In Concrete Construction, What Is A Dowel Bar?

What exactly is a dowel bar?

Dowel bars are small steel bars that are used in concrete construction to improve weight distribution and increased performance. These bars allow the concrete slabs to slide horizontally without restricting their durability. Tell us what dowel bars are and how they are put and positioned appropriately on building sites to prevent stress and deformation in the leave and strategy concrete slabs:

A dowel bar is a short steel rod inserted inside concrete slabs that is utilized in concrete constructions to create structural linkages without restricting horizontal mobility. It has a diameter of 32 mm to 38 mm and a length of up to 60 mm. The common norm is to space them 305 mm apart in concrete slabs of heavily used sidewalks.

These bars are typically smooth and covered with stainless steel to prevent corrosion. To prevent bonding with plain cement concrete, certain dowel bars are coated with epoxy (PCC). Notably, a dowel bar with a green colour has an epoxy coating. If it is glossy, it is stainless steel coated.

Dowel bars are used in what situations?

Dowel bars are used to connect two jointed plain cement concrete (JPCP) slabs mechanically. These slabs are designed and installed in residential and commercial buildings to withstand considerable traffic.

This type of bar is used to reduce deflection and stress on the pavement’s leave and entrance concrete slabs. Their placement does not hinder horizontal mobility of concrete slabs and improves load transmission efficiency.

The Benefits of Using Dowel Bars

Dowel bars are useful for various purposes:

There should be no restrictions on horizontal joint motions.

Once the temperature rises, the concrete slabs in the pavement slide horizontally and expand in size. In the winter, the reverse occurs. Dowel bars are effective in transferring heat while without limiting the horizontal mobility of concrete slabs.

Capacity to handle loads

A dowel bar can improve the strength and load-bearing capability of concrete pavement slabs. The bars quick compared load, culminating in no fractures or displacement of the slabs.

Joint fault reduction

Corner cracking and joint flaws are reduced when such bars are fitted. These small bars provide the mechanical support that a concrete slab requires.

Dowel bar alignment and placement must be precise.

Dowel bars are inserted in the concrete slabs at the mid-depth level and remain perpendicular to the pavement surface. The middle of these bars should be at the joint’s lowest point. These bars are installed parallel to the direction of traffic movement on the pavements by building engineers. To avoid misalignment, the bars must be properly secured. For optimal weight transmission and distribution, all of the bars should be parallel to each other.

Is there a distinction between a tie bar and a dowel bar?

Tie bars have an epoxy-coated rough surface. They bind with the concrete labs and provide a strong link between two adjacent slabs of pavement. These bars are not load distributors. They transmit load as little as possible while avoiding slab deflection.

Dowel bars, on the other hand, provide support and efficiently transmit load. They are installed across the transverse joints of a pavement’s concrete slabs. They do not bind to the PCC and do not prevent the slabs from moving horizontally.

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