Joint sealing method

Claim 1

A method of rendering an expansion joint formed between opposed surfaces of two adjacent spaced sections of concrete each having a further non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surface joining said opposed surface at an angle thereto at the locus of the joint, proof against passage of water and solids which enter the joint from the direction of said exposed surfaces, said method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a pair of longitudinally-extending opposed recesses one each on each respective side of said joint and in each of the said nonopposed, exposed surfaces of said concrete sections generally at the location where the said exposed surface joins the said opposed surface at the locus of the joint; (b) providing a preformed joint-spanning and sealing element in the form of a continuous length of flexible elastic strip material having in cross-section a width greater than the width of said joint but not greater than the combined widths of said recesses across the joint, said strip further in cross-section having a center section and laterial web portions extending outwardly from and on opposite sides of said center section, each of said web portions in cross-section having broad upper and lower surfaces, narrower terminal end surfaces and a height less than the height of said recesses, said web portions each further having a plurality of preformed openings therethrough connecting said upper and lower surfaces and spaced from one another along the longitudinal extend of said strip and each a continuous, longitudinally extending rib raised from its upper surface and positioned between said center section and said openings, the number, dimensions and spacing of said openings being sufficient to accomodate the said amount of hardened grout specified in step (e) below; (c) positioning the said joint-spanning strip in said recesses across said joint in a manner such that the lower surfaces of said web portions are adjacent the bottom of said recesses and the said center section lies in the joint space, and in a manner further such that one of said lateral webs, its openings therethrough, and its raised rib portion lie in and alongs the recess in one section of concrete and the other said lateral web, its openings, and raised rib portion lie in and along the opposed recess in said other section of concrete; (d) covering said lateral webs by placing a layer of hardenable fluid grouting material having good adesion to concrete over the upper surface of an along the longitudinal extent of each of said lateral webs in said recesses to the height of said exposed surfaces of said concrete sections and causing said grouting material to enter and fill said openings and to contact the said recess bottom portions exposed by said openings, said fluid grouting material further being placed such that said raised ribs are embedded in said grout and the grout over each web terminates at said center section and does not enter the space between said concrete sections; and (e) thereafter allowing said grout to harden to a mass more rigid than said joint-spanning strip material, the amount of hardened grout in said openings being sufficient to prevent the upper, web-covering layers of grout from being flexed to the extent of cracking by repeated passage of traffic thereover over a reasonably extended period of time and to lock said lateral web portions to the respective concrete sections, the said raised ribs acting, by pressing against said hardened grout when the joint-spanning strip is stretched by movement of the joint, to prevent water entering the joint space from passing through the said openings.

Claim 2

A method of rendering an expansion joint formed between opposed surfaces of two adjacent spaced sections of concrete each having a further non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surface joining said opposed surface at an angle thereto at the locus of the joint, proof against passage of water and solids which enter the joint from the direction of said exposed surfaces, said method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a pair of longitudinally-extending opposed recesses one each on each respective side of said joint and in each of the said nonopposed, exposed surfaces of said concrete sections generally at the location where the said exposed surface joins the said opposed surface at the locus of the joint; (b) providing a preformed joint-spanning and sealing element in the form of a continuous length of flexible elastic strip material having in cross-section a width greater than the width of said joint but not greater than the combined widths of said recesses across the joint, said strip further in cross-section having a center section and laterial web portions extending outwardly from and on opposite sides of said center section, each of said web portions in cross-section having broad upper and lower surfaces, narrower terminal end surfaces and a height less than the height of said recesses, said web portions each further having a plurality of preformed openings therethrough connecting said upper and lower surfaces and spaced from one another along the longitudinal extend of said strip and each a continuous, longitudinally extending rib raised from its upper surface and positioned between said center section and said openings, the number, dimensions and spacing of said openings being sufficient to accomodate the said amount of hardened grout specified in step (e) below; (c) positioning the said joint-spanning strip in said recesses across said joint in a manner such that the lower surfaces of said web portions are adjacent the bottom of said recesses and the said center section lies in the joint space, and in a manner further such that one of said lateral webs, its openings therethrough, and its raised rib portion lie in and alongs the recess in one section of concrete and the other said lateral web, its openings, and raised rib portion lie in and along the opposed recess in said other section of concrete; (d) covering said lateral webs by placing a layer of hardenable fluid grouting material having good adesion to concrete over the upper surface of an along the longitudinal extent of each of said lateral webs in said recesses to the height of said exposed surfaces of said concrete sections and causing said grouting material to enter and fill said openings and to contact the said recess bottom portions exposed by said openings, said fluid grouting material further being placed such that said raised ribs are embedded in said grout and the grout over each web terminates at said center section and does not enter the space between said concrete sections; and (e) thereafter allowing said grout to harden to a mass more rigid than said joint-spanning strip material, the amount of hardened grout in said openings being sufficient to prevent the upper, web-covering layers of grout from being flexed to the extent of cracking by repeated passage of traffic thereover over a reasonably extended period of time and to lock said lateral web portions to the respective concrete sections, the said raised ribs acting, by pressing against said hardened grout when the joint-spanning strip is stretched by movement of the joint, to prevent water entering the joint space from passing through the said openings.

