American Concrete Pavement Association

Design and Construction of Joints

for Concrete Streets

To ensure that the concrete pavements we are building

now will continue to serve our needs well into the future,
it is essential to take into account all design and construction aspects. This includes thickness design, subgrade
and subbase preparation, and jointing. This publication
addresses the design and construction of jointing systems for concrete street pavements.
Two other ACPA
publications,
Design of Concrete Pavements for City
Streets and Subgrades and.%bbases for Concrete Pavements, address city street thickness design and subgrade/
subbase preparation.
Typically street pavement slabs range from 5 to 8 in.
(125 to 200 mm) in thickness. The recommendations
for
jointing in this publication are for pavements within this
general range and purpose. Special considerations for
other concrete pavement joint systems (highways, parking areas, and airports) are covered in other ACPA
publications. A proper jointing system for concrete street
pavements ensures that the structural capacity and riding
quality of the pavement is maintained at the highest level
at the lowest annual cost. A proper jointing system will:
1.
2.
3.
4.

control cracldng.
divide the pavement into practical
increments.
accommodate slab movements.
provide load transfer,

construction

The development of concrete pavement joint design

has evolved from theoretical studies, laboratory tests,
experimental pavements, and performance evaluations
of in-service pavements. A careful study of the performance of pavements subject to similar tra~c and environmental conditions as the proposed pavement is of great
value and should be considered in the design of slab
dimensions and jointing details.

Jointing Considerations
~

The need for a jointing system in concrete paVementS

results from the desire to control the location and geometry of transverse and longitudinal cracking. Cracldng
results from stresses caused by concrete drying shrink-

age, temperature and moisture differentials, and applied

tratic loadings. If these stresses are not relieved, uncontrolled cracking will occur.
In determining a proper jointing system, the designer
must consider climate and environmental conditions,
slab thickness, load transfer, shoulder/curb and 9Uffer
construction,
and traffic.
Past performance
of local
streets is also an excellent source for establishing joint
design. Moreover, improvements to past designs using
current technology can significantly improve performance.
Proper and timely construction practices, in addition to
proper design, are key in obtaining a properly performing
jointing system for street pavements. Late or inadequate
joint formation may cause cracks to develop at locations
other than those intended.
In most cases, sealing is
necessary to assure the proper function of street joints.
,Jointing

for

Crack

Control

Iproper jointing is based on controlling cracks that OCCUr

from the natural actions of the concrete Pavement. Joints
tare placed in the pavement to control the crack location
!and pattern. Observing the slab behavior of unjointed
Iplain pavements in service for many years can illustrate
Ihow joints are used to control cracking.
To attain adequate workability for placing and finishing
(concrete, more mixing water is used than is needed to
Ihydrate the cement. As the concrete consolidates and
Ihardens, most of the excess water bleeds to the surface
iand evaporates.
VWth the loss of water, the concrete
{contracts and occupies somewhat less volume. A sec(ond major source of early shrinkage is caused by the
Ipavements temperature change. The heat of hydration
/and temperature of the concrete normally peak a short
time after final set. After peaking, the temperature of
(concrete declines due to reduced cement hydration and
lower air temperature during the first night of pavement
Iife. As the temperature drops, the concrete pavement
ICOnt racts.
The pavements contraction is resisted by subgrade
Ifriction, which creates tensile stresses in the concrete
:slab. These tensile stresses cause a transverse crack
Ipattern like that shown in Figure 1.

@American Concrete Pavement Association t 992

Publication List

Fig. 1. Initial cracking

in unjointed

Fig. 2b.

pavement

Spacing of the initial cracks varies from about 40 to

150 ft(12.0t045.0m)
depending onconcreteproperties,
point-to-point
variations in subgrade friction, and climatic conditions during and after placement.
After the pavement hardens, curling and warping
stresses develop from temperature and moisture gradients in the concrete that also affect the cracking pattern.
Evaluating the combined effect of restrained temperature curling and moisture warping is complicated due to
their opposing nature. For instance, when the top of the
slab is warmer than the bottom, causing the top to
expand, the bottom of the slab usually has a higher
moisture content causing it to expand,
Hence, the
amount of stress developed in the slab will be less than
the stress due to temperature
or moisture gradients
alone. Repetitive traffic Ioadscompound
the problem. In
any case, restrained curling and warping in combination
with loads will cause additional transverse cracks between
the initial contraction cracks shown in Figure 1. Also, a
longitudinal
crack will form along the approximate
centerline of pavements with two lanes of traffic. The
resulting crack pattern is shown in Figure 2a. The interval
between transverse cracks is normally about 10 to 20 ft
(3.0 to 6.0 m), depending on factors such as pavement
thickness, shrinkage properties of the concrete, subbase and subgrade conditions, and climatic conditions.
Figure 2b shows a proper jointing system used to control
slab cracking.

