Oakland Coliseum keeps spectators safe with new expansion joints
Oakland Coliseum
The Oakland Coliseum, built in 1966, has a lot of large moving joints between building components. A large concrete structure needs to flex and protect the steel reinforcing encased in the concrete. Smaller moving joints can be caulked, but larger joints between key sections of the stadium need something larger than what caulking can span, so preformed expansion joints are needed, in this case, compression fit joints. These joint fillers come out in varying widths in 10 long lengths. Urban Waterproofing was called upon on multiple occasions to install these expansion joint fillers, replacing old, worn-out original ones or places where prior attempts to patch or repair with caulking were failing badly. While the expansion joints were the largest part of the work, along with that, Urban Waterproofing repaired numerous concrete spalls and coated many walkways and ramps with new traffic coating—all combined, a comprehensive set of repairs to extend the life of a thriving sports arena.
Accurately installing preformed, compression-fit expansion joints is a specialty service. First, it takes careful measuring along the entire width of the joint to get the proper width. With the high expense of the material, an error in measurement can be very costly. Experienced installers know that the joint widths can vary on a structure due to uneven settling or other factors; the measurement phase must be thorough and double checked in many locations. Achieving the inevitable right angles and turns and field-cutting miter joints is also an art; these areas are always the most vulnerable over time. Correctly installing expansion joints is not for the hobbyist or weekend warrior!
What We Did
Installed nearly 500 running feet of Emseal preformed expansion joint filler
Applied over 5,000 sf of traffic coating
repaired 1,500 lf of cracks in the concrete deck
Repaired numerous concrete spalls
Project Details
Urban Waterproofing was called out to replace the expansion joints around the stadium walkways and landings in a three-phase project. The stadium was busy almost year-round—baseball in the summer, football in the fall / winter. Not to mention the concerts in between. When there was an opening in the schedule, Urban Waterproofing had to mobilize quickly to take advantage of the downtime.
While we performed many maintenance scopes out there, the most specialized were the expansion joints.
Most of the joints had cover plates on them that had to be removed, refurbished,and eventually replaced. With the cover plate off, we were able to access the original, failing joints and prepare the joint for the new material. All the old adhesive had to be removed using grinders to achieve a uniform, contaminant-free substrate for the new adhesive and expansion joint.
Once the joint was prepared, the 10’ long "sticks'' were laid out along the joint, with any field cuts made ahead of time. These expansion joints are an expanding foam and rubber type; they ship compressed and are wrapped tightly in plastic. When ready to install, you cut open the plastic wrap, and immediately the foam and rubber joints begin to expand. You have to move quickly to apply adhesive to the joint and at all miters and connections before the expansion joint expands to a width wider than the joint. That's how the expansion joint functions: it’s wider than the actual joint it’s filling, and it fits (and waterproofs) compression style. The combination of the pressure of the joint filler on the sides and the adhesive provides a watertight seal. The real art of expansion joint installation comes in achieving right angles and turns, of which there were hundreds, as Urban installed expansion joints along the stairs of the Oakland Coliseum going up and down the stadium levels.
At the flat landings, cover plates were reinstalled after refurbishment to prevent any trip hazards.
Very unforgiving for any errors in measurements and installation, it’s clear why expansion joint installation is only reserved for specialists.
Want to know how we can help with your next project?