Advantages

1. Since the technique of prestressing eliminates cracking of concrete under all stage of loading, the
entire section of the structures takes part in resisting the external load. In contrast to this, in the
reinforced concrete, only portion of the concrete above neutral axis is effective.
2. Since concrete does not crack, the possibility of steel to rust and concrete to deteriorate is minimized.
3. Absence of cracks results in higher capacity of the structure to bear reversal of stresses, impact,
vibration and shock.
4. In prestressed concrete beams, dead loads are practically neutralized. The reactions required are
therefore much smaller than required in reinforced concrete. The reduced dead load weight of the
structure results in saving in the cost of foundations. The neutralization of dead load is of importance in
large bridges.
5. The use of curved tendons and the pre-compression of concrete helps to resist shear.
6. The quantity of steel required for prestressing about 1/3 of that required for reinforced concrete, though
the steel for the former should have high tensile strength.
7. In prestressed concrete, precast blocks and elements can be assumed and used as one unit. This
saves in the cost of shuttering and centering for large structures.
8. With the advent of prestressed concrete, it has been possible now to construct large size liquid
retaining structures not economical to build otherwise. Such structures have low cost and are preferably
safe against cracking and consequent leakage.
9. Prestressed concrete can be used with advantage in all those structures where tension develops, such
as tie and suspender of a bow string girder, railway sleepers, electric poles, upstream face of gravity
dam etc.
10. Prestressed concrete beams have usually low deflection.

The prestressing of concrete has several advantages as compared to traditional reinforced concrete (RC) without
prestressing. A fully prestressed concrete member is usually subjected to compression during service life. This rectifies
several deficiencies of concrete. The following text broadly mentions the advantages of a pre-stressed concrete member
with an equivalent RC member. For each effect, the benefits are listed.
A) Section remains un-cracked under service loads
1.

Reduction of steel corrosion

2.

Increase in durability.

Full section is utilized

Higher moment of inertia (higher stiffness)

3.

Less deformations (improved serviceability).

4.

Increase in shear capacity

5.

Suitable for use in pressure vessels, liquid retaining structures.

Improved performance (resilience) under dynamic and fatigue loading.

B) High span-to-depth ratios

1.

Larger spans possible with prestressing (bridges, buildings with large column-free spaces)

2.

Typical values of span-to-depth ratios in slabs are given below.

For the same span, less depth compared to RC member.

Reduction in self weight

More esthetic appeal due to slender sections

More economical sections.

C) Suitable for precast construction The advantages of precast construction are as follows.

Rapid construction

Better quality control

Reduced maintenance

Suitable for repetitive construction

Multiple use of formwork

1.

Reduction of formwork

Availability of standard shapes.

Disadvantages

1. It requires high quality dense concrete of high strength. Perfect quality concrete in production,
placement and compaction is required.
2. It requires high tensile steel, which is 2.5 to 3.5 times costlier than mild steel.
3. It requires complicated tensioning equipment and anchoring devices, which are usually covered
under patented rights.
4. Construction requires perfect supervision at all stages of construction.
Although prestressing has advantages, some aspects need to be carefully addressed.

Prestressing needs skilled technology. Hence, it is not as common as reinforced concrete.

The use of high strength materials is costly.

There is additional cost in auxiliary equipments.

There is need for quality control and inspection.