Load Transfer

Fig. 2a.

Crack

pattern

in unjointed

and load atreases

jointed

pavement

Adequate load transfer results in lower deflections, which

reduces faulting, spalling, and corner breaks, thereby
increasing pavement life. Load transfer across joints for
street pavements is developed either by aggregate interlock or dowel bars.

Aggregate

Interlock

Aggregate interlock is the interlocking action between

a99re9ate partiCles at the face of the joint. It relies on the
shear interaction between aggregate
particles at the
irregular crack faces that form below the saw cut. This
form of load transfer has been found to be most effective
on roadways with short spacings and low truck volumes.
A 1985 study by the Minnesota DOT1 found that aggregate interlock load transfe[ provides acceptable pavement performance when truck semi-trailer volumes are
fewer than 80to 120 trucks per day per lane. In dry, nonfreeze environments,
greater truck volumes may be
accommodated.
Other studies have indicated that at
least four to five million AASHTO 18,000-pound Equivalent Single Axle Loads (ESALS) are required to produce
objectionable faulting in undoweled pavements.23
Laboratory 47 and field studies 37 have shown that
a99re9ate
interlock load transfer is improved
with
subgrade strength: size, angularity, and durability of the
a99re9ate: joint face roughness; and slab thickness,
Furthermore, these studies found that shorter slabs increase aggregate interlock effectiveness
by reducing
the movement and opening at each joint.

Dowel Bars

For jointed concrete pavements to perform adequately,

traffic loadings must be transferred effectively from one
side of the joint to the other. This is called load transfer.

environmental

Properly

pavement

due to

Dowel bars are round, smooth, steel bars placed across

transverse joints to transfer loads without restricting
horizontal joint movements due to thermal and moisture
contractions and expansions.
They also keep slabs in
horizontal and vertical alignment. Dowels reduce deflections and stresses due to traffic loads.
This in turn
prevents or reduces faulting, pumping,
and corner
breaking on roadways that carrya large number of trucks
and/or have longer joint spacings.
The use of dowel bars for minimizing faulting and
pumping should be considered
when the slabs are
longer than 20 ft (6.0 m), when truck semi-trailer traffic
exceeds 80to 120 per day per lane, orwhentheaccumuIated design traffic exceeds four to five million AASHTO
ESAUS per lane. Typically, this truck traffic level requires
an 8-in. -thick (200-mm) slab or greater. Since most city
streets do not experience these truck traffic levels and

2
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List

recommended joint spacings are not greater than 15 ft

(4.5 m), dowels are generally not necessary.
For 8-in.
(200-mm) slabs or greater, dowels and/or the following
methods are recommended
for most highway applications:
1.
2
3.
4.
5.
6.

3.

4.

Thicker slabs
Stiffer subbase/subgrade
(higher effective kvalue)
Less erodable subbase (e.g. cement-treated
or
lean concrete subbase)
Edge support (e.g. tied concrete shoulders or
tied/integral curb and gutter)
Coarse grained subgrade soils (improved
drainage).
Longitudinal edge drains.

Transverse
Joints

1. Dowel

Davements

Slab
Depth,
._!L@l

size for jointed

and construction

Dowel
diameter,
in. (mm)

I
1

Joint Spacing
In plain jointed concrete pavements, the joint is designed
to provide a plane of weakness that will control the
formation of transverse cracks.
The joint interval is
designed so that intermediate (random) transverse cracks
do not form. figure3 shows how random or uncontrolled
transverse cra&ing increases with panel length O.

reinforced
ioints

Dowel
embedment,
in. (mm)

Contraction

Transverse contraction joints primarily control the natural

cracking in the pavement. Their spacing, saw cut depth,
and timing of joint formation are all critical to the joints
performance.
Proper transverse joint design for both
plain and reinforced pavements will specify the joint
interval that will control cracks and provide adequate
Ic)ad transfer across joints.

If jointed reinforced pavemenlsareused,

dowels should
be placed across joints to assist in load transfer. Due to
the longer joint spacing, the joint opening is wider and
load transfer by aggregate interlock becomes ineffective. Recommended dowel dimensions and spacings for
jointed reinforced pavements with joint spacings greater
than 20 ft (6.0 m) are given in Table 1.
Table

Longitudinal Joints: Joints parallel to the pavement centerline that control cracking and
delineate lanes of traffic,
Isolation and Expansion Joints: Joints placed to
allow movement of the Davement without damaging adjacent pavem&ts,
intersecting streets,
drainage structures, or other fixed objects.

