Camber which results from a prestressing force minus a girder's dead load deflection is called what?

• A. Residual Stress
• B. Residual Camber
• C. Rib
• D. Resurfacing

Answer: (B)

Camber that remains after the prestressing force has been applied and the dead-load deflection has occurred is called residual camber. When prestress is introduced, the beam tends to bend upward, creating camber. As the girder carries dead loads, it deflects downward and this upward camber is partially or fully reduced. The remaining upward curvature—the prestress-induced camber minus the loss from dead-load deflection—is the residual camber. This is a geometric effect, distinct from residual stresses inside the material. The other terms don’t describe this final post-load curvature.