How they function
Elasticity and firmness
working together
The rubber expansion joints with a metal core are deformable devices that accommodate the structure movements where they are installed, such as bridges and roads, which permit comfortable vehicle traffic on the roadway, and they waterproof the structural aperture.
The steel-reinforced rubber composition in the expansion joints permits combining the features of both materials: the elastomeric part provides elasticity, weather resistance and durability, while the metal reinforcement transfers the loads, increases the rigidity and facilitates the bridging of the structural aperture.
The joints are located on the ends of the bridge between the deck and the abutments, in the degree that the bridge length increases, intermediate joint lines are placed between the decks. They must work simultaneously with the elastomeric supports, permitting their movements and those of the structure.
Movements that take place in the structures:
- Internal movements due to temperature changes, concrete shrinkage, etc.
- Due to external forces such as the wind, earthquakes, traffic, braking, etc.
- Due to the settling of soil where the foundations, landfill embankments, etc. are located.
MAIN FUNCTIONS
1 Guarantee that the movement is transferred to the joints without deteriorating the structure.
2 Provide continuity to the bridge tread strip, facilitating quiet and comfortable traffic.
3 Waterproof and drain the water in a quick and safe way, protecting the concrete and elastomeric supports.
Our joints
Top quality joints custom-made
for each project.
We design each module to withstand extreme conditions and we subject them to demanding compression and expansion tests.
The selection of the expansion joints for bridges and roadways is critical for the safety of these civil construction structures, hence they must be executed under the supervision of a specialist technician and rely on materials, manufacturing processes, assembly and maintenance which ensure the maximum quality.
How we do it
The geometry of our joints absorbs the movements transmitting less stress to the anchor-braces. We guarantee the rubber-metal adhesion by achieving minimum values of 7N/mm, which permit absorbing higher stresses. We manufacture our parts under the ISO 9001:2008 Quality System and we subject them to demanding performance tests.
During the vulcanization process of the rubber-metal parts, we take into account:
- The quality and features of the elastomeric material are certified by the mixer’s laboratory, ensuring that it is always within the specification.
- The steel quality is certified in each shipment by the supplier, blasted and cleaned of grease.
- The quality of the adhesion promoters are duly certified by the supplier.
- We verify the condition of the mould.
- Once the process has finished, we verify the tolerance measurements and the parallelism of the metal parts inside the clamp.
Types of joints
A solution
for each movement
We manufacture several types of expansion joints
according to the Euro guide ETAG-032.
DOWNLOAD OUR FILES::
NOSING type expansion joints:
ET Series file for small movements between 45 and 75 mm.
MAT type expansion joints:
EJN Series file for medium movements between 80 and 160 mm.
REJ Series file for medium movements between 42 and 80 mm.
REJ Series file for large movements between 100 and 400 mm.
MAS Series file for large movements between 500 and 900 mm.
Extruded compression joints, which only consist of rubber for very small movements between 25 and 40 mm:
Projects
Projects Our flexibility is far-reaching:
discover the projects that we have already implemented in over 30 countries.