I Total dowel
length,
in. (mm)
1

TransverseCracking ftirrils

6,0 (1 50)
500 ~
400

6.5 (1 65)
7.0 (180)

Minnesota Study -10

7.5 (1 90)

yew

_+

300

8.0 (200)
200
spaced al 12+ (300mm) centers.
Embedmentin on each side of the joint.
Totaldowellength has allowances 10Cjoint openings ad minor
errors in placement.
Generally,jointed reinforcedconcrete pavementsare not
constructedunder 6 in. (150mm).
All dowels

100

Mkhigan

0
o

Types of Joints

2.

10

15
20
Slab Length,ft

25

30

35

Fig. 3. Sensitivity
of transverse
crsctdng to slsb
Iangth from studies in Minneeota
and Michigan
(10)

There are four general classifications

of joints for concrete street pavements,
The types and their functions
are:
1.

Study -15 year

Table 2 suggests joint spacings for vatious pavement

thicknesses. Typically, for jointed plain concrete streets,
the joint spacing should be 24 to 30 times the pavement
thickness with a maximum spacing of 15 ft (4.5 m). It is
also important to keep slabs as square as possible.
Transverse joint spacing should not exceed 125% to
1!50% of the longitudinal joint spacing.
As always, local
service records are the best guide for determining transverse joint spacings.

Transverse Contraction Joints: Joints that are

constructed transverse to the streets centerline
and spaced to control transverse slab cracking.
Transverse Construction Joints: Joints installed
at the end of a day-long paving operation, or
other placement interruption. Whenever possible, these joints should be installed at the
location of a planned joint,

Publication List

Table 2. Recommended
concrete mavements

joint spscing

from setting up. Rgures 4a and 4b give details for

undoweled and doweled joints for street pavements,
if
dowels are used, care must be taken to ensure that the
saw cut is centered over the dowels.
1(~ Radius

for plsin

Joint Spacing
5 in. (125 mm)

10-12.5 ft (3,0-3.8 m)

6 in. (150 mm)

12-15 ft

(3.7-4.6 m)

7 in. (175 mm)

14-15 ft

(4.3-4.6 m)

8 in. (200 mm) or more

15ft

(4.6 m)
Fig. 4s.

For jointed reinforced concrete pavements, the maximum advisable joint spacing is 30 ft (9.0 m), Longer
slabs have a greater tendency to develop working midpanel cracks, which causes yielding or rupture of the
steel reinforcement. The longer panels also have greater
joint movements, which are detrimental to sealant performance, If jointed reinforced pavements are used, dowels
should be placed across joints to assist in load transfer,
Studies have shown that the faulting rate increases as the
joint spacing increases beyond 30 ft (9,0 m). 9
In highway applications,
some agencies have used
skewed, randomly spaced joints to eliminate harmonic
induced ride quality problems caused by faulting, However, this is not necessary for city streets because low
truck volumes will seldom induce joint faulting. Therefore, evenly spaced, right-angle joints will perform well
for all street applications,

Contraction

Undoweled

contraction

1/8 Radius

cl

joint

Joint sealer

.~{=i
l<..:.,.:.> :::.
7$;gg&

q.g,?(
Ap.:

d13 for pavements

Fig. 4b.

Doweled

\
Smooth dowel
@ 12 Ctr.

EWtt joint formed

bulk head

on siatilized

/
1

bar

subbases

contraction

joint

Formed-groove
joints are made by impressing a Tshaped bar into the plastic concrete surface either manually with handles at each end of the bar or by a special
joint cutter that rides on the side forms or straddles the
slab behind the slipform paver. The depth of the formedgroove joint should be D/4or D13 depending on subbase
type. A metal or wood template of the proper dimensions
is then placed in the groove to prevent slumping of the
concrete before some degree of stiff nessisattained.
The
template should be removed before the concrete has
completely hardened and the joint must be edged to
remove sharp corners that could break off under traffic.
Thetemplateshould
be cleaned and oiled after each use
to facilitate removal when next used.
When a transverse contraction joint at normal spacing
falls within 5 ft (1.5 m) of a catch basin, manhole, or of her
structure, the transverse joint spacing of one or more
panels on either side of the opening can be shortened or
skewed to permit the joint to meet the structure. Also, the
contraction joint must be carried through the adjacent
curbs or curb and gutter sections. If not, cracks will form
in the curb and gutter sections at each pavement contraction joint location.

