DOWEL BAR WITH DETAILS

Dowel bars:

• Dowels are short straight steel bars and also cogged bars, used to provide mechