Protective shoulder structure for roadway joints

Claim 1

In a roadway structure formed of concrete slabs interconnected by a joint formed between a pair of opposed walls of said slabs, said walls defining therebetween a gap which is bridged by said joint, the improvement comprising shoulder portions defining at least the upper adjacent edges of said opposed walls of said slabs, said shoulder portions consisting essentially of cured silica-epoxy mortar built into said walls by compacting said silica-epoxy mortar into previously prepared sockets formed in said walls to provide structurally bonded reinforcement at such shoulder portions, and resilient joint means interposed between said opposed walls and extending in adhesive bonding engagement at least along said silica-epoxy mortar shoulder portions, said resilient joint means comprising a sealing element consisting essentially of resilient material and formed to define cavity means internally thereof, and adhesive material applied between said sealing element and each of said opposed walls to effect an adhesive bond therebetween, said adhesive material being capable of setting after application thereof to effect said adhesive bond, a filler material introduced into said cavity means under pressure and rendered rigid after introduction into said cavity means, said sealing element being capable of undergoing flexure as a result of introduction into said cavity means of said pressurized filler material to maintain said adhesive pressed between said sealing element and said opposed walls during setting of said adhesive material, said filler material and said adhesive material being selected such that said adhesive material sets to form said adhesive bond in said joint prior to hardening of said filler material within said cavity means.