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Concrete Expansion Joint Maintenance
Many people overlook or ignore the etched lines and gaps found on concrete pavements, sidewalks, and parking lots. These concrete “joints,” often filled with wood, polyurethane materials, or even hot tar, play a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the pavement. Neglecting these joints can lead to costly repairs and significant headaches for tenants, property managers, and owners.
Why do Concrete Expansion Joints need Fillers?
A concrete expansion joint, which is an intentionally placed gap, or stop point, between two pieces of neighboring concrete, allows each concrete slab the ability to somewhat move independently of one another due to freeze/thaw cycles, ground movement, etc.
Many new constructions use low-cost fillers like hot tar or wood. However, these materials often degrade after a few years as the concrete curing process completes. When this happens, the pavement becomes susceptible to several issues, including sinking, heaving, and cracking, as the protective layer fails to shield the base materials.
Prevent damage with C&D Commercial Services expert concrete and masonry caulking services.
Consequences of Failing Concrete Expansion Joints
When concrete expansion joints are not properly maintained, you can expect several outcomes:
Sinking & heaving
When concrete expansion joints are not filled with a backer rod and joint filler material, any water that enters the unguarded joint erodes away the soil and other base material that stabilizes and supports the concrete itself. When this occurs, the concrete may sink down or heave up as soil is washed away and pushed to other surrounding areas. A total cut-out, excavation, and replacement of the affected slab is the only sure repair for this problem.
Weeds & plants
Germinated weed and plant seeds also get a free ride into the below-grade areas of unsealed expansion joints in concrete. While not only a pain to remove during landscaping, any vegetation and its roots can also break down and deteriorate concrete. In many instances, this takes place below the surface, so most people involved may not be aware of the ongoing issue.
Freeze-Thaw cycles
Perhaps the toughest opponent of concrete joints, the Texas climate can pose a serious threat to any pavement with unsealed concrete expansion joints. As water accesses the exposed expansion joint areas through irrigation or drainage, it is slowly absorbed by the porous concrete surface, which, when temperatures hit below freezing, results in the water freezing and expanding out—thus breaking or cracking the concrete in affected areas. Each time this takes place, the void where the water had previously expanded will now be an even larger area for the same process to occur, resulting in continuous and increasing damage until the pavement is replaced.
Filling Expansion Joints
With the problem now identified, the process of re-sealing the concrete expansion joints is straightforward but requires an artisan’s touch. Polyurethane material can be messy and needs to settle near specific areas on each side of the joint. Perhaps the tougher aspect of this process is achieving a proper ‘ellipse’ shape over the backer rod so that both legs of the concrete joint filler set and bond correctly with maximum durability, ensuring no additional water or vegetation can access these areas.
Specific expansion joint filler materials and other variables for joint caulking are determined on a case-by-case basis, depending upon surface type, joint location, and grade of the slab.
Contact C&D Commercial Services today to get a comprehensive plan for maintaining and protecting your property’s pavement.
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