Joint Formation

Contraction joints may be of two types: sawed or formed

groove, Whether sawed or formed, contraction joints are
designed to reduce the slab cross section at given points
so that stresses in the concrete will result in cracking at
the joints rather than elsewhere in the slab.
Good
workmanship is essential in constructing the joint so that
a smooth and durable surface free from spalling is
obtained.
Sawing is the most common method of creating transverse contraction joints. The initial saw cut provides a
plane of weakness where cracking will begin. The initial
saw cut in hardened concrete should be at least onefourth thethicknessof
the slab (D/4) and have a minimum
width of 1/8 in. (3 mm). For pavements built on stabilized
subbases, the initial saw cut should be increased to onethird the slab thickness (D/3), The timing of this saw cut
is critical.
Sawing too soon results in spalling and
raveling along the joint face. Sawing too late results in
cracks developing elsewhere in the slab. The sawing
should begin as soon as the concrete has obtained
adequate strength to resist raveling of the joint edges,
generally between 4 and 24 hours. Weather conditions
(temperature, temperature change, wind, humidity, and
direct sunlight) have alargeinfluence onconcretestrength
gain and thus on the optimal time to begin sawing. The
concrete mix design also affects proper timing. Mixes
made with softer limestone aggregates
require less
strength development before sawing than do mixes with
harder coarse aggregates. The joints must be flushed or
blown clean immediately after sawing to keep residue

Transverse
Joints

Construction

Transverse construction joints are used at planned interruptions such as at the end of each days paving, at
bridge leave-outs and intersections, and where unplanned
interruptions suspend operations for an extended time.
These are the location at which paving will resume.
Figures 5 and 6 show typical details for planned and
unplanned construction joints. Figure 5 shows where
4

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,-

Figure 6 shows typical details for planned

and
unplanned transverse construction joints for full-width
paving. The emergency joint in full-width paving can be
either a butt joint with dowels or a tied keyway joint. The
latter is often used because it costs less. The keyway
provides the load transfer and the deformed tiebar or
tiebolt keeps the joint closed to ensure joint effectiveness.

Construction
I

,Smooth

The most common method of constructing transverse

construction joints is to end the paving operation at a
header board. Installing a header board requires handwork, which can lead to a rough surface. Therefore, extra
attention should be given during firishing to ensure e
smooth riding surface at construction joints. Dowels are
placed through the header board in pre-drilled locations.
Additional concrete consolidation with hand-held vibra.

dowel bar

PLANNED

~ Deformed

&2ba

tiebar

i
b\\\\\+&)\\\v
$;$:+

<

,,.-:.U...
.~, O,&;O:.

Joint Formation

+i;:a,iii

PLANNED

EMERGENCY

Fig. 5. Planned
for lane-at-a-time

and emergency

construction

joints

paving

one or more abutting lanes of a roadway are constructed

separately from the adjoining lanes. Planned construction joints, such as those used at the end of a days
paving, are installed at normal joint locations. These are
butt-type joints that need dowels since there is no aggregate interlock to provide load transfer. Dowel size
and spacing arethesameasgiven
in Table 1. To perform
properly, the dowel ends extending through the butt joint
must be lubricated before paving is resumed.
If an unplanned construction joint occurs at or near the
location of a planned contraction joint, a butt-type joint
with dowels is recommended.
If the unplanned construction joint occurs in the middle two-thirds of the
normal joint interval, a keyed joint with tiebars should be
used, as shown in Figure 5. This prevents the joint from
cracking the adjacent lane. Typically #4tiebars [1/2x24
in. (12 x 600 mm)] at 30 in. (750 mm) are used in street
paving.

,,,.,

.e:O.,&;O;.L
<

tj$y

~Defonnedtiebar

{:)3
?i@?@&

EMERGENCY

[Zig. 6. planned
for full-width

Publication List

and emergency

paving

construction

ioints

tors should assure satisfactory encasement of the dowels. Before paving is resumed, the header board is
removed. Transverse construction joints falling at planned
locations for contraction or isolation joints are built and
sealed to conform with the specifications for those joints,
except that transverse construction joints do not require
initial sawing. For an emergency (tied and keyed) construction joint, a l-in-deep
(25-mm) saw cut is made and
sealed.

Longitudinal

Thetwotypesof
longitudinal centerline or lane-dividing
joints in current use are shown in Figure 7. The longitudinal construction joint shown at the top of Figure 7 is
used for lane-at-a-time construction.
This includes adjacent lanes, shoulders, and curb and gutters. This joint
may or may not be keyed depending on the slab thickness, lateral restraint, and traffic volumes. The longitudinal contraction joint shown at the bottom of Figure 7 is
used where two or more lanes are paved at a time. With
slipform paving two-, three-, or four-lane pavements can
be placed in one pass. These joints depend on thetiebar
to maintain aggregate interlock, structural capacity, and
serviceability.
On most streets, the pavement is laterally restrained by
the backfill behind the curbs and there is no need 10 tie
longitudinal joints with deformed tiebars, However, on
streets not restrained from lateral movement, tiebars
must be placed at mid-depth of the slab to prevent the
joint from opening due to the contraction of the concrete
slabs.
Typically, for concrete street pavements, #4
tiebars at 30 in, (750 mm) spacings are used, Tiebars
should not be placed within 15 in. (380 mm) of transverse
joints or they may interfere with the joint movement,
Webars should not be coated with grease, oil, or other
material that prevents bond to the concrete,

