Shear and fatigue strength of grout-type transverse joints

Grout-type transverse joints between precast concrete slabs were tested to study their static and fatigue behaviours. The tests were performed with loading equipment especially designed and constructed in the laboratory to introduce shear force on the joints of the test specimens. The aim of this study was to improve the shear and fatigue strength of grout-type transverse joints by identifying the effects of prestressing the specimens. The results indicated that longitudinal prestressing was an effective method to increase both the shear and fatigue strengths of grout-type transverse joints. Rational methods to estimate the cracking and ultimate loads for grout-type transverse joints are proposed based on the static loading tests. An estimation of the fatigue strength with respect to the amount of prestress is also suggested to aid in design of the grout-type transverse joint.Key words: grout-type transverse joints, precast concrete slabs, shear and fatigue strength, prestressing.