Sidewalks and Driveways

[LisaMJ]

What is the maximum width for expansion joints when building a concrete driveway for an emergency room ? What type of material is required for the expansion joint? We live in Louisiana.

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

Hi Lisa,

Those aspects of concrete slabs would be based on the engineer designing the driveway and within any requirements within ACI 318 (ACI is American Concrete Institute), but those design elements would be flexible as one could engineer fewer expansion joints which were wider or more expansion joints which were narrower depending on the sizes of the area between expansion joints. The material would also be the engineers choice as fewer expansion joints would indicate the use of a material which can address greater movement, whereas fewer expansion joints would not require a material which would need to address much movement.

What is an issue with the driveway and the expansion joints? Or is this a new/proposed driveway not yet designed or constructed? Personally, I would lean toward more expansion joints and less movement to keep the expansion joints within the center of there elasticity range, which would mean less 'squeezing upward' or 'stretching downward' of the expansion joint material, allowing for the material to remain closer to the same plane as the concrete on each side of the expansion joint so as to not create a trip and fall hazard due to humps or dips at the expansion joints.

In the end, though, it is up to the designer of record (engineer/architect/design professional) to make those choices.

[LisaMJ]

The reason I'm asking is that after checking on a family member in the emergency dept. at our local hospital, my husband & I walked across the driveway to our car and my foot got caught in the expansion joint of the driveway. My shoe became stuck in the gap and I fell. The only filler in the joint was rotten wood at the beginning and end and the joint was very wide. Before I was even able to walk without pain I received a bill from the hospital for my treatment. The hospital is saying this isn't their fault and is requiring me to pay for my treatment. My husband is a licensed contractor and we can't get an answer on why the joint was so wide and why the joint wasn't filled after the wood rotted.

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

[LisaMJ]

The hospital insurance company is saying that I would have had to let them know about the problem and give them time to correct it before I fell, and if they didn't and I fell then it would be their fault. That is the craziest thing I have ever heard before. I have hired an attorney. Because my husband is a contractor, our attorney is wanting my husband to research the sidewalk and driveway issue, He only has info on types of expansion materials, but nothing on codes like this. The fall happened last January and I've been paying bills ever since.

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]

[LisaMJ]

I live in a small town in north Louisiana called Collinston.

The first attorney I hired did nothing but let his paralegal handle the case. They received a letter from the hospital's insurance co. that simply stated they wouldn't be responsible because they weren't aware of the problem to correct it before I fell. They do have a maintenance dept.

I hired a second attorney and the insurance co. isn't even bothering to respond to his letter, so he sent a second one giving them one week to answer the letter before filing suit. Their week was up on the 11th of August. I really like this attorney and feel that he is working the case. As for experts around here, we have none! If it's okay I may give your .com to my attorney.

[Jerry Peck - Codeman]