DURAboardHD100 – Bitumen free joint filler [November 2012]

November 22, 2012 12:12 pm

The Supreme Industries Ltd, founded in 1942, pioneered many path-breaking products in the country and became trendsetters in plastics products by introducing many advanced solutions for various applications and industries. Ajay Mohta, General Manager, Construction Accessories Division, the Supreme Industries Ltd, talks about the company’s star brand, ‘DURAboardHD100’
An expansion joint is an assembly designed to safely absorb the heat-induced expansion and contraction of various construction materials, to absorb vibration, to hold certain parts together, or to allow movement due to ground settlement or earthquakes.
Throughout the year, building faces, concrete slabs and pipelines expand and contract due to the warming and cooling through seasonal variation, or due to other heat sources. If expansion joints were not implemented in bridges, building, highways etc. the intense heat in the summer would expand the metal, brick, or concrete materials in a structure resulting in developing cracks and may at the end could break.
Also, in the winter the harsh cold temperatures would make the materials contract in nature and this would also result in disastrous circumstances.
DURAboardHD100 (formerly SILflex/Capell HD100) is an exclusive compressible filler board specially designed to be used as expansion joint filler in concrete brick, block work and isolation joint, where is readily compressible low load transfer joint filler is required. Its excellent recovery property makes it the most suitable product for this application.
DURAboardHD100 is a high performance, pre-moulded compressible filler board, closed cell joint filler material available in the board or sheets form. It is very light weight.  This makes it very easy to handle and install. Being polymer based, it is rot proof and bacteria resistant.
The striking features of DURAboardHD100 are:• Bitumen free – can be cut in any size with a normal knife• Excellent recovery of 95 per cent after compression up to 50 per cent• Polymer based – hence it won’t deteriorate also over a long period• Resilient and does not distort under normal load from wet concrete• Non-staining.
DURAboardHD100 can be used in:• Expansion joints in building, concrete structure• Expansion joints in concrete roads, parking areas, industrial flooring etc.• Joints in bridges, decks, water retaining and water excluding structures etc.• Isolation joints in machine foundation.
It is massively used in PQC and various structures for NHAI, AAI, real estate and British specification and specification for highways works clause 1015.The construction industry across the world is witnessing a tremendous boom and India is no exception. The government polices and expenses on infrastructure have helped the sector grow at higher levels and the same pace is likely to be seen in the coming years too. This industry comprises of many components including construction of heavy and civil engineering (highways, bridges, railway tracks, airports, etc.), real estate (both residential as well as commercial) development, and specialised construction products such as architectural products, electrical connections, decorative items, etc.
In the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) period, the Central Government is expecting a massive $ 1 trillion investment into infrastructure development therefore providing the civil construction industry with a major boost. The importance of civil construction industry can be gauged from the fact that it is the second largest economic activity after agriculture. With estimated investment into construction estimated at 11 per cent of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it holds huge untapped potential. Around Rs 15,099.84 billion is likely to be invested into the infrastructure sector over the next five to ten years in segments such as power, roads, bridges, city infrastructure, ports, airports, telecommunications – this is expected to give impetus to the construction industry nationwide.
According to Ajay Mohta, General Manager of Construction Accessories Division, the Supreme Industries, “The role of organisations like Supreme Industries in supporting the construction industry has become prominent and critical. Exposure to world-class expertise and advent of global players has led to infusion of new materials, equipment and technologies in the construction practices in India. However, quality along with cost-effectiveness remains a serious challenge. Moreover, the gap between the requirements of the construction industry and solutions available remains unfulfilled.”
The construction accessories division of Supreme has developed customised solutions specifically for the construction requirements of various segments. “All our products have been developed after continuous research and understanding the needs of the changing demands of the new generation constructions. Many of these products have been pioneered by Supreme,” Mr.  Mohta said. He further explained, “A case in point is the creation of a low compression set filler board ‘DURAboardHD100’ especially for expansion joints application, to replace less effective bitumen board based solutions.
“The division offers new generation, better alternative products to conventional materials like rubber, metals, and wood, thus being cost effective. The ‘DURA’ ranges of products are manufactured from virgin raw material and we do not use any CFC / HCFC gases. At every stage of the manufacturing process, a stringent quality check methodology assures the reliability of the products,” he added.
However, Mr. Mohta raised his concerns over use of old specification of bitumen by some government organisations. “They still hesitate to use new generation products,” said a worried Mr. Mohta. “Using bitumen based boards and cork sheets which disintegrate over a period of time, absorbs water and hardly recovers once compressed – it defeats the purpose of application. It absorbs water and oozes bitumen thereby staining the structure.”
“Supreme has a number of satisfied customers (government, semi‑government and private) who have stopped using and recommending bitumen boards / corks sheets after understanding the benefits of DURAboardHD100,” concludes Mr. Mohta.