Joints

Longitudinal joints prevent irregular longitudinal cracks

that would otherwise occur, as shown in Figure 2a. Such
cracks normally develop from the combined effects of
load and restrained warping after pavements are subjected to traffic. On two-lane and multilane street pavements, a spacing of 10 to 13 ft ( 3.0 to 4.0 m) serves the
dual purpose of crack
control
and
lane
delineation.
Longitudinal

joints

on

arterial

streets

should

also

be

spaced to provide traffic and parking-lane delineation.

On these streets it is customary to allow 10 to 12 ft (3,0 to
3.7 m) for each travel lane and 10 to 12 ft (3.0 to 3.7 m)
for parking that can also be used as a travel or turning
lane.

LANE AT ATIME PAVING

Longitudinal
z:po;gg~

Longitudinal construction joints are used between construction lanes, These are usually keyed joints. A keyed
joint is formed in the slab edge either by extrusion
with a

slipform

Joint Formation

paver

or by attaching

to the side

form

Deformed tiebar
(optional)

L
B
Deformed tiebar
~ (optional)

0.2d

0.2d
I

O.Id+

L
?&@a.
L
Half-Round

Trapezoidal

FULL WIDTH
Fig. 7. Longitudinal

a metal

or

wooden key of the correct shape and dimensions at the

proper depth. Typically, the keyway is a half round or
trapezoidal shape meeting the dimensions shown in
Figure 8, The keyway should be located at mid-depth of
the slab to provide maximum strength. It is important that
these keyway dimensions are used. Larger keys reduce
the strength of the joint and may result in keyway failures.
If wooden keyway forms are used, they must be maintained in good condition and well oiled before each use,
When slipform pavers are used, the keyway is formed by
the traveling slipform as it advances.

joints

Fig.

8. Standard

Publication List

keyway

dimensions

Longitudinal contraction joints are formed by sawing

the hardened concrete or by forming grooves inthefresh
concrete, much in the same way as transverse contrac.
tion joints, however the depth of the saw cut or groove
should be one-third the slab thickness (D/3). Tming of
the initial sawing is usually not as critical as for transverse
construction joints since the transverse shrinkage movement is not as great as the longitudinal shrinkage. Typically, sawing should be completed in 48 hours and before
any heavy equipment or vehicles are allowed on the
pavement. Still, under certain conditions, such as a large
drop in air temperature during the first or second night,
longitudinal cracks may occur early. As a result, it is good
practice to saw these joints as early as practicable,

ability to withstand repeated extension and compression

as the pavement expands and contracts with temperatldre and moisture changes.
There are many acceptable
materials available for
sealing joints in concrete pavements. Sealants are most
simply classified as liquid (field molded) and pre-formed
(compression).
Liquid sealants may be hot or cold
poured, single or two component, and self-leveling or
toolable. They assume the shape of the sealant reservoir
and depend on long-term adhesion to the joint face for
successful sealing.
Pre-formed sealants are shaped
cluring manufacture and depend on long-term compression recovery for successful sealing. Table 3 lists specifications for most available sealants,
Prior to sealing, the joint openings should be thoroughly cleaned of curing compound, residue, Iaitance,
and any other foreign material. Joint face cleanliness
directly affects the adherence
of the sealant to the
concrete.
Improper or poor cleaning reduces the adherence of the sealant to the joint interface, which significantlydecreasesthe
Iifeand effectiveness of the sealant.
Therefore, proper cleaning is essential in order to obtain
a joint surface that will not impair bond or adhesion with
the sealant, Cleaning can be done with sand blasting,
water, compressed
air, wire brushing, or a number of
other ways, depending on the joint surface condition and
sealant manufacturers recommendations,
For liquid sealants, the surfaces should be dry and the
sealant should not be placed during cold weather. Attention to workmanship
should be taken to ensure that
sealant material is not spilled on thf? top exposed surfaces of the concrete.
Pre-formed compression seals
r(?quire the application of a lubricant/adhesive
to the
r(?servoir side walls. While the Iubricantladhesive
used
during installation has some adhesive qualities, its pri-

