Polished Concrete Floor Expansion Joints

A fresh concrete mixture is a fluid plastic mass that can be molded into virtually any shape but as the material hardens there is a reduction in volume or shrinkage.
Polished concrete floor expansion joints. Usually expansion joints are engineered in the floor at the time of construction but joints may be added at any time in the life of the floor. The only thing that we can do is control where it cracks with proper concrete control joint spacing and depths at the right time. Contraction control joints are placed in concrete slabs to control random cracking. Expansion joints are provided in slabs pavements buildings bridges sidewalks railway tracks piping systems ships and other structures.
In this post i want to help you understand the why s when s where. Expansion joints are placed in concrete to prevent expansive cracks formed due to temperature change. Check out our website polished concrete showroom. Concrete undergoes expansion due to high temperature when in a confined boundary which leads to cracks.
Filling in expansion joints in polished and stained concrete floors provides an easier to clean surface and a smooth and finished joint where debris or dirt could gather. Expansion joints are incorporated into the floor to control and minimize cracking. Expansion joints are used to compensate when concrete expands or shrinks with changes in temperature. Concrete isolation joints or expansion joints separate or isolate the concrete from other parts of the building structure like walls footings columns and piers.
Ccc polished concrete expansion joints. Concrete is rigid in structure much like glass it does not bend or stretch without cracking. What is a concrete floor expansion joint. These joints are planned pre construction and will usually be through the complete depth of the concrete slab.
There are two different types of expansion joint engineered expansion joints. Note that flexible expansion joint filler does not protect the edge of the slab from damage. When used in conjunction with polished concrete joint filler is ground and polished smooth to provide a seamless floor that is not only protected but easier to clean. One thing that i was taught in my years as a concrete finisher is that there are two things in life that are certain the first is of course death and the second is concrete is going to crack.
Architects specht harpman installed polished concrete floors across the expanse of a 19th century gambrel barn that they renovated in connecticut. A concrete expansion joint is also used to separate a concrete driveway or patio from a garage slab sidewalk stairway light pole or any other point or restraint. This article emphases on need of expansion.