Watertight Expansion Joints and Construction Sealants by EMSEAL

Thermaflex®

Parking Deck Expansion Joint - Watertight Membrane/Nosing Systems for parking decks and car parks including exposed top decks, stadiums, etc.

A parking deck expansion joint system, Thermaflex consists of extruded thermoplastic-rubber sealing glands with punched flanges embedded in a high-strength, flexible, impact-absorbing elastomeric concrete nosing material (Emcrete).

The thermoplastic-rubber sealing glands are heat-weldable, making transitions through changes in direction and plane not only practical but watertight.

The elastomeric concrete is two-part polyurethane reinforced with silica sand and fiberglass. The silica sand and fiberglass aggregate provide compressive strength while preserving flexibility. The system is mounted in blockouts on each side of the joint-gap. The sealing gland is placed in the joint gap and the blockouts are filled with the elastomeric concrete which encapsulates the flanges. The nosing material flows through holes punched in the flanges thereby forming a row of “pillars” for secure fastening and load bearing. The system becomes integral with the deck as the nosing material develops a bond to the concrete.

Thermaflex®

Parking Deck Expansion Joint - Watertight Membrane/Nosing Systems for parking decks and car parks including exposed top decks, stadiums, etc.

Features

  • Watertight
  • ADA Compliant
  • Double-cell & multi-cell designs ensure multi-level redundant sealing
  • Durable under vehicular traffic in extreme weather conditions
  • Ideal for new or retrofit construction
  • Non-invasive anchoring–no metal anchors or embeds
  • Staged installation preserves traffic flow
  • Low silica-free resin-to-aggregate ratio enhances durability of nosing material
  • Material lengths may be supplied for exact length of joint
  • Heat-weldable thermoplastic rubber membrane permits continuous lengths and continuity of seal through transitions and terminations
  • Tees, crosses, directional changes, column details, terminations, and changes in plane are available as factory-fabricated, factory-leak-tested units
  • Shear pockets are available for extreme parallel movement conditions
  • Differential vertical deflection, lateral movement, and seismic movement and thermal shock are accommodated by the flexibility of the seal
  • Accepts traffic in as little as 3 hours at 75°F or higher temperatures–thereby facilitating lane-by-lane retrofits with minimal parking revenue loss

Sizes

Models are available for mean-temperature joint sizes from 1″ (25mm) up to 5-1/2-inches (140mm). See sizing chart.

Movement

Movement as a percentage of nominal joint size varies by model. Up to or in excess of 100% of nominal joint size movement capability is typical in most applications. See Selection Guide in Tech Data Sheet.

Color

Standard color is black for sealing glands and nosing material.

Uses

  • Parking decks/car parks
  • Stadiums
  • Decks
  • Mall bridge connectors
  • Roadways
  • For cast-in-place, precast and post-tensioned concrete substrates

Evolved from the largely obsolete “compression seal“, Thermaflex belongs to a product type sometimes referred to as a “winged compression seal.” Innovation to improve movement capability while overcoming compression set and adhesion in tension in extruded seals, led eventually to EMSEAL’s high-movement, low-strain TM series for joints up to 2.5-inches (65mm).

Both the Thermaflex TM and TCR series extrusion feature a built in nosing stop that facilitates efficient installation of the nosing material at a height above the main seal that provides resistance to damage during snow plowing.

EMSEAL chooses to load its Emcrete resin with a conservative ratio of aggregate and chooses the aggregate composition to balance compressive strength with flexibility.

  • System will not perform where there is unsound substrate or improper blockout preparation. The joint-gap and the blockout area must be perfectly clean and dry.
  • Minimum substrate temperature at time of installation and for 4-hours following installation is 45°F (7°C).

Thermaflex reverse deck-to-wall vertical transition used at support column.Anyone can make an expansion joint watertight in cross-section. It is at changes in direction and plane, and between different technologies that joints leaks. EMSEAL has addressed this problem with custom-quick, factory-made transitions and terminations to fit field measurements. Factory-fabricated assemblies reduce in-field labor time and ensure that continuity of seal is preserved. And, each weld is strengthened with a reinforcing band of welded thermoplastic-rubber sheet and water-tested before it leaves the plant.

Where joint movement is perpindicular to the run of the joint, this will induce shear movement in the seal. Most extrusion can handle only minimal amount of ‘racking’ or shear movement. Emseal’s unique shear pocket technology provides a means to handle large shear movement.

 

  • As with any construction product, the useful life of the material can be maximized with routine inspection and repair if required.
  • Clearing of surface debris and inspection will reveal any damage to the product or adjacent substrates that might affect building performance.
  • In the event of damage to the nosing, the damaged section can be removed, the area primed, and replaced with freshly mixed material. Since the product develops good adhesion to itself, the newly applied section becomes an integral part of the nosing section. The contact surface of the cutout must be free of loose debris, dust, dirt, moisture, and other contaminants. Should the sealing gland be damaged replacement sections or patches can, in many cases, be field welded into position.
  • The durability of expansion joint systems, is significantly affected by maintenance and snow removal practices. This article provides guidance on appropriate snow removal practice.
  • Available for shipment internationally.
  • Prices are available from local distributors or representatives and/or directly from the manufacturer.
  • The product range is continually being updated, and accordingly EMSEAL® reserves the right to modify or withdraw any product without prior notice.