Title: Some Experience on the Performance of Bridge Deck Joints in Hong Kong

Author(s): H. Tung and S. Bowman

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 94

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 499-522

Keywords: bridge decks; installing; joint sealers; joints (junctions); performance; specifications; structural design; Construction

DOI: 10.14359/1710

Date: 7/1/1987

Abstract:
Though a tiny dot on the map of the world, Hong Kong has one of the highest and fastest growing vehicle densities in the world. There are only 1280 km of roads in this city, but vehicles number more than 300,000. Consequently, the roads are severely congested and, in spite of traffic management schemes of traffic light signals and one-way streets, many locations are so jammed that grade separation has had to be introduced by means of flyovers, elevated highways, and similar structures. Such structures inevitably incorporate many movement joints that have proven in practice to be more troublesome than any other components. The problems experienced with movement joints led to careful scrutiny of movement-joint performance and to a series of different joint installations being made for the purposes of comparison, with the object of providing information for the design, construction, and maintenance of future joint installations. This paper describes the types of joints used in Hong Kong, including their performance, and makes recommendations for specifying movement joints.