Improvement of Joint Sealant Configuration and Performance
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IMPROVEMENT OF JOINT SEALANT CONFIGURATION AND PERFORMANCE A Dissertation by JINHO KIM Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Dan Zollinger Committee Members, Robert Lytton Maryam Sakhaeifar Reza Langari Head of Department, Robin Autenrieth May 2021 Major Subject: Civil Engineering Copyright 2021 Jinho Kim ABSTRACT The jointing of concrete pavement is intended to provide free movement within the concrete slab. Joint sealing material, called joint sealant, has evolved in recent decades to prevent or reduce the amount of water from rainfall events infiltrating a pavement structure. As this evolution has progressed, joint sealant practices have changed. However, current practices and their respective performances have yet to be fully documented. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a standardized approach to joint sealant evaluation, as well as investigate and assess joint sealant practices in Portland cement concrete design. Current joint sealants are designed without consideration of the strength and shape of the bond between the concrete and sealant and its effect on stress concentration. This often results in adhesive failure within 1.5 years, much earlier than the expected service life of the joint sealant (20 years). Bond strength and stress on the interface between the sealant and joint reservoir face play important roles in adhesive failure. Therefore, in the present research, experimental bond tests and a finite element method (FEM) analysis are conducted to examine the nature of the bond at the sealant/joint reservoir interface. In addition, the stress distribution along the interface is also investigated by analyzing the geometric shape factor (SF), degree of curvature (DoC), and joint preparation conditions. For this study, data is gathered through a literature review, survey of Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and subsequent discussions with selected agencies to determine case documentation practices. In addition, re-evaluation of the SF was conducted, and a new design factor, DoC, is introduced and explored through the FEM and experimental ii analysis. With these factors, the reduction of bond strength and increase in stress at the interface may be limited, reducing the potential for early adhesive failure. This study examines the effects of moisture content on bond strength, the main cause of joint sealant failure. Sealant use in various climatic regions throughout the United States is examined, and DOTs are surveyed with regards to how they handled moisture. As a result of this investigation, it becomes clear that some advances in the composition, design, and preparation of sealants, especially in terms of the design of and inspection methods for narrow joints, appear to conflict with established recommendations. It also appears that institutions lack the necessary tools and control protocols to facilitate the proper inspection of cleaning and joint preparation work. The effects of poor joint preparation (i.e., dirt and moisture) on joint strength and the shape of the joint sealant (i.e., SF and DoC) should be considered when designing and installing sealants. This research evaluates the effects of surface moisture on the tensile bond strength between a joint sealant and reservoir. The causes of degradation in adhesion strength are evaluated by measuring the sealant wetting angle. Finally, it is determined that the best choice of sealant may depend on climate. Those not currently preferred in wet-freeze regions may be used if accompanied by proper pretreatment and moisture control, contributing to the stable lifespan of joint sealants and concrete pavement alike. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Dan Zollinger, for or providing invaluable insight, expertise and guidance throughout the course of this research. I am grateful to Dr. Robert Lytton and Dr. Maryam Sakhaeifar for their support and valuable advice during entire research periods as a committee member. I also wish to thank Dr. Reza Langari, serving on my committee. I would like to thank Dr. Seunghyun Lee and Judong Lee for their contribution and partnership and for being great friends. I am grateful to Dave Dillon, who provided advice and assistance during testing at Material Laboratory. I also wish to thank the many graduate students who assisted in experimental tests. Most importantly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my parents, Hyunki Kim and Indeok Hyung. None of this would have been possible without their love and continuous support. Also, thank you to my brilliant and loving wife Sun Hee Park, my little girl, Sua Kim and my little sun Geo Kim. Without your support, I never would have accomplished this tremendous goal. Lastly, I would like to thank my aunt, Kim Mi-hee, my brothers Kim Jin-kyu, and my teacher Park Seung-jin for giving me a lot of strength whenever I had a hard time. Thank you for all your love, trust, and support throughout my entire academic career. iv CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES Contributors This work was supervised by a dissertation committee consisting of Professors Dan Zollinger, Robert Lytton and Maryam Sakhaeifar of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Professor Reza Langari of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. All other work conducted for the dissertation was completed by the student independently. Funding Sources Graduate study was supported by the PCA Education Foundation J. P. Gleason Fellowship Award 2018 from Portland Cement Association. This research was also supported by grants from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) under Project 20-05 Synthesis Topic 51-09, and from the Transportation Research Board (TRB). The project was conducted at Texas A&M University (TAMU) through the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI). The findings and opinions presented herein are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the sponsoring agency. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. iv CONTRIBUTORS AND FUNDING SOURCES .............................................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... ix LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................xii 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background and Motivation .................................................................................... 1 1.2. Objectives ................................................................................................................ 3 1.3. Dissertation Organization ........................................................................................ 3 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 5 2.1. The purpose of a joint.............................................................................................. 5 2.2. The role of joint sealants ......................................................................................... 6 2.3. Types of Sealant Material ....................................................................................... 8 2.4. Material Selection ................................................................................................. 10 2.4.1. Selecting Sealant Materials ............................................................................ 10 2.4.2. NTPEP Database ............................................................................................ 11 2.5. Joint Sealant Design Factors ................................................................................. 12 2.5.1. Reservoir Size and Joint Movement ............................................................... 12 2.5.2. Sealant Geometry ........................................................................................... 13 2.5.3. Surface Configuration for Joint Sealing ......................................................... 15 2.6. Joint movement and allowable strain .................................................................... 16 2.6.1. Reservoir Size and Joint Movement ............................................................... 16 2.6.2. Maximum Allowable Strain ........................................................................... 17 2.7. Joint Preparation Practice ...................................................................................... 17 2.7.1. Joint Preparation Methods .............................................................................. 19 2.7.2. Cleanliness Inspection Methods ..................................................................... 19 2.7.3. Studies on the Effects of Moisture on Adhesives ........................................... 20 2.7.4. Studies of the Effects of moisture on the Bond Strength of Joint Sealants .... 21 vi 3. EVALUATION OF CURRENT JOINT