The durability of post-tensioning tendons depends undoubtedly on the durability of the materials used, but there are design concept specifics which are also of major importance: the post-tensioning layout and layers of protection such as concrete cover and selected materials in view of the aggressivity of the environment for instance. It is well known that sustainability principles guide the Engineer from the very beginning, at the project conception, during construction and the service life of a structure. Decisions made during conceptual and design stage have the largest influence on the durability and sustainability of post-tensioning tendons. fibBulletin 33 addresses the specifics for prestressed concrete structures: the durability of post-tensioning tendons. It should be noted that it does not repeat topics that have been addressed in other fib bulletins and which is common for both reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete structures. Pre-tensioning, which is used extensively in the precast industry, is not considered here, although conclusions and recommendations herein may, in many cases, also be applicable. This recommendation was prepared by Working Party 5.4.2, Durability specifics for prestressed concrete structures, in cooperation with fib Commission 9,Reinforcing and prestressing materials and systems. A preliminary version of this recommendation served as the basic document for the second workshop on "Durability of post-tensioning tendons", held on 11-12 October 2004 in Zurich. This workshop was a follow-up to the first workshop held in Ghent in 2001. Bulletin 33 includes revisions corresponding to the agreed results of the Zurich workshop.
In some countries durability problems with post-tensioning tendons have in the past led to fairly restrictive regulations. Improvements to execution procedures have been developed since, and new or improved prestressing systems have been proposed, too. This development was, of course, subject of discussions in fib Commission 9 Reinforcing and Prestressing Materials and Sytems and in IABSE Working Commission 3 Concrete Structures. It was decided to organise a workshop with the aim to review the different aspects of the problems encountered and to discuss solutions available today. Keynote speakers from various countries were invited to contribute. Their papers are published in this bulletin, grouped together under the following themes: Inventory and condition (6 papers) Investigation and repair (5 papers) Technical progress (4 papers) Strategies for improvement (6 papers) Supported by the international federation for structural concrete fib, and the international association for bridge and structural engineering IABSE, the workshop took place on 15-16 November 2001 at Ghent University, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Magnel Laboratory for Concrete Research, whose director also chaired the Scientific Committee and edited the bulletin. It needs to be emphasised that in the bulletin invited experts present their individual views. Although not yet discussed in any of the association's working bodies, the highly topical contents of the bulletin is believed to be of general interest to fib's members and to document a starting point for future work in this field. Therefore, the Council of fib agreed to exceptionally publish these papers within fib's series of Bulletins.
Cable-stayed structures have become increasingly popular over the last 30 years and have been used in all parts of the world. Modern cable-stayed bridges have a history of over 50-years and have been constructed with span lengths ranging from 15 m to over 1000 m. Many long span cable-stayed bridges have been built for railway and highway traffic applications. Stay cables have also been used on pedestrian structures, many of which are architecturally striking and have become landmark structures. There is growing use in building structures, particularly for cable-supported roofs. Most of the cable supported structures have been in the form of cable-stayed bridges; but in recent years, extradosed bridges have seen increased popularity among the designers. Led by the experience in Japan, more than 200 extradosed bridges have been constructed worldwide in the past 15 years. The first edition of these fib recommendations was published as fib Bulletin 30 in 2005 and was the first specification published by fib for stay cable systems. This new bulletin has been updated based on Bulletin 30 with the aim to reflect the current state of the art and encompass the latest knowledge in cable systems. In addition, it has been the aspiration of Commission 5 and Task Group 5.5 to harmonize the guidance in this updated bulletin with other stay cable recommendations from around the world, including those from Europe, Japan and the USA. This new bulletin is intended to supersede and replace fib Bulletin 30. It is recommended that it be used in lieu of fib Bulletin 30 for all future cable supported applications. The updated bulletin introduces several significant enhancements to the specifications: These recommendations are applicable to both stay cable and extradosed cable applications. In the past, there has been some debate over the boundary between cable-stayed and extradosed bridges. This bulletin presents a new continuous approach valid for both. A completely new testing requirement to assess the performance of cable systems under bending fatigue, including both anchorages and saddles, if applicable, has been added. Testing requirements for saddle systems have been reformulated. In addition to the bending fatigue test noted above, new testing procedures for stay cable saddles with isolated tensile elements are introduced. This includes tests for saddle axial fatigue, friction and tensile testing, and determination of the effective saddle friction coefficient. Expanded system qualification, including requirements for both stay cable and extradosed applications. Includes new provisions for MTE qualification and additional load transferring connection devices. Minimum number of tests is specified for each. A new in-situ damping measurement test has been added to verify the actual damping ratio of the damping devices installed. By testing on site, selected cables may be excited to vibrate without and with the damping devices so that the observed vibration behaviour can be compared to the specified value. Other revisions have been made to reflect the current state of practice: Expanded quality control testing requirements Inclusion of epoxy-coated prestressing steel as a protection layer. Previous recommendations only considered zinc coatings. Specifications for epoxy coating material are given. Requirements for stainless steel components such as pipes, caps and plates Updated guidance for designing lightning protection systems Detailed recommendations for different levels of inspection of cable systems, including: initial, routine, detailed and exceptional inspections An updated list of references, relevant standards, and extended literature
