The prefabricated hollow-core slab bridge is a common bridge. In prefabricated hollow-core slab bridges, joints play an important role in connecting prefabricated slabs and ensuring the integrity of the bridge. However, as the service time of the bridge increases, conventional joints have a large number of typical diseases that affect the safety and durability of bridges. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element model of the entire construction phase is established to investigate the development difference of shrinkage and creep between joints and hollow-core slabs. The effects of vehicle load and temperature gradient on joints were analysed, the failure mechanism of joints was explored, and a novel joint was proposed. The results of a nonlinear analysis showed that the novel joint can effectively improve the mechanical performance of joints and cracks can be effectively controlled. Moreover, the novel joint solves the problem in that the conventional novel joint cannot be vibrated effectively.

Inclinedweb box girders are widely used in urban areas because of their attractive appearance. However, there are few studies on the vehicle shear force distribution of this type of bridge. In this study, we established 62 three-dimensional finite element models in which the shear force of each web of the box girder can be extracted; furthermore, we investigated the shear force distribution law in webs of the box girder under live loads, including single-chamber and multichamber inclined web box girders. The main parameters studied include the number of vehicle lanes and chambers, slope of the inclined webs, and support conditions. The results reveal that an uneven distribution of web shear force exists in both the single-chamber box girder and multichamber girder under live loads, and the maximum value of the vehicle shear force distribution factor is greater than the average shear value shared by all webs. Therefore, the uneven distribution of shear force in the webs of the box girder cannot be ignored under eccentric vehicle loads. These values greatly exceed the safety factor of 1.15 that is used in conventional calculations.