This course explains the basic concepts and methods of prestressed concrete design. Attendees will work through the design of a simple prestressed concrete rectangular beam of a building. Both straight strand and harped-strand design will be covered in the example, exposing participants to realistic design conditions. The course is based on ACI 318-14, ASCE-7 (2010), and IBC (2015).

After completing this series, participants should be able to:

• Understand the benefits of the use of prestressed concrete as a design method and the basic equation of prestressing.
• Identify the difference between pre-tensioned and post-tensioned concrete.
• Be familiar with the methods and practices of girder fabrication and the methods used to lower tensile stresses.
• Understand the properties of the basic materials used for prestressed concrete.

Classes will be held on February 12, 19, 26 March 5, 12, and end on the 19th from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm CST.  Each class will be hosted online allowing you to access the content from the comfort of your home, office, hotel room, or anyplace with an internet connection!  Recordings of each class will be made available to all registered attendees in case of absence or if you'd like to review the content. 

Technical Requirements

All courses for the PCI Online Academy will run via the GoToTraining.com software. To participate fully in the course, participants will need internet access.  

IMPORTANT: You will receive an email from customercare@gototraining.com within 24 hours. This email contains the link you will need to join the online training session. If you don’t receive it, please be sure to check your spam folder and contact bmissaggia@pci.org immediately so we can provide the link for you.

Presenter

Dr. Sergio Breña is Professor and Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has over 25 years of experience in laboratory and field testing of structures and structural systems and over six years of structural design experience. He is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). He is a member of the ACI Structural Building Code Committee (ACI 318) and a member of the PCI Design Standard Committee. His research interests include the behavior of structural concrete elements, use of sustainable materials in infrastructure, and field performance of bridges and buildings.