Rubber Expansion Joint Failure

Main causes of failure for expansion joints.

Rubber expansion joint failure.

Neoprene rubber expansion joint read more. Improper handling during transport storage or assembly. Below is an except from the white paper discussing failure analysis of rubber expansion joints and what it can tell you about the overall health of your piping system. Common signs of rubber expansion joint fatigue.

What are the failures of expansion joints. Unlike metal expansion joints the majority of failures related to rubber expansion joints are not catastrophic in nature. Bellows pipe expansion joints which have been properly designed and manufactured for specified piping system conditions have given many years of satisfactory service. During routine inspections signs of fatigue and or premature failure can be easily detected in rubber expansion joints long before the actual failure occurs.

1 prior to start up. Expansion joints failure is caused by corrosion erosion cyclic fatigue or thermal creep at elevated temperatures. They are commonly found between sections of buildings bridges sidewalks railway tracks piping systems ships and other structures. Failures of course have occurred which are of concern both to users and to reputable pipe expansion joint manufacturers.

An expansion joint or movement joint is an assembly designed to hold parts together while safely absorbing temperature induced expansion and contraction of building materials and vibration or to allow movement due to ground settlement or seismic activity. We have divided the list of some of the most common causes of expansion joint failure into three groups based upon the actions that can be attributed to them. Added on wed jun 29 2011.