The expansion joints are connecting elements between decks or between deck and abutment, with the capacity to bear both vertical and horizontal actions allowing free movements without perceptible resistance and ensuring safety to the traffic passage.
FIP MEC joints, besides giving continuity to the road surface and allowing deformation of the connected structural parts, provide additional features such as:
- Waterproofing
- Safety by ensuring maximum tyre grip
- Ultimate comfort for passengers in transit by minimizing vibrations
- Minimal noise and vibration
- Corrosion resistance
- Joints production in modulus, for a simple and cost-effective installation, inspection and maintenance
- Optimum functioning and durability of all components, with a reduction on the maintenance frequency
- Minimal interference with the structure
- Availability of different mechanical anchorage solutions to suit customer requirement.
The expansion joints of FIP MEC differ according to their structure and components materials to meet different requirements and applications, and can be divided into the following groups:
- Reinforced rubber joints - GPE and RAN-P: Reinforced rubber joints with bridge plate made of elastomeric elements reinforced with hot vulcanized metal inserts. The displacement is obtained by rubber deformation.
- Finger joints - type GPT and FeC: Finger joints - type GPT and FeC: steel joints composed of modules attached to each other to the opposing header. The finger-joints configuration of the complementary modules allows the movement.
- Nosing – RAN, SFA and SFE joints: Installed at pavement level are characterized by a flexible elastomer element at the gap, which allows for movement.
- Under pavement joints - SFA SP, PP gap-cover: Joints positioned at reinforced concrete slab level below the road surface and covered by it.
- Longitudinal joints - type ALFA: Reinforced rubber joints that through different mechanisms ensure the connection between two structures or two parts of the structure, in a parallel configuration or slightly inclined with respect to the direction of traffic flow, while accepting differential movements between the parts;
- Railway joints - type BETA: Rubber joints with bridge plate made of elastomeric elements reinforced with hot vulcanized metal inserts. The displacement is obtained through the sliding of internal elements and occurs at low friction thanks to the coupling of PTFE and stainless steel. They offer dielectricity as an additional feature, and prevent the ballast from penetrating the gap.
All joints, except joints type SFA and SFE , are modular joints and are, therefore, particularly suitable for applications where it is necessary to operate only on part of the carriageway, allowing site operations without a complete closing of the road to traffic.
In order to be always at the forefront of the technological and certification process, FIP MEC couplings are designed according to D. M. 17/1/2018 and in compliance with the European Guidelines ETAG 032.
Typologies
There are two types according to the mechanism through which the sliding of the joint is guaranteed:
Reinforced Rubber joints - Type GPE
Flexible joints that allow longitudinal and transverse movements thanks to the elastic tangential deformation of suitable elastomer structural elements. They are particularly suitable in case of decks protected by seismic isolators and/or viscous dampers.
They consist of:
- Modular reinforced rubber pads by means of a central bridge plate and side bearing elements vulcanized on steel plates.
- Mechanical anchoring system using threaded rods fixed with epoxy resin or, alternatively, multidirectional clamps and anchor bolts, depending on the site requirements.
- Gutter in reinforced fabric with mesh, both in polyester, PVC coated, or Hypalon reinforced with mesh fixed to the two insole heads by means of epoxy resin.
- L-shaped aluminium profile for under pavement waters drainage.
They offer in-service displacements from 50 mm (± 25 mm) up to 400 mm (± 200 mm), up to double that in seismic phase.
Reinforced Rubber joints - Type RAN-P
These are large movement joints, in which the deformation capacity is given by the axial deformation of rubber bellows placed horizontally at the sides of a central steel bridge plate covering the gap.
They consist of:
- Modular by means of a gap cover bridge plate made by steel or reinforced rubber and one or two bellows side elements equipped with anti-lift bars, free to slide on mirror polished stainless-steel sheets, assembled on site.
- Mechanical anchoring system using threaded rods fixed with epoxy resin or, alternatively multi-directional clamps and anchor bolts, depending on the needs of the construction site.
- Stainless steel gutter reinforced with mesh, fixed to the two heads of the slab by means of epoxy putty.
- L-shaped aluminium profile for under pavement waters drainage.
In the standard configuration they are used for longitudinal movements in service from 300 to 1000 mm, and by increasing the size of the gap cover plate, they can ensure seismic movements greater than one meter.
If they also have to ensure transverse sliding, they are equipped with an additional transverse sliding guide system.
Finger expansion joints, consisting of:
- Modular finger elements made of weathering steel (CORTEN).
- Stainless steel gutter suitably dimensioned and shaped reinforced with mesh, fixed to the two heads of the slab by means of epoxy putty.
- L-shaped aluminium profile for under pavement waters drainage.
Type GPT
Finger expansion joints with mechanical anchoring system made by means of threaded rods fixed with epoxy resin or, alternatively, multidirectional clamps.
The standards cover longitudinal displacements from 50 mm (± 25 mm) to 500 mm (± 250 mm).
