Q. Corner reinforcement for concrete pavement?
Let's consider a panel of concrete slab without any load transferring devices at it edges. When concrete panel is subjected to traffic loads, maximum stress persuaded in the concrete panel is at its four corners. Other than panel corners, next significant stress persuaded in concrete slab is its four edges.
To avoid the structural failure of concrete pavement, one can locally increase thickness of corners and edges to decrease the induced stresses. Though such local thickenings also increase temperature stresses. Furthermore the construction of non-uniform concrete pavement isn't convenient from practical point of view. The other way out is to use load transfer devices such as dowel bars at the edges of concrete panels. Though in situation where the designed thickness of concrete pavement is small that renders the provision of dowel bars not practical, special design of corner reinforcement has to be considered.