Analysis of Deflection Load Transfer Efficiency of Rigid Pavement Joint on Elastic Foundation

The accuracy of evaluating load transfer efficiency (LTE) of joint is important to estimate whether the dowel is disabled or not. At present, the ratio of the edge deflection of unloaded slab to the edge deflection of loaded slab is used widely as index to evaluate LTE of joint. In this paper based on the known deflection relationship between loaded and unloaded slab resting on Winkler foundation, the deflection relationship of slab resting on elastic foundation is analyzed. As a result the edge deflection of the unloaded slab is made up of two parts, in which the first is induced by load transfer capability of joint and the second is induced by self weight of slab after foundation deformed. The second part is independent of joint's LTE through analysis, so the ratio of deflection to evaluate joint's LTE is not exact and needs to be modified. Lastly two slabs resting on elastic foundation are modeled by finite element method, and the results at different cases can validate the conclusion.