WATER: Clean potable water, free from impurities shall be used. Sea or Creek water shall be strictly avoided.
(C) ADMIXTURE : While designing grout mix , Non shrinkage admixture to be used to reduce shrinkage of grout.
WATER – CEMENT RATIO: Choose Water-cement ratio as low as possible , consistent with workability. This ratio should
not normally exceed 0.45.
GROUT TEMPERATURE: Generally, the temperature of the grout must be 25 °C.
TESTS ON GROUT MIX
Fluidity
Bleeding
Volume Change
 GROUTING
•Grouting of cables shall be done as early as possible, after completion of stressing.
•All cables that are to be grouted shall be cleaned thoroughly with water & compressed air.
•The grout mix is prepared in the agitator by thoroughly mixing it for 1 min.
•The agitator must be placed at a height such that mortar can flow directly in top second tank placed beneath the outlet of
agitator.
•Before flowing in to the second tank mortar must be passed through a 2 mm. mesh screen so as to eliminate impurities and
lumps which otherwise cause choking of the pump at the time of grouting process.
•Connect the suction hose of grout pump to the second drum.
•Operate the pump to drain off water from the pump and hoses.
•Allow discharge of a small quantity of grout from delivery hoses to check the correct functioning of pump.
•Connect the delivery hoses to the tube unit’s grout inlet opening and begin grouting.
GROUTING

• Ensure that there is always enough grout in tank so that air is not sucked in to the pump.
• When the grout flows out of the dead end tube unit’s grout opening, open the air vent nut of the grout caps of both the ends.
• Block the outlet of the other end after being assured that the air has been completely bleeded and the duct is filled with
grout.
• Close the air vent nut and operate the pump until the desired pressure is achieved.
• After the design pressure is achieved, stop the pump and maintain the pressure of 3-5 Kg/cm2 for 1 min. and close the
valve of inlet connector.
• Release the pressure in hose. The pump runs idle and returns grout to the tank.
• Clean the grout pump & agitator with clean water to avoid clogging.
FIXING OF GROUT CAP
The stressed strands are cut to the required length i.e. 40 mm. from the face of bearing plate.
On the inner surface of cap, grease should be applied.
‘O’ ring should be placed in the slot provided along the periphery of the cap, which maintains the pressure and prevents
the leakage of grout.
Grout cap is fixed by 4 nos. of allen key bolts by keeping the air vent nut in top position.
 END PROTECTION OF ANCHORAGES
• Tendons shall be protected against corrosion by a plug at each end to prevent passage of air. After grouting is over the
anchorages will be protected for corrosion as under –
• Clean the exposed anchorage parts for rust and dirt with wire brush manually.
• Clean the surface with cotton waste & apply a coat tar epoxy (solvent free araldite)
 PRESTRESSED CONCRETE- JACK EFFICIENCY

