The objective of the current study is to investigate and evaluate the flexural behavior of the continuity connection of precast prestressed concrete beams in negative bending when the tendons are located at the compression side. The experimental program included four T-shaped composite cantilever beams which were loaded up to failure. The main variable of the tests was the amount of prestress force of the connected precast beams. The reinforcement ratio of continuity connection was high. The ultimate flexural capacities and moment-curvature relations were calculated theoretically. A comparison was then carried out between both the experimental and theoretical results. These experiments revealed that prestress force did not influence the ultimate hogging moment capacity of the continuity connection, but it had an effect on its soffit's compression cracking and spalling of the concrete cover before failure. This study also indicated that confinement of the concrete had a massive influence on the connection's behavior, and it increased both its negative moment capacity and ductility.

This paper studies restraint moments developing in simple-span precast, prestressed beams made continuous. Methods of evaluating restraint moments produced by creep and differential shrinkage are presented. Shrinkage and creep properties of composite structures, beam and deck parts were tested and compared to values defined according to Eurocode models. Finally, the restraint moments were calculated with both material models for the two-span parking deck structure. The study confirmed the findings of previous studies: that the methods that are used overestimate the negative restraint moment produced by differential shrinkage.

The bending stiffness distribution of beams composed of simple‐span precast prestressed beams, which are made continuous by deck reinforcement at intermediate supports, is not constant. As the structure undergoes loading, the deck slab at the intermediate support cracks earlier than the prestressed span soffit and due to that the bending stiffness distribution changes along the beam length. The effect of nonconstant bending stiffness distribution on the moment redistribution of the structure before the yielding is studied experimentally and analytically. Two continuous beams with spans of 10 m + 10 m were manufactured, loaded to failure, and studied. It was concluded that the studied structure undergoes considerable moment redistribution before yielding although it would be designed for zero redistribution at the ultimate limit state. If this elastic redistribution is neglected in the structural analysis, the service limit state sagging moment at midspan may end up on the unconservative side. Elastic redistribution can be predicted quite accurately with the help of nonlinear analysis or roughly with simplified idealization as proposed in this article.

In continuous concrete T-beams, tension flange plays a remarkable role for the hogging moment capacity at the support area. When precast beams are connected as a continuous structure, longitudinal reinforcement is spread in the flange overhangs at the negative moment area of the continuity connection, which causes longitudinal shear in the tension flange's web-flange junction.The level of reinforcement spreading influences the magnitude of in-plane forces at the junction, which can cause the flanges to crack and eventually separate from the web. This separation must be prevented by providing transversal reinforcement in the flanges. Longitudinal shear between web and flange and the required transversal reinforcement are experimentally and computationally studied in cantilever composite T-beams with the flange in tension. A comparison of the experimental and computational results revealed that longitudinal shear distribution in accordance with conventional beam theory does not always yield safe side results. Analyses made with a particularly drawn truss model and the modified compression field theory are in better agreement with the experimental results.