Improves load-carrying capacity of concrete pavement slabs prestressing. Prestressing induces compressive stresses in the concrete of pavements slabs. These stresses modify the structural behaviour of these members and considerably improve their capacity to sustain bending deformations without cracking. Given adequate consideration to the design of joints and the placement of reinforcement, long prestressed slabs with substantially smaller thickness than those of conventionally reinforced pavements carrying the same loads, can be constructed practically without cracks.