EP0009583B1 - Expansion joint covering for roadway constructions, particularly bridges - Google Patents

Abstract

An elongated plate of elastomeric material is provided with anchoring means along its side edges for fixedly connecting the same to the sections of the road bed on opposite sides of the gap. Spring means are embedded within the plate transverse to the longitudinal axis and secured at its ends to the respective anchoring means so as to be expanded and/or contracted corresponding to the movement of the road section. The spring means preferably comprise helically wound coils spaced in parallel to each other, transverse to the longitudinal direction of the plate.

Description

The invention relates to a covering over expansion joints in traffic routes, in particular bridges, from a strip of block-shaped elastomer laid in recesses in the carriageway on both sides of the joint, seen in cross section, the inserts serving for stiffening at least in the covering area of the joint and in the area of its longitudinal edges connecting parts has tensile anchoring in the pavement substructure.

In such a known cover (DE-C 2235413) are provided on the underside of the elastomeric plate parallel to the expansion joint, downwardly open recesses with transverse ribs, which may have stiffening inserts. The ribs serve on the one hand to distribute tensile stresses and on the other hand to counteract a bulging of the road surface under pressure. By arranging two recesses running next to one another at a distance, the aim is to press the intermediate area of the slab against the concrete substructure when it is under pressure. As a result of the high deformation forces inherent in this joint insert, the existing ribs could be insufficient to ensure that the road surface is level in the various deformation states.

In another known roadway transition (DE-A-1 940 000), an elastomeric plate is anchored on both sides in the joint edges under tension. Due to the associated high material load, the aging of the material is accelerated; the elastomeric material creeps apart in the direction of the tensile force, so that the preload is reduced over time. The elastomeric plate is then subjected to pressure and bulges upwards.

Furthermore, a joint cover with depressions on the top and bottom is known (DE-C-1 534377). In spite of the arcuate course of the depressions extending transversely to the expansion joint in plan view, the danger of bulging out of the road surface cannot be reliably avoided. With this known joint cover, which, like the one described above, consists of a rubber strip without stiffening inserts, only relatively low vertical loads can be absorbed.

Other known joint transitions with considerably improved load-bearing capacity (US-A-3316574, DE-B 2228599) use plate-shaped inserts in the rubber body which bridge the expansion joint. The stretch is taken over by cavities in the rubber body in the sections that laterally adjoin the bridging area. Since the bridging area for the compensation of material displacements in adaptation to the respective joint position is eliminated, there is a considerable width of such joint inserts.

In contrast, the invention has for its object to provide a cover of the type mentioned with high elasticity both in the tensile and compressive range and high load-bearing capacity, which maintains a stable, any bulging position in all deformation states or expansion joint widths.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the inserts are coils arranged at intervals next to one another and made of spring wire or similar hard-elastic material, the longitudinal axes of which extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the joint and the ends of which are each connected to the connecting parts in a tensile manner.

The spirals act in the sense of a stiffening insert that increases the load-bearing capacity; at the same time, the elasticity and flexibility of the elastomeric strip does not impair its elasticity, so that relatively small strip widths can be used. The coils cast or vulcanized into the elastomeric strips form an adhesive bond with the elastomeric material, which preferably consists of synthetic rubber and / or natural rubber. In contrast, the coils are made of hard elastic material, either metal or plastic. The elasticity and load-bearing capacity of the helixes can be adapted to the respective conditions by a suitable choice of the turns. Of essential importance for the load-bearing capacity of the strip according to the invention is the tensile anchoring of the ends of the coils on the adjacent connecting parts of the strip, which serve for anchoring in the concrete substructure.

The fact that, according to a further embodiment, the coils are arranged eccentrically closer to the contact surface of the elastomeric strip opposite the surface being traveled on, results in a low center of gravity; this causes the elastomeric plate to be pressed down under pressure.

An increase in the load-bearing capacity can be achieved with one embodiment if, with a sufficient thickness of the elastomeric strip, the helices are arranged one above the other in several layers. As far as the design of the coils themselves are concerned, in terms of cross-sectional shape, pitch, etc., numerous variants are conceivable that can be adapted to the respective application; the cross-sectional shape can deviate from the circular shape, e.g. be elliptical. Furthermore, the longitudinal axes of the coils can be curved in the vertical plane.