Pamban Road Bridge, Rameshwaram

JACK EFFICIENCY TEST
• Calibrate the Pressure gauges on Dead Weight Pressure Gauge Tester, and connect them on to the STRESS line of the
two Power packs (under test).
• Place both the Prestressing Jacks (under test) facing each other in horizontal condition with a Reaction Ring in between
so that the concentricity of both the Jacks could be maintained.
• Connect the Stressing Cylinder of both the jacks to the respective Power packs with two set of hose pipes.
• Ensure that the STRESS port of the Jack is connected to the STRESS port of the Power pack and the RETURN port of
the jack is connected to the RETURN port of the Power Pack.
• Operate both the jacks independently with their respective Power packs for full extension and retraction, at no load.
• Repeat this procedure for couple of times to perform the Air Bleeding operation.
• After completing the Air Bleeding operation, extend the Ram of both the jacks by about 100 mm. and tighten the Shut-Off
Valves of both the Power packs to close the hydraulic circuit of both the system.
• Insert requisite number of strands (Maximum Capacity of the Jack-Under Test) through the center hole across the two
jacks and lock them with the help of Master Grips at Rear Anchor Block located at the rear end of the jacks.
JACK EFFICIENCY TEST
Now the system is ready for starting the calibration process.
One unit of Jack and Power Pack is made `ACTIVE UNIT’ and the other one is made `PASSIVE UNIT’, and vise
versa.
Load is applied to the `ACTIVE UNIT’ in small intervals and the pressure gauge reading is noted.
Since both the jacks are connected to each other with the help of strands, load of `ACTIVE UNIT’ shall be transferred
to the `PASSIVE UNIT’, through the strands; and hence the pressure gauge of the `PASSIVE UNIT’ will also start
indicating pressure.
Theoretically, the load indicated in the `PASSIVE UNIT’ should be equal to the load applied on the `ACTIVE UNIT’, but
practically, due to some losses in the system, caused by the friction or other transmission hindrances, the load
indicated in the `PASSIVE UNIT’ is always less than the `ACTIVE UNIT’, and this variation in the load is known as
`LOSS OF EFFICIENCY’.
Now apply the pressure to the `ACTIVE UNIT’ upto 75% of the total cable Load, in 10 intervals, in succession of 50
kg.f/cm².
Note down the pressure indicated on the `PASSIVE UNIT’ and calculate the EFFICIENCY LOSS at each intervals of
First Stage.
JACK EFFICIENCY TEST
In the Second Stage, Process is reversed. The `ACTIVE UNIT’ is now kept (idle) closed and made a `PASSIVE UNIT’
and where the pressure is applied to the other unit.
Note down the pressure readings of both the UNITS (reversed) and calculate the EFFICIENCY LOSS at each
intervals of the Second Stage.
The average `LOSS OF EFFICIENCY’ is then calculated from the data of the both the stages, which is denoted as the
`AVERAGE EFFICIENCY LOSS’ of the system.
Deduct this Efficiency Loss from the Ultimate value of 100%, shall compute as Net Jack Efficiency
 PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES

Pamban Road Bridge, Rameshwaram

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES
Broadly there are following 4 causes of failures

1. Defective Design
2. Faulty Methods or Wrong Sequence of Construction
3. Natural causes, such as, unanticipated floods, scouring and settlement of foundation etc
4. Sub- standard specification

Majority of the causes of failures are found to be on account of 2

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES
Problem Reason Solution
Cracks in Girders supports are Improve the stacking
Girders in such that part of girder
Stacking Yard length overhangs
Honeycomb No space to place, 1. Cast end blocks with cross diaphragm
in bottom supervise, consolidate 2. Select longer length of web/ girder as end block.
portion of and inspect concrete 3. Use pre-tied reinforcement cages for end blocks with cross
end block diaphragms fabricated against jig
4. Don’t place concrete directly on web/girder and cross diaphragm
junctions
5. Place concrete through cross diaphragm openings, allow concrete to
flow in end block portions
6. Only consolidate concrete through end block openings
7. Supervise and inspect concrete flow and consolidation through end
block opening
8. Never get tempted to place concrete directly through end block
openings
9. Allow the concrete to built upward upto the top of end block
PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES
Problem Reason Solution
After opening to traffic- Cracks Design deficiency Rehabilitate the structure. Load test the
in girders at support supports re-habilatated spans, if found ok re-
bottom upward and transverse open for traffic.
cracks in deck slab over support
sections get appeared
Cracks in Girder Negative moment at the center of Provision of additional reinforcement to
span and at the support over the pier accommodate negative moment
cap due to non availability of
reinforcement steel in these zones
Honeycombing in girder bottom Bottom bulb top slope should be
flange steeper (1H:3V), to allow entrapped air
to get escaped ( Even if it leads to
additional cost one should go for
steeper bottom bulb toe slope)
Shortening and hogging up of Inadequate information and Information shall be made available in
girder after release of prestress precaution provided on drawing the drawing
PRACTICAL PROBLEMS AND REMEDIES

Shear Cracks in Girders Cracks in Slab

IN- SPITE OF GOOD DESIGNS…………….
There will be problems in construction due to……………..
Improper understanding or lack of understanding of the
• Basic principles
• Right method of the application of the principles
• Practical aspects of execution (because everything can’t be reduced to writing)

Specifications are based on theory and also to a large extent on observations from minor to major
deformations, observed in already executed works

In fact the failures enlighten us to highlight the inconsistence between assumptions on the paper and
the understanding in the field