SECTION 566 - MODULAR EXPANSION JOINT SYSTEMS (Last Revised January, 2021)
566-1 DESCRIPTION. The work shall consist of fabricating, furnishing, and installing a modular
expansion joint system at the locations indicated on the Contract Plans.
566-1.01 Modular Joint Systems. Modular expansion joint systems are manufactured in various sizes,
defined by their total movement capability. The correct movement capability required at any one location is indicated on the Contract Plans.
566-1.02 Sealing Elements. On each individual structure, all the seals used in the modular joints shall
be of the same configuration and shall be from the same manufacturer.
566-1.03 Modular Joint System Suppliers
A.Multicell Modular Joint Systems. Only firms which appear on the Department’s Approved List will be acceptable suppliers. No supplier other than those listed will be considered.
B.One Cell Modular Joint Systems. Firms that do not appear on the Department’s Approved List may supply one cell Modular Joint Systems. Firms which appear on the Department’s Approved List will also be acceptable suppliers.
566-1.04 Terminology. The following terminology will be used throughout this section:
A.Joint System. This term is used to describe the installation with all of its component parts as installed in the structure slab, and if applicable in sidewalks, barriers and other bridge components.
B.Segment. A modular joint system manufactured at less than full roadway width. No segment shall be less than a single lane width long.
C.Joint. The separation between two elements of a bridge to allow for movement.
566-2 MATERIALS. Materials shall conform to the following requirements.
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Sections 200 - 599 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS (USC) January 1, 2026 Volume 2
566-2.01 Modular Joint System. The modular joint system and all its component parts, including
stiffening plates and anchorages, shall be supplied by the Manufacturer. The Manufacturer shall certify that the following components meet the listed requirements: Hollow Beams, Steel Extrusions and Milled Steel Shapes ASTM A588 Box Seals 705-091 Strip Seal ASTM D26282 Adhesive 567-2.02 Stud Shear Connectors and Threaded Studs 709-05 Cover Plates – 3/8 inch Thickness ASTM A363 NOTES: 1 . Shape approval by the Director of Materials is not required. Hardness, Type A Durometer shall be 60 ± 5; ASTM Method D2240. A 3-foot sample of the seal shall be submitted for testing to the Materials Bureau. No splices shall be permitted in permanent seals for any reason whatsoever. 2 . Recovery test not required. 3 . Cover Plates shall be Galvanized in accordance with §719-01, Type I.
566-2.02 Shop Drawings
A.Shop Drawings shall be required for any joint system supplied as part of this work. Shop Drawings shall be prepared and reviewed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the SCM and this Specification and submitted to the DCES for approval. All Shop Drawings shall note the name and address of the Joint System Fabricator, including the actual location (address) where the fabrication will take place.
B.The Modular Joint System Manufacturer's instructions for the proper installation of the joint system shall be included on the Shop Drawings. Manufacturer's instructions shall include the proper width settings for various ambient temperatures. Shop Drawings which lack Manufacturer's installation instructions will be returned without examination.
C.Filler metal shall be qualified in accordance with Section 7 of the SCM. Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS) shall be submitted for approval to the DCES with the Shop Drawings for each combination of joint type and welding process shown on the Shop Drawings. Shop Drawing Approval will be withheld until this requirement has been met.
566-2.03 Fabrication
A.All steel fabrication (shop and field) shall be done in accordance with the requirements of the SCM. Mill inspection of the steel will not be required.
B.All metal surfaces in contact with the neoprene sealer shall be blast cleaned in accordance with the requirements of Steel Structures Painting Council Surface Preparation No. 6 (SSPC-SP6) - Commercial Blast Cleaning. After cleaning, all cleaned surfaces shall exhibit a clean quality of CSP6, or better, as defined by Steel Structures Painting Council Standard SSPC Vis 1.
C.The cleaned metal surfaces shall be protected from rusting until such a time as the sealer, and lubricant adhesive are placed against the metal surface. Any cleaned metal surface upon which rusting appears shall be recleaned in accordance with the foregoing, at no additional expense to the State.
