A new method to evaluate the performance of sealants,
used in rigid pavement joints, was developed. A special
fixture was designed to transfer cyclic in-line deflection,
applied by a testing machine, to cyclic normal and shear
deflections on a sealant sandwiched between two-2 x 2 x 2 in.
portland cement mortar cubes. The normal and shear deflections
were applied simultaneously at a specific ratio controlled by
the developed fixture. The new testing method simulates field
conditions, where shear deflection is caused by vehicle loads
while normal deflection is caused by slabs contraction or
expansion due to temperature variation. The developed fixture
was used to evaluate the performance of three commercially
available one-component sealant types: (A, B, and C), A is a
low modulus sealant, B is a self leveling type, while C is a
sealant which is used with primer.
The effect of joint width on sealant performance was
investigated using two joint widths (0.25 in. and 0.75 in.),
while the weathering effect was evaluated by exposing
specimens to 50 cycles of rapid freezing and thawing prior to
testing.
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