This fib Recommendation gives technical guidelines regarding design, testing, acceptance, installation, qualification, inspection and maintenance of stay cable systems using prestressing steels (strands, wires or bars) as tensile elements, which can be applied internationally. This Recommendation is applicable for cable-stayed bridges and other suspended structures such as roofs. It may also be used for hangers in arch structures and as suspension cables, as appropriate. This Recommendations has been formulated by an international working group comprising more than 20 experts from administrative authorities, universities, laboratories, owners, structural designers, suppliers of prestressing steels and stay cable suppliers. The text has been written to cover best construction practices around the world, and to provide material specifications that are considered to be the most advanced available at the time of preparing this text. For ease of use (for client, designer and cable supplier), the complex content has been arranged thematically according to the system components into chapters focusing on performance characteristics, requirements and acceptance criteria. Requirements and comments have been specified for all parties involved in design and construction in order to aim for a uniform and high quality and durability. The interfaces to the structural designer are highlighted. The essential subjects are: Design and detailing of stay cables including saddles and damping devices Durability requirements and corrosion protection systems Requirements for the materials Testing requirements for the stay cables Installation, tolerances, qualification of companies and personnel Inspection, maintenance and repair. This Recommendation does not cover the technology of stay cables whose tensile elements are ropes, locked-coil cables, etc. or which consist of composite materials. Nevertheless, in many cases the specified performance criteria may also be applicable to these systems, although numerical values given for the acceptance criteria may need to be adjusted. For these systems it has been difficult to provide multiple protective layers similar to those specified for stay cables made from prestressing steel and therefore, the quality of corrosion protection may not be equivalent. While extradosed cables have similarities with stay cables, generally agreed design and system acceptance criteria are not yet available and therefore, this type of cable is not covered.
This report deals with quality assurance and control in the construction of post-tensioned structures, with the aim to replace inspection for quality with engineering for quality. Contents include organizations, pre-stressing, design, procurement, construction planning and quality control.
Since the Second World War the demand of energy has undergone an exponential growth that has led to a sharp annual increase in the use of natural gas in both, cities and thermal power stations. Nowadays, the strategic relevance of natural gas as a main source of energy is evident with a contribution of more than 20% of the total world consumption. This development in increasing demand of natural gas has led for a need of suitable storage and transportation infrastructure. Various gases, especially hydrocarbons, are preferably stored in liquid form for transportation and storage since the phase transformation from gas to liquid comes with a significant reduction of the volume (e.g. up to 600 times). Gases can be liquefied by raising the pressure or by cooling to their boiling point, which for most gases is below 0°C. This is known as cryogenic storage. The term cryogenic is derived from two Greek words, namely kryos meaning icy-cold and genes which can be translated as shape. These fib recommendations are concerned about post-tensioning systems used in cryogenic tanks and have been formulated on the basis of actual available knowledge with the aim to reflect the current state of the art. Consequently, these recommendations have included a classification of the different cryogenic tanks typologies used in the past and nowadays, the associated different tendon types depending on their exposure to low temperature (e.g. never, only accidentally or during normal tank operation) and the testing regime required for acceptance of the materials and the post-tensioning system according to this document. An international working group comprising more than 20 experts from administrative authorities, universities, laboratories, owners, structural designers, suppliers of prestressing steels and post-tensioning systems suppliers have actively contributed in order to develop these recommendations. This text has been written to cover best construction practices around the world, and to provide material specifications which are considered to be the most advanced available at the time of preparing this text. For ease of use (for Owner, Designer and Post-tensioning System Supplier), the content has been arranged systematically according to the system components into chapters focusing on performance characteristics, requirements and acceptance criteria.
TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Research Report 838: Guidelines for Optimizing the Risk and Cost of Materials QA Programs proposes guidelines for optimizing the risk and cost of materials quality assurance (QA) programs. It develops a methodology for establishing a materials QA program that optimizes risk and cost by providing appropriate types, levels, and frequencies of agency testing and inspection for transportation projects across their full range of type, size, complexity, and project-delivery method.
Introductory technical guidance for Professional Engineers and construction managers interested in specifications for precast prestressed concrete structures.