Type FeC
Finger expansion joints with mechanical anchoring system realized by means of multidirectional clamps.
The standards cover longitudinal displacements from 300 mm (± 150 mm) to 1000 mm (± 500 mm).
Nosing Joints - Type RAN
Nosing Joints - Type RAN
They are reinforced rubber joints consisting of:
- Modular reinforced rubber pads by means of two steel plates joined by vulcanisation in the elastomer, with a rubber cover element.
- Mechanical anchoring system by means of threaded rods fixed with epoxy resin.
- Gutter in mesh reinforced fabric, both in polyester, PVC coated, or Hypalon reinforced with mesh, fixed to the two heads of the slab by means of epoxy putty.
- L-shaped aluminium profile for under pavement waters drainage.
They offer longitudinal displacements of up to 100 mm (± 50 mm), and small transverse displacements.
Nosing Joints - Type SFA, SFE
Nosing Joints - Type SFA, SFE
They consist of:
- An extruded elastomeric bellows, fully bonded to two metal T-profiles.
- Mechanical anchoring system of the T-profiles realized by means of steel clamps at a.m.
- Gutter in mesh reinforced fabric, both in polyester, PVC coated, or Hypalon reinforced with mesh, fixed to the two heads of the slab by means of epoxy putty.
- L-shaped aluminium profile for under pavement waters drainage.
The steel of the T-profiles can also be CORTEN, on request.
They offer longitudinal displacements of up to 100 mm (± 50 mm), and small transverse displacements.
Under Pavement joints - Type SFA SP, SFE SP
They are made of an extruded elastomeric bellows, entirely solidified to two T-shaped metal profiles anchored to the slab by means of improved adhesion steel clamps for the welding to the reinforcement rods of the slab.
The steel of the T-profiles can also be CORTEN, on request.
The elastomeric extruded part, together with the steel profiles to which it is joined, forms the watertight sealing system and it is continuous throughout the entire width of the roadway.
The limitation of the stroke is not generally given by the joint but is due to the asphalt elasticity above the joint itself.
Under pavement joints - Type PP cover-gap
They are reinforced rubber joints laid on the extrados of the slab and mechanically fixed to it, consisting of:
- Modular reinforced rubber made by means of a bridge cover plate and two lateral steel plates, all vulcanized in elastomer.
- Mechanical anchoring system by means of threaded rods fixed with epoxy resin or dowels.
- Gutter in reinforced fabric with mesh, both in polyester, PVC coated, or Hypalon reinforced with mesh, to the two insole heads by means of epoxy resin.
- L-shaped aluminium profile for under pavement waters drainage.
Even though it can ensure movements up to 20mm (± 10mm), the limitation of the stroke is not generally given by joint but due to the asphalt elasticity above the joint itself.
Longitudinal joints - Type ALFA
ALFA 25
Monolithic joints made of reinforced rubber that allow reciprocal tangential displacements between the connected structures thanks to the deformation of suitable structural elements in elastomer. Monolithic joints made of reinforced rubber that allow reciprocal tangential displacements between the connected structures thanks to the deformation of suitable structural elements in elastomer.
They consist of:
- Modular reinforced rubber pads by means of a central bridge plate and side bearing elements vulcanized on steel plates.
- Mechanical anchoring system consisting of threaded bars fixed with epoxy resin or, alternatively, multidirectional clamps, depending on the site requirements.
- A gutter in a mesh-reinforced tissue, both in polyester, PVC coated, or hypalon reinforced with mesh, fixed to the two insole heads by means of epoxy resin.
- double aluminium L-profile for under pavement waters drainage.
They offer displacements of up to 25mm (± 12.5 mm), and vertical displacements of up to 20mm.
ALFA 50
Reinforced rubber joints that allow reciprocal tangential movements between the connected structures thanks to the sliding of two different reinforced rubber elements on top of each other.
They consist of:
- modular reinforced rubber pads consisting of an upper bridge plate in steel vulcanized in the elastomer resting on a second lower element also in steel vulcanized in the elastomer.
- A mechanical anchoring system consisting of threaded rods fixed with epoxy resin.
- Stainless steel gutter divided into two separate elements fixed to the two slab heads by means of epoxy resin.
- Double aluminium L-profile for under pavement waters drainage.
They offer unrestricted movement in the traffic direction, in the transverse direction 30 mm (± 15 mm) and vertical up to 50 mm.
Railway joints - Type BETA
Railway expansion joints, homologated by the Italian Railway Authority RFI, have water-proof and electrical characteristics, designed to prevent the ballast penetration in the gap or in any other working part of the joint.
They consist of:
- Rubber dielectric modular pads consisting of a central bridge plate and two side elements.
- Mechanical anchoring system made by means of threaded bars fixed with epoxy resin.
- Stainless steel protection and sliding plates.
- Hypalon gutter reinforced with mesh.
- Side draining slats for under-ballast infiltration waters.
These joints offer longitudinal movements up to 600 mm (± 300 mm), allow free transverse movement without limits and vertical deformations up to 50 mm.
