How A Slab Expansion Joint Matters For A Concrete SlabThere are some things that one has to be aware of when using concrete in their construction projects and since concrete is universally used from the largest of sky scrapers to the smallest of private homes it’s good to have some inkling of how it works as a material. Many people may not realize this by concrete goes through a shrinking process as it cures and this means that in order to mitigate the problems that might occur due to this you need to use a slab expansion joint between concrete slabs. Besides the shrinkage that occurs while curing the concrete slab may also experience expansion and contraction due to temperature variations as well as changes in moisture levels in the surrounding environment. As such control joints or expansion joints as they are also known are meant to reduce the chances that a concrete slab will crack in random places, instead allowing the concrete to crack alongside it where it will not be seen due to the filler used. Once has to be aware of the fact that all concrete shrinks and that tiny cracks are inevitable but that’s why control joints exists, so that the cracks occur inside the joints so as to not be seen or to pose a threat to the overall integrity of the slab. Concrete is an interesting material, it requires about twenty-eight days to reach its design strength, and during this period a lot of shrinkage will occur, but the material will continue to dry for days and even weeks after that time frame. Some might be thinking to themselves whether or not they need expansion joints for their garage floor, well the general rule of thumb is that if you are pouring a slab of concrete larger than twenty feet then it would be advisable to take provisions to place expansion joints in it. Even with properly placed expansion joints there can be cases when cracks will occur out of the area of the joints, when that happens however it means that there were some other deficiencies in the concrete mix or during the curing process something happened that caused them. Similarly a bit of earthquake movement can produce those kinds of cracks as well however it is worth to mention that these are only extreme cases. If you are worried that the joints will be magnets for unwanted dirt or ideal places where to trip then rest assured that there are special substances out there meant to fill in the spaces. These substances will have to be themselves able to contract and expand, things like certain types of woods or varied synthetic polymers; besides filling the roll of space filler they will also usually hide most of the fine cracks that will form in the joints. Worth to mention however that these materials will degrade over time and that they will require repair and replacing. In conclusion the slab expansion joint plays an important role in the overall structural integrity an implicitly in the life span of the concrete slab. |
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