Specifying Transverse Ties
Transverse ties can be added at longitudinal joints by specifying a spacing and the support and restraint moduli as shown in the bottom sub-panel in Figure 1. The example used here has three rows of slabs, and thus two longitudinal joints. The selected checkbox Tie Joint 1 indicates that the upper two rows of slabs are tied, and the de-selected Tie Joint 2 checkbox indicates that the lower two rows of slabs are untied. Ties are automatically located within the model by placing the first tie at half the user-specified tie spacing from the left edge of the first column of slabs, and then placing the remaining ties at the specified spacing. In the event that a tie falls on a transverse joint, its location is shifted slightly to ensure that it remains in a slab. The support modulus and restraint modulus have the same definitions as for dowels. The parameter Emb controls the embedment of each tie in each slab, i.e. Emb is half the total length of the tie.
Figure 1: Specification of Ties Longitudinal Joints