EXPANSION JOINTS

Since 1964 FIP Industriale have designed, manufactured and installed hundreds of thousands of metres of expansion joints. The expansion joint department’s current structure for the design, quality control and installation is able to satisfy any specific request put forward by the market. Our remarkable experience permits us on the one hand, to constantly refine our products and on the other, to develop an ample range of joint types allowing us to satisfy any kind of design requirement.


The range of expansion joints currently manufactured comprises:
     • reinforced rubber road joints including types RAN, SIN, GPE, RAN P, ALFA;
     • reinforced rubber railways joints of the BETA series (type approved by Italian
Railways), whose dielectrical structure was designed so as to avoid ballast
trapping in the expansion gap or any other active joint element;
     • finger joints of types Fe C , GP in weathering steel and AL in aluminium light
alloy;
     • special finger joints in weathering steel of the SIGMA series, which allow for
movements of up to 1300 mm and more;
     • modular rail joints of the FMS series, with longitudinal and transverse modules;
     • buried joints of the SFE type for short span bridges;
     • reinforced rubber plug joints which are used for slab connection in the Link
system
     • design and manufacture of special joints for specific needs.


Being well aware of the importance of an adequate joint anchoring system, FIP can offer various solutions guaranteeing maximum reliability and durability both for the installation of joints on new structures as well as for the replacement and refurbishment of existing joints.

Expansions joints are critical structural elements and in order to avoid inconveniences both to road users and to the structure itself, they must fulfil the following requirements, which are fully satisfied by FIP Industriale’s various joints:


Bridge Deck Continuity and movement
Expansion joints must guarantee the continuity of the road surface, while permitting longitudinal movements and relative rotations of the adjacent structural elements without opposing any significant resistance. If any transverse displacements are expected, they should be explicitly asked for by the bridge designer. Significant vertical displacements are generally prevented by the bridge’s structural system, as they would jeopardise vehicle traffic safety and joint durability.

Impermeability
Expansion joints must be impermeable both to surface runoff and seepage water and in view of this feature, two classes of joints are distinguished:
     a) joints in which waterproofing is provided for at the level of the road surfacing;
     b) joints in which water tightness is exclusively ensured by gutters beneath the
road level made of rubber membrane or stainless steel, directly connected to the waterproofing system of the slab.
These devices shall not interfere with the main structural elements and must allow for easy inspection and maintenance operations. Expansion joints shall be equipped with drainage devices capable of draining off the water seeping under the road surfacing. For correct functioning of the system, it is necessary that the design of the rainwater drainage system of the bridge provides for suitable gulleys in the areas adjacent to the joints.

Noise and adherence
Expansions joints must not excessively increase noise levels compared to the values obtained on the normal road surfacing. It must be considered that high noise levels usually mean high impact stress levels, which put the durability of the joint at risk. A further important characteristic expansion joints should have is a surface friction coefficient comparable to that of the adjacent road surfacing in order to guarantee transiting vehicles an adequate level of adherence as well as a suitably profiled surface enhancing drainage of runoff water. This avoids the risk of slipping and water planing.
Installation
Installation methods for expansion joints must guarantee the proper and easy placing of joints even on slightly irregular bridge decks.
For the sake of joint durability, it is absolutely necessary to verify in advance that both the quality and geometry of the installation area are adequate for placing a joint of the chosen type.

Maintenance and corrosion resistance
All of FIP Industriale’s joints allow for extremely simple operations of inspection, maintenance, repair and if necessary, replacement. The special features of the modular joint systems guarantee that any type of intervention, from maintenance to replacement, can be carried out while keeping the road open to traffic on part of the carriageway.All exposed metal parts potentially subject to corrosion are protected by a suitable paint system or made of stainless or weathering steel.