Civil engineering generally deals with the construction, maintenance and repair of all types of utility and infrastructure projects. All of these projects contain joints and connections which need to be securely sealed and protected.
Common Types of Civil Engineering Projects
Transportation Infrastructure
Transportation infrastructure includes roads, highways and railways along with their bridges and tunnels, docks and harbors, airports and associated stations, terminals and support structures and facilities.
Utility Structures
Utility structures are those that make up the power and water industries, such as dams and power stations as well as their distribution and transmission networks - meaning the clean and dirty sides of the water industry from drinking water reservoirs through to sewage treatment plants.
Processing & Manufacturing
Civil engineering structures are also used for industrial processing and manufacturing industries - from mining to food processing facilities and more.
High Performance Components
Protect against the elements
Civil engineering joint sealing is more than just closing gaps in your structure - it is safely, securely and durably connecting and sealing high performance components.
Sika joint sealing solutions are used extensively in all types of civil engineering structures - in public and privately owned infrastructure, utilities and all types of building structures for residential, commercial, leisure and production facilities. Sika joint sealing products for floors, decks and road joints are renowned for their chemical and mechanical resistance, plus high durability for a long service life.
Sika takes care of where your structure is most vulnerable
Avoid building any weak links with Sika’s expertise and the extensive range of Sikaflex®, Sikasil® and other specialized Sika civil engineering joint sealing solutions.
Using Sika joint sealing systems is a decision based on engineering design competence, security and working with a reliable partner for the areas where structures are most vulnerable and prone to failure. This is why Sika sealants and adhesives are the first choice for civil engineering projects worldwide.
1. Road & Pavement Joints
The rapid completion of construction work and re-opening to traffic is a key requirement in infrastructure projects, especially during refurbishment. Closure to traffic for an extended period is always an issue, which has become more difficult today with increasing traffic - be it a road junction or roundabout, on an airport apron or suburban tram line.
Full access for traffic and normal service needs to be returned as soon as possible - ideally within just a few hours - so that vehicles can pass without delay.
A rapid curing option with Sikaflex®-406 KC is achieved simply by adding a booster, also known as an accelerator. The use of Sikaflex®-406 KC with Sikaflex®-406 KC Booster provides optimized solutions for safe, reliable joint sealing on all road and pavement projects.
Main uses:
- Connection joints between steel, concrete, granite, asphalt and tram line rails
- Movement joints in roads and airport pavement, parking decks, driveways and pedestrian areas
With Sikaflex® booster technology systems…
- Curing speed is not related to joint dimensions – the sealant cures homogeneously internally, and not just from outside to inside as with moisture-curing systems.
- Suitable for application in dry conditions including at lower temperatures, because the sealant cures independently of atmospheric humidity.
- Not susceptible to moisture / moisture-tolerant in application, which ensures that the system provides bubble-free curing.
- Less mixing errors – the sealant will always cure homogeneously throughout.
- EHS friendly and safe to use – the booster is supplied as a water-based paste.
Sikaflex® sealant systems for roads and pavement provide many benefits:
Rapid release and opening to traffic
Robust in application
High mechanical and chemical resistance
High joint movement capability of >25%
Durable for a long service life
Self-leveling for ease of application
Available in black and concrete grey colors
Certificates
EN15651-4 PW EXT-INT CC 25 HM
EN 14188-2
Chemical resistance tests
EC1PLUS, A+, LEED v4
The Sika floor joint dispenser SikaBond® Dispenser 1800 is designed to increase productivity and improve ergonomics for the application of self-leveling sealants for horizontal joints. The dispenser is ideal for use on medium-sized jobs such as deck joint sealing on parking structures, pedestrian areas and refurbishment projects.
2. Concrete Highway Joints
Concrete shrinks upon curing. When constructing any concrete pavement, uncontrolled cracking because of the shrinkage is prevented by cutting regular joints into the green concrete. These saw-cut joints need to be sealed to prevent water and salt ingress into the substructure. Besides the saw-cut joints that have minor joint movements mainly from traffic, there are also movement joints that are designed to uptake thermal movement of the concrete pavement.
Sika joint sealing systems for roads and highways are widely used in these formed and saw-cut joints not just on concrete highways, but also on other paved areas such as runways, plaza decks, driveways and more.
Meets highway regulations
UV and weather resistant systems
Ultra-low modulus sealants
Approvals and certifications:
ASTM C920, class 100/50
ASTM D 5893
Approved by many US DOTs
3. Airport Pavement Joints
Airport pavement and runway areas are highly frequented and exposed areas. Joint sealing in such areas are challenging for both applicators and the sealant material itself, which needs to withstand extreme weathering, frequent traffic and thermal movement, mechanical cleaning impact, and chemical impact from spills like fuels, hydraulic fluids and deicing agents.
Sika offers two Sikaflex® solutions for airport pavement joints (construction, connection and movement), depending on the regulations that need to be met. Our solutions are self-levelling, which is essential as the joints cumulate to many kilometers in length and are usually applied by machine.
