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CONCRETE JOINTS

 CONTRACTION JOINTS

 CONSTRUCTION JOINTS

 EXPANSION JOINTS
CONCRETE JOINTS

Joints in concrete can serve both to prevent cracking and as a decorative element.

Concrete is not a ductile material-it doesn't stretch or bend without


breaking. That's both its greatest strength and greatest weakness. Its
hardness and high compressive strength is why we use so much of it in
construction. But concrete does move-it shrinks, it expands, and different
parts of a building move in different ways. This is where joints come into
play.
Different joints in concrete slabs all have the same bottom-line purpose of preventing cracks.

As concrete moves, if it is tied to another structure or even to itself, or it


restraint, which causes tensile forces and invariably leads to cracking.
Restraint simply means that the concrete element (whether it's a slab or a
wall or a foundation) is not being allowed to freely shrink as it dries or to
expand and contract with temperature changes or to settle a bit into the
subgrade. Joints allow one concrete element to move independently of other
parts of the building or structure. Joints also let concrete shrink as it dries-
preventing called internal restraint. Internal restraint is created when one
part of a slab shrinks more than another, or shrinks in a different direction.

What Causes Concrete To Crack?


Many surface cracks in concrete slabs are not a result of structural failure of
the slab but are formed by uncontrolled shrinkage of the concrete. These
types of cracks can be avoided. Shrinkage cracks are the result of the
concrete volume decreasing as water is lost from within the concrete
mixture. These cracks can still occur some months after the slab has been
poured. However, the more rapid the drying process the more likely it is that
shrinkage cracks will develop. The same type of cracking occurs in many
other situations where moisture is lost from its structure. (eg. Clay soils will
crack in times of low rainfall).

What Are Concrete Joints?


Concrete joints are used to compensate when concrete expands or shrinks
with changes in temperature. Concrete joints are normally used to prevent
cracks when the concrete shrinks by creating forming, tooling, sawing and
placing joint formers. The pre-planned cracks will provide a better finish
concrete product and will be formed in specific locations where those cracks
could be monitored.

Types of Concrete Joints in Building Structures

1. Contraction Joints or Control Joints


Control Joints (often confused with expansion joints) are cuts or grooves
made in concrete or asphalt at regular intervals. These joints are made at
locations where there are chances of cracks or where the concentration of
stresses are expected. In such a way a concrete will not crack randomly but
in a straight line (i.e. control joint). In other words Contraction or Control
Joints are Pre-Planned Cracks. The cracks may be due to temperature
variations or drying shrinkage or other reasons.

Joints depth should be 25% of the depth of the slab. For instance a 4" thick
slab should have 1" deep cut. Joints Interval (taken in feet) should not be
more than 2 - 3 times the slab thickness (in inches). Let say a 6" slab should
have joints 2 x 6=12 to 3 x 6 = 18 feet apart. For fresh concrete grooving
tools are used while saw is used for hardened concrete.
Both isolation and construction joints are formed before the concrete is
poured; contraction joints (or control joints) are "placed" in the fresh
concrete before it has a chance to create its own joints—also known as
cracks. What a contraction joint really is in the end is a crack in the slab that
we force to follow a line of our own choosing. We create a weakened line
across the slab and let nature take its course. When the slab does crack,
that's called "joint activation."

Here are a few things to consider about contraction joints:

