PRECAST PRESTRESSED CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY STATE OF THE ART

Alfred A. Yee*, Applied Technology Corporation, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

28th Conference on OUR WORLD IN CONCRETE & STRUCTURES: 28 - 29 August 2003, Singapore

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28th Conference on OUR WORLD IN CONCRETE & STRUCTURES: 28 - 29 August 2003, Singapore

PRECAST PRESTRESSED CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY STATE OF THE ART

Alfred A. Yee*, Applied Technology Corporation, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Abstract

The use of prestressed concrete to provide the required strength and toughness in concrete structural elements is well known in the industry. Due to the internal structural mechanics resulting from prestressing, a substantial reduction in the requirement for construction material such as concrete and steel will occur. This not only reduces the cost of production but also reduces the weight of the structural elements and thus lowers the costs of handling, transporting, and erecting the precast elements.

The cost of prestressing can be greatly reduced when fabrication of structural units involves precasting with efficient long line mass production methods which in turn effectuates the economies of scale.

A significant contribution to the progress of precast concrete technology is the development of connection details and devices that enhance the simplicity and convenience in erecting and joining together the various precast elements to form a reliable integrated structurally sound building frame.

Precast concrete methods are now widely used to great advantage in the construction of bridges, wharves and piers, offshore platforms, ocean-going concrete vessels, low and high rise buildings, towers and other special structures. Precast concrete structures have successfully withstood the highest-level wind and seismic forces in various areas of the world. An offshore platform constructed with precast concrete elements has a proven record of durability against severe exposure to seawater and ocean forces for twenty years without any evidence of steel corrosion or concrete deterioration.

The purpose of this paper is to review the development and applications of precast concrete technology and to discuss their performance and advantages.

Introduction

This paper reviews the development of various applications of precast prestressed concrete technology and discusses their performance and advantages along the following categories:

1. SOCIAL BENEFITS 2. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS 3. ECONOMIC IMPACT 4. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

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1. Social Benefits

Precast concrete techniques have been utilized to build economical and durable low-cost housing projects to fill an important social need for affordable housing and accommodating a larger segment of the world population of lower-income levels. Some examples are:

Dededo Housing. Guam

Dededo Housing,Guam

6.000 precA..t housi"ll UI'Iit$ designed for"'nc1 vdoeitie-s <175 moI:.", ~ second iln<I sehrrie forces of Zone 3 eal'ltlquakes..

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Bishop Gardens. Honolulu, Hawaii

Sishop Gardens. Honolulu, Hawaii Three.sto~ l-.Rise Apar1me" S taJding$ f()f lo_lDeo"", T .... _

Queen Emma Gardens, Honolulu, Hawaii

Queen Emma Gardens, Honolulu, Hawali

2. Industrial Applications

2.1 Architectural facades

Si~pGard"""

• Ere<tion of floor SI4b$

Various types of architectural facades involving intricate patterns and reqUiring high-precision dimensional control and quality finishes can be more economically produced and erected at substantial cost savings by precasting.

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IBM Building, Honolulu. Hawaii

Kahala Beach Apartments, Honolulu. Hawaii

2.2 Deep foundation piling

Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel Honolulu, Hawaii

Deep Foundation Piling can be achieved economically by the use of pre-tensioned pre-stressed concrete. Piling depths generally varying from 40-80 meters are usually driven in 20-meter segments with each segment being connected by the use of a relatively inexpensive steel "splice can" which is easily executed. Splicing is a key to the economy of this pile installation method and for the past 47 years the splice can remains as the most popular and economical method of connecting pile segments in Hawaii. A 420 mm octagonal section piling is normally driven to firm bearing to produce a design load capacity of 150 tons.

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2.3 Sheet pile bulkheads

Conventional steel sheet pile bulkheads are commonly known to fail due to corrosion over the years. Corrosion usually occurs in the sheet pile face as well as the steel tiebacks. With cathodic protection, the life of the sheet steel piling system can be extended. However, with prestressed precast concrete sheet piling and tiebacks, the corrosion problem is virtually eliminated and this type of bulkhead system will provide durable, maintenance-free service for many years.

Sheet Pile Bulkheads • Ptcotre-sse<i Preca:st Concrete Sheet Piles

2.4 Piers and Wharves

The principal advantage of precast construction for waterfront dock structures is that all work can be performed without the need for underside deck work such as concrete forming and stripping. Precasting of the deck elements will also result in higher quality concrete and surface finish that provides an impervious, durable and high strength deck system.

