Advantages and Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete

Advantages of Prestressed Concrete

The major advantages of Prestressed Concrete are:

1. The prestressing of concrete by using high tensile steel improve the efficiency of the materials
2. The prestressing system works for a span greater than 35m.
3. Prestressing enhance shear strength and fatigue resistance of concrete
4. Dense concrete is provided by prestressing systems thus improving the durability
5. Best choice for the construction of sleek and slender structures.
6. Prestressing helps to reduce the dead load of the concrete structure
7. Prestressed concrete remains uncracked even at service load conditions which proves the structural efficiency
8. Composite construction by using the prestressed concrete unit and cast-in-unit derives the economical structure

Disadvantages of Prestressed Concrete

1. Higher material costs
2. Prestressing is an added cost
3. Formwork is more complex than for RC (flanged sections, thin webs) – thus, precast not as ductile as RC