STRUCTURAL JOINT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a expansion joint to bridge an expansion gap between two parts of concrete slabs used in floor construction, especially in the manufacture of concrete floors such as for example in industrial floors. Such expansion joints are evidently required to take up the inevitable shrinkage process of the concrete and to assure that the floor elements can expand or contract such as for example occur by temperature fluctuations and resulting in a horizontal displacement of the floor panels vis-?-vis one another.

Claims

1. An expansion joint, the expansion joint comprising an upper portion and a lower portion; wherein both the upper portion and the lower portion comprise a first vertically oriented corrugated plate; wherein the upper portion further comprises a second vertically oriented corrugated plate that fits within undulations of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion; and the lower portion further comprises a second vertically oriented corrugated plate that fits within undulations of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion; wherein the expansion joint further comprises a first metal sheet positioned between and secured to the first vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the first vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion; and a second metal sheet positioned between and secured to the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion; and wherein the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion are positioned in antiphase to the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion.

2. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion are formed of a material having greater wear resistance than the material forming the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion.

3. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the corrugation pattern of the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion is the same.

4. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the corrugation pattern of the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion consists of a waveform.

5. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the first vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion are in substantially the same lateral plane.

6. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion are in substantially the same lateral plane.

7. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion are provisionally connected to one another.

8. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper portion and the first vertically oriented corrugated plate and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion are formed of a substantially rigid material.

9. The expansion joint according to claim 8, wherein the substantially rigid material is a metallic material.

10. The expansion joint according to claim 8, wherein the substantially rigid material is steel.

11. The expansion joint according to claim 1, further comprising a drop plate that fits in between the first vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion and the second vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion.

12. The expansion joint according to claim 1, further comprising anchoring dowels.

13. The expansion joint according to claim 12; wherein the anchoring dowels comprise a continuous bridging dowel, connected at regular intervals to an upper and lower portion of the side faces of the expansion joint and characterized in that the continuous bridging dowel longitudinally extends and meanders over the full length of the expansion joint.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0015] FIG. 1 A perspective top view of an expansion joint according to the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 2 A perspective bottom view of an expansion joint according to the present invention.

[0017] FIG. 3 A frontal perspective view of one of the concrete slabs poured against the expansion joint according to the invention, showing the antiphase denticulated edges of the upper (12) and lower (13) portion of said slab.

[0018] FIG. 4 A top view of an expansion joint according to the invention. Within this figure the top portion of one of the concrete slabs is not shown, to expose how the dents (16) of the two concrete slabs interlock with one another.

[0019] FIG. 5 A frontal view of an expansion joint according to the invention, in an open position. In this embodiment the joint comprises two pairs of corrugated plates. One pair (4, 6) in the upper portion (2) and one pair (5, 17) in the lower portion (3). Plates (4) and (5) are connected with one another through a first binding member (8) and plates (6) and (17) are connected to one another through a second binding member (8). In this embodiment, the dowels (7) to anchor the expansion joint in the concrete slabs consist of rods longitudinally welded to the corrugated plates making up the expansion joint.

[0020] FIG. 6a A frontal view of an expansion joint according to the invention, having continuous bridging dowels (7) that longitudinally extend over the full length of the expansion joint, and which are connected to the upper and lower portion of the expansion joint.

[0021] FIG. 6b A perspective top side view of an expansion joint according to the present invention. Showing the continuous bridging dowel (7) connected at regular intervals (19) to the upper and lower portion, and the drop plate (18) positioned in between the corrugated plates at the lower portion of the expansion joint.

[0022] FIG. 6c A perspective top view of an expansion joint according to the present invention. Showing the continuous bridging dowel (7) connected at regular intervals (19) to the upper (4) and lower portion, and the binding member (8) positioned in between the upper and the lower portion of the expansion joint. It further shows the second corrugated plate (6) that fits within the undulations of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper (4) portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the expansion joint according to the present invention has an upper (2) and lower (3) portion each comprising a vertically oriented corrugated plate (4, 5), characterized in that the corrugated plates of the upper (4) and lower (5) portion are out of phase to one another.

[0024] Within the context of the present invention there is no particular limitation as to the corrugation of the plates, in principle any alternating form is suitable, including wave, zigzag or dent forms. Where the amplitude and width of the corrugation between the upper and lower portion may be different, in one embodiment the corrugation of the upper and lower plates will be the same. In a particular embodiment the corrugation will consist of a waveform. In a more particular embodiment the corrugation of the upper and lower plate will be the same and consisting of a waveform.