 After concrete is placed it is going to shrink. We can reduce shrinkage with good mixes,
but it is always going to shrink and we need to accept that fact and know how to
accommodate that shrinkage. A smooth, unrutted subbase and a moisture barrier
directly under the slab reduce friction between the slab and the subbase and reduce
internal restraint.
 Contraction joints are formed by saw cutting, by tooling a joint with a grooving tool, or by
inserting a plastic strip into the concrete during finishing (zip-strip). Proper timing and
depth of cut are essential. If you wait too long, the slab will crack where it wants to
rather than where you want it to. And if the joint is not cut deep enough it will not create
the plane of weakness needed to guide the crack.
 Saw cuts can be made with conventional wet-cut or dry-cut saws or with early-entry
saws.
 Using an early-entry saw, saw cuts can be made within 1 to 4 hours, depending on the
air temperature—much earlier than with a conventional saw. Only Soff-Cut (now part of
Husqvarna) makes a true early-entry dry-cut saw (sometimes called ultra-early-entry
saws). The saw-cut is typically 1 inch deep regardless of slab thickness—although even
¾-inch deep early-entry cuts can function properly. Keeping the skid plate and blades in
good condition will improve the cut quality (less raveling). There is now an early entry
saw made specifically for decorative work.
 Conventional wet-cut gas-powered concrete saws can be used to cut joints, typically
waiting until the concrete achieves a strength of about 500 psi to prevent raveling of the
cut edges during sawing. The timing varies depending on the temperature and the
relative humidity, but the window is generally 4 to 12 hours after concrete placement.
The cut depth should be at least ¼ the thickness of the slab.
 For decorative work or smaller slabs, a regular dry-cut cut-off saw can be used. Be sure
to use a proper respirator—airborne silica is a serious health hazard, leading to silicosis.
Also use eye and ear protection.
 There are several methods for tooling a joint into a concrete slab during the finishing
operations, but as with a saw cut, the depth of the groove needs to be at least one-
quarter the slab thickness to weaken the slab enough to get the crack to follow. Zip-
strips are plastic strips embedded into the concrete to create the plane of weaknesses
needed to guide the cracks. Some come with a capping strip that is removed to leave
radius edges or a sealant reservoir in the top part of the joint. ACI 360 and 302 do not
recommend the use of zip-strips to form contraction joints.
 The jointing pattern may or may not be specified on your job. Take an active role in this
plan to assure that joints are properly spaced and in the best locations for your work.
For an unreinforced slab, control joints should be spaced in feet 2 to 3 times the slab
thickness in inches. In other words, for a 4-inch slab, space the joints 8 to 12 feet apart.
The spacing is highly dependent on the concrete mix's shrinkage potential. Read more
on low-shrinkage concrete mixes in the Concrete Mix Design section. Low cement
content and larger aggregate are key.
 Jointed panels should be as close to square as possible. Keep the length divided by the
width of a panel (aspect ratio) no more than 1.5 (so if the panel is 12 feet long it should
be no less than 8 feet wide). Avoid L- and T-shaped panels.
 Contraction joints should be straight and continuous, never staggered.
 Try to avoid "re-entrant" corners—inside corners within the slab. You're likely to have
some, though. The best way is simply to locate joints going both ways from a re-entrant
corner. You can also place a couple of pieces of rebar diagonally in the slab near the
corner.
 In most cases, do not extend reinforcement through a contraction joint. Although this will
provide load transfer, it will also lead to uncontrolled cracks between contraction joints.
2. Construction Joints

In mega projects there is a starting and stopping points, the entire concrete
work may not be done at once, hence concrete pouring need to be stopped
causing a joint in element known as Construction Joint. Construction joints
are placed at points of ending and beginning of construction for provision of
a smooth transition between pours. These joints are formed between
successive building element parts during construction work, in which one
part is allowed to harden before the next is placed. These joints may be
intentional or unintentional. Reasons for intentionally providing construction
joints are;

 Certain time of a day i.e. Labour Hours ( e.g. 8:00 am to 6:00 pm)
 Certain day of a week (e.g. Sunday, or Friday)
 Certain Months of an year (e.g. extreme weather in Winter or
Summer)
 Religious Holidays etc (e.g. Eid or Christmas etc)

Unintentional provision may occur due to

 Unexpected shortage of material


 Equipment Failure
 Bad weather
On many jobs there will be starting and stopping points-you won't pour the
entire slab or driveway all at once. That's where you will place a construction
joint. Here are a few tips:

 Construction joints are formed using some sort of bulkhead, made of wood,
steel, plastic, or precast concrete. These bulkheads are often used as screed
rails during placement and finishing of the slab.
 Construction joints should be worked into the overall joint plan, where they
can also function as contraction joints.
 A construction joint should also be used in cases of equipment breakdown,
an unexpected shortage of materials, or bad weather, although the joint
should still be worked into the jointing pattern—placed where a contraction
joint was planned. If that's not possible, the odd section may later have to
be removed.
 If the slab will have no significant traffic crossing the joint, a plain butt joint,
with no reinforcement crossing the joint, is acceptable. If there is to be
traffic other than foot traffic, you will need to use some sort of load transfer
device—
 For many years, the typical way to transfer shear at a construction joint was
with a keyed joint. Many steel bulkhead forms are available with a keyed
profile, however most experts no longer recommend keyed joints since they
seldom stay tight enough to provide positive shear transfer. ACI 360, Design
of Slabs on Ground, states that "the male and female components lose
contact when the joint opens due to drying shrinkage," which can lead to
"breakdown of the joint edges and failure of the top side portion of the key."
 Use internal vibration during concrete placement at the construction joint to
assure proper consolidation along the edge and around any dowels, load
transfer devices, or armored joint assemblies--especially if the concrete has
larger top-size aggregate.
 Be sure to cure the vertical face after removal of the bulkhead by applying a
liquid curing compound.

3. Expansion Joints
These are structural separation between building elements that allow
independent movement without damage to the assembly. Expansion joints
are designed to safely absorb the thermal expansion and contraction of
various construction materials, to absorb vibration. They are commonly
provided in bridges, railway tracks, piping systems, and other structures.
Concrete Joints Placing Tips
The following recommended tips should be observed:

 Maximum Joint Spacing should be 24 to 36 times the thickness of the slab.