A particularly interesting expedient embodiment of the invention consists in that the volume enclosed by a helix is designed as a cavity. The be Special advantage of this embodiment is that the elastomeric material can be displaced into the cavity when the strip is deformed without the outer contour of the strip being deformed. This embodiment can also be produced in a particularly simple manner in that the coils are each seated on a core corresponding to their interior during vulcanization.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment with hollow coil bodies, it is provided that the cavity has the shape of an internal thread and limit the turns of the coil in the area of the thread webs to the cavity. The core used here during vulcanization, on which the coil sits, has the shape of a correspondingly dimensioned screw, so that it can be unscrewed after curing. In the case of strips of this type, the material is displaced in the area of the thread grooves of the hollow mold. Accordingly, in this embodiment there is no narrowing of the cavity within the helix. In a further embodiment of the invention, this shape of the cavity is advantageously used in that a slide rod, which is displaceably encompassed by the turns of the helix, is arranged at least in the overlap region of the joint. Such a slide bar can be held in the middle above the joint gap by means of any control parts; but it can also be anchored at one end in the edge region of the strip, so that its free end is in the narrowest joint position near the opposite edge of the strip and in the widest joint position above the opposite joint edge. Since in this embodiment the slide rod does not slide on rubber but on the inner surface of the associated helix, signs of wear can be reduced to a minimum; in addition, this embodiment offers the possibility of accommodating a supply of grease in the thread grooves of the cavity. This results in a significant reduction in wear and the coefficient of friction of the sliding movement compared to a known embodiment in which steel rods engage directly in holes in the rubber material (DE-A-2314967). As in the known embodiment, the slide rods improve the load capacity of such joint covers significantly. It is also practically impossible for the elastomeric strip to bulge under pressure.

The elastomer zone in the immediate area around the coil can be stiffened by means of a fabric hose which surrounds the coil at a distance, so that the reduction in the material cross section caused by the cavity is compensated for again.

To improve the elasticity and at the same time increase the load capacity, the elastomeric strip can be structured in the longitudinal direction of the joint in such a way that support areas alternate with areas of high deformability and the support areas contain the coils. The deformation areas can preferably be designed as a folding mechanism with a folding direction running transversely to the joint; In addition, a rope reinforcement extending over the entire length of the joint can be cast or vulcanized into the upper and lower webs of the folding mechanism. In this way it is possible that the folding mechanism can introduce the load into the supporting areas. The rope reinforcement also has the important task of absorbing the stresses in the webs resulting from the folding movement. In addition, the rope reinforcement prevents the support areas containing the coils from buckling sideways when the joint is tight. This effect occurs particularly perfectly if the load-bearing areas are webs which run alternately at an angle to the longitudinal direction of the joint. Here, the opposing tendency to deform the supporting areas is prevented by the ropes running in the longitudinal direction of the joint.

According to a further embodiment, the elastomeric strip can also be designed as a folding unit extending over its entire length with folding lines parallel to the longitudinal direction of the joint; the coils can correspond at least to the folding height, at least in the dimension of their cross section extending perpendicular to the strip plane.

• Fig. 1 einen Querschnitt durch eine ganze Fugenabdeckung in vereinfachter Darstellung.
• Fig. 2 bis 4 jeweils unterschiedliche Querschnitte einer Wendel,
• Fig. 5 und 6 jeweils eine Seitenansicht unterschiedlicher Wendeln,
• Fig. 7 einen Querschnitt durch eine Hälfte einer Fugenabdeckung,
• Fig. 8 einen Ausschnitt aus einem die Fugenabdeckung bildenden elastomeren Streifen,
• Fig. 9 einen Halbschnitt in Querrichtung durch eine weitere Ausführungsform einer Fugenabdeckung,
• Fig. 10 einen teilweisen Längsschnitt durch die Fugenabdeckung gern. Fig. 9,
• Fig. 11 einen Halbschnitt in Querrrichtung durch eine andere Ausführungsform einer Fugenabdeckung,
• Fig. 12 einen Teilschnitt in Längsrichtung durch die Fugenabdeckung gern. Fig. 11,
• Fig. 13 einen Querschnitt durch eine Hälfte einer Fugenabdeckung im Bereich eines faltwerkartigen Verformungsabschnittes,
• Fig. 14 den Grundriss eines Längsabschnittes eines Abdeckstreifens mit abwechselnden Verformungsbereichen und Tragbereichen,
• Fig. 15 einen Grundriss gern. Fig. 14 jedoch mit schrägverlaufenden Tragbereichen,
• Fig. 16 einen teilweisen Querschnitt durch eine Fugenabdeckung in Art eines Faltwerks und
• Fig. 17 einen Abschnitt einer Fugenabdeckung im Grundriss mit einem Querschnittsaufbau gern. Fig.16

