Frictional Loss of Prestress Caused by Locally Deflected Tendons in Prestressed Concrete Girder Bridges

Abstract

Prestressed concrete girder bridges are one of the most widely used bridges in the world because of their excellent construction feasibility, economic efficiency, serviceability, and safety. In certain situations, however, the prestressing tendon is supposed to be bent locally, and this leads to the loss of prestress force. This kind of prestress loss is not considered in the design and construction processes. This study shows that prestress loss occurs at the locally bent tendon, and that a 2% maximum of prestress loss occurs at the locally bent tendon, due to eccentricity.