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Sealants, compatibility and joint design · Lesson 4 of 4

Sealants, compatibility and joint design: defects, verification and case study

Inspection points, the field adhesion test and its log, the common defects and their corrections, old-sealant handling, and a fictional callback to diagnose.

You will be able to: Inspect a sealed joint against the specification, run and read a field adhesion test, diagnose common sealant defects, and write a corrective action for a failed joint.

9 min · 11 slides · 6 questions

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Slide 1 of 11

Inspection points

Check before and after sealing:

  • The container label must show type, class, grade and use.
  • The sealant is within its shelf life.
  • The joint is not narrower than the maker allows.
  • The faces are clean and dry.
  • The backing is whole and at a uniform depth.
  • The joint is completely filled, with no voids.
Sealant joint inspection checklistA checklist of ten inspection points for a sealed joint: label, shelf life, width, clean faces, metal temperature, rod, bead fill, tooling, logged pull test and safety data sheet.Sealant joint checklistLabel: type,class, grade,useWithin shelflifeWidth meetsthe maker’sminimumFaces cleanand dryMetaltemperaturein limitsRod whole,uniform depthBead full,no voidsTooled, taperemovedPull testdone andloggedSafety datasheet on site

A checklist of ten inspection points for a sealed joint: label, shelf life, width, clean faces, metal temperature, rod, bead fill, tooling, logged pull test and safety data sheet.

The points the sample specifications check, plus the safety data sheet on site. Limits come from your project section and the sealant data sheet.

Sources

Glossary

Adhesive failure
The sealant lets go of the joint substrate. In the sample VA specification, sealant that fails to adhere in a field test is removed and retested.
Cohesive failure
The sealant tears within itself rather than letting go of the substrate. The sample VA specification reports whether pulled sealant failed to adhere or tore cohesively.
Field adhesion test
A test on an installed joint, by the hand pull tab method or the tail procedure, following the maker’s instructions and the project section.
Test log
The record of installation dates, installers, test dates and locations, priming, results and elongation, fill, configuration and dimensions that the sample VA specification asks for.
Shelf life
The period a sealant may be stored and still used; sealant past it, or jelled so it cannot be discharged in a continuous flow, is not used.