Claim 12

A method of rendering an expansion joint formed between opposed surfaces of two spaced sections of concrete each having a further non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surface joining said opposed surface at an angle thereto at the locus of the joint, proof against passage of water and solids which enter the joint from the direction of said exposed surfaces, said method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a pair of longitudinally-extending opposed recesses one each on each respective side of said joint and in each of said non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surfaces of said concrete sections generally at the location where the said exposed surface joins the said opposed surface at the locus of the joint; (b) providing a pre-formed joint-spanning and sealing element in the form of a continuous length of flexible elastic strip material having in cross-section a width greater than the width of said joint but not greater than the combined widths of said recesses across the joint, said strip further in cross-section having a center section and laterial web portions extending outwardly from and on opposite sides of said center section, each of said web portions in cross-section having broad upper and substantially smooth lower surfaces, narrower terminal end surfaces and a height less than the height of said recesses, said web portions each having a plurality of pre-formed openings therethrough having all cross-wise dimensions greater than about 1/4 inch connecting said upper and lower surfaces and spaced from one another a distance not exceeding about 1 to 2 inches along the longitudinal extent of said strip, each web portion further having a continuous, longitudinally-extending rib raised from its said upper surface located between said center section and said openings; (c) positioning the said joint-spanning strip in said recesses across said joint in a manner such that the smooth lower surfaces of said web portions are adjacent the bottom of said recesses and the said center section lies in the joint space, and in a manner further such that one of said lateral webs, its openings therethrough, and its raised rib portion lie in and along the recess in one section of concrete and the other said lateral web, openings and raised rib portion lie in and along the opposed recess in said other section of concrete; (d) covering said lateral webs by placing a layer of hardenable fluid grouting material having good adhesion to concrete over the upper surface of and along the longitudinal extent of each of said lateral webs in said recesses to the height of said exposed surfaces of said concrete sections and causing said grouting material to enter and fill said openings and to contact the said recess bottom portions exposed by said openings, said fluid grouting material further being placed such that said raised ribs are embedded in said grout and the grout over each web terminates at said center section and does not enter the space between said concrete sections; and (e) thereafter allowing said grout to harden to a mass more rigid than said joint-spanning strip material, the amount of hardened grout in said openings being sufficient to prevent the upper, web-covering layers of grout from being flexed to the extent of cracking by repeated passage of traffic thereover over a reasonably extended period of time and to lock said lateral web portions to the respective concrete sections, the said raised ribs acting, by pressing against said hardened grout when the joint-spanning strip is stretched by movement of the joint, to prevent water entering the joint space from passing through the said openings.