D.When a cover plate is required, the modular joint shall be fabricated accounting for the necessary recess to create a flush mounted plate.
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Sections 200 - 599 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS (USC) January 1, 2026 Volume 2
E.Unless otherwise noted, each modular expansion joint system shall be fabricated as a single entity. It shall fit the full width of the structure as indicated on the Contract Plans. The system shall be preset by the Manufacturer prior to shipment. Presetting shall be done in accordance with the joint opening at 68°F. The joint opening will be indicated on the Contract Plans. Should the plans indicate that segmental fabrication is permissible, or required, each segment shall be fabricated to exactly fit that portion of the superstructure under construction, including sidewalks. Segments shall be fitted with temporary seals. Temporary seals will not require lubricant adhesive.
F.Shop inspection will be conducted at the discretion of the Department.
566-2.04 Acceptance. The fabricated joint system will be accepted at the work site by the Engineer after
a visual inspection and upon receipt of the Manufacturer's Certification Report (MCR) that the materials and the fabricating procedures were in accordance with the Approved Shop Drawings and this Specification. The Manufacturer shall submit, with the MCR, a Certified Copy of the Mill Test Report (MTR) for all steel used to fabricate the joint system.
566-3 Construction Details
566-3.01 Manufacturer's Representative. During the initial stages of the joint system installation the
Contractor shall have present at the installation site a Representative of the Joint System Manufacturer. This person shall be competent in all respects regarding the proper installation procedures to be used. The Representative shall advise the Contractor of, and certify to the Engineer that, the proper procedures are being followed. All certifications to the Engineer shall be in writing. A Manufacturer’s Representative is not required for One Cell Modular Joint Systems.
566-3.02 Field Inspection. Immediately prior to installation, the joint system shall be inspected by the
Engineer, for proper alignment, and complete bond between the neoprene sealer and the steel, and proper stud placement and effectiveness. No bends or kinks in the joint system steel shall be allowed (except as necessary to follow the roadway profile and grades). Nor shall the straightening of such bend or kinks be allowed. Any joint system exhibiting bends or kinks shall be removed from the work site, and replaced by a new joint system, at no additional cost. Neoprene sealer not fully bonded to the steel shall be fully bonded at the expense of the Contractor. Studs shall be inspected visually and shall be given a light blow with a hammer. Any stud which does not have a complete end weld or does not emit a ringing sound when struck by a light blow with a hammer, shall be replaced. Studs located more than 1 inch, in any direction, from the location shown on the Shop Drawings, shall be carefully removed and a new stud placed in the proper location. All stud replacements shall be at no additional cost.
566-3.03 Installation
A.Manufacturer’s Instructions. The modular expansion joint system shall be installed in strict accordance with the Manufacturer's instructions, and the advice of their Official Representative. Two weeks prior to the intended installation, the Engineer shall be supplied with two copies of the written instructions. The permanently installed joint system shall match exactly the finished roadway profile and grades. The words “permanently installed”, shall be interpreted to mean that any work necessary to be done to any other part of the structure, in order to achieve a truly complete permanent installation, has been done. This will apply even if the other work is to be paid for under other items of the Contract.
B.Joint System Width, Splices, and Installation Equipment. The modular expansion joint system shall be set to the proper width for the ambient temperature at the time of setting, as indicated on the
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Sections 200 - 599 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS (USC) January 1, 2026 Volume 2 Shop Drawings. If the joint system has been fabricated in segments, they shall be field spliced to create a single unbroken system. All mechanical devices, supplied by the Joint System manufacturer, used to set the joint system to the proper width, will remain the property of the Manufacturer. When no longer required, the devices shall be returned to the Manufacturer.