ESSOPier

ESSO Solids Handling Pier. Singapore • Pteca:st Pier Deck$

~ __________________________________ ~i~ ______________ _

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esso 1';""

2.5 Bridge Deck Construction

Where multiple spans and/or multiple bridges are to be constructed, precasting provides advantages of economy of scale. Similar forms can be used repetitively to efficiently realize the benefits of mass production of the deck units. Higher quality material and finishes and time savings can be realized with factory produced precast elements.

Mt. lsa Railroad Bridges North Queensland,

Australia

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2.6 Bridge Pier Frame Construction

Bridge pier frames can be economically precast to realize substantial cost and time savings. The individual forming of pier frames as required in cast-in-place construction can be time consuming and expensive, especially when labor, equipment and material such as concrete, steel, form work, etc. must be repeatedly transported over open seas to various pier platform sites. Pre-fabrication of the bridge pier frames can be more efficiently performed on dry land, and the vertical and horizontal prefabricated elements of the pier bent can then be transported to and assembled at the pier site, thus reducing the number of over-water trips required for both personnel and material that would have been necessary in conventional methods.

Edison Bridge, Florida

• Pr~a .. Bri<tqe Pie",

2.7 Bridge Repairs

With the use of precasting, major retrofitting can be performed conveniently on seriously deteriorated bridge structures at minimum cost by eliminating expensive form work and concrete pouring activity in heavily congested areas of existing structural elements.

G street Bridge, Richmond, Indiana

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2.8 Ocean-Going Concrete Barges

By pretensioning thin concrete hulls, ocean-going barges can be constructed economically. These hulls will not require periodic dry docking or painting such as in the case of steel hulls. Properly designed concrete mixes can produce extremely durable concrete surfaces that will not deteriorate or suffer corrosion. The elimination of periodic dry docking and painting is a great advantage to the life cycle cost of these vessels in terms of savings in materials, labor, and the consequent reduction in "down time" and loss in revenues during dry docking. A total of 19 pretensioned concrete barges were constructed in this program and the operation of this fleet proved to be extremely profitable.

Luzon Sri<Ige$

Luzon Concrete Barges. Philippines

3. Economic Impact

Economic benefits can be realized with precast prestressed construction methods by considerable savings in construction materials, labor and time.

• Material savings are especially significant where long span or heavily loaded framing is required. Parking garages and office areas become far more efficient when intermediate columns are eliminated and longer spans result.

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First National Bank, Honolulu, Hawaii

Cross Section of 19-5torey OIf"lCe Bwldng.

lower 6 storeys are utiJized for car parking anet the upper 13 slDreys contain offices.

fi.'!'tlla1i ..... 1 B:mIt

-1.ong-Span I Beams

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First Datiooal Bank

I tt=]f',,',',' '~=' ':; ! +-,.' ~

60.0 0.371

0.163 8.56 12,32

First Dali .... 1 Bank

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF HAWAlI HONOLULU. HAWAI

COMPARATNE COstS (FOR ITeMS AFFECTED BY

AL'l£RNATE DESIOM)

1) 18" OCTACOM PRESTR!SSED PILES

2) &l1WCTURAL CONCR£TE WORK

3) PRESTRESSED 8EAMS AND POST-TEMSION GnlDERS

4) REI_DIG STEEL

5) MASONRY WOIIl< 6) STRUCTURAL!mlEL WORK

7) LAlH AND PLASTERING

B) GUNlTE WORK

8) SPRAYiD-ON FlftEoPROOFlNro

DIFFERENCE IN COST

PRESlRESSED CONCRETE

DESICN

S 2011.000 1.--"~715 _6 35,700

---S2.4%I,OIIQ

$-47$.000

STRUCTURAL STE£L DESIGN

$ '15.850 721.000

321.930 .-1,382,%05

63,525

IIS,m

~ 82.ast.00II

TOTAL COST OF BUILDINros - SUSS.QGO (BASE)

u.s.S. Arlz'ma ""'morial

. U,u. ARIZONA MEMO~

34-metre clear span girders bridging the width of the U.S.S. Arizona battleship was acc~"",ed by precasting and pr .... tressing.

US.s. Arizona M<mc>rial

• Structural depth of floor systems can be made shallower to reduce the overall height of a multi-storey building or to accommodate more storeys within the building envelope especially where height restrictions are imposed.

I 1350 Ala Moana Blvd. I Honolulu, H

I Use ef pcecast. pre1llr"""ed

I, concret".01T(X)sit,,~I"""wiIl

rcsul! in ~C4I\t reduction$ in:

i • Structur.>1 Floor D epth

• Total Conerete & Steel CIty$.

• Struc1Ur.ll Weight

• tlesilJ' 8_ $hear Forcw

Reduction in drumnl floor I depth resUted in addition of (lfte

I extra floor wiItIln the height limits of tl'''' ~3·e\orey structure.

