HK1204484B - Expansion joint - Google Patents

Description

Expansion joint

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an expansion joint for bridging an expansion gap between two components of a concrete slab for floor construction, in particular for the manufacture of concrete floors (e.g. industrial floors). It is clear that such expansion joints are required to absorb the inevitable shrinkage processes of the concrete and to ensure that the floor elements can expand or contract (e.g. due to temperature fluctuations and resulting horizontal displacement of the floor panels relative to each other).

Background

Furthermore, and given that such floors are often subjected to high loads, further load transferring elements are typically included in the aforementioned joint profiles to ensure that the vertical load on one floor panel is transferred to the adjacent floor panel in an optimal manner and thus to prevent vertical tilting of the floor panels relative to each other. However, when driving on such expansion joints with heavy duty vehicles such as forklifts, which typically have particularly stiff Vulkollan wheels, the presence of such load transferring elements cannot prevent damage to the upper peripheral edge or wheels of the plank due to undesirable vibrations of the vehicle when passing through the groove-like gap between the floor elements. This is in particular due to the fact that the joint profile of the edges constituting the floor element is made of steel and is therefore much harder than the normally soft outer peripheral surface of the wheel.

In order to solve the disadvantages of groove-like gaps in existing joint profiles, alternatives have been given in which the edges of the floor elements are interlocked with each other by means of a tongue. See, for example, AT113488, JP2-296903, DE3533077 or WO 2007144008. However, since each of the arrangements described ensures that the wheel is already supported on the boundary of one edge when leaving the other, the mere presence of such a tongue interlock is not sufficient to prevent damage at the upper peripheral edge of the floor element. Vertical tilting of the floor elements can still result in height differences between the panels, which create edges, additional vibrations and eventually damage the floor. Thus, also in these interlocking joint profiles, load transferring elements will be needed to ensure that the vertical load on one floor panel is transferred to the adjacent floor panel in an optimal manner and thus prevent vertical tilting of the floor panels.

Such load-transmitting elements come in different shapes and embodiments, for example wedge pins (DE 102007020816); horizontal grooves and projections (BE1015453, BE1016147) cooperating with each other; plate pins (US5674028, EP1584746, US2008222984) or bar pins (EP0410079, US6502359, WO03069067, EP 0609783). Regardless of their embodiment, the load transfer elements need to be included in the floor deck, not only increasing the minimum thickness of the floor, but also adding additional material to be used and increasing the complexity of construction.

Furthermore, metal interlocking end panels such as shown in AT113488 and JP-2-29603 still result in sudden changes in the expansion system AT the boundaries of the floor slab. Thus, as the floor at the boundary between the concrete floor slabs at the metal end plates is damaged, these end plates tend to relax over time.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a structural joint in which no additional load transferring elements are required, but which still solves the problems outlined above.

This object is achieved in that the expansion joint itself is structurally load transmitting. Furthermore, the expansion joint according to the invention has an upper and a lower part, characterized in that the lower part comprises vertically oriented corrugated plates.

In a particular embodiment, the expansion joint according to the invention has an upper and a lower part, each comprising vertically oriented corrugated plates, characterized in that the corrugated plates of the upper and lower part are out of phase with each other.

In the case of the invention, and as is apparent from the figures, the vertical orientation of the corrugated sheets is vertical with respect to the floor surface, i.e. the sheets are upright, i.e. perpendicular, with respect to the floor surface. In other words, their thin sides face the floor surface.

In producing the upper edges of the concrete slabs, the upper part of the expansion joint according to the invention may further comprise a second vertically oriented corrugated plate which fits within the wave form of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper part to protect the upper edges of the opposite slabs. Similarly, in producing the lower edges of concrete slabs, the lower portion of the expansion joint according to the invention may also comprise a second vertically oriented corrugated plate that fits within the wave form of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower portion to protect the lower edges of the opposite slab.

