ACI SP-164-97

Although bearing and joint systems comprise only a small percentage of the construction cost of highways, buildings, and bridges (1 percent, typically), their importance to the functioning of those structures is vastly greater. For without adequate engineering effort in design of these vital elements to account for the many, sometimes conflicting, requirements of loading and/or movement, the integrity of the entire structure may be compromised.

Our increased understanding of seismic activity has made us more aware of the wider area of this activity as the greater demand placed on support and joint systems.

This Fourth (quinquennial) World Congress on Joint Sealing and Bearing Systems in Concrete Structures will enhance the general understanding of these systems and introduce entirely new concepts developed to cater to the latest seismic code requirements.

As with the first two Congresses, this is V.2 of a two-volume set. V.1 contains 22 papers, plus the abstracts ofpapers presented at the Third Congress.