Concrete and polymer industrial floors have become the foundation of most modern facilities - from warehouse complexes and shopping centers to production halls and underground parking lots. These coatings have proven to be the most durable and long-lasting, but in reality, even the best quality floor has vulnerable areas. We are talking about expansion joints. It is they that allow the floor to "work" in conditions of constant loads, shrinkage and temperature fluctuations. And it is they that require proper protection - most often it is epoxy resin sealing
Why expansion joints are needed
Expansion joints
At first glance, it may seem that the best floor is a continuous monolithic slab without a single cut. However, in construction practice, this approach only leads to problems. Concrete inevitably shrinks in the first months after pouring. Moreover, it reacts to temperature: it expands when heated and contracts when cooled. Add to this the loads from machinery - forklifts, stackers, cars - and you get constant micro-movements of the slab.
If expansion joints are not provided in the floor, all these processes will lead to random cracks. These cracks are not controlled, grow and eventually make the flooring impossible to use.
Expansion joints poured with epoxy.
The dangers of unfilled seams
Why it is important to fill the joints between boards with epoxy compound
Providing for seams is not enough - they must be treated correctly. They must not be left open. Sand, dust and construction debris inevitably get into the voids. Under the wheels of machinery, these particles turn into abrasion, which destroys the edges.
Moisture is no less of a threat: water seeps in, corrodes the reinforcement and destroys the concrete.
The floor starts to deteriorate much faster through open joints. The edges crumble, potholes appear, and the surface loses its flatness. As a result, the service life of the floor is reduced many times over, and repairs become inevitable.
Why choose epoxy resin
Epoxy resin
Different materials are used for caulking, but epoxy is the most commonly used.The reason is its unique properties.
1. Firstly, it has high mechanical strength, which is especially important for heavily loaded industrial floors.
2. Secondly, epoxy is resistant to chemical attack: it is not afraid of oils, fuels, acids and household chemicals.
In addition, epoxy resin has excellent adhesion, i.e. it adheres reliably to the concrete, does not peel or chip off. And its service life is many times longer than that of conventional mastics. This is why epoxy resin joints have become the standard solution for protecting industrial floors.
Expansion joint after initial epoxy casting.
What does not sealing lead to
Consequences of avoiding epoxy joint pouring
Failure to pour joints almost always results in additional costs.
Open joints become a stress concentration point, and the result is cracks, chips and potholes.
The surface loses its flatness, which hinders the movement of machinery and accelerates its wear and tear.
In severe cases, the geometry of the floor is disturbed and major repairs have to be carried out.
Thus, savings on sealcoating quickly turn into significant resurfacing costs.
Damaged expansion joints.
How to caulk joints with epoxy resin
Epoxy joint filling technology
In order for the sealant to last a long time, it is important to follow the technology.
Our team only works at positive temperatures - from +10 °C - and low humidity of the substrate. The concrete must be dry and clean: no dust, oil or traces of old materials, so the surface must be thoroughly dedusted before pouring the joints. We do this with the best construction equipment, which you can find out more about in the next article.
The technology itself involves several steps:
1. First, the joint is thoroughly cleaned and, if necessary, widened in order to increase the area for pouring the compound. This is done to improve the cushioning effect.
2. After that, a two-component composition is prepared - resin and hardener are mixed in the specified proportions.It is very important to comply with the grams, so that the composition in the future qualitatively performed its functions.
3. Pour the prepared mixture into the joint, distributing it evenly over the entire depth.
4. curing. This stage takes from a day to two days.At the same time, the joint may be poured again, if after the initial composition penetrated deep into the coating and created an unevenness.
5. The last step is sanding. Excess resin is removed with a grinder to level the joint area to the level of the coating.
Expansion of the expansion joint.Areas that require re-pouring with the compound.Re-pouring of the expansion joint.
Non-compliance with technology
Errors in pouring epoxy joints
Most often it's:
Caulking of dirty or wet joints.
Violation of proportions when preparing the composition.
Insufficient dwell time.
All these violations reduce the strength and durability of sealing, so each stage of technology during the repair is carefully monitored by our ITR - engineering technicians.
These are the most experienced employees of the company's production department, under whose careful guidance our teams have been successfully implementing large-scale projects across the country for many years. You can learn more about our team at this article.
tConcrete
Best solution
Sealing expansion joints with epoxy resin is not an optional extra, but an essential part of industrial flooring technology. It prevents the ingress of dirt and moisture, protects the joint edges, reduces the risk of cracking and extends the service life of the flooring.
If you are planning to install or repair a floor, it is worth thinking in advance about the correct caulking. And to avoid mistakes and get a guaranteed result, it is better to entrust the work to professionals. Specialists of tConcrete company will help you to choose the best solution and provide quality protection of your floor for many years.
Main points
Repairing expansion joints with epoxy resin can achieve:
Epoxy resin has increased mechanical strength, so it reliably protects joints from failure even under heavy traffic of forklifts, vehicles and warehouse equipment. Unlike soft sealants, epoxy evenly distributes the load and maintains the integrity of the coating, extending its service life.
In industrial and commercial facilities, floors regularly come into contact with fuels, oils, acids and detergents. Epoxy does not degrade under their influence and retains its protective properties for many years. This is especially important in industries where the chemical resistance of the floor has a direct impact on operational safety.
Epoxy resin has excellent adhesion - i.e. it binds firmly to the substrate, does not peel off or chip away. As a result, the poured joints become part of the coating and effectively protect the entire depth of the concrete. This solution significantly reduces the risk of cracks and defects.
Epoxy sealant lasts several times longer than traditional materials and does not require frequent renewal. This reduces maintenance costs and avoids major repairs in the future. The customer receives not only a durable and reliable floor, but also tangible savings in the long term.
If you are looking for ways to reduce costs in the construction and operation of your facilities, contact the tConcrete team
We look forward to receiving your application. You can share your resume, portfolio and cover letter at hr@tconcrete.ru or send your project to hello@tconcrete.ru
