University of Misan

Engineering college
Civil engineering

Concrete design (II)

Elastic shortening losses
The names of students:
1. Israa Ali
2. Aseel Jawad
3. Zahraa Jalal
4. Sarah Mohammed
5. Fatima Hussein
6. Marwa Sami
7. Walaa Ibrahim

Under the supervision of

Dr. Samir Mohammed AL-Musawi
Introduction:
Early attempts to produce prestressed concrete was not
successful due to loss of prestress transferred to concrete after
few years. Prestress loss is nothing but the reduction of initial
applied prestress to an effective value. In other words, loss in
prestress is the difference between initial prestress and the
effective prestress that remains in a member. Loss of prestress
is a great concern since it affects the strength of member and
also significantly affects the member’s serviceability including
Stresses in Concrete, Cracking, Camber and Deflection.
Loss of prestress is classified into two types:
1. Short-Term or Immediate Losses :
Immediate losses occur during prestressing of tendons, and
transfer of prestress to concrete member.
2. Long-Term or Time Dependent Losses
Time dependent losses occur during service life of structure.
Terminology:
Tendon: A stretched element used in a concrete member of
structure to impart prestress to the concrete.

Pre-tensioning: A method of prestressing concrete in which

the tendons are tensioned before the concrete is placed.
In this method, the concrete is introduced by bond between steel
& concrete.
Post-tensioning: A method of prestressing concrete by tensioning
the tendons against hardened concrete. In this method, the
prestress is imparted to concrete by bearing.
 These are the initial losses generally occurred in prestressed
concrete members. The concrete will be subjected to a
compressive force, which results in an instantaneous shortening
of the member. Since the tendons are bonded to the concrete,
they will lose an equal amount of deformation, meaning a
reduction of induced stress. This is known as loss due to elastic
shortening. Because the concrete shortens when the Prestressing
force (in full or in part)is applied to it, the tendon already
attached to concrete also shorten.Elastic Shortening occure
When the tendons are cut and the prestressing force is
transferred to the member, concrete undergoes immediate
shortening due to prestress. Tendon also shortens by same
amount, which leads to the loss of prestress. The loss of stress in
steel due to elastic shortening of concrete should be determined
using the modulus of elasticity of the concrete at time of
prestress transfer. Its calculated value must be treated
differently, however , depending on whether pretensioning or
posttensioning is used .
Elastic Shortening -Pre-tensioned Members:
When the tendons are cut and the prestressing force is
transferred to the member, concrete undergoes immediate
shortening due to prestress. Tendon also shortens by same
amount, which leads to the loss of prestress.

It is assumed that the change in strain in the tendon is equal

to the strain in concrete (εc) at the level of the tendon due
to the prestressing force. This assumption is called strain
compatibility between concrete and steel. The strain in
concrete at the level of the tendon is calculated from the
stress in concrete (fc) at the same level due to the
prestressing force. A linear elastic relationship is used to
calculate the strain from the stress.

Fi=pre-stress just before transfer

F=Final stress after losses
Fo=immediately after transfer –very difficult to estimate

Note: The value of Fo may not be known, but it is not

necessary, as the losses from Fi to Fo is only a small
percentage of Fi . Total accuracy is relative anyway, as Ec –
the young’s modulus of concrete – cannot be determined
accurately.
 Therefore
ES =  Es
where  is the shortening in steel that occurs as soon as Fi is
transferred to the concrete member and the member as a
whole shortens. Thus  is the shortening in the member due
to Fi at the level of steel ( It is assumed that the change in
strain in the tendon is equal to the strain in concrete (εc) at
the level of the tendon due to the prestressing force. This
assumption is called strain compatibility between concrete
and steel).

