Joints in Concrete

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 Joints in Concrete
WHAT ARE JOINTS?
Joints are PLANNED BREAKS in concrete which allow it
to move and prevent random cracking.
Joints can be broadly classified into 4
• Construction joints
• Expansion joints
• Contraction joints
• Isolation joints

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 Joints in Concrete
TYPES OF JOINTS:
Construction Joints:
• used in circumstances where two consecutive placements of concrete
meet.
• Normally placed at the end of the day or be placed when concrete
pour has been stopped for longer than initial setting time of concrete.
• Temporary joints left between subsequent concrete operation

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 POSITION OF CONSTRUCTION JOINTS
 Preplanned
 Should not affect the strength of concrete member
 Either vertical or horizontal and should not be inclined
 Made joints at a places less vulnerable to maximum bending moment
and maximum shear force
 General rules
 Column should be filled to a level few cm below the junction of a
beam
 Joints in beam and slab should be formed at the points of
minimum shear
 If the use of a joint has been warranted for any reason between
slab and beam, then add some form of key and to add shear
reinforcement to meet any weakness of that joints
 Horiz joints in walls are usually at the top of plinth or top or
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bottom of window opening

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 Expansion joints
 An expansion joint or movement joint is an assembly designed to
safely absorb the heat-induced expansion and contraction of construction
materials, to absorb vibration, to hold parts together, or to allow
movement due to ground settlement or earthquakes.
 Cater for volume change and to relieve the stresses produced
 Expansion is a function of length
 Buildings longer than 45 m is provided with 1 or 2 expansion joints
 POSITION OF EXPANSION JOINTS
 It can be determined after taking into consideration various factors,
such as temperature, exposure to weather, time and season of laying
the concrete etc. Under no circumstances shall a structure of length
45 m or more be without an expansion joints

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Expansion joints

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Contraction Joints/dummy/control joints
• Concrete undergoes plastic shrinkage and drying shrinkage
• When shrinkage is restrained, stresses will develop, resulting
in crack
• To avoid this, contraction joints are provided at an interval 5
to 10m
• Generally provided in unreinforced floors and pavements
• Made at the time of laying concrete by embedding a timber
batten/steel plates of sufficient depth and thickness, and
removed when the concrete is hardened
• Contraction joint of stipulated size is cut by employing joint
sawing machine

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Contraction Joints/dummy/control joints

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 Isolation joints
• Provided where the concrete floors
meets the permanent structural
elements such as walls, columns,
foundation blocks, machine
foundations etc

• Movements associated with

structural elements are different
from floor slab

• Provided to full depth of concrete

• Width 10 to 12mm, to avoid ingress

of moisture or other undesirable
materials, joints are filled with
resilient materials and topped with
joint filling compounds
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 Sliding joints
 Used in precast concrete
structures, bridges, wall floor
and wall roof junctions in
water retaining structures
 Similar to free movement
joints
 Loads are carried from one
element to other by bearing
 This is achieved either directly
across smooth concrete
surfaces or by purpose made
bearings
 Movement joint with complete
discontinuity in both
reinforcement and concrete at
which special provision is
made to facilitate relative
movement in place of joints
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 Joints in Concrete

PLANS:

The position of ALL JOINTS should be shown on the plans

for any concrete slab.

THE END
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