Compression Set in Closed-Cell Foam Bridge Expansion Joints
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 1
Abstract
Closed-cell foam is used in small movement bridge expansion joints to create a watertight joint. It is popular for new joints and in the rehabilitation of joints because of its low cost, and ease and speed of installation. Some bridge owners, however, have steered away from using this seal because of failures after only a few years of service. The premature failure is potentially linked to compression set of the foam. Compression set is measured using a standard that requires the material to be held compressed for 22 h at 73°F, which is very different from what the foam will experience in-service. In this investigation tests were conducted to study the effect of compression duration, temperature, and recovery duration on the compression set of closed-cell foams. Tests were also conducted to study the effect of compression set on the tensile capacity of the sealed joint. Results show that compression set is dependent on all three of these factors. The values of compression set reported, when tested in accordance with the previously mentioned regulations, are not necessarily appropriate for bridge joint applications. Compression set should be measured by testing under conditions that are more reflective of the actual conditions the materials will experience in-service, when used in a bridge joint. In addition, the tensile capacity of foams that are appropriately bonded to the substrate are as good or better than that reported by manufacturers, even in the presence of compression set of the foam.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The research reported in this paper was conducted under National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 12-100 by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, and Greenman-Pederson, Inc., Albany, New York. The authors would like to thank the National Academies, the Transportation Research Board, and NCHRP for their support. The authors would also like to acknowledge Professor Dennis R. Mertz (decreased) who was a member of the research team on the project and contributed to this work. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this paper are those of the authors. They are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Academies, or the program sponsors.
References
AASHTO. (2007). Maintenance manual for roadways and bridges, Washington, DC.
ASTM. (2014). “Standard test methods for flexible cellular materials made from olefin polymers.” D3575-14, West Conshohocken, PA.
Burke, M. P. (1989). “Bridge deck joints.” NCHRP 141, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC.
Caicedo, J. M., Wieger, G., Ziehl, P., and Rizos, D. (2011). “Simplifying bridge expansion joint design and maintenance.” Rep. No. FHWA-SC-11-03, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of South Carolina. Columbia, SC.
Chang, L. M., and Lee, Y. (2001). “Evaluation and policy for bridge deck expansion joints.” FHWA/IN/JTRP-2000/01, Joint Transportation Research Program, Indiana DOT and Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN.
Malla, R. B., Shaw, M. T., Shrestha, M. R., and Boob, S. (2006). “Sealing of small movement bridge expansion joints.” NETCR-58, Final NETC 02-6 Project Rep., The New England Transportation Consortium, Fall River, MA.
Malla, R. B., Shaw, M., Swanson, B., and Gionet, T. (2011). “Sealing of small movement bridge expansion joints–Phase 2: Field demonstration and monitoring.” NETCR-86, NETCR 02-6 Phase 2 Rep., The New England Transportation Consortium, Fall River, MA.
Milner, M .H., and Shenton, H. W., III (2014). “Survey of past experience and state-of-the-practice in the design and maintenance of small movement expansion joints in the Northeast.” Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC.
Mogawer, W. S., and Austerman, A. J. (2004). “Evaluation of asphaltic expansion joints.” NETC 99-2, Final Rep., New England Transportation Consortium, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
Purvis, R. (2003). “Bridge deck joint performance.” NCHRP 319, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC.
Weather Spark. (2015). “Average weather in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.” ⟨https://weatherspark.com/averages/30435/Phoenix-Arizona-United-States⟩ (Jan. 27, 2015).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 1 • January 2018
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 11, 2017
Accepted: Aug 7, 2017
Published online: Nov 7, 2017
Published in print: Jan 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Apr 7, 2018
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.