WATERPROOF EXPANSION JOINTS FOR BRIDGES

THE METHODS AND DEVICES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR SEALING BRIDGE JOINTS WERE EVALUATED. THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART SURVEY INCLUDED THE USUAL LITERATURE SEARCH, A PERSONAL INTERVIEW SURVEY COVERING SEVERAL STATES, AND LABORATORY EXPERIMENT OBSERVATIONS. THE FINDINGS INDICATE THE MOST POPULAR BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINT SEALS BEING USED AND HOW SUCCESSFUL THAT UTILIZATION SEEMS TO BE. A SEAL SELECTION GUIDE WHICH ILLUSTRATES THE RANGE OF JOINT MOVEMENT CONSIDERED PRACTICAL FOR EACH SEAL CATEGORY CAN BE USED DIRECTLY. ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED WHICH SHOW VALUES FOR THE PHYSICAL RESPONSE OF MANY LIQUID SEALS AND COMPRESSION SEALS UNDER VARIOUS TEMPERATURES AND MOVEMENTS. DESIGNS AND INSTALLATION PROCEDURES ARE AVAILABLE THAT WILL PROVIDE JOINTS THAT NOT ONLY WILL EXCLUDE FOREIGN MATERIAL BUT WILL ALSO BE WATER- PROOF. A DEFINITE TREND TOWARD ARMORED OR STEEL-FACED JOINTS IS EVIDENT IN THE CASE OF BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINTS, ALTHOUGH THE SAWED JOINT IN CONCRETE IS BEING EFFECTIVELY USED IN CONSTRUCTING BRIDGE JOINTS LESS THAN 2 INCHES WIDE. COMPRESSION SEALS AND MECHANICAL DEVICES ARE USED EXTENSIVELY IN BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINTS. LIQUID SEALS ARE RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINTS ONLY IF THE JOINT OPENING IS LESS THAN 1 1/2 INCH AND IF JOINT MOVE- MENTS ARE LESS THAN 33 PERCENT OF THE ORIGINAL WIDTH. FIELD PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE SUPPORTS THE POLYURETHANE SEAL AS THE MOST PROMISING OF THE SEVERAL LIQUID MATERIALS USED IN SEALING BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINTS. COMPRESSION SEAL UTILIZATION IS LIMITED TO A RELATIVELY NARROW WIDTH AND MOVEMENT RANGE. SEVERAL SIMPLE MECHANICAL DEVICE DESIGNS HAVE EVOLVED WHICH CAN EFFECTIVELY SEAL EXPANSION JOINTS WITH MOVEMENTS BEYOND THE APPROXIMATELY 1-INCH MAXIMUM THAT CAN BE ACCOMMODATED BY COMPRESSION SEALS. ALL TYPES OF FINGER JOINTS EVALUATED WERE JUDGED TO BE UNSATISFACTORY IN EFFECTIVELY SEALING BRIDGE EXPANSION JOINTS.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rrd_14.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.
• Publication Date: 1969-10

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 3 p.
• Serial:
  • NCHRP Research Results Digest
  • Issue Number: 14
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Concrete bridges; Expansion joints; Interviewing; Joint sealers; Performance; Polyurethane resins; Sawed joints; Sealing compounds; State of the art studies; Waterproofing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Field performance
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00209108
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 9 1970 12:00AM