School of Technology- Pandit Deendayal Energy University

TYPES OF JOINTS IN
RIGID PAVEMENT
Subject: Highway Construction Practices
(20MCT514T)

Presented by: Guided by:

Nidhi Jariwala (21MCT007) Dr Rajesh Gujar

MTech Transportation Engineering

  Rigid pavement is constructed using reinforced cement
concrete.
 Major factor affecting the destruction of concrete is
shrinkage and cracks.
 To limit this, we will provide some joints.
INTRODUCTION
 They also allow material expansions and contractions due to
the changes in temperatures, or due to road or bridge
movement.
 The joints are cut at similar intervals in the pavement to
prevent development of cracking or splitting.
Figure of a Rigid Pavement
 The joints 1. LONGITUDINAL JOINTS 2. TRANSVERSE JOINTS

provided in
Rigid
Pavement are
classified into
the following
two
categories:
LONGITUDINAL
JOINTS
• These joints are provided to prevent longitudinal cracking in the pavement.
• The longitudinal cracking in the pavement is formed as a result of differential
shrinkage and swelling due to rapid changes in subgrade moisture under the edge
than the center of the road.
• In longitudinal joints tie bars are provided to hold the adjacent slabs.
• These joints are provided longitudinally in cement concrete roads which have a width
more than 4.5 m.
TRANSVERSE
JOINTS
 Transverse joints in cement concrete roads
are further classified into the following
categories:

i. Expansion Joints
ii. Contraction Joints
iii. Warping Joints
iv. Construction Joints
i) Expansion Joints

• They are provided to allow for

expansion of the slab due to
rising in the slab temperature. 
• These joints are provided at an
interval of 50 m to 60 m if the
slab is laid in winter and 90 m
to 120 m if the slab is laid in
summer.
• The approximate gap width for
this type of joint is 20 mm to
25 mm. These joints also
permit the contraction of the
slab.
  Contraction joints are provided to allow for contraction of the
slab due to falling in the slab temperature.
 These joints are spaced closer than expansion joints.
 As per I.R.C, the maximum spacing of these joints is 4.5m in
plain cement concrete slabs and 14  in reinforced cement
concrete slab of thickness 20cm.
ii) Contraction
Joints
iii) Warping Joints • During the mid-day, the top of the pavement
slab has a higher temperature than the
bottom.
• This causes the top fibers of the slab to
expand more than the bottom fibers and
the slab curls at the edge.
• This phenomenon is known as warping
down of the slab.
• Similarly, the slab warps up during
midnight due to the higher temperature of
the bottom slab as compared to the top. 
• Warping joints are provided to minimize
the stresses induced due to warping.
• These joints are also known as hinged
joints.
  Construction joints are provided in cement concrete
road to close the day’s job and for the
commencement of the same in the next day.

iv) Construction
Joints
THANK YOU!