What is an expansion joint?
An expansion joint is a gap or opening within a structure to absorb movement of the structure due to the following:
a. Thermal - Caused by temperature variation within the structure, mostly horizontal movement.
b. Seismic - Caused by earth tremors, movement may be vertical, horizontal or shear movement.
c. Wind Load - Caused by high wind forcing the structure to sway.
What is an expansion joint system?
An expansion joint system is an assembly designed to safely absorb the movement by expansion and contraction of various construction materials (e.g. concrete slab on the ground, suspended slab, wall etc.) and to allow traffic (pedestrians, trolleys, vehicles etc) to pass safely over the surface.
What is normal or installation gap width?
Normal width is a gap between slabs or walls at a median temperature approx 20° Celsius. In some cases this may be different, due to thermal or shrinkage conditions. Concrete must be fully cured to determine the normal / installation gap width.
What do you mean by movement range?
Movement range is an anticipated range of thermal movement or seismic movement.
For Example :-
1. A 100mm normal gap or installation gap is anticipated to have a range of horizontal movement of + 20mm or – 20mm could also be indicated as 100mm +/- 20mm, meaning the gap closes to minimum of 80mm and opens to a maximum of 120mm.
2. Seismic joints will typically have a movement range of 100mm +/- 50mm to +/-100mm.
How do I know which joint system to select?
Like most other architectural products a joint system should be select based on the following:
7.1. Location of joint:
Interior or
Exterior
7.2. Where is the joint being installed:
Floor
Wall
Ceiling
Roof
7.3. Movement range (your structual or design engineer can provide this information):
Thermal
Seismic
7.4. Expected Loads (for floor joints only):
Pedestrians
Trolleys
Vehicles
Forklifts
Skateboards
Roller Blades
Cleaning Machines
Is the joint is subject to point loading? If unsure of loads, your structural or design engineer can provide this information.