Sealant Considerations
The role ofjointsealant istominimize infiltration of surface
water and incompressible
into the pavement joint.
Incompressible
cause point bearing pressures, which
may lead to spalling and, when Iongerjoint spacings are
used, blow ups. For city streets with short joint spacings, theamountof jointopening and closing is small. As
a result, the effectiveness of joint sealing for city streets
IS not as critical as it is for long joint spacings
and for
highway pavements with high truck volumes.
Where joint sealants are specified, the expected joint
movement should help determine the selection of sealant
material.
Little movement is expected at transverse
contraction joints with short spacings (15 ft (4.5 m) or
less) or at longitudinal joints, which are usually tied or
laterally restrained, Ted transverse construction joints
have virtually no movement. rfowever, transverse contraction joints in longer, reinforced panels will move
significantly, andtherefore thejoint sealant must have the
Table

3. Joint sealant

materials

Specification
AASHTO MO173
ASTM 03405
SS-S-1401 c
ASTM DI 190

Properties
Self Leveling
Self Levelin~
Self Leveling
Self Leveling

Polymeric Sealant
LOW Modulus

ASTM D3405
Modified

Self Leveling
Self Leveling

Elastomeric Sealant
Coal Tar, PVC

SS-S-1614
ASTM D3406

Self Leveling
Self Leveling

No National
Standard
Specifications
currentlv exist.

Self Leveling, non sag

low to ult;a-low modulus

Hot Pour Sealants

Polymeric Asphalt Based

Cold Pour Sealants / Single Components

Silicone Sealant
Nitrile Rubber Sealant
Polysulfide Sealant
Preformed Polychloroprene Elastomeric (C
Preformed Compression Seals
Lubricant Adhesive

~
lpression Seals)
ASTM D2626-81
ASTM D2335

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Self Leveling, non sag

Self Leveling, Low Modulus

20-50% allowable Sfrain

mary function is to provide lubrication during installation.

Its adhesive qualities should not be considered in design. The size of the reservoir ischosento ensure that the
seal remains in compression at all times, During installation, care must betakentoavoid
twisting and stretching
the sealant more than 5 percent.
For streets, in contrast to highway pavements, a second sawing operation forreservoirwidening
is usually not
done. However, for long panels, a second saw cut to
provide a widened reservoir will enable the sealant to be
more effective. In this case, reservoir dimensions should
reflect the sealant properties, local environmental conditions, and service records of sealants and pavements
similar to the project being designed.
For best results,
follow the liquid and pre-formed compression sealant
manufacturers
recommendations
for reservoir dimensions that suit their product,

,~olation Joint sealer

?a$
2
1< ~ %+

$$~:.

Smooth do{el 12+

@ 12 Ctr.

Isolation Joints and

Expansion Joints
Isolation and expansion joints allow anticipated differential horizontal and vertical movements to occur between
a pavement and another structure without damaging the
pavement or the structure,
Because pavement performance can be significantly affected by the planned use
and location of these joints, much care should be taken
in the design process, Though the terms are often used
interchangeably,
isolation joints are not the same as
expansion joints.

Expansion
Ca

3/4,,

joint filler

.U,

<

\$dcat;this

Fig. 9a.

Doweled

isolation

joint

Fig. 9b.

Thickened

edge

isolation

Fig. 9c.

Undoweled

isolation

joint

joint

w
lsolationjoints atT-and unsymmetrical intersections or
ramps are not doweled so that horizontal movements
can occur without damaging the abutting pavement.
Undoweled isolation joints are normally made with thickened edges to reduce thestresses developed attheslab
bottom.
The abutting edges of both pavements are
thickened by 20 percent starting on a taper 5 ft (1,5 m)
from the joint, The isolation joint filler material must
extend completely through the entire thickened-edge
slab. Figure 9b shows a thickened-edge
isolation joint,
Isolation joints used at drainage inlets, manholes,
lighting structures, and buildings do not have thickened
edges or dowels since they are placed around objects
and do not require load transfer. Figure 9c, 10, and 11
show details and locations of this isolation joint.
lsolationjoints should bel/2tol
in. (12t025mm)wide.
Excessive movement may occur with greater widths. A
pre-formed joint filler material occupies the gap between
the slabs and is continuous from one pavement edge to
the other and through curb and gutter sections. Thiefiller
material is usually a non-absorbent,
non-reactive, nonextruding material typically made from either a closedcell foam rubber or a bitumen-treated
fiber board. No
plug or sliver of concrete should extend over, under,
through, around, or between sections of the joint filler, or
it will cause spalling of the concrete. Fillers may be held
in place by stakes in the subgrade.
After the concrete
hardens, the top of the filler maybe recessed about 3/4
in. (20 mm) to allow space for joint sealant.

Isolation Joints
Isolation joints isolate the pavement from a structure,
another paved area, or an immovable object, Proper use
of these joints lessens compressive stresses that develop
between the pavement and a structure or between two
pavement sections,
In this publication, isolation joints
include full-depth, full-width joints found at bridge abutments, T- and unsymmetrical
intersections,
ramps, or
between old and new pavements. The term isolation joint
also applies to joints around in-pavement structures,
such as drainage inlets, manholes, lighting structures,
and footings. Figures 9a, 9b, and 9C show typical details
for these isolation joints.
Isolation joints used at structures such as bridges
should have dowels to provide load transfer and increase
pavement performance.
The end of the dowel must be
equipped with a closed-end expansion cap into which
the dowel can move as the joint expands and contracts,
The cap must be long enough to cover 2 in. (50 mm) of
the dowel and have a suitable stop to hold the end of the
cap at least the width of the isolation joint plus 1/4 in. (6
mm) from the end of the dowel bar(atthetimeof
concrete
placement), The cap must fit the dowel bartightlyand
be
watertight. The capped-end of the dowel musf be coated
to prevent bond and permit horizontal movement. Doweled isolation joints, should meet the same dowel dimensions shown in Table 1 for doweled contraction joints.
Figure 9a shows a doweled isolation joint.

Publication List

Manhole
~~&..._

covers

Fig. 11.

Drainage
Integral

Transverse
joint

inlets
3 + to nearest

joint

3 + to nearest

ioint

curb

Longitudinal
joint
-.

,\

/~,\

I.
\
.< @
.,N,
S

~~:;:;!!,,,min~

-1
-1
_ ,

J/

v
T

Transverse
joint

112,,Isolation joint

.n
Iz,, Isolation joint

Longitudinal
joint

Transverse A)olnt

Expansion Joints
~:XPan~iOn
jointsare d~fjnedin this publication

\
~

{1

112 Isolation joint

.&------

as full-

c~epth, full-width transverse joints placed at regular intervals of 50 to 500 ft (15 to 150 m) (with contraction joints
in between).
This is an old practice that was used to
relieve compressive forces in the ~avement.
Unfortunately, this practice often caused other problems in the
pavement such as spalling, pumping, faulting, and corner breaks.
Good design, construction, and maintenance of contraction joints has virtually eliminated the need for expansion joints, except under special conditions. In addition
to the problems listed above, the improper use of expansion joints can lead to high construction and Maintenance costs, opening of adjacent contraction joints, loss
of aggregate interlock, sealant failure, joint infiltration,
and pavement growth.
By eliminating unnecessary
c?xpansion joints, these problems are removed and the
pavement will provide better performance,

L&
9

Publication List

Pavement expansion
1.

2.
3.
4.

joints are only needed when:

the pavement is divided into long panels (60 ft

(1 8.0 m) or more) without contraction joints in
between to control transverse cracking.
the pavement is constructed while ambient
temperatures are below 40F (4C),
the contraction joints are allowed to be infiltrated
by large incompressible
materials.
the pavement is constructed of materials that in
the past have shown high expansion characteristics.

Under most normal concrete paving situations, these

criteria do not apply. Therefore, expansion joints should
not normally be used,

Typical Sections and

Jointing Details
For a joint design to provide the best performance possible, it must be carefully thought out and designed,
A
well designed jointing layout can eliminate unsightly
random cracking, can enhance the appearance of the
pavement, and can provide years of low maintenance
service. The following recommendations
will help in the
design of a proper jointing system,
1.
2.

3.

Avoid odd-shaped slabs.

Maximum transverse joint spacing for streets
should either be 24 to 30 times the slab thickness or 15 ft (4,5 m), whichever is less; or 30 ft
(9.0 m) or less for jointed reinforced pavements,
Longitudinal joint spacing should not exceed
12.5 ft (3.8 m).

,Crown

not to exceed

,I,j
P

This publication presents the principles of design and

construction
of joints for concrete streets.
Joints in
concrete
street pavements control cracking, divide the
pavement into convenient working areas, provide adequate Ioadtransfer, and provide lane delineation, Proper
jointing keeps the concrete pavement in smooth riding
condition for its full design life at a low annual cost. The
design and construction of joints for an individual project
should use the principles presented in this publication
and the performance of local street pavements subjected to similar traffic and environmental conditions,

9.. ~ .b? C.Y:?

25

<

~,
WI
:~~
;

~,.(y to ,2,.0

7-0, to120

~.(y to , ~.o
~..Type

;d
V,<. mx

Type C joint ~
k-.

