Importance of Expansion Joints in Architectural Structures
Expansion joints
Expansion joints is an assembly, that designed to hold parts together. It safely absorb the expansion and contraction of construction materials affected by heat.They are commonly found between sections of buildings, bridges, sidewalks, railway tracks, piping systems, ships, and other structures.
Building faces, concrete slabs, and pipelines expand and contract due to warming and cooling from seasonal variation, or due to other heat sources. Before expansion joint gaps were built into these structures, they would crack under the stress induced. It can act as more than one joint at a time. Since it can move it is also known as a movement joint. Along with controlling the expansion and contraction, movement joints can prevent the cracking of floor and cement structure.
Expansion joints are used in piping systems to absorb thermal expansion or terminal movement where the use of expansion loops is undesirable or impractical. Expansion joints are available in many different shapes and materials.Applications of Expansion joint
- Vibration, Noise, Shock, Corrosion, Abrasion
- Stresses, Load Stress, Equipment Movement
- Vibration, Pressure Pulsation and Movement in a Piping System
- internal or external pressure at working temperature
- weight of the pipe it self and the parts supported on it
- movement imposed on pipe sections by external restraints
- thermal expansion
