Professional Documents
Culture Documents
in concrete structures
By Marilyn Palmer
Temperature effects
Differences between the temperature at
installation and the temperatures experi-
enced in service affect sealant behavior.
The magnitude of joint movements and
the rate of temperature change affecting
those movements are equally important.
Sealants generally perform better at high-
er temperatures than at lower tempera-
tures, and when movement at a joint oc-
curs at a slow and uniform rate.
ACI 504R-90 assumes a service range
of temperatures from -20° to +130° F. The
closer the installation temperature is to the
mean of that range (55° F), the less the
strain placed on the sealant. Installation at
the low end of the service temperature
range can cause excessive sealant com-
pression when the temperature rises, and
more sealant is required at installation. In-
stallation at the high end of the service
temperature range causes excessive sealant
extension and a high likelihood of adhe-
sion, cohesion, or peeling failure. Figure 2
shows behavior of the sealant in these situ-
ations. Whenever possible, therefore, ACI
504R-90 recommends an installation tem-
Figure 3. Defects in preformed compression seals are shown at top; methods to
perature range from 40° to 90° F. improve performance for each defect are listed at bottom.
It is important to note that the service
range of temperature affecting the
sealant’s behavior is not the same as the such as concrete. Final cleanup to remove and type of sealant were determined
ambient air temperature range. It is the ac- dust is usually best accomplished with the • The wrong type of sealant for the par-
tual temperature of the units being joined use of oil-free compressed air or a vacu- ticular conditions was selected, often
by the sealant. In massive sections or um cleaner. on the false grounds of economy in
complex structural units it may be neces- first cost
sary to measure internal temperatures to Avoiding defects
• Poor workmanship occurred during
adequately assess joint movement. In any Malfunction of a sealant usually is joint construction and preparation to
case, an attempt should be made to collect caused by cohesive or adhesive failure. receive the sealant or sealant installa-
appropriate temperature information, in- Preformed sealants commonly malfunc- tion
cluding a thermometer reading of ambient tion by failing to generate enough con-
temperature in the shade. Take particular tact pressure with the joint faces in cold Many of these defects can be avoided
care if the units to be joined are not the weather, or by extruding from overcom- by paying attention to the following
same material and have significantly dif- pression in hot weather, as shown in Fig- guidelines:
ferent surface temperatures due to differ- ure 3. Field-molded sealants can fail • Saw or form the joint to the required
ences in their material properties. from repetitive cycles of stress reversal uniform depth, width, and location
and suffer one or more of the defects shown on the plans
Preparation of joint surfaces shown in Figure 4.
Joint surfaces must be clean, dry, and Other defects caused by improper joint • Align the joint with any connecting
free of defects, such as loose aggregate, construction and the possible causes of joints to avoid blockage to free
embedded foreign material, and spalls, that these defects are shown in Figure 5. Rea- movement
could impair the sealant bond. Debris from sons for joint sealant failures include: • Correctly position dowels and other
sawing, wire brushing, routing, and sand- joint hardware, fillers, waterstops, and
blasting should be washed out thoroughly. • Design of the joint geometry was in- bulkheads, and rigidly support them to
Solvents are useful in cleaning non- sufficient to accommodate movement avoid displacement during concreting
porous surfaces such as glass or metal • Unanticipated service conditions re- • Remove any temporary material or
frames, but can carry the contaminants sulted in greater joint movements than filler used to form the sealant reservoir
further into the pores of porous surfaces those allowed for when the joint design
free to change shape to suit conditions.
A bond breaker isn’t necessary where
the backup materials don’t adhere to the
sealant. In those cases, backup materials
can be used alone to help support the
sealant, control sealant shape (depth to
width ratio), and allow the sealant to
achieve maximum extension without
peeling at the edges.
Maintenance
Few exposed sealants will last as long
as the structure whose joints they are seal-
ing. Most field-molded or preformed
sealants will eventually require renewal to
maintain an effective seal and prevent de-
terioration of the structure. Exactly when
renewal becomes necessary depends on
Figure 4. Defects with elastic behavior in field-molded sealants are shown at top; service conditions, the type of material
methods to improve performance for each defect are listed at bottom. used, and whether any defects were built
in at the time of the original sealing. Re-
sealing often is postponed beyond the
time when it truly is needed due to a lack
of knowledge that it is needed or failure to
budget ahead.
The industry still needs to improve
the working life of joint sealants. The
performance of sealants is continually
compromised by the need to store, ap-
ply, and use them in less than optimal
circumstances. The result of this is an
expected life of 1 to 5 years for most
current products. Designers looking to
minimize maintenance would like to see
high-performance sealants with life cy-
cles of 10 to 20 years.
Reference
“Guide to Sealing Joints in Concrete
Structures,” (ACI 504R-90), ACI Manu-
al of Concrete Practice, 1992, Ameri-
can Concrete Institute, Detroit.