C.Cover Plate. In order to perform the work of installing the joint systems in a proper manner, some portions of the curb and parapet cannot be constructed until after the cover plates of the joint system are installed. This surface shall be scrubbed with wire brooms. After the surface preparation has been accepted, every effort should be made to thoroughly wet the concrete surface, and all porous surfaces to be in contact with new concrete, for 12 hours. If, in the opinion of the Engineer, conditions or the situation prohibits this, then the surfaces should be wetted for as long as possible. Construction joints must be wetted by continuous spraying with hoses using potable water. The Contractor shall remove any puddles of free-standing water with oil-free compressed air, and protect the surfaces from drying, so the existing concrete remains in a clean, saturated surface dry condition until placement of the new concrete. In lieu of wetting, the Contractor may elect to coat the area of contact with a penetrating sealer per §717-03. The surface shall be allowed to dry for 24 hours before coating. All surface preparation work shall be completed before sealer application can commence. There is no time limit between coating with sealer and placing the new concrete. If the area becomes contaminated in any way, it shall be cleaned prior to placing the new concrete.
D.Permanent Seals. After the joint system has been completely installed over the full width of the structure, including sidewalks, the temporary seals shall be removed and replaced with permanent seals. After the temporary seals are removed, all metal surfaces which will be in contact with the permanent seals shall be commercially blast cleaned (SSPC-SP6) to visual standard CSP6 as defined by SSPC Vis 1-89.
E.Final Placement. After the modular joint system has been set to its final line and grade, the recess opening shall be filled with the same concrete used for the slab. This surface shall be scrubbed with wire brooms. After the surface preparation has been accepted, every effort should be made to thoroughly wet the concrete surface, and all porous surfaces to be in contact with new concrete, for 12 hours. If, in the opinion of the Engineer, conditions or the situation prohibits this, then the surfaces should be wetted for as long as possible. Construction joints shall be wetted by continuous spraying with hoses using potable water. The Contractor shall remove any puddles of free-standing water with oil-free compressed air, and protect the surfaces from drying, so the existing concrete remains in a clean, saturated surface dry condition until placement of the new concrete. The uppermost surface of the concrete placement shall be finished in accordance with the requirements of Section 557 except that machine finishing will not be required and the curing time is seven days. The cost of this work shall be included in the unit price bid for the slab item(s). In lieu of wetting, the Contractor may elect to coat the area of contact with a penetrating sealer per §717-03. The surface shall be allowed to dry for 24 hours before coating. All surface preparation work shall be completed before sealer application can commence. There is no time limit between coating with sealer and placing the new concrete. If the area becomes contaminated in any way, it shall be cleaned prior to placing the new concrete.
F.Watertight Integrity Test. After the joint system has been permanently installed, including cover plates and all concrete placements, a watertight integrity test shall be performed. The test shall be done in accordance with the requirements of §567-3.01 H.
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Sections 200 - 599 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS (USC) January 1, 2026 Volume 2
566-4 METHOD OF MEASUREMENT. The work will be measured as the number of feet of joint
system completely installed. Measurement will be taken horizontally and vertically along the centerline of the joint system between the outer limits indicated on the Contract Plans. The words “completely installed” shall be interpreted to mean the joint system in-place with the following operations completed, where applicable: Nuts tightened, or retightened, as required. Concrete placed, finished, and curing completed. Watertight integrity tests performed.
566-5 Basis of Payment
566-5.01 The unit price bid per foot shall include the cost of all labor, materials and equipment
necessary to complete the work.
566-5.02 No payment will be made for any work noted to be done at the expense of the Contractor, or
any work noted to be paid for under other items of the Contract. Payment will be made under: Item No. Item Pay Unit 566.01 Modular Expansion Joint System - One Cell Foot 566.02 Modular Expansion Joint System - Two Cell Foot 566.03 Modular Expansion Joint System - Three Cell Foot 566.04 Modular Expansion Joint System - Four Cell Foot 566.05 Modular Expansion Joint System - Five Cell Foot 566.06 Modular Expansion Joint System - Six Cell Foot
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Source: Standard Specifications (US Customary Units), 2026 (Jan) Edition. Pages 553–557 of 1,489. View official source ↗