Deteriorated joints are the most troublesome problem for plant engineers at warehouses. Four common joint problems were described in the August 1988 issue of Concrete Construction. This article shows how to solve those problems before owner occupancy. For successful repairs, keep the following principles in mind:
RE-ESTABLISH A SMOOTH SURFACE
If a hard wheel from a material handling vehicle crosses a bump or void, the resulting impact will damage the concrete.
DON'T WELD SLAB UNITS TOGETHER
Gluing concrete together at the joints can cause a chain reaction of shrinkage related stress.
KEEP REPAIRS AS NARROW AS POSSIBLE
Wider repairs are subjected to greater wheel exposure. If you keep repairs narrow, you'll keep more of the wheel load on the slab, where it belongs.
DON'T FEATHEREDGE REPAIRS
To feather means to taper to zero thickness. Common sense tells you that the point of zero thickness must be the most vulnerable point of the repair. Do not feather.