[0025] The upper and lower corrugated plates (4, 5) will be in substantially the same lateral plane, but out of phase to one another. In particular in antiphase to one another. Said upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates are secured to one another, e.g. by welding (10), forced coupling with adhesive or other processes. In one embodiment the corrugated plates are secured to one another through a binding member (8) typically consisting of a metal sheet, more in particular a thin steel sheet, bound to both the upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates, e.g. by welding (10), forced coupling with adhesive or other processes. The presence of this binding member not only strengthens the connection between the upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates, but also assists in shielding eventual cross-flow of concrete from one side of the expansion joint to the other side when pouring the concrete slabs.

[0026] The expansion joint may further comprise anchoring dowels (7) to anchor the device in the slabs. The anchoring dowels may have any shape typically used. In general, the geometry of these anchoring elements does not modify the features of the invention. Also in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 & 2, the anchoring dowels (7) may be anchoring elements of any suitable shape or size. Evidently, said anchoring dowels are present on one side of either the upper (4) corrugated plate, the lower (5) corrugated plate, or even both, to anchor the joint profile in just one slab of the adjacent slabs. In an even further embodiment the anchoring dowels may bridge, and are accordingly connected to, the upper and lower portion of the expansion joint. With reference to FIG. 6, in a particular embodiment such an anchoring dowel bridging the upper and lower portion, consists of a dowel longitudinally extended over the full length of the expansion joint and meandering over the upper and lower portion of said joint. It is firmly connected at regular intervals (19) to both the upper and lower portion of the expansion joint, e.g. by welding, forced coupling with adhesive or other processes. Such continuous bridging dowel provides further stability and torsion strength to the expansion joint.

[0027] Thus in a further embodiment the present invention provides a continuous bridging dowel (7), connected at regular intervals (19) to an upper and lower portion of the side faces of the expansion joint and characterized in that it longitudinally extends and meanders over the full length of the expansion joint. In particular to the upper and lower portion of an expansion joint according to the present invention. As will be evident to a skilled artisan, the application of this continuous bridging dowel is not limited to the corrugated expansion joints of the present invention, but may as well be applied to any existing expansion joints.

[0028] With reference to FIGS. 6a and 6c, in a particular embodiment the continuous bridging anchoring dowel is further characterized in that, in between the consecutive connection points (19) to the respective upper and lower portion of the expansion joint, the dowel is V-shaped when viewed from a cross sectional front view (FIG. 6a) and when viewed from a top view (FIG. 6c). In other words, in a particular embodiment the continuous bridging dowel is further characterized in that in between each of said connection points and when viewed in cross sectional front view or top view, the bridging dowel is V-shaped.

[0029] As already explained hereinbefore, the concrete edge on the other side of the joint may further be protected by (a) second corrugated plate(s) (6), (17) that fits within the undulations (11) of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper (4) portion, and/or the undulations of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower (5) portion. At one side, this second corrugated plate(s) (6) and/or (17) may have further anchoring dowels (7) to anchor this second joint profile in the adjacent slab. This further anchoring dowel may again be an anchoring element of any suitable shape or size, including the continuous bridging dowel as described hereinbefore. As such the corrugated plates are each anchored in a slab part separated by the joint. In order to allow that the expansion joint comprising the second corrugated plate(s) is (are) easily installed, plates (4) and (6) are provisionally connected to one another, i.e. meaning that these plates are not firmly attached e.g. by welding, but are fixed together with sufficiently strong attachment means (9) such as bolts, clips or other adequate means, to allow the device to be installed easily. Within said particular embodiment wherein the expansion joints comprise two pair of corrugated plates, one pair (4, 6) in the upper portion and one pair (5, 17) in the lower portion, the corresponding upper and lower members of said pairs will be in substantially the same lateral plane, but out of phase to one another. In particular in antiphase to one another. Said upper and lower members are secured to one another, e.g. by welding (10), forced coupling with adhesive or other processes.

[0030] In other words, and with reference to FIG. 5, the upper corrugated plate (4) and its corresponding lower corrugated plate (5) will be in substantially the same lateral plane, secured to one another, but out of phase to one another; and the upper corrugated plate (6) and its corresponding lower corrugated plate (17) will be in substantially the same lateral plane, secured to one another, but out of phase to one another. In particular the plates (4, 5) and (6, 17) will be in antiphase to one another. Optionally, and in analogy with one of the foregoing embodiments, this embodiment may further comprise a binding member (8) present between, and secured to said corresponding upper and lower members. As in the foregoing embodiment this binding member (8) typically consisting of a metal sheet, more in particular a thin steel sheet, bound to both the upper (4, 6) and lower (5, 17) corrugated plates, e.g. by welding (10), forced coupling with adhesive or other processes. The presence of this binding member not only strengthens the connection between the upper (4, 6) and lower (5, 17) corrugated plates, but also assists in shielding eventual cross-flow of concrete from one side of the expansion joint to the other side when pouring the concrete slabs.

