This study deals with literature review, developing a predicting equation for the ultimate stress of prestressing steel, and experimental test with the parameters affecting the ultimate stress of prestressing steel in reinforced concrete beams strengthened by external prestressing. The ACI predicting equation for the ultimate stress of unbonded prestressing steel is analyzed to develop a new integrated predicting equation. The proposed predicting equation takes rationally the effect of internal reinforcing bars into consideration as a function of prestressing steel depth to neutral depth ratio. In the experimental study, steel reinforced concrete beams strengthened using external prestressing steel are tested with the test parameters having a large effect on the ultimate stress of prestressing steel. The test parameters includes reinforcing bar and external prestressing steel reinforcement ratios, and span to depth ratio. The test results are analyzed to confirm the rationality and applicability of the proposed equation for predicting the ultimate stress of external prestressing steel.