I

Dalian Xiwang Building. China

Precast conetruct!on Mable<! the erection ot1hi:: 43-:;torey om." building :rt a rOlte of 1 e\orey eIIetY 3 days.

Saving" in moteri"lwere !1ignif.e.>.-.

r---------------------------D-~--n-~-wa--~-8-wwm---g'I~;;;;;;;:======:;;---------no~~bn~~:wa:~;eB:uDililli·fu·~:l I

PRECAST BEAM INsr!U BEAM

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• Speed in construction realized from precasting can be an important economic factor in terms of additional revenue gained by early occupancy.

I NMB Splice Sleeve

\TheflNB SplicoSleevecan cIeveIopfull eontimity .mdJnteraclion between ; precast unit$and ...... ncesthe liP-' of erection in co_1Ion.

Ala Moana Hotel

Using the 11MB SIceItes.thb 38-SOley hCfel W<lSerected atthe m .. « 1 flo« ~ 2 'h <I<1J1$o SaYings in!'""",,, charge!l ~Ione amounted to .pprox. U S$1 triIIlon.

MGM Grand Hotel. Las Vegas, NV With 1IM1 Skev"", thi$ 5000 room hotel with 1'-eGO m: Ca$nO area was

erected in 9 months after fOl.ll<lation$ _" in:tallecl.

• For high-rise structures, rigid building frames of precast concrete will reduce motion awareness during high winds and provide comfort to the building occupants which will enhance the saleability of a residential development project.

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Ohkawabata, Tokyo, Japan

Hi!Jwige apartment'$ in Tollyo Me framed in preust concreteto ninimize suua""Ol! movements and olCCelerotionsto maintain lumn ~omrort.

4. Environmentallmpact

Siodome Tokyo. Japan

Pf"'~Con_tiM methods are utilized to reali::e economc benefItS t:# $Ovings in coru:truction time. materials _labor when _ing in crowded, den"eIy popuIlIted "nd higb traffic congestion dreas like Tokyo, Japan..

A $75 M precast concrete honeycomb module platform was developed and used to replace the previous $100 M Gravel Island platforms for offshore oil exploratory drilling operations in the Beaufort Sea North of Alaska. The $100 M Gravel Island is fixed at one location only and results in severe environmental damage to the sea bed, while the $75 M precast concrete module facility is portable and can be used to drill in any number of locations while leaving no permanent damage to the sea bed. The precast honeycomb module platform has now been in use for 20 years and its concrete structure shows no evidence of rust in the steel, cracking or spalling in the concrete.

Gravel Islands for Oil Exploration Orilting

Tr.\dilionall7avcl island Me lJuiIt at" co", of apptOX. US$100M_ arc d;lmaging to tho environment. UnooecesslU! drilling renden

ioIand use\01>S _ ...... becOl11lletely removed.

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Concrete Island Drilling System {CIOS} Seaufort Sea, Alaska

, COll1>leted ODS i" then I towed to Ala~.

\

4.1 Future Concepts

ellis

ODS ~ in the Seaufort Sea off of AI;oska. The :structure i1oallleto re$$tthetremendous ice 10rcl:$.

Floating concrete structures will playa larger role in the future especially in the field of resource recovery. One of the ideas that have been explored is a proposed floating liquefied natural gas processing and storage platform that can be moored far away from land where many gas fields are located. This large floating facility made of precast concrete components will have the ability to withstand severe environmental forces and exposure to the aggressive sea air. Operations of the processing plant will not disturb neighbors because of its remote location. The floating platform will serve as living quarters and a floating dock to receive and load trans-ocean LNG tanker cargo vessels. Water depths would eliminate the need for dredging and harbor construction.

Uquified Natura! Gas (LNG) Floating Platform

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EnvironrnerUI & C~ Senal!$:

• E litrinatlon of submlrine pipeline ~nd ""abed intIu$ion

• E limim'ltion of haI1>or eonsll'uctlon. dredging md m'lintenanec

• Reduce infrol_ucture co_for l<eCurily

• R_loc:;rtjon reduces bolzardsto popu1<lted areas

Conclusion

While the advances made in precast prestressed concrete technology have been very impressive, they are only indicative of the vast potential for its use in the future. It is anticipated that a far greater role for this construction method lies ahead in infrastructure construction, housing, industrial applications, and resource recovery.

Our oceans cover nearly 70% of the earth's surface and it represent a large untapped area for exploration and industrial development to meet the needs of the growing world population. It is anticipated that precast prestressed concrete will play a major role in the construction of the necessary platforms, habitats, undersea structures, ocean farms, and many other applications yet to be developed or discovered for the ocean environment.

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