[0031] The corrugated plates (4, 5, 6, 17) used in the expansion profile of the present invention are preferably formed of a substantially rigid, metallic material, more preferably steel or stainless steel. As wear resistance of the concrete edges is predominant required at the upper portion, the corrugated plates of the upper portion are preferably made more wear resistant, such as using a different material or heavier (thickersee FIG. 5) when compared to the corrugated plates in the lower portion. Accordingly, in an even further embodiment, the expansion joints as described herein are further characterized in that the corrugated plate(s) in the upper portion are more wear resistant when compared to the corrugated plate(s) in the lower portion.

[0032] As will be apparent to skilled artisan, said embodiments wherein the lower portion comprises a pair of corrugated plates has certain benefits when used in the manufacture of a floor member comprising said joints. The pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion ensures that the joints remain upright when placing. It further creates the opportunity of introducing a drop plate (18) between said pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion, thus extending the range in the thickness of floor member that can be made using the expansion joints of the present invention (see also FIG. 6)

[0033] It is thus an object of the present invention to include a further drop plate to said expansion joints as described herein and having a pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion.

[0034] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the edges of concrete slabs poured against the expansion joint as described herein will have an denticulated upper portion (12) and a denticulated lower portion (13) both denticulations being out of phase to one another in accordance with the phase shift of the upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plate in the expansion joint, and accordingly interlock with the denticulated upper (14) and lower portion edge (15) of the adjacent slab. The dents (16) thus created in the adjacent concrete slabs will at the one hand realize the vertical fixation of floor and on the other hand allow a quasi continuous load transfer from one side to the other. Evidently, and as already mentioned hereinbefore, the amplitude and width of the corrugation in the lower (5) corrugated plate of the expansion joint will determine the maximally supported expansion of the expansion joint. The moment the denticulated upper portion edge of the concrete slab is retracted beyond the denticulated lower portion of the adjacent slab, the latter no longer supports the former and vertical fixation and load transfer are lost.

[0035] Where there are no particular limitation to the amplitude and shape of the corrugations in said plate, typical application in the manufacture of industrial concrete floors requires an expansion range of up to about 50 mm, in particular up to about 35 mm; more in particular up to about 20 mm. Consequently the amplitude of the corrugation should be such that upon maximal expansion of the expansion joint, the dents of the lower portion of the adjacent slab still support the dents of the upper portion of the opposing slab. Within the aforementioned range, the amplitude of the corrugation will be from about 25 mm to about 75 mm; in particular from about 25 mm to about 55 mm; more in particular from about 25 mm to about 35 mm.

[0036] In a further aspect, and based on the foregoing benefits regarding the pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion including a quasi continuous load transfer and a horizontal fixation between adjacent floor slabs, the corrugated joint in the upper portion of the expansion joint may be replaced with a straight joint.

[0037] In said case the expansion joint according to the present invention is characterized in having an upper (2) and lower (3) portion, characterized in that the upper portion provides a dividing member (4); in particular a pair of dividing members (4, 6) and in that the lower portion comprises a vertically oriented corrugated plate (5), in particular a pair of vertically oriented corrugated plates (5) and (17). As used herein, the dividing member(s) in the upper portion are there to create the upper edges and corresponding joint of the adjacent floor slabs. In principle any suitable means to create such joint can be applied as dividing members in the upper portion of the expansion joint as described herein. Again and in analogy with what has been described hereinbefore, said dividing members in the expansion profile of the present invention are preferably formed of a substantially rigid, metallic material, more preferably steel or stainless steel. As wear resistance of the concrete edges is predominant required at the upper portion, the dividing members of the upper portion are preferably made more wear resistant, such as using a different material or heavier (thickersee FIG. 5) when compared to the corrugated plates in the lower portion.

[0038] In one embodiment said pair of dividing members in the upper portion consists of a pair of vertically oriented corrugated plates (4) and (6) wherein said pair of corrugated plates is out of phase with the pair of corrugated plates (5) and (17) in the lower portion. Again, these plates are secured to one another, either directly or by means of a binding member (8) as described herein before.

[0039] In another embodiment said pair of dividing members in the upper portion consists of a pair of straight and vertically oriented plates, such as for example a pair of L-profiles secured to the corrugated plates in the lower portion. The L-profiles of the upper portion and the corrugated plates of the lower portion are secured to one another, e.g. by welding (10), forced coupling with adhesive or other processes.

[0040] Again and in analogy with the previously described embodiments, the vertical orientation of the dividing members in the upper portion is their orientation with respect to the floor surface, i.e. the plates are standing upright, i.e. perpendicular, with respect to the floor surface. In other words, with their thin side facing the floor surface.