Parking garage expansion joints in Fargo

Why garage joints are a structural issue

A leaking deck joint drips salt water straight onto the reinforcing steel and connection hardware below it. Chloride laden water is what kills parking structures: it corrodes rebar, spalls the concrete around it, and turns a joint replacement into a structural repair. In a climate that salts roads five months a year, the expansion joints are the structure’s main line of defense, which is why garages get inspected on cycles the way the federal building envelope guidance recommends for wearing surfaces.

The tell tale signs from the level below: rust stains tracking a straight line across the ceiling, efflorescence stalactites at the joint, and dripping that continues days after rain because the joint holds water. Any of those means the system has failed, not just the sealant.

Repair or replace

Small splits in an otherwise sound gland can sometimes be repaired in place. A system past its life gets cut out entirely: demolition of the old nosing material, deck edge repair, and a new engineered system sized to the structure’s actual movement. Published range is $25 to $75 per linear foot depending on system and deck condition, and the survey tells you which side of it you are on.

Garage work we handle

• Expansion joint system replacement, all common gland and nosing types
• Deck to wall and deck to column joint resealing
• Cove joints and curb lines on drive lanes
• Tee to tee joint sealant on precast double tee decks
• Stair and elevator tower isolation joints
• Coordination with traffic membrane work where decks are coated

We phase garage work by bay and by level so the structure stays open, and we schedule salt season repairs for the first workable weather. Structures in Grand Forks and downtown Fargo make up most of this work.