The results show that the proposed precast concrete barrier system is as good as the cast-in-place concrete barrier with respect to ultimate load-carrying capacity at the deck slab-barrier connection.

As Ontario transportation infrastructure enters the era of maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement, it needs more use of prefabricated elements and systems, which can quickly assembled to overcome relatively longer time to open bridge to the traffic. This thesis reports on both analytical and experimental investigations conducted on various aspects of precast bridge barrier, including design loads, structural design, sequence of construction, connection details between the barriers and bridge, joints between barrier segments and water leakage control. In this study, thru post-tensioned bolted connection system was developed to connect the precast barrier wall with bridge deck. The primary intension behind these connections is to expedite construction cycle simulataneously with minimizing traffic disruption, improve work-zone safety, quality and constructible and lower down lifecycle cost of bridges. A total of five experimental tests on full-scale specimens of the developed system were conducted to verify and substantiate the design procedure used to develop the barrier wall system. Good correlation between theoretical ultimate loads, in the form of bending, shear and punching shear resistance, and the experimental findings was achieved.