Longitudinal Joint Performance of a Concrete Hollow Core Slab Bridge

Hollow core slab bridges are constructed by placing prefabricated or prestressed box beams adjacent to each other, grouting the small longitudinal space (hinge-joint) between the slabs and casting a reinforced concrete deck. The longitudinal cracking appearing at hinge-joint locations leads to a premature deterioration of the deck. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental study of a hollow core slab bridge composed of three beams and a cast-in-place deck. A real-size specimen was built according to Chinese code specifications. The behavior of the longitudinal joints was investigated by applying the standard vehicle load. The tests do not highlight any longitudinal cracks. A finite element model was created from the experimental data. A finite element parametric analysis revealed some practical design indications regarding the following inputs: deck thickness, concrete strength, and hinge-joint steel bars. Furthermore, these analyses testify that C-shape and X-shape stirrups do not play an active role in preventing the joint longitudinal cracks. This research confirms the reliability of the design method, at least for static loads, while further studies are needed to investigate the effect of both periodical loadings and different temperatures on upper and lower surfaces of the beams.