ƒ𝑐
=
𝐸𝑐
𝐹𝑜
=
𝐴𝑐𝐸𝑐
𝐹𝑜
Since fc is the stress in concrete at level of steel and is
𝐴𝑐
𝐹𝑜
ES= Es
𝐴𝑐𝐸𝑐
𝐸𝑠
Taking =n
𝐸𝑐
𝐹𝑜
ES= Es
𝐴𝑐𝐸𝑐
𝐹𝑜
=n
𝐴𝑐

As Fo cannot be estimated, Fi can be used to calculate ES

 𝐹𝑖
 at level of steel = 𝐴 𝑐𝐸𝑐+𝐴𝑠𝐸𝑠
ES =  Es
𝐹𝑖
=Es
𝐴 𝑐𝐸𝑐+𝐴𝑠𝐸𝑠
𝑛𝐹𝑖
=
𝐴 𝑐+𝑛𝐴𝑠

Taking At  Ac Ec  As Es
𝑛𝐹𝑖
Es=
𝐴𝑡

whichever way the ES is calculated

ES = n (concrete stress at level of steel)
If external loads are acting on the member, then concrete
stress due to all loads at level of steel must be determined.
𝐹𝑜 𝐹𝑜 𝑒 2 𝑀𝐺 𝑒
ƒc = - - +
𝐴𝑔 𝐼 𝐼

Note:
Ag , the gross-area, instead of the transformed sectional
area, leads to simpler calculations and fairly accurate
results.
MG : Self - weight moment
Fo  0.9Fi for pre-tensioned member
𝐹𝑜
ƒc = -
𝐴𝑔

ES=n ƒc
Elastic shortening of a pre-tensioned axial member

Strain variables in elastic shortening

Elastic shortening of a pre-tensioned bending member

Elastic Shortening post-tensioned :
For post-tensioned members with one tendon, or with two
or more tendons stressed simultaneously, the elastic
deformation of the concrete occurs during the stressing
operation before the tendons are anchored. In this case,
elastic shortening losses are zero. In a member containing
more than one tendon and where the tendons are stressed
sequentially, stressing of a tendon causes an elastic
shortening loss in all previously stressed and anchored
tendons. Consequently, the first tendon to be stressed
suffers the largest elastic shortening loss and the last
tendon to be stressed suffers no elastic shortening loss at
all. Elastic shortening losses in the tendons stressed early
in the prestressing sequence can be reduced by re-
stressing the tendons (prior to grouting of the prestressing
ducts).
It is relatively simple to calculate the elastic shortening
losses in an individual tendon of a post-tensioned member,
provided the stressing sequence is known. For most cases,
it is sufficient to determine the average loss of stress as
following
(𝑁−𝑚)𝐹𝑖
ESN= -n
𝐴𝑔

Where:
N: number of tendon
m =1,2,3,…..N
Fi=pre-stress just before transfer
n = modular ratio
In post-tensioned members, the tendons are not bonded
to the concrete until grouting of the duct occurs after the
stressing sequence is completed. It is the shortening of
the member between the anchorage plates that leads to
elastic shortening, and not the strain at the steel level, as
is the case for pretensioned members.
Example :
A post-tensioned concrete beam, l00 mm wide and 300
mm deep, is prestressed by three cables, each with a cross-
sectional area of 50 mm2 and with an initial stress of
1200N/mm2. All the three cables are straight and located
100 mm from the soffit of the beam. If the modular ratio is
6, calculate the loss of stress in the three cables due to
elastic deformation of concrete for only the following
cases:
(a) Simultaneous tensioning and anchoring of all the three
cables; and
(b) Successive tensioning of the three cables, one at a time.

Solution :
Given
b=100mm h=300mm
Ap= 3×50=150mm2
Initial stress in cable =1200N/mm2
P=1200×50=60KN
n=6
𝑏ℎ3 100×3003
I= = = 225 × 106 mm4
12 12
Case (a):
under Simultaneous tensioning and anchoring of all the
three cables there will be no losses due to elastic
shortening of concrete because the elastic shortening will
take place before the tendon is locked into the anchoring
device.
Case (b):
When Successive tensioning of the three cables
Cable 1 : tensioned and anchored
(3−1)×60×1000
ES1=6 = 24𝑀𝑃𝑎
300×100

Cable 2 : tensioned and anchored

(3−2)×60×1000
ES2=6 = 12𝑀𝑃𝑎
300×100

Cable 3: tensioned and anchored

ES3=0 (there is no losses due to elastic shortening)
24+12
ESave= = 12𝑀𝑃𝑎
3

FACTORS AFFECTING ELASTIC SHORTENING:

Strength of concrete.
Age of loading.
Magnitude of loading