Pullout tests and simply supported three-point beam bending tests have traditionally been used in research to estimate the development length of prestressing strands. In many of the tests found in the literature, the development length of prestressing strands took place in regions where cracking of the concrete section was a minimum or practically nonexistent because of reduced flexural demands at the member ends. In recent tests conducted at the University of California at San Diego, the development length of prestressing strands was located adjacent to or in the plastic hinge region of precast, prestressed concrete shell piles. This condition significantly affected the inelastic response of these pretensioned members. This paper presents recommendations for computing the development length of prestressing strands in regions of inelastic response.
