Matter and surface
Joint
housinghigh-rise buildingpublic spaceparking
It is the meeting point between two pieces or parts of a building. It can be filled with mortar or sealant or left open on purpose.
What it solves
It lets materials expand with heat and move in an earthquake without breaking. Well detailed, it also keeps water out.
Today
Design the joints from the start and place them at changes of shape and material and at inside corners. Use flexible sealants and check them at every maintenance visit.
Common mistake
Covering an expansion joint with rigid flooring or plaster, which later cracks at that same spot.
Tomorrow
Dry bolted or interlocking connections allow pieces to be dismantled and reused in another project. Designing accessible joints makes it easier to inspect and repair after a strong earthquake.
Fact In concrete slabs, control joints are cut to about a quarter of the thickness and spaced 24 to 36 times that thickness apart.
Where it comes from
- 1Inca Andes, Inca Empire
Blocks carved and fitted without mortar, which moved in strong earthquakes and settled back into place. - 2Traditional carpentry Japan, living tradition
Timber pieces are joined with joinery and almost no nails. - 3Industrial construction worldwide, modern era
Expansion and control joints allow slabs and facades to move without cracking at random.
Masters
- Carlo Scarpa Castelvecchio Museum, Verona, Italy, 1973
He separates the new from the old with visible grooves and joints that let each period of the building be read. He teaches that the joint can be a design decision and not a defect to hide.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Matter and surface
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.