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Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre

Post Number: 476
Registered: 07-2002
Posted on Friday, March 09, 2007 - 07:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

has anyone done curved interior and exterior expansion joints? we have a project with a 150 foot radius and some of these will be exposed. let me know any problems you've had with the installation. some of these will be curved in plan; some curved in section.
thanks
Mark Gilligan SE, CSI
Senior Member
Username: markgilligan

Post Number: 141
Registered: 05-2005
Posted on Saturday, March 10, 2007 - 10:19 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

When dealing with new condition I like to go back to basics and review classic problems. Some issues that come up repeatedly include:

--Be clear on what type of movement are you trying to accommodate? Concrete shrinkage, thermal, or seismic. In one project in a zero seismic region concrete shrinkage was the concern. In this case the joint starts near 0" and grows as the concrete shrinks. On Another project the governing consideration was temperature change in the steel frame before the building was enclosed and conditioned.
--The engineer thinks in terms of amount of movement while the architect interprets the engineers number as the physical width of the joint. They are different.
--A 5" joint often means that from the neutral width of 5" it can move in to 0" and out to 10".
--Movement due to earthquakes and wind is both parallel and perpendicular to the joint.
--If Temperature change is significant, consider at what temperature will the system be when the joint width is established. This can impact the width of the joint.

If exterior joints are curved in section classic bellows systems may not work.

One idea would be to use some of the 3D software to study the geometry as the two sides move relative to each other.
Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre

Post Number: 477
Registered: 07-2002
Posted on Monday, March 12, 2007 - 12:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

we do the entire drawing set in 3D geometry and give those digital files to the contractor. I'm looking for a manufacturer who actually makes curved expansion joints.
Harold S. Woolard
Senior Member
Username: harold_woolard

Post Number: 43
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Monday, March 12, 2007 - 05:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Anne go to www.wrmeadows.com and look at the ALL the different kinds of Expansion Joints they offer. They are the largest manufacturer of Expansion Joints in the world. If you have any further questions I can be reached at hswool@consolidated.net. Also I want everyone to know that Grady Whitaker and myself where accepted into Fellowship from the South Central Region over the weekend!!!!
Lynn Javoroski CSI CCS LEED AP SCIP Affiliate
Senior Member
Username: lynn_javoroski

Post Number: 510
Registered: 07-2002
Posted on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 - 08:31 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

CONGRATULATIONS!
Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre

Post Number: 479
Registered: 07-2002
Posted on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 - 12:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

yes, congratulations! now go out and get measured for that new tux

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