Behavior of high-performance mortar and concrete connections in precast concrete elements: Experimental investigation under static and cyclic loadings

Prefabricated bridges inevitably contain joints that should be made structurally stable. This paper focuses on the materials and methods used to connect transverse joints for prefabricated concrete bridges. A total of nine specimens were fabricated for which prestressing has been introduced after grouting high-performance mortar (HPM), and another seven specimens for which high-strength concrete (HSC) has been placed after lap splicing. Static flexural and cyclic loading tests were conducted. The HPM series specimens performed better than the integrated specimen. The HSC series specimens showed similar static flexural behavior, but lower serviceability, to that of the integrated specimen.