LONG-TERM BEHAVIOUR OF POLYMER BITUMEN JOINT SEALANTS ON A TRIAL ROAD SECTION

This paper presents the results of an EMPA study, where long-term performance of seven joint sealants systems on a heavily loaded alpine concrete motorway was experimentally investigated using selected laboratory tests and continuous field monitoring of joint movements and temperatures. The study focuses on the change of the material properties during the installation process and during 5 years of service, leading to important information on the influence of composition of the material, material properties in the as-delivered condition and during the installation process, primer and surface covering, composition of the concrete joint edges, and equipment and methods used for installing the joint sealants. Besides of these interesting results it was extremely surprising to learn that after five years of service, only three of the seven joint systems were still usable. For the covering abstract see ITRD E121480.