Thus in a further embodiment of the invention the expansion joint of the invention is characterized by having an upper (2) and a lower (3) part, both comprising two vertically oriented corrugated plates having wave shapes fitting into each other, and by the corrugated plates of the upper and lower parts being out of phase with each other.

The edges of the slabs of concrete cast on the expansion joint of the present invention will have a toothed upper portion and a toothed lower portion, the two teeth being out of phase with each other and interlocking with the toothed upper and lower portion edges of adjacent slabs. In this way, adjacent planks are fixed vertically to each other, but by the presence of the expansion joint, a horizontal displacement of adjacent planks is still possible. Load transfer is achieved by depressions at the edges of the concrete slab and over an expansion width determined by the amplitude of the corrugations in the corrugated plates used for the expansion joint.

Drawings

Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein:

figure 1 is a perspective top view of an expansion joint according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective bottom view of an expansion joint according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective front view of one of the concrete slabs cast on the expansion joint according to the invention, showing the inverted tooth-shaped edges of the upper (12) and lower (13) parts of said slab.

Figure 4 is a top view of an expansion joint according to the present invention. In this figure, the top portion of one of the concrete slabs is not shown to expose how the two concrete slab recesses (16) interlock with each other.

Figure 5 is a front view of an expansion joint according to the invention in an open position. In this embodiment, the joint comprises two pairs of corrugated plates. A pair (4,6) of the upper portions (2) and a pair (5,17) of the lower portions (3). The plates (4) and (5) are connected to each other by a first adhesive member (8) and the plates (6) and (17) are connected to each other by a second adhesive member (8). In this embodiment, the pin (7) used to anchor the expansion joint in the concrete slab consists of a rod longitudinally welded to the corrugated plate constituting the expansion joint.

Figure 6a is a front view of an expansion joint according to the invention with a continuous bridging pin (7) extending longitudinally over the entire length of the expansion joint and connected to the upper and lower parts of the expansion joint.

Figure 6b is a perspective top side view of an expansion joint according to the present invention. Continuous bridging pins (7) connected to the upper and lower sections at regular intervals (19) and a sagging plate (18) arranged between the corrugated plates at the lower section of the expansion joint are shown.

Figure 6c is a top view of an expansion joint with continuous bridge pins.

Detailed Description

With reference to fig. 1 and 2, the expansion joint according to the invention has an upper (2) and a lower (3) part comprising vertically oriented corrugated plates (4,5), respectively, characterized in that the corrugated plates of the upper (4) and lower (5) part are out of phase with each other.

In the case of the present invention, there is no particular limitation on the corrugation of the plate, and in principle any alternative form is suitable, including a wave, zigzag or concave shape. Where the amplitude and width of the corrugations may be different between the upper and lower portions, in one embodiment the corrugations of the upper and lower plates will be the same. In a particular embodiment, the corrugations will consist of a wave shape. In a more particular embodiment, the corrugations of the upper and lower plates will be identical and consist of an undulating shape.

The upper and lower corrugated plates (4,5) will be in substantially the same lateral plane but out of phase with each other. In particular, in anti-phase with each other. The upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates are fixed to each other, for example by welding (10), by forced coupling with adhesive or other processes. In one embodiment, the corrugated plates are fixed to each other by means of a bonding member (8), typically consisting of a metal sheet, more particularly a thin steel sheet, bonded to the upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates, for example by welding (10), by forced coupling of an adhesive or other process. The presence of such an adhesive member not only strengthens the connection between the upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates, but also helps to shield the eventual cross flow of concrete from one side of the expansion joint to the other when the concrete slab is cast.

