6 Causes of Leakage in Building Expansion Joints

Expansion joints are often the weakest part of underground waterproofing. That’s why people say, “nine out of ten expansion joints leak.” So, leakage in expansion joints has become one of the common problems in underground waterproofing projects. The main reasons for this are, besides the poor quality of the rubber waterstop and the difficult task of waterproofing expansion joints, included:

1. The team has not fixed the waterstop or has fixed it improperly.

2. The installation position is inaccurate or has shifted due to the poured concrete.

3. The concrete around the two wings of the waterstop is not tightly wrapped.

4. The concrete is not compacted, or the pouring method is wrong. This caused a build-up of coarse aggregates around the waterstop. This phenomenon often occurs in the lower corners.

5. The construction crew is careless. They even damage the waterstop.

6. Before pouring the concrete in layers, they must clean up the wood chips, dust, and other debris around the waterstop. Reinforcement measures are important during the work on the rubber waterstop in the expansion joint. This helps ensure its quality.