In addition, the upper and lower webs of the folding mechanism can be traversed by rope reinforcements cast or vulcanized therein. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. It shows:

• Fig. 1 shows a cross section through an entire joint cover in a simplified representation.
• 2 to 4 each have different cross sections of a helix,
• 5 and 6 are each a side view of different coils,
• 7 shows a cross section through half of a joint cover,
• 8 shows a section of an elastomeric strip forming the joint cover,
• 9 is a half section in the transverse direction through a further embodiment of a joint cover,
• Fig. 10 likes a partial longitudinal section through the joint cover. Fig. 9,
• 11 is a half section in the transverse direction through another embodiment of a joint cover,
• Fig. 12 likes a partial section in the longitudinal direction through the joint cover. Fig. 11
• 13 shows a cross section through half of a joint cover in the region of a folding-like deformation section,
• 14 shows the plan view of a longitudinal section of a cover strip with alternating deformation areas and support areas,
• Fig. 15 like a floor plan. 14, however, with inclined support areas,
• Fig. 16 is a partial cross section through a joint cover in the manner of a folding mechanism and
• Fig. 17 a portion of a joint cover in plan with a cross-sectional structure like. Fig. 16

Fig. 1 shows a cross section through an elastomeric strip 1 made of rubber-like material, in which a coil 2 made of wire is vulcanized in the lower part as an insert. The strip 1 covers the joint 3, which is delimited by the joint edges 4 and 5, in a watertight manner.

With the support surface 6 forming its underside, the elastomeric strip 1 lies on the horizontal surface 7 of the concrete substructure forming the joint edges. The elastomeric strip 1 has at the opposite edges angled connecting parts 8 and 9, the horizontal legs 10 and 11 of which are fastened to the concrete substructure by means of screws, not shown. The connecting parts 8 and 9 in the form of the angle profile supports and the helices 2 are inextricably connected to the elastomeric material by vulcanization. In addition, the helix 2 with its two ends is connected to the angle section supports e.g. connected tensile by a screw connection, not shown. Seen in the longitudinal direction of the joint, a larger number of the coils 2 shown are arranged next to one another at a distance.

Fig. 2 shows a cross section through a helix with circular turns, Fig. 3 with oval turns and Fig. 4 with egg-shaped turns, wherein a coil with a circular cross-section is arranged within the coil with an egg-shaped cross-section in the lower part.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic representation of a coil in which turns with small and large cross-section alternate. In the helix shown in FIG. 6, the turns are narrower in a first section and further wound in a second section. The described different versions of Wen deln, which represent only a small part of the conceivable variations, can be chosen by a person skilled in the art to adapt to the special demands of a joint cover.

It is important to arrange the coils, as shown in FIG. 1, in the lower part of the elastomeric strip 1, as a result of which, in the narrow joint positions, bulging of the cover strip beyond the road surface 12 of the road surface 13 is avoided.

7, another spiral 14 is shown above the lower spiral 2, which reinforces the elastomeric strip 1 in the edge region. Both and, seen over the entire length of the elastomeric strip, all of the helix bodies are connected at their ends with tensile strength to the connection part 8 which is designed as a diaper profile carrier.

8 shows, on the basis of a schematic cross-sectional representation through a helix 15, how its interior is designed as a cavity 16. 8 has the hollow shape of an internal thread, the turns of the helix 15 adjoining the hollow shape in the region of the thread webs 17. A slide rod 18 is guided inside the turns of the helix 15 and serves to increase the load-bearing capacity of the joint cover. To improve the sliding conditions, the thread grooves 19 formed by the hollow shape can serve as storage spaces for the accommodation of a grease.

10 shows a partial longitudinal section through a cover strip which has cavities 20 and 21 which are open towards its supporting surface 6, for example with a trapezoidal or arcuate cross section. The webs of rubber-elastic material remaining between the cavities 20 and 21 serve to accommodate the coils. 10, a helix 22 with a circular cross section and a helix 23 with alternating circular and oval turns are shown. FIG. 9 shows a section according to IX-IX of FIG. 10. Accordingly, the cavity 20 extends only over part of the width of the elastomeric strip 1. In contrast to the embodiment according to FIGS. 11 and 12, the cavities are provided 24 and 25 run over the entire width of the elastomeric strip, as is also the case for the helical cross-section 26. 11 corresponds to a section according to XI-XI of FIG. 12.

