PERFORMANCE OF A COMPRESSION JOINT SEAL

FREQUENT EARLY FAILURE OF COMMON DOWEL LOAD TRANSFER DEVICES AND JOINTING SYSTEMS DUE PRIMARILY TO CORROSION AND THE ENTRY OF FREE WATER INTO JOINT OPENINGS IN CONCRETE PAVEMENTS LED TO RESEARCH WHICH RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PREFORMED COMPARTMENTED POLYCHLOROPRENE COMPRESSION JOINT SEAL. RECENT COMPREHENSIVE SEAL TESTS IN A NUMBER OF STATES INCORPORATING A WIDE RANGE OF LIQUID AND PREFORMED SEALERS HAVE TENDED TO INDICATE A GOOD PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY FOR COMPRESSION JOINT SEALERS. THIS STUDY CONCLUDES' /1/ RECENT DOCUMENTATION OF COMPRESSION SEAL PERFORMANCE GIVES PROMISE OF A NEW DEVICE TO HELP EXTEND THE MAINTENANCE-FREE LIFE OF PAVEMENTS AND BRIDGES, /2/ AN EXAMINATION OF TYPICAL PAVEMENT DISTRESS HAS RESULTED IN DESIGN CRITERIA FOR A COMPRESSION SEAL, /3/ IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN THE USE OF COMPRESSION SEALS ARE THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY OF THE ELASTOMER, OUTSIDE SHAPE AND INTERNAL WEB CONFIGURATION OF THE SEAL, GEOMETRY OF THE JOINT TO BE SEALED, SETTING HEIGHT OF THE SEAL WITH RELATION TO THE RIDING SURFACE, USE OF A LUBRICANT ADHESIVE, PROPER SIZING TECHNIQUE FOR EACH SPECIFIC PAVEMENT DESIGN, PROPER INSTALLATION, AND DURABILITY OF JOINT INTERFACES, /4/ A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF THE MANY PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING JOINT WIDTH CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE OVERALL SERVICE LIFE OF EACH PARTICULAR SLAB DESIGN IS NECESSARY FOR ACCURATE SIZING AND EFFICIENT USE OF COMPRESSION SEALS. REFERENCES' NEW YORK STATE EXPERIENCE WITH CONCRETE PAVEMENT JOINT SEALERS, MALCOLM D. GRAHAM, WILLIAM C. BURNETT, FREDERICK, J.G. HILL, JR., AND JOHN R. LAMBERT, HIGHWAY RESEARCH RECORD NO. 80, 1965. FULL SCALE TESTS OF MATERIALS FOR SEALING JOINTS IN CONCRETE ROADS, P.J.F. WRIGHT, GT. BRIT. DEPT. OF SCI. AND IND. RES., ROAD RESEARCH LABORATORY. CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE PAVEMENT-GENERAL MOTORS PROVING GROUND CIRCULAR TEST TRACT, PAUL C. SKEELS, GENERAL MOTORS PROVING GROUND, MILFORD, MICH., MAY 14, 1964 CRACK CONTROL JOINTS IN BITUMINOUS OVERLAYS ON RIGID PAVEMENTS, JOHN O. WILSON, HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD BULL. 322, PP. 21-29, 1962.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1965/80/80-008.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Watson, Stewart C
• Publication Date: 1965

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 79-100
• Monograph Title: Joints and sealants - a symposium and other papers
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 80
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge decks; Chlorine compounds; Compression; Concrete pavements; Design; Development; Elastomers; Geometry; Joint sealers; Joint sealing; Joints; Performance; Polymers; Preforming; Shape; Size; Slabs; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Configuration; Design criteria
• Old TRIS Terms: Joint; Polychloroprene
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00215800
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 12 1994 12:00AM