Our first choice solution is the Sikaflex®-406 KC system which wins over many airport operators with its robustness and long service-life. As repair of airport pavement and joints are continuously ongoing often during the night, rapid reopening to traffic is essential. Joints made with Sikaflex®-406 KC and the booster can be reopened to traffic after 2-3 hours, often just in time for the first aircrafts leaving or entering the airport in the morning.
This solution is ideal for airport runways, taxiways, hard standing and hangar floors, where Sika can provide the right solutions with durable, long-lasting and reliable joint sealing systems.
Advantages of Sikaflex®-406 KC joint sealing systems for airport pavement:Easy, secure application
Rapid repair of joints
Protection of ground and water from spillage
Robust, durable and long-lasting service life
Several colors available
Approvals and certifications:
EN15651-4 PW EXT-INT CC 25 HM
EN 14188-2
Key parts of the US Federal Specification SS-S-200E
Chemical resistance tests
EC1PLUS, A+, LEED v4
The main advantage of Sikaflex®-402 Airport joint sealing systems is that it has high jet fuel resistance.
Approvals and certifications:
US Federal Specification SS-S-200E
ASTM C920
4. Car Park Deck Joints
Parking structures are primarily built in concrete. As in all construction, there are countless joints that need to be sealed to make them waterproof. The joints are subject to all kinds of movement and vibrations, mechanical impact from traffic and mechanical cleaning, strong weathering on exposed floors, chemical impact from salt and other deicing agents as well as occasional exposure to oil or fuel leakage.
Sika provides complete solutions for parking decks including concrete admixtures, traffic coatings, passive fire protection, prefabricated floor joint panels and joint sealants.
Sikaflex® PRO-3 (one-component PU) or Sikaflex®-406 KC (one-component PU with booster) are two of the best joint sealant solutions for such applications.
They have ensured long-lasting, durable tight joints in many parking facilities around the world for many years. Both products have a good balance of robust application properties, strong adhesion, high elastic movement capability and tear resistance, excellent weathering and good chemical resistance - all which make it the first choice of specifiers and applicators.
Advantages of Sika joint sealants for car parking structures:
Resistance to mechanical wear and impact
Water resistance
High movement capability
Several colors
Compatible with Sikafloor® deck waterproofing systems for car park floors
Certifications:
EN15651-4 PW EXT-INT CC 25 HM
EN 14188-2
Chemical resistance tests
EC1PLUS, A+, LEED v4
5. Production & Warehouse Floor Joints
In warehouses, factories and other industrial flooring areas, the primarily saw-cut movement joints are positioned and designed to accommodate shrinkage during concrete curing and compensate for movement during the normal expansion and contraction of the concrete structure.
These floor joints are sealed and accommodate the anticipated movement. Sealed floor joints are able to prevent liquids and dirt from getting in and thereby into the concrete substructure.
The Sikaflex® range of joint sealants offers a high level of sealant for many floor joints in industrial areas.
For joints with high movement and heavy traffic especially by forklifts, Sika offers a preformed Sika® FloorJoint system that can be integrated into the range of Sika industrial flooring systems.
Optimum balance of hardness and movement capability
High chemical resistance
Tough, durable and secure
Several colors available
High impact and mechanical resistance
Compatible and easily integrated with Sika industrial flooring systems
Certificates:
EN 15651-4
EN 14188-2
6. Railway Bedding Joints
Vibration and noise from railways and trams can be effectively reduced by embedding the rail in elastic compressible polyurethane sealants. Embedded rails are also insulated against stray currents affecting adjacent services and potentially accelerating steel corrosion.
Sika Icosit® systems are an innovation and have made Sika the market leader for discrete, embedded fixed rail superstructures. In construction areas with limited installation height, these advanced Sika systems can provide a compact, weight-saving and cost-effective solution.
Rail superstructures with Sika Icosit® sealants are often connected to the adjacent concrete and asphalt pavement or road with Sikaflex®-406 KC. It robustly protects against environmental conditions, pedestrian and wheel traffic making the product a more durable, lasting solution compared to bitumen solutions, which turn brittle in winter and liquid in summer.
Advantages:
Easy and secure application
Rapid completion and reopening to traffic, especially in case of refurbishment
Durable for a long service life
Compatible and integrated rail fixing systems
Black and concrete grey colors
Certificates:
EN 15651-4
EN 14188-2
7. Silo & Containment Area Joints
The area around tank structures are usually special concrete pavement containment structures. These structures retain chemicals in case of spills or leaks in the tanks. The joints in such structures need to be sealed with chemical-resistant (often hydrocarbons) sealants to prevent leakage into underlying soil and ground water.
Our SikaTank® polysulfide sealants and Sikaflex® polyurethane sealants have high chemical resistance to hydrocarbons.