The half section shown in FIG. 13 extends transversely to the joint in the area of a folded section of the elastomeric strip 1, such deformation areas alternating with supporting areas when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the joint. In the case of the deformation region designed as a folding mechanism 27 in accordance with FIG. 13, cable reinforcements 28 are cast or vulcanized into the upper and lower webs of the folding mechanism and transmit the loads to the adjacent supporting region. Such support areas can, for example, be designed in accordance with the webs between the cavities 20 and 21 of FIG. 10 or 24 and 25 of FIG. 12, that is to say each comprise a helix.

14 shows in the plan a sequence of support areas T and deformation areas V, the cable reinforcements 28 of the upper webs of the folding mechanism each being indicated by a line running in the longitudinal direction of the joint. The spirals 29 of the support areas T are indicated by dashed lines. The folding mechanism shown in FIG. 13 can have the same height as the supporting areas; but it can also, as shown in FIG. 13, be offset upwards with its lower folding webs 30 with respect to the support surface 6.

15 essentially shows an arrangement. 14, but with alternating sloping support areas T. Between these, the upper folding webs 31 of the deformation areas V run in the longitudinal direction of the joint.

16 and 17 is the joint covering elastomeric strip 1 in its entirety trained as a folding unit. 16 shows an enlarged section of this folding mechanism according to section XVI-XVI of FIG. 17, which shows the schematic plan view of a section of the cover strip in the longitudinal direction of the joint. Between widened edge strips 32 there are two folding webs 33 on the upper side of the elastomeric strip 1, in which reinforcing rope reinforcements 34 (see FIG. 16) are cast. A helix 35 with the cross-sectional shape of the folding mechanism of appropriate height and slope is surrounded on all sides by elastomeric material.

Claims (14)

1. Covering across expansion joints in roads, especially bridges, consisting of a strip (1) made of an elastomer and which is essentially block- shaped when viewed in cross-section and which is placed in recesses in the road on either side of the joint (3), which strip, at least in the region which bridges the joint (3), has inserts for reinforcement, and in the region of its longitudinal edges has connecting parts (8, 9) for the tensile-resistant anchorage in the road substructure (7), characterized in that the inserts are helices (2, 14, 15, 22, 23, 26, 29 or 35) consisting of spring wire or similar hard elastic material arranged at intervals next to one another, the longitudinal axes of which run transversely to the longitudinal direction of the joint and which are respectively connected with their ends in a tensile-resistant manner to the connecting parts (8 or9).

2. Covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the helices (2 or 22) are arranged eccentrically, closer to the supporting surface (6) of the elastomeric strip (1) which lies opposite the surface being driven over.

3. Covering according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, with sufficient thickness of the elastomeric strip, (1), the helices (2 and 14) are arranged in several layers one upon the other.

4. Covering according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that helices of a cross-sectional shape that differs from the circular shape are arranged (e.g. Fig. 3).

5. Covering according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the longitudinal axes of the helices are curved in the perpendicular plane.

6. Covering according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the volume enclosed by each helix (15) is constructed as hollow space (16).

7. Covering according to claims 6, characterized in that the hollow space (16) has the shape of an internal screw thread and the windings of the helix (15) limit the hollow space (16) in the region of the thread ridges (17). (Fig. 8).

8. Covering according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the hollow space (16), at least in the bridging region of the joint (3), there is arranged a slide rod (18) which is surrounded, so that it can be displaced, by the walls of the helix (15).

9. Covering according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the elastomeric strip (1) is so constructed in the longitudinal direction of the joint that load-bearing areas (T) of high load-bearing capacity alternate with deformation areas (V) of high deformability, and the loadbear- ing areas (T) contain the helices (29 or 35).

10. Covering according to claim 9, caracterized in that the deformation areas (V) are constructed as a folded structure (27) with a fold direction extending transversely to the joint (3).

11. Covering according to claim 10, characterized in that, in the upper and lower end portions (30, 31) of the folded structure (27) there is fixed by casting or vulcanization a cable reinforcement (28) extending over the entire length of the joint.

12. Covering according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the load-bearing areas (T) are portions running alternately and sloping with respect to the longitudinal direction of the joint (Fig. 15).

13. Covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastomeric strip (1) is formed as a foled structure extending over its entire length having fild lines parallel to the longitudinal direction of the joint, and the helices (35) essentially correspond, at least in the size of their cross-section extending perpendicular to the plane of the strip, to the fold height.

14. Covering according to claim 13, characterized in that the upper and lower end portions of the folded structure have cable reinforcements (34) passing through them and fixed therein by casting or vulcanization.

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