Title: An Experimental Study on Reentrant Corner Crack Reinforcement for Pretensioned, Prestressed Concrete Slabs
Date Published: May - June 2025
Volume: 70
Issue: 3
Page Numbers: 56 - 72
Authors: Manwoo Kim and Thomas H.-K. Kang
https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij70.3-01
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Abstract
Reentrant corner cracks have been observed in pretensioned concrete slabs, but the phenomenon has not been explained in relation to the introduction of prestressing. In this study, a strand pullout experiment was conducted to confirm the occurrence of reentrant corner cracks and investigate the effect of reinforcement on these cracks. The specimens were made in the shape of a unit rib of an inverted ribbed precast concrete slab, and three types of reinforcing elements were placed across the predicted surfaces of the cracks. The results showed that the maximum applied tensile load increased by up to 10.2% with reinforcement. In the specimen with mesh reinforcement, when the slip increased to 2 mm (0.079 in.), the load reduction ratio was limited to 52.2% of that of the unreinforced specimen. These findings provide practical insights into the behavior of reentrant corner cracks, enhancing understanding of how reinforcement can effectively maintain structural integrity.