Claim 13

A method of rendering an expansion joint formed between opposed surfaces of two spaced sections of concrete each having a further non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surface joining said opposed surface at an angle thereto at the locus of the joint, proof against passage of water and solids which enter the joint from the direction of said exposed surfaces, said method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a pair of longitudinally-extending opposed recesses one each on each respective side of said joint and in each of said non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surfaces of said concrete sections generally at the location where the said exposed surface joins the said opposed surface at the locus of the joint; (b) providing a pre-formed joint-spanning and sealing element in the form of a continuous length of flexible elastic strip material having in cross-section a width greater than the width of said joint but not greater than the combined widths of said recesses across the joint, said strip further in cross-section having a center section and laterial web portions extending outwardly from and on opposite sides of said center section, each of said web portions in cross-section having broad upper and substantially smooth lower surfaces, narrower terminal end surfaces and a height less than the height of said recesses, said web portions each having a plurality of pre-formed openings therethrough having all cross-wise dimensions greater than about 1/4 inch connecting said upper and lower surfaces and spaced from one another a distance not exceeding about 1 to 2 inches along the longitudinal extent of said strip, each web portion further having a continuous, longitudinally-extending rib raised from its said upper surface located between said center section and said openings; (c) positioning the said joint-spanning strip in said recesses across said joint in a manner such that the smooth lower surfaces of said web portions are adjacent the bottom of said recesses and the said center section lies in the joint space, and in a manner further such that one of said lateral webs, its openings therethrough, and its raised rib portion lie in and along the recess in one section of concrete and the other said lateral web, openings and raised rib portion lie in and along the opposed recess in said other section of concrete; (d) covering said lateral webs by placing a layer of hardenable fluid grouting material having good adhesion to concrete over the upper surface of and along the longitudinal extent of each of said lateral webs in said recesses to the height of said exposed surfaces of said concrete sections and causing said grouting material to enter and fill said openings and to contact the said recess bottom portions exposed by said openings, said fluid grouting material further being placed such that said raised ribs are embedded in said grout and the grout over each web terminates at said center section and does not enter the space between said concrete sections; and (e) thereafter allowing said grout to harden to a mass more rigid than said joint-spanning strip material, the amount of hardened grout in said openings being sufficient to prevent the upper, web-covering layers of grout from being flexed to the extent of cracking by repeated passage of traffic thereover over a reasonably extended period of time and to lock said lateral web portions to the respective concrete sections, the said raised ribs acting, by pressing against said hardened grout when the joint-spanning strip is stretched by movement of the joint, to prevent water entering the joint space from passing through the said openings.

Claim 18

A method of rendering an expansion joint formed between opposed surfaces of two spaced adjacent sections of concrete each having a further non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surface joining said opposed surface at an angle thereto at the locus of the joint, proof against passage of water and solids which enter the joint from the direction of said exposed surfaces, said method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a pair of longitudinally-extending opposed recesses one each on each respective side of said joint and in each of the said non-opposed, exposed surfaces of said concrete sections generally at the location where the said exposed surface joins the said opposed surface at the locus of the joint; (b) providing a pre-formed joint-spanning and sealing element in the form of a continuous length of flexible elastic strip material having in cross-section a width greater than the width of said joint but not greater than the combined widths of said recesses across the joint, said strip further in cross-section having a center section and lateral web portions extending outwardly from and on opposite sides of said center section, each of said web portions in cross-section having broad upper and lower surfaces, narrower terminal end surfaces and a height less than the height of said recesses, said web portions each further having a plurality of pre-formed openings therethrough connecting said upper and lower surfaces and spaced from one another along the longitudinal extent of said strip and each a continuous, longitudinally-extending rib raised from its upper surface and positioned between said center section and said openings, the number, dimensions and spacing of said openings being sufficient to accomodate the said amount of hardened grout specified in step (f) below; (c) positioning the said joint-spanning strip in said recesses across said joint in a manner such that the lower surfaces of said web portions are adjacent the bottom of said recesses and the said center section lies in said spaced joint, and in a manner further such that one of said lateral webs, its openings therethrough, and its raised rib portion lie in and along the recess in one section of concrete and the other said lateral web, openings and rib lie in and along the opposed recess in said other section of concrete; (d) providing a removable spacing element having a planar upper surface and a lower surface defining the height of the spacing element and two outer side surfaces defining the width of the spacing element, and positioning the said lower surface of said spacing element above the said center section of said joint-spanning strip and in contact therewith, the said spacing element having a width substantially that of the width of the space between said opposed concrete sections and a height such that its upper surface is substantially even with the said non-opposed, exposed surfaces of said concrete sections; (e) placing a layer of fluid, hardenable, grouting material over the upper surfaces of and along the longitudinal extent of each of said lateral webs in said recesses to the height of the upper surface of said spacing element and said non-opposed, exposed surfaces, and causing said grouting material to enter and fill said openings in said webs; (f) allowing said grout to harden to a mass more rigid than said joint-spanning strip material, the amount of hardened grout in said openings being sufficient to prevent the upper web-covering layers of grout from being flexed to the extent of cracking by repeated passage of traffic thereover over a reasonably extended period of time and to lock said lateral web portions to the respective concrete section, the said raised ribs acting, by pressing against said hardened grout when the joint-spanning strip is stretched by movement of the joint, to prevent water entering the joint space from passing through the said openings; and (g) removing said removable spacing element.

