Proposal of expansion joint spacing and width for concrete structures: Concrete median barrier case

Spacing and width are key elements of Concrete Median Barrier (CMB) because they accommodate expansion and contraction induced by temperature changes. However, spacing has been empirically installed in CMB without consideration of thermal-mechanical behavior of CMB. This paper aims at proposing the appropriate spacing and width of CMB based on literature review, field investigations, and thermal behavior analysis of CMB. According to literature review on expansion joint spacing, spacing ranges between 6 m and 200 m. The critical length (L_c) was developed based on thermal behavior analysis of CMB, which is the maximum length required to achieve expansion of CMB. In order to prevent CMB blow-ups due to temperature changes, appropriate spacing and width are proposed as follows: spacing 210 m and width 30 mm. In addition, installation location, construction methods and limitations are also considered.