Evaluation and Performance of Elastomeric Bridge Joint Sealants

Standard tests for the evaluation of bridge joint sealants include conditioning of the sealant to simulate in-service environmental exposure. Samples are then tested at room temperature. This research examined the behavior of sealants at environmental working temperatures and reviewed the testing parameters of the ASTM C 719 Specification. The research concluded that many sealants perform poorly at low temperature and that standard specifications should be modified to include low temperature testing and validation of total train capacity.