The expansion joint may further comprise an anchoring pin (7) for anchoring the device in the slab. The anchor pin may have any shape typically used. In general, the geometry of these anchoring elements does not modify the characteristics of the invention. Furthermore, in the embodiment of fig. 1 and 2, the anchoring pin (7) may be an anchoring element of any suitable shape or size. Obviously, said anchoring pin is present on one side of the upper corrugated plate (4), the lower corrugated plate (5) or even both, to anchor the joint profile in only one of the adjacent planks. In yet another embodiment, the anchor pins may bridge, and thus connect, to the upper and lower portions of the expansion joint. With reference to figures 6a, 6b, 6c, in a particular embodiment, such anchoring pins bridging the upper and lower portions are made up of pins extending longitudinally over the entire length of the expansion joint and meandering over the upper and lower portions of said joint. It is firmly connected to the upper and lower parts of the expansion joint at regular intervals (19), for example by welding, forced coupling by means of adhesive or other processes. Such a continuous bridge pin provides additional stability and torsional strength to the expansion joint.

Thus, in a further embodiment, the invention provides a continuous bridging pin (7) connected at regular intervals (19) to the upper and lower parts of the sides of the expansion joint and characterized in that it extends longitudinally over the entire length of the expansion joint and meanders. In particular to the upper and lower portions of the expansion joint according to the invention. As will be apparent to the skilled artisan, the application of such a continuous bridge pin is not limited to the corrugated expansion joint of the present invention, but may be applied to any existing expansion joint as well.

With reference to fig. 6a and 6c, in a particular embodiment the continuous bridge anchoring pin is further characterized in that between the continuous connection points (19) to the respective upper and lower parts of the expansion joint, the pin is V-shaped when viewed from a front cutaway view (fig. 6a) and when viewed from a top view (fig. 6 c). In other words, in a particular embodiment, a continuous bridge pin is further characterized in that it is V-shaped between each of said connection points and when viewed in front or top cross-sectional view.

As already explained above, the concrete edge on the other side of the joint may also be protected by a second corrugated plate (6), (17) which fits within the wave shape (11) of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the upper part (4) and/or the wave shape of the vertically oriented corrugated plate of the lower part (5). On one side, the second corrugated plate (6) and/or (17) can have a further anchoring pin (7) for anchoring the second joint profile in the adjacent slab. Such further anchoring pins may also be any suitable shape or size of anchoring element, including continuous bridging pins as previously described. Thus, the corrugated plates are anchored in the thick plate parts, respectively, separated by the joint. In order to allow the expansion joint comprising the second corrugated plate to be easily installed, the plates (4) and (6) are temporarily connected to each other, i.e. it is meant that the plates are not firmly connected (e.g. by welding), but are fixed together by sufficiently strong connecting means (9), such as bolts, clamps or other suitable means, allowing the device to be easily installed. In the particular embodiment wherein the expansion joint comprises two pairs 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 the pair will be in substantially the same lateral plane but out of phase with each other. In particular, in anti-phase with each other. The upper and lower members are fixed to each other, for example by welding (10), forced coupling by means of an adhesive or other process.

In other words, and with reference to fig. 5, the upper corrugated plate (4) and its corresponding lower corrugated plate (5) will lie in substantially the same lateral plane, fixed to each other, but out of phase with each other; and the upper corrugated plate (6) and its corresponding lower corrugated plate (17) will be in substantially the same lateral plane, fixed to each other, but out of phase with each other. In particular, the plates (4,5) and (6,17) will be in anti-phase with each other. Optionally, and similarly to one of the previous embodiments, this embodiment may also comprise an adhesive member (8) which is present between and fixed to the respective upper and lower members. As in the previous embodiments, this bonding member (8), typically consisting of a metal sheet, more particularly a thin steel sheet, is bonded to the upper (4,6) and lower (5,17) corrugated plates, for example by welding (10), forced coupling by means of an adhesive or other process. The presence of such an adhesive member not only strengthens the connection between the upper (4,6) and lower (5,17) corrugated plates, but also helps to shield the eventual cross flow of concrete from one side of the expansion joint to the other when the concrete slab is cast.

The corrugated plates (4,5,6,17) of the expanded profile used in the present invention are preferably formed of a substantially rigid metallic material, more preferably steel or stainless steel. Since the wear resistance of the concrete edge is mainly needed at the upper part, the corrugated plates of the upper part are preferably made more wear resistant, such as using a different material or being heavier (thicker, see fig. 5) when compared to the corrugated plates in the lower part. Thus, in yet another embodiment, an expansion joint as described herein is further characterized by corrugated plates in the upper portion being more wear resistant when compared to corrugated plates in the lower portion.

