Uncontrolled water ingress, especially water from a pavement’s surface, contributes to multiple types of pavement distress. It can lead to spalling, base or subgrade softening, dowel bar corrosion, pavement joint blow-ups and/or materials-related distress.

1. 12573 Route 9W • West Coxsackie, NY 12192 • www.igga.net • (518) 731–7450
September 2020
joint resealing
Joint Resealing is
a Vital Tool in the
Concrete Pavement
Preservation
Toolbox
Joint Resealing Protects Pavement Joints from Water and Incompressibles
Uncontrolled water ingress, especially water from a pavement’s surface, contributes to multiple types of pavement distress. It can lead to
spalling, base or subgrade softening, dowel bar corrosion, pavement joint blow-ups and/or materials-related distress.
For many concrete pavements, proactively sealing or filling transverse and longitudinal joints and cracks to reduce water penetration
improves long-term pavement performance. In addition to limiting the entry of water, joint sealing can reduce the entry of incompressibles
into the joint reservoir that exert pressure on the pavement. Performed alone, joint resealing
is a maintenance activity. However, it is also an important part of the concrete pavement
preservation (CPP) toolbox.
There are two basic approaches to joint treatment (other than leaving the joint open):
joint filling and joint sealing. Joint sealing involves a foam backer rod and more rigorous
preparation of a sealant reservoir than filling, which often involves simply filling up a
diamond saw cut joint with sealant material after minimal preparation. Joint filling may be
appropriate when the reservoir is narrow and difficult to prepare, but full adhesion of the
filler may be difficult to achieve, resulting in less protection from moisture penetration. In
CPP projects where joints have previously been sealed, resealing them is important.
» THE JOINT RESEALING PROCESS
There are two primary categories of joint sealant material for roadways:
• Pre-formed neoprene compression seals are manufactured and brought to the site
on rolls. They are mechanically compressed and inserted into the reservoir using
specially-designed equipment, usually self-propelled and equipped with a guide to
keep it on course. The equipment also applies a lubricant/adhesive to the sealant
edges and/or reservoir sidewalls. Compression seals stay in place by exerting lateral pressure against the joint sidewalls.
It should be noted that compression seals require that joint faces be in good condition and have perpendicular faces of uniform width.
While this uniformity is easy to achieve in new concrete, depending on the type of concrete rehabilitation being performed as part of
CPP, compression seals may not be appropriate for all resealing operations.
• Formed-in-place sealants are in a liquid state for installation. They are either hot- or cold-applied materials that are pumped into
place and adhere to the joint face. Backer rods are necessary when using formed-in-place sealants. They prevent sealant material
from flowing to the bottom of the reservoir and prevent three-point adhesion. They also control width-to-depth ratios.
» Concrete pavements
experience slower deterioration
rates than do asphalt surfaces.
Even so, regular maintenance is
important. If a concrete pavement
is left to deteriorate unchecked
for decades, more invasive and
expensive repairs will be required.
Joint resealing is one of several
cost-effective tools for concrete
pavement preservation.

2. 12573 Route 9W • West Coxsackie, NY 12192 • www.igga.net • (518) 731–7450
September 2020
Reservoir dimensioning has a significant impact on
sealant design and performance. Sealant material
must be able to withstand temperature-induced
joint opening/closing while staying adhered to and/
or in contact with the sidewalls. The “shape factor,”
or the ratio of depth to width of a field-poured
liquid sealant, is another critical aspect of reservoir
dimensioning. This ratio determines whether a given
sealant can accommodate strains associated with
joint movement. For shape factor design, whether
the sealant is recessed or flush-filled will depend
on type of sealant being used and should always be
verified with the sealant manufacturer.
A common starting reservoir width is 1/4 to 3/8
in. (6 to 10 mm) for formed-in-place sealants; for
compression seals a common starting reservoir
width is 1/4 to 1/2 in. (6 to 12 mm). One half inch
(12 mm) is typical for airfield pavements.
Overall joint resealing steps include: removing old
sealant and debris, shaping the reservoir, cleaning
the joint, backer rod installation (if required), a
cleanliness check, sealant installation, and checking
the installation using a knife test, a sample stretch
test or a hand-pull test. At no time shall sealants be
installed when the joint reservoir is damp or dirty.
The importance of thorough cleaning, quality control
and construction inspections cannot be overstated,
since these steps lead to greatly improved sealing
techniques, maximizing the value from the sealant.
For complete information on CPP, visit igga.net.
ABOUT IGGA
The International Grooving & Grinding Association (IGGA) is a non-profit trade association founded in 1972 by a group of dedicated industry
professionals committed to the development of the diamond grinding and grooving process for surfaces constructed with Portland cement
concrete and asphalt. In 1995, the IGGA joined in affiliation with the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) to form what is now
referred to as the Concrete Pavement Preservation Partnership (IGGA/ACPA CP3). The IGGA/ACPA CP3 now serves as the lead industry
representative and technical resource in the development and marketing of optimized pavement surfaces, concrete pavement restoration
and pavement preservation around the world.