Expansion Joint Applications
Renewal of floor expansion joints with flexible sealant systems and Sika FloorJoint prefabricated composite panels, in keeping with the traffic and the use.
The joint is where the structure breathes.
Structures and floor slabs move: they expand with temperature and deform under load. Expansion joints are left to accommodate this movement; yet the joint is the floor’s hardest-working and most neglected detail. An expansion joint that has lost its function becomes a crossing with broken edges, an obstacle that wears out equipment and jolts the forklifts.
In expansion joint renewal we work with two solution families: flexible sealant systems for joints still in movement, and Sika FloorJoint for lines carrying heavy, constant traffic. Made of prefabricated carbon-fiber-reinforced composite panels, FloorJoint turns the joint into a crossing flush with the floor, free of vibration and of any perceptible profile. Edge repair is treated with the same care as the joint itself in both families, for the sake of the system’s life.
- Designed for the movement: The detail is selected for the expected amount of movement and the traffic.
- Two solution families: Flexible sealant systems or Sika FloorJoint prefabricated panels.
- Edge repair included: Broken joint edges are rebuilt in a form suited to the system.
- Traffic resistance: A flush, vibration-free surface under forklift and vehicle traffic.
Where movement crosses paths with traffic.
The expansion joint detail is selected for the traffic the joint line carries and the conditions of use.
Industrial floor expansion joints
Floor crossings standing up to forklift traffic.
Parking decks and ramps
Flush, quiet crossings under vehicle traffic.
Warehouse and logistics routes
Jolt-free passage of intensive internal logistics traffic.
Food and pharmaceutical production areas
A joint line fit for hygiene audits, harboring no dirt.
Pedestrian circulation
Continuous walking surfaces with no tripping risk.
Cold storage rooms
Joint solutions keeping their flexibility at low temperatures.
The four conditions for touching the structure.
Every intervention on the structural system follows the same discipline: diagnosis, design, supervised application and complete records.
Diagnosis and design
The existing condition is documented; the intervention is limited to the scope and detail defined by the strengthening design.
Surface and member preparation
The application surface is brought to the condition the design requires; the preparation defines the system’s life.
Supervised application
The application is carried out under civil engineering supervision, adhering to the manufacturer’s system approvals.
Records and handover
Every stage is documented; the work is handed over with a traceable application file.
The detail accommodates the movement; the edge carries the detail.
A joint system’s life depends on the soundness of the edges as much as the flexibility of the filler; the two sides work together.
- Sika FloorJoint panel or flexible sealantAccommodating the movement, selected for the traffic: the visible system.
- Backer rod or epoxy bedThe underlying preparation that makes the system work at the right cross-section with full adhesion.
- Repaired joint edgesThe edges carrying the system, rebuilt where required.
- Existing floor slabsThe moving concrete slabs the joint separates.
The right system for the traffic.
The joint system is selected for the amount of movement, the traffic and the conditions of use.
Sika FloorJoint panels
A flush, vibration-free crossing with prefabricated carbon-fiber-reinforced composite panels.
Flexible sealant systems
Elastic fillers for joints still in movement.
Waterstop tape details
Taped solutions for joints with water exposure.
Edge repair systems
Rebuilding broken edges with high-strength materials.
What is expected of a joint system.
Movement capacity
Accommodates the expected movement without fatigue.
Traffic resistance
Integrity is preserved under forklift and vehicle traffic.
A flush crossing
A jolt-free surface with no perceptible profile.
Hygiene compatibility
A cleanable joint line harboring no dirt.
Planned renewal
Zoned application while operations continue.
Traceable records
The detail and the application are documented at handover.
The scope follows the condition of the joint lines.
The classification below is indicative only. The final scope is determined by assessing the condition of the joint lines on site.
An expansion joint, or another solution?
The source of the problem may lie outside the joint; let’s find the right address together.
Technical documents for members
Technical data sheets, safety data sheets and application specifications are available in the membership area open to corporate clients, architects and engineers. Access is free with membership.
Other strengthening systems
Let’s take your joints off the problem list.
Share your problem joint lines and usage conditions with us; let us inspect them on site and define the right detail together.