Assessment of transmission length of prestressing strands according to fib Model Code 2010

The use of 18-mm prestressing strands is advantageous in the construction of long-span bridges. Transmission length is a significant parameter in the design of pretensioned concrete members. This study provides a unique set of experimental data to validate the applicability of using the fib Model Code 2010 to predict the transmission length and strand draw-in of 18-mm strands. Twelve pretensioned concrete beams were cast with high-strength concrete. Transmission lengths were measured at prestress transfer and at 28-day of age. The experimental results indicated the lower and upper bounds of transmission length specified by the code adequately predict the measured values.