ABSTRACT
Abstract The fear with partially prestressed structures, which often crack, is early fatigue (failure of the reinforcing or prestressing steels). To reproduce fatigue mechanisms, various 6.40-m T -girders of partially prestressed concrete with strands in a grouted duct are now being fatigue tested at LCPC. They are loaded under mid-point bending up to failure. To assess their behaviour, the evolution of the stresses in the prestressing and reinforcing steels is evaluated by means of strain gauges glued to the steels. Further gauges serve to monitor the behaviour of the concrete. Crack width and girder deflection are recorded as well. The experimental data enable the fatigue of the steelto-concrete bond to be quantified and the respective importance of prestressing/reinforcing steels to be pinpointed. These data allow one to orientate future numerical models. Keywords: fatigue, prestressing, T -girders.
