Armored Joint

Armored Joint –Supply, Delivery, and Installation

Formed free-movement joints open during the drying shrinkage phase, potentially in excess of 20mm.
At this level of opening, the arris becomes vulnerable to damage when trafficked by Materials Handling Equipment (MHE).
This is especially true for MHE with small, hard wheels such as pallet trucks. To prevent this damage the joint can be Armoured.
The most common form of joint armour is strips of steel around 40x10mm. The armour is fixed into the slab with shear studs, which are welded to the steel strips. Below the Armoured strips is a sheet of steel that acts as a permanent formwork.

They act as a permanent formwork, creating a secure boundary or day joint during the concrete pour.
They allow the concrete slab to contract in a controlled way, to prevent random cracks occurring.
They protect the construction joint arrises from impact damage once the building is in use, saving the expense of repair.
They allow efficient load transfer between concrete slabs, for a stable and durable floor.