7-0

to 12-0,,

B or C joint

I=Type

26 to 48

-------

...
,<

C joint

ss~~s

.-..EtQ20L

Type C joint-~

=$:
+~

1.. 112 isolation joint adjacent

abutting buildlngs

Fig. 12. Pavement

~-------

cross-sections-joint

.,

Summary

11~,, per foot

-;:+:

General layouts showing the details of these recommendations can be seen in Figures 12, 13, and 14.

Type C joint for full width construction

FType B joint for half width construction

&
:1

Keep slabs as square as possible. Long narrow

slabs tend to crack more than square ones,
5. All transverse contraction joints must be continuous through the curb and have a depth equal to
1/4 to 1/3 the pavement thickness depending on
subbase type.
In isolation joints, the filler must be full depth and
6.
extend through the curb.
If there is no curb, longitudinal joints should be
7.
tied with deformed tiebars,
8. Offsets at radius points should beat least 1.5 ft
(0.5 m) wide. Joint intersection angles less than
60 should be avoided.
9. Minor adjustments in joint location made by
shifting or skewing to meet inlets and manholes
will improve pavement performance.
10, When the pavement area has drainaoe structures, place joints to meet the structures if
possible.
4.

@
+

.
-v

to

locations

10
Publication
List

.=

Notes for Fig. 12-14

A. Isolation joints
B. Longitudinal construction joints
C, Longitudinal contraction joints
D. Transverse contraction joint
E. Planned transverse constructicm joint
F, Emergency tranwerse construction joint
smn
f curb
pctints

-,

-11/2
~
2?
I

Hrst street paved

%EE+
F
As required

60r

1
m
y

Fig. 14. Plan of joint location

spacing

II

JL.~J
26-4a

Fig. 13. Pavement

jointa

and cross

section

details

11

Publication List

for cul-de-sac

6.

References
1. Review of Minnesotas Concrete Pavement Design,
Concrete Design Task Force, Minnesota Depatiment of Transportation, March 4, 1985,
2.

3.

4.

5.

Hudson, et al., Aggregate and Paved Surface Design andRehabi/itation rVfarwa/forLow Volume Roads,
Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
Darter, M. l.; Becker, J, M,; Snyder, M, B,; and Smith,
R.E., Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Evaluation (COPES), Nafiorra/ Cooperative Highway Research Repori 277, Transportation Research Board,
Washington, DC,, 1965.
Coney, BE., and Humphrey, H.A., Aggregate lnterIock at Joints in Concrete Pavements,
Highway
Research RecordNo. 789, Highway Research Board,
National Research Council, Washington, D. C., 1967.
Nowlen, W. J., Influence of Aggregate Properties on
the Effectiveness of Interlock Joints in Concrete
Pavements, Journal of the PCA Research and Deve/oprnenf Laboratories, Vol. 10, No. 2, Portland
Cement Association, Skokie, Ill., May 1966, pp. 2-6.

Ioannides, A.M. and Korovesis, G. T,, Aggregate

Interlock: A Pure-Shear Load Transfer Mechanism
Paper No. 89-0169, Transportation Research Board,
Washington, DC,, March 1990.

~,
Henrichs,
K.W.; Uu, M.J.; Darter, Ml.; Carpenter,
S. H.; and Ioannides, A. M., Rigid Pavement Analysis
and Design, FHWA-RD-68-068,
Federal Highway
Administration, Washington, D. C., June 1989.
s,

Design and Construction of Joints for Concrete

Highways, American Concrete Pavement Association, TBOIOP, Skokie, Ill., 1991.
Concrete Pavement Joints,
Technical Advisory
5040.30, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D. C., June 1990.

10 Darter, M. L, Design of Zero Maintenance Plain

Jointed Pavements,
FHWA-RD-77-I 11, Federal
Highway Administration,
Washington,
DC,, June
1977.
11 Construction and Maintenance of Rigid Pavements,
XV/// Wor/dRoad Congress, Permanent International
Association of Road Congresses, Brussels, Belgium,
September 1987.

This publication
is intended SOLELY for use by PROFESSIONAL
PERSONNEL who are competent
to evel. ate the significance
and
timitafions of the information provided herein, and who will accept total responsibility
for the application of this information. The Potiland
Cement Association
and American Concrete Pavement Association
DISCLAIM any and all RESPONSIBILITY
and LIABILITY for the
accuracy
of and the application
of the information
contained
in this publication
to the full extent
permitted
by law.

American Concrete Pavement Association

,,M %c
f
;0

[1;
%@
%.,.@

Printed

5420 Old Orchard Road, Suite ACPA, Skokie, Illinois 60077-1083 (847) 966-2272

A national organization with the mission to increase the

use of concrete pawment in mnstr.ction and rehalilitaticm
of trmspottation facilities in North America, by continually
providing a quality product that is safe, cost effective and
environmmtally sound.

1S061 .01P

in U.S.A.

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