As will be apparent to the skilled artisan, the described embodiment wherein the lower portion comprises a pair of corrugated sheets has certain benefits when used to manufacture a flooring member comprising the described joint. The pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion ensures that the joint remains upright when placed. It also creates the following opportunities: a drop plate (18) is introduced between said pair of corrugated plates in the lower part, thus extending the thickness range of the floor element that can be manufactured using the expansion joint of the invention (see also fig. 6a, 6 b). It is therefore an object of the present invention to include additional drop plates to the expansion joint as described herein and having a pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the edges of concrete slabs cast on an expansion joint as described herein will have a toothed upper portion (12) and a toothed lower portion (13), the two teeth being out of phase with each other according to the phase shift of the upper (4) and lower (5) corrugated plates in the expansion joint and thus interlocking with the toothed upper (14) and lower portion edges (15) of adjacent slabs. The depressions (16) thus produced in the adjacent concrete slabs will on the one hand effect a vertical fixing of the floor and on the other hand allow a quasi-continuous load transfer from one side to the other. Obviously, and as already mentioned before, the amplitude and width of the corrugations in the lower (5) corrugated plate of the expansion joint will determine the maximum supported expansion of the expansion joint. At the moment the edge of the toothed upper part of the concrete slab retracts beyond the toothed lower part of the adjacent slab, the latter no longer supports the former and loses vertical fixing and load transmission.

Without particular limitation on the amplitude and shape of the corrugations in the panel, typical applications in the manufacture of industrial concrete floors require an expansion range of up to about 50mm, in particular up to about 35mm, more in particular up to about 20 mm. Thus, the amplitude of the corrugation should be such that at maximum expansion of the expansion joint, the depression of the lower portion of an adjacent plank still supports the depression of the upper portion of the opposite plank. Within the foregoing range, the amplitude of the corrugations will be from about 25mm to about 75 mm; in particular from about 25mm to about 55 mm; more particularly from about 25mm to about 35 mm.

In further aspects, and based on the foregoing benefits with respect to the pair of corrugated plates in the lower portion including horizontal securement and quasi-continuous load transfer between adjacent floor planks, the corrugated joint in the upper portion of the expansion joint may be replaced with a straight joint.

In said case, the expansion joint according to the invention is characterized by having an upper (2) and a lower (3) portion, characterized in that the upper portion provides a dividing member (4); in particular a pair of dividing members (4,6), and 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 in the upper portion will create a corresponding joint there between of the upper edge and the adjacent floor slab. In principle, any suitable means for producing such a joint may be used as dividing member in the upper part of the expansion joint as described herein. Also and similarly to what has been described previously, the dividing member in the expansion profile of the invention is preferably formed of a substantially rigid metallic material, more preferably of steel or stainless steel. Since the wear resistance of the concrete edge is mainly needed at the upper part, the dividing member of the upper part is preferably made more wear resistant, such as using a different material or being heavier (thicker, see fig. 5) when compared to the corrugated plate in the lower part.

In one embodiment, the pair of dividing members in the upper section consists of a pair of vertically oriented corrugated plates (4) and (6), wherein the pair of corrugated plates is out of phase with the pair of corrugated plates (5) and (17) in the lower section. Also, the plates are fixed to each other directly or by means of an adhesive member (8) as described above.

In another embodiment, the pair of dividing members in the upper portion consists of a pair of straight and vertically oriented plates, e.g. a pair of L-shaped profiles fixed to corrugated plates in the lower portion. The L-shaped profile of the upper part and the corrugated plate of the lower part are fixed to each other, for example by welding (10), by forced coupling with adhesive or other processes.

Also and similar to the previously described embodiments, the vertical orientation of the dividing members in the upper part is their orientation relative to the floor surface, i.e. the plate is upright, i.e. vertical, relative to the floor surface. In other words, their thin sides face the floor surface.

