Prestressed concrete (PC) dapped-end beams have been used in buildings and parking structures to provide an efficient and economical construction system. The re-entrant corner of a dapped-end beam develops a severe stress concentration, which makes it the weakest point of the connection. If suitable reinforcement is not provided at this location, diagonal tension cracks may propagate rapidly and failure may occur with little or no warning. Reinforcing schemes and associated methods of design, which combine simplicity of application with economy of fabrication and provide the margin of safety required by present building codes, have been developed. This paper describes the experimental validation of an alternative reinforcing detail for the dapped ends of prestressed double tees, which satisfies he requirements of the design method contained in the PCI Design Handbook, Fifth Edition.
