Current Status of Expansion Joints Used for Road Bridges in Japan and An Advanced Buried Joint

摘要

Expansion joints are indispensable for bridges to allow movement due to temperature, creep and other elements. Leakage of water from expansion joints causes damages to girder ends, shoes and abutments which poses serious durability issues. To overcome this problem, a buried expansion joint composed of epoxy resin mortar and ultra high strength fiber reinforced concrete used as flat panel was newly developed and investigated. Mechanical performance such as the bending strength and fatigue characteristic of this expansion joint in addition to the basic properties of epoxy resin mortar was clarified. Furthermore the durability of this expansion joint was confirmed by field tests on an existing bridge.