Difference between control, construction, and expansion joints

There are numerous joints in every structure because it takes months to develop a building. Almost in every building, it has different joints. These joints need particular attention so that they can’t create a problem for you in the future. Here we discussed some differences between different types of joints

1. Difference Between Control, Construction, and Expansion Joints

2. We know that concrete is strong in compression and weak in tension that’s why we use reinforcement for high tensile strength. The added content of the concrete makes it incredible in strength.

3. Today we are going to see the difference between Control, Construction, and Expansion Joints.

4. What is Contraction/Control Joints? Once the concrete gets poured and hardened, the water in it starts to evaporate and makes the concrete to shrink and develop shrinkage cracks, especially on longer slabs. Contraction or Control joints are provided to avoid this crack from developing to the entire area.

5. Purpose of Control Joints Basically, control joint is the action of making a saw cut groove and weaken the slab where we think the crack may occur due to shrinkage (Mostly at the middle of the slab).

6. What is Construction Joints & Its Purpose? In a day we only pour a certain amount of concrete and leave the rest to the next day even though it all act as one complete structure for load transfer. Construction joints are used to strengthen the unit and make it as one whole unit.

7. That means we purposefully make the concrete pour in certain shapes. So that the next fresh set of concrete will blend together with the older one and act as one whole unit. This is known as construction joint .

8. What is Expansion Joint? Expansion Joint on the other hand, as we told earlier, the materials gets expand due to temperature. If we construct the adjacent structure without providing expansion joint then the volume change will affect the adjacent structure and gets it defigured . Makes the whole structure collapsed.

9. Purpose of Expansion Joints Providing expansion joints makes room for the structure to allow to move or expand according to their properties. These gaps will be filled by some allowable materials such as bitumen or fiberboard. We can see these mainly at Bridge decks and sometimes in a long set of building units constructed very closely.

10. These are the primary differences between Control, Construction, and Expansion Joints. If you want to know more about materials used in construction joints, Click on the following Link. Materials Used For Construction Joints