Analysis of prestressed concrete slab-and-beam structures

 In this paper a solution to the problem of prestressed concrete slab-and-beam structures including creep and shrinkage effect is presented. The adopted model takes into account the resulting inplane forces and deformations of the plate as well as the axial forces and deformations of the beam, due to combined response of the system. The analysis consists in isolating the beams from the plate by sections parallel to the lower outer surface of the plate. The forces at the interface, which produce lateral deflection and inplane deformation to the plate and lateral deflection and axial deformation to the beam, are established using continuity conditions at the interface. The influence of creep and shrinkage effect relative with the time of the casting and the time of the loading of the plate and the beams is taken into account. The estimation of the prestressing axial force of the beams is accomplished iteratively. Both instant (e.g. friction, slip of anchorage) and time dependent losses are encountered. The solution of the arising plate and beam problems, which are nonlinearly coupled, is achieved using the analog equation method (AEM). The adopted model, compared with those ignoring the inplane forces and deformations, describes better the actual response of the plate–beams system and permits the evaluation of the shear forces at the interfaces, the knowledge of which is very important in the design of prefabricated ribbed plates.