Tie Bars

Tie bars are either deformed steel bars or connectors used to hold the faces of abutting slabs in contact (AASHTO, 1993[1]). Although they may provide some minimal amount of load transfer, they are not designed to act as load transfer devices and should not be used as such (AASHTO, 1993[1]). Tie bars are typically used at longitudinal joints (see Figure 1) or between an edge joint and a curb or shoulder. Typically, tie bars are about 12.5 mm (0.5 inches) in diameter and between 0.6 and 1.0 m (24 and 40 inches long).

Tie Bars Along a Longitudinal Joint
Figure 1. Tie Bars Along a Longitudinal Joint



Footnotes    (↵ returns to text)
  1. AASHTO Guide for Design of Pavement Structures.  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.  Washington, D.C.↵