Claim 19

A method of rendering an expansion joint formed between opposed surfaces of two spaced adjacent sections of concrete each having a further non-opposed, exposed traffic-bearing surface joining said opposed surface at an angle thereto at the locus of the joint, proof against passage of water and solids which enter the joint from the direction of said exposed surfaces, said method comprising the steps of; (a) providing a pair of longitudinally-extending opposed recesses one each on each respective side of said joint and in each of the said non-opposed, exposed surfaces of said concrete sections generally at the location where the said exposed surface joins the said opposed surface at the locus of the joint; (b) providing a pre-formed joint-spanning and sealing element in the form of a continuous length of flexible elastic strip material having in cross-section a width greater than the width of said joint but not greater than the combined widths of said recesses across the joint, said strip further in cross-section having a center section and lateral web portions extending outwardly from and on opposite sides of said center section, each of said web portions in cross-section having broad upper and lower surfaces, narrower terminal end surfaces and a height less than the height of said recesses, said web portions each further having a plurality of pre-formed openings therethrough connecting said upper and lower surfaces and spaced from one another along the longitudinal extent of said strip and each a continuous, longitudinally-extending rib raised from its upper surface and positioned between said center section and said openings, the number, dimensions and spacing of said openings being sufficient to accomodate the said amount of hardened grout specified in step (f) below; (c) positioning the said joint-spanning strip in said recesses across said joint in a manner such that the lower surfaces of said web portions are adjacent the bottom of said recesses and the said center section lies in said spaced joint, and in a manner further such that one of said lateral webs, its openings therethrough, and its raised rib portion lie in and along the recess in one section of concrete and the other said lateral web, openings and rib lie in and along the opposed recess in said other section of concrete; (d) providing a removable spacing element having a planar upper surface and a lower surface defining the height of the spacing element and two outer side surfaces defining the width of the spacing element, and positioning the said lower surface of said spacing element above the said center section of said joint-spanning strip and in contact therewith, the said spacing element having a width substantially that of the width of the space between said opposed concrete sections and a height such that its upper surface is substantially even with the said non-opposed, exposed surfaces of said concrete sections; (e) placing a layer of fluid, hardenable, grouting material over the upper surfaces of and along the longitudinal extent of each of said lateral webs in said recesses to the height of the upper surface of said spacing element and said non-opposed, exposed surfaces, and causing said grouting material to enter and fill said openings in said webs; (f) allowing said grout to harden to a mass more rigid than said joint-spanning strip material, the amount of hardened grout in said openings being sufficient to prevent the upper web-covering layers of grout from being flexed to the extent of cracking by repeated passage of traffic thereover over a reasonably extended period of time and to lock said lateral web portions to the respective concrete section, the said raised ribs acting, by pressing against said hardened grout when the joint-spanning strip is stretched by movement of the joint, to prevent water entering the joint space from passing through the said openings; and (g) removing said removable spacing element.