ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF ARMOURED JOINTS IN CONCRETE FLOORS ?
- Durafloor
- January 12, 2023
- 1:03 pm
Joints are an integral aspect of constructing a concrete floor. But if they are not protected, they will be swiftly damaged once the structure is put into use, leaving the building owner or operator with costly maintenance expenses and downtime. A compromised construction joint is more than merely unattractive. On an uneven surface, material handling vehicles can sustain significant damage, and it can even pose a health and safety risk for forklift operators. The optimal solution is to fortify joint arrises during construction, incorporating protection from the outset. It is simple and economical, and it provides benefits for the life of the building.
Advice on selecting the optimal joint
Consider the following variables while selecting an armoured joint. Our joint selector can also assist you in selecting the optimal product for protecting joint arrises on your project.
Building utilisation : Consider whether the structure will have a single use throughout its lifetime, or whether this could change. Choose a flexible joint, such as Permaban Signature or Wave, to safeguard the floor’s longevity. These enable vehicles to traverse the floor in any direction, both today and in the future.
Traffic : Consider the type of vehicle wheel as well as the frequency and speed of traffic (‘duty’). Vehicle direction determines how much impact a joint endures. Straight junctions, such as AlphaJoint and Eclipse, are acceptable in locations where cars will not cross directly. Choose Signature or Wave instead to prevent impact
Service : If cleaning chemicals are used frequently, a stainless steel joint (AlphaJoint CSS) will resist them and retain its appearance for longer. Choose our Signature, Eclipse, or Wave galvanised products if a joint will be often exposed to wet circumstances.
Hazards :If the building handles items that must not leech into the ground, or if the joint gap itself poses a concern to pedestrians, then permanently seal the junction using SignatureSlide or a joint sealant.
The construction of a floor. “Jointless” flooring consists of armoured joints, but not saw-cut joints, therefore the gap sizes can be slightly greater. Consider the expected gap size and potential filling methods. SignatureSlide manages wider gaps and guarantees that no joint gaps are exposed.
What is influence?
What exactly is an impact?
There is a potential for impact damage to occur whenever a vehicle crosses a straight junction at an angle of ninety degrees. This is because the wheels have a tendency to dip momentarily into the space that exists between the joint’s two straight sides. When a saw-cut joint or even a straight armoured junction is subjected to repeated impact, the surrounding concrete is damaged. This results in increased expenses for maintenance as well as increased downtime.
Because a shaped joint arris (such as Signature or Wave) does not have any straight lines, the wheels are unable to fall in between the two sides, preventing any possibility of collision. Because of this, shaped joints are the best option to go with when there is a need to direct traffic in a certain direction or when the owner of a building wants to ensure that the building may be used in a variety of ways in the future.
The Engineering Approach
Only roughly five percent of the total material cost of the floor slab is attributable to the use of conventional armoured joints. Although they only account for a small portion of the total cost, joints can have a significant impact on how well a floor performs over its entire lifetime.
You are able to produce an optimal specification without experiencing a considerable rise in cost if you make use of a mix of Durashield armoured joints made by Durafloor. For instance, combining Signature and Eclipse in a specification can provide greater joint protection at an increase in material cost of less than one percent. This can be accomplished without sacrificing quality. When using Signature by itself, there is just a 3% increase in the cost of the material. It is important to keep in mind, however, that any increased upfront expenses will more than be recouped throughout the lifetime of the facility as a result of lower costs associated with floor and vehicle maintenance. Both the adaptability and marketability of the structure have room for improvement.