Armoured Joints are an important consideration when designing and constructing industrial floor slabs. Not using a steel armoured edge to protect the aris of the joints edge will result in failure and deterioration of both the joint, and the Material Handling Equipment (MHE) operating on the slab, resulting in costly implications. At Casta, we provide a range of world class armoured joints that have been proven across the world in all sorts of applications. It can be a challenge for some designers to know what type of joint should be used in the various environments.
Armoured Joints is a broad term and many products fit within the category. The industry globally is fast trending towards the use of the disrupted face joint systems allowing un-hindered flow over the joints. A disrupted joint system sports a ‘wave’ type pattern with no straight edges, allowing the load to run over the joint unhindered.
An axle hitting a joint directly at 90 degrees causes potential risk of impact damage due to the wheel momentarily dropping between the joints causing a ‘noisy’ jolting type movement.
Through the use of a Disrupted Face joint, the load will be transferred between the slabs smoothly and quietly as the joint has no straight lines for a perfect 90-degree approach. This system removes any jolting or impact from the MHE’s providing an optimum joint system that will not cause deterioration to the equipment or the slab. It is important to ensure the joint cover plate is extended beyond the joint opening to provide maximin protection to the edge.
The long-term endurance of the entire floor depends on adequate load transfer at the slab’s joints. Poor load transfer causes adjacent panels to deflect individually in response to a load, resulting in an uneven floor. The floor as well as the material handling equipment will then sustain further damage as a result.
In high movement environments, we recommend using a steel armoured joint like a Casta Wave Joint or Armourforce 4010. These joints can open up sufficiently without creating a void that will cause unnecessary jolting or noise when trafficked by machinery. We have partnered with RCR Flooring and Permaban, one of the largest concrete construction product suppliers in the world, to provide our clients with the necessary support in ensuring their facility has the best possible jointing system that will serve its purpose for the lifetime of the building.
If you have a project you would like to discuss joint options for, reach out to one of the Casta team for assistance in selecting the right type of jointing system that will best suit your project type.
