TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 319: Bridge Deck Joint Performance presents the state of the practice on commonly used expansion joint systems in bridges by summarizing performance data for each system type and by providing examples of selection criteria and design guidelines.

Bridge deck expansion joints are used to allow for movement of the bridge deck due to thermal expansion, dynamics loading, and other factors. More recently, expansion joints have also been utilized to prevent the passage of winter de-icing chemicals and other corrosives applied to bridge decks from penetrating and damaging substructure components of the bridge. Expansion joints are often one of the first components of a bridge deck to fail and repairing or replacing expansion joints are essential to extending the life of any bridge. In the Phase I study, the research team focused on the current means and methods of repairing and replacing bridge deck expansion joints. Research team members visited with Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) Bridge Crew Leaders to document methods of maintaining and repairing bridge deck expansion joints. Active joint replacement projects around Iowa were observed to document the means of replacing expansion joints that were beyond repair, as well as, to identify bottlenecks in the construction process that could be modified to decrease the length of expansion joint replacement projects. After maintenance and replacement strategies had been identified, a workshop was held at the Iowa State Institute for Transportation to develop ideas to better maintain and replace expansion joints. Maintenance strategies were included in the discussion as a way to extend the useful life of a joint, thus decreasing the number of joints replaced in a year and reducing the traffic disruptions.

This synthesis will be of interest to bridge designers, maintenance engineers, and others concerned with designing and maintaining bridge deck joints. Information is presented on the types of deck joints used in bridges and on the design of bridges without joints. Bridges are continually moving and thus need either some type of deck joint or an integral design to accommodate this movement. This report of the Transportation Research Board describes the types of deck joints being used, the problems with these joints, and how integral construction-- bridge decks without joints--can be used to avoid joints.

Participating states -- Bridge deck joint ratings -- Expansion joint devices (illustrations) -- States reports.