 Joints should be spaced about 10 feet and a maximum of 15 feet.
 When using joint groove for contraction joints, the joint should be a
minimum depth of ¼ thickness of the slab.
 Saw-cut joints should be done within 4 to 12 hours after the concrete has
been finished.
 Keyed joints are not recommended for industrial floors.
 Dry-cut joints should be made between 1 to 4 hours after completion of
finishing.
 Premolded joint filler should be used to separate slabs from building walls or
footings. Place 2 inches of sand over the top of a footing to prevent bond to
the footing.
 If the slab contains wire mesh it is recommended to discontinue the mesh
across contraction joints.
 Joint spacing should also be chosen so that concrete sections are
approximately square.
 It is recommended to have concrete joints along column lines either sawed
or keyed.
 Metal dowels should be used in slabs that carry heavy loads.
 Plan exact locations of all joints including timing of saw cutting.
 Use isolation joints between slabs and columns, walls and footings and
where curbs or sidewalks meet other concrete structures.

Tools Used to Create Concrete Joints


The following tools are normally used to create concrete joints, although
these tools might vary depending on the size and scope of the project. Here
are the most common used tools:

Hand Groover or Walking Groover:

Jointing the concrete is accomplished by grooving tools (unless the slab will
be sawcut later). The purpose is to control the location of cracks that may
form when the slab "contracts" due to drying shrinkage or temperature
changes.
Look inside tooled joints or sawcuts and you will see the concrete is
cracked—The joint did its job and controlled where the concrete cracked.
Joints are most often hand-tooled into sidewalks, driveways and patios and
sawcut into floors, highways, and city streets.

Groovers are usually made of bronze or stainless steel and have a V-shaped
bit that cuts the groove. Like edgers, they come with wood or comfort-grip
handles. The most common groover size is 6 inches long and 4 1/2 inches
wide, but many other sizes are available, ranging from 2 to 8 inches wide
and 3 to 10 inches long. However, more important is the dimension of the
bit, which can be anywhere from 1/2 inch to 2 inches deep and 1/8 to 1 inch
wide. Bi-directional groovers are also available and have double-end bits
that give you the flexibility to cut forward or backward.

 Cordless control joint tools: ideal for use on small to medium size
projects.

 Concrete saw: ideal for sawcutting concrete, but be sure to know how deep
that cut needs to be, otherwise you might be creating other problems.
ISOLATION JOINTS
Joints that isolate the slab from a wall, column or drainpipe

Isolation joints have one very simple purpose—they completely isolate the
slab from something else. That something else can be a wall or a column or
a drain pipe. Here are a few things to consider with isolation joints:

Even wooden columns should be isolated from the slab.

 Walls and columns, which are on their own footings that are deeper than the
slab subgrade, are not going to move the same way a slab does as it shrinks
or expands from drying or temperature changes or as the subgrade
compresses a little.

Very long unjointed sections can expand enough from the hot sun to cause blowups, but this is rare.

 If slabs are connected to walls or columns or pipes, as they contract or settle


there will be restraint, which usually cracks the slab—although it could also
damage pipes (standpipes or floor drains).
 Expansion joints are virtually never needed with interior slabs, because the
concrete doesn't expand that much—it never gets that hot.
 Expansion joints in concrete pavement are also seldom needed, since the
contraction joints open enough (from drying shrinkage) to account for
temperature expansion. The exception might be where a pavement or
parking lot are next to a bridge or building—then we simply use a slightly
wider isolation joint (maybe ¾ inch instead of ½ inch).
 Blowups, from expansion of concrete due to hot weather and sun, are more
commonly caused by contraction joints that are not sealed and that then fill
up with noncompressible materials (rocks, dirt). They can also be due to
very long unjointed sections.
Polyethylene foam isolation joint material comes in various colors. C2 Products

 Isolation joints are formed by placing preformed joint material next to the
column or wall or standpipe prior to pouring the slab. Isolation joint material
is typically asphalt-impregnated fiberboard, although plastic, cork, rubber,
and neoprene are also available.
 Isolation joint material should go all the way through the slab, starting at
the subbase, but should not extend above the top.
 For a cleaner looking isolation joint, the top part of the preformed filler can
be cut off and the space filled with elastomeric sealant. Some proprietary
joints come with removable caps to form this sealant reservoir.
 Joint materials range from inexpensive asphalt-impregnated fiberboard to
cork to closed cell neoprene. Cork can expand and contract with the joint,
does not extrude, and seals out water. Scott Whitelam with APS Cork says
that the required performance is what determines the choice of joint
materials. How much motion is expected, exposure to salts or chemicals,
and the value of the structure would all come into play—and of course the
cost.
 At columns, contraction joints should approach from all four directions
ending at the isolation joint, which should have a circular or a diamond
shaped configuration around the column. For an I-beam type steel column, a
pinwheel configuration can work. Always place the slab concrete first and do
not install the isolation joint material and fill around the column until the
column is carrying its full dead load.

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