Claims (23)

1. An expansion joint having an upper part (2) and a lower part (3), characterized in that the upper part is provided with a first corrugated sheet (5) oriented vertically, wherein the vertical orientation of the first corrugated sheet is perpendicular with respect to the floor surface, and wherein the first corrugated sheet (5) of the upper part is formed of a more wear resistant material when compared to the first corrugated sheet (5) of the lower part.

2. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first partition member in the upper portion is a vertically oriented straight plate.

3. The expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first partition member in the upper portion is a vertically oriented corrugated plate.

4. The expansion joint according to claim 3, wherein the corrugations of the corrugated plates of the first partition member and the first corrugated plates of the lower portion are comprised of an undulating shape.

5. Expansion joint according to claim 3, characterized in that the corrugated plates (4) of the first partition member of the upper part and the corrugated plates (5) of the lower part are out of phase with each other.

6. The expansion joint according to claim 5, wherein the corrugations of the corrugated plates of the first partition member of the upper portion and the corrugated plates of the first lower portion are identical.

7. Expansion joint according to claim 5, wherein the corrugated plates (4) of the first partition member of the upper part and the corrugated plates (5) of the lower part are in substantially the same lateral plane.

8. Expansion joint according to claim 5, wherein the corrugated plates (4) of the first partition member of the upper section and the corrugated plates (5) of the lower section are counter-phased.

9. Expansion joint according to claim 1, wherein the first partition member of the upper part and the first corrugated plate (5) of the lower part are fixed to each other.

10. Expansion joint according to claim 9, wherein the first dividing member of the upper part and the first corrugated plate (5) of the lower part are fixed to each other by means of a bonding member (8).

11. Expansion joint according to claim 3, wherein the upper part (2) further comprises a second dividing member.

12. Expansion joint according to claim 11, wherein the second dividing member is a vertically oriented corrugated plate (6) which fits within the corrugations (11) of the vertically oriented corrugated plate (4) of the first dividing member of the upper part.

13. Expansion joint according to claim 12, wherein the corrugated plates (4) of the first partition member of the upper section and the corrugated plates (6) of the second partition member of the upper section are temporarily connected to each other.

14. Expansion joint according to claim 12, wherein the lower part (3) further comprises vertically oriented second corrugated plates (17) which fit within the corrugations (11) of the vertically oriented first corrugated plates (5) of the lower part.

15. Expansion joint according to claim 14, wherein the second corrugated plate (17) of the lower part is in substantially the same lateral plane as the corrugated plate (6) of the second dividing member of the upper part.

16. Expansion joint according to claim 14, wherein the corrugated plates (6) of the second dividing member of the upper section and the second corrugated plates (17) of the lower section are counter-phased.

17. Expansion joint according to claim 14, wherein the corrugated plates (6) of the second dividing member of the upper section and the second corrugated plates (17) of the lower section are fixed to each other.

18. The expansion joint according to claim 17, wherein the corrugated plate of the second dividing member of the upper portion and the second corrugated plate of the lower portion are fixed to each other by a bonding member (8).

19. Expansion joint according to claim 18, wherein the corrugated plates (4,6) of the first and second dividing members of the upper section and the corrugated plates (5,17) of the lower section are formed of a substantially rigid material.

20. Expansion joint according to claim 18, wherein the corrugated plates (4,6) of the first and second dividing members of the upper section and the corrugated plates (5,17) of the lower section are formed of steel.

21. The expansion joint according to claim 14, further comprising a depending plate (18) fitted between the corrugated plates of the lower portion.

22. Expansion joint according to claim 1, further comprising an anchoring pin (7).

23. Expansion joint according to claim 22, wherein the anchoring pin comprises a continuous bridge pin connected at regular intervals (19) to the upper and lower parts of the sides of the expansion joint and characterized in that it extends longitudinally over the entire length of the expansion joint and meanders.