Typical Applications:
Primary and secondary containment tanks and areas
Bund linings
Suitable for sealing around fuel stations
Suitable for many other chemical storage and transfer facilities
Advantages:
Protects ground and water from any spillages
Resistance to fuel oils and other hydrocarbons
Easy to use and durable for a long service life
Sikaflex® sealants are used for the sealing of tanks and silos. They are widely used as sealants in segmental containers where stainless steel, black steel or enameled steel segments are assembled in the plant or on site. The sealants need long open times, since building such silos requires time, high tear resistance (since the segments move once loaded) and high chemical resistance to organic acids.
Such silos are found in food processing plants, agricultural applications and biomass power plants. Liquids being stored include water, silage, food waste and liquid manure.
8. Agriculture and Biogas Production
Intensive agriculture faces a range of challenges, one of them being the environmental protection from fermentation liquids and other organic waste like manure. Agricultural infrastructure consists of various structures and systems, between which there are countless joints that need to be reliably sealed in order to prevent surface and groundwater pollution.
With this organic waste, carbon-neutral biogas can be produced and help support sustainability efforts.
Water is a precious resource that must be preserved and protected. Groundwater contamination from fertilizers, pesticides, and intensive livestock farming is a significant concern and in many countries strictly regulated. The joints in agricultural structures, such as stables and drive-in silos, must be sealed effectively to prevent leakage and protect groundwater from polluting substances.
Liquid manure from livestock, as well as silage leachate from feed silos, can contain high concentrations of organic acids. Agricultural infrastructure often includes precast concrete elements with joints where leakage can occur. These joints require reliable sealants capable of withstanding the corrosive nature of organic acids to prevent contamination of the surrounding environment.
Efforts to produce carbon-neutral fuels, like biogas, are gaining momentum. Biogas can be produced from organic waste sources common in agriculture, such as effluent, sewer, garden waste, and food waste. For efficient biogas production, sealants used in anaerobic digestion tanks must resist high concentrations of organic acids, even at elevated temperatures. This resistance ensures a more sustainable and environmentally friendly biogas production process.
9. Water Infrastructure Joints
Manufactured water management infrastructure is essential for water supply or safety for urban and rural areas as well as agriculture. Examples include canals, reservoirs, waterways for transportation, flood protection for communities, and energy generation and storage. In order to ensure the structures are capable of efficient and safe water use or storage, construction must be durable and watertight, while allowing for a reliable maintenance plan.
One of the main drivers of deterioration of this infrastructure is leakage at the joints, where the structure is most vulnerable. Sika's waterproof polyurethane sealant Sikaflex® PRO-3 Purform® provides excellent durability in humid environments. In addition, its outstanding resistance to water, mechanical and chemical forces make it the optimal choice as a sealant for water management infrastructure.
Excellent durability in humid environments
High mechanical and chemical resistance, including salt water and wastewater
High resistance to weathering
Elasticity is maintained over a wide temperature range
Certificates:
EN 15651-4: PW EXT-INT CC 25 HM
ASTM C920 Movement Class 50 (incl. Use I)
EN 14188-2: Class 35
Wastewater test according to DIBT guidelines
ASTM C1247, Use I
10. Food & Beverage Processing Plant Joints
In the same way that choosing the right processing equipment and flooring is crucial to the success of a food and beverage plant, so is choosing the right floor and wall joint sealants and installing them correctly. As a complete surface, the floor, wall and joint sealing systems must be integrated and fully compatible to effectively seal the surfaces and prevent hazardous substances from leaching into the food being prepared or the working environment.
Sika has a complete range of compatible systems, including floor systems and necessary joint sealants fulfilling the latest European and International guidelines, which confirm suitability for use in such industries. Several specific Sikaflex® joint sealing systems have been developed to meet the most stringent hygienic and cleaning requirements for food and beverage processing areas.
Extensive approvals and certification
High chemical resistance
No migration of chemicals in case of food contact
Resistant to cleaning agents and brushes
Resistant to small-wheeled production traffic
Resistant to moisture and mold growth
Several colors
Compatible with Sika industrial flooring systems
Approvals and Certificates:
EN 1186
EN 13130
EN CEN/TS 14234 (ISEGA certificate)
FDA approval
11. Clean Room Joints
The requirements that joint sealants must meet to be used in clean rooms are generally related to VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Outgassing during curing and service life cannot be tolerated as this would have impact on the goods produced - be it electronics, pharmaceuticals or food. Besides VOC emissions, further requirements include:
- airtight connections, since clean rooms are generally run with slight overpressurization
- a fine and tack-free surface to avoid dirt accumulation
- resistance to cleaning agents, which can be quite harsh especially in medical and pharmaceutical environments
Sikaflex® PRO-3 has been applied in many clean rooms all over the world for production and medical facilities like hospital operating rooms.
Extensive international and national approvals
Lowest outgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Resistant to mechanical impact, including small-wheeled traffic
Many colors available
Compatible with Sikafloor® and Sikagard® clean room floor and wall coatings
Certificates:
Cleanroom suitable materials by Fraunhofer IPA CSM Germany
SEAGATE outgassing test (CN)
Key Brands
Sikaflex®
Sikasil®
SikaTank®
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