Expansion Joints for Car Parks: What to Specify
Car park joints work harder than most. They carry vehicles all day, sit in water, oil and road salt, and are crossed by people on foot, with trolleys and pushchairs.
What the joint has to do
- Carry repeated vehicle loads. Eurocode EN 1991-1-1, section 6.3.3 “Garages and vehicle traffic areas”, sets the basis: Type F light vehicles of up to 30 kN (3.0 tonnes) gross weight with up to 8 seats, not including the driver. See Traffic types.
- Give smooth transit for pedestrians, including people with disabilities, through the whole movement cycle of the joint.
- Stay watertight. Upper decks collect standing water. Lower decks take driven rain and water carried in by vehicles, which must not pass to the level below.
- Resist oils and road salts.
Recommended products by area
- Internal floors: TransAtec 1105, 1106 and 1107.
- External floors and decks: TransAtec 1105 and 1106, or FlexAtec 1220.
- Walls and ceilings: FlexAtec 1000, MegAtec 370 or ElastAtec 1400.
- Watertight joints: AquAtec or AquaFlex membranes.
- Fire-rated joints: FireFlex fire barriers.
More detail is on the Car Parks application page, and our case studies include Wembley Pink Coach and Car Park, Victoria Station Car Park and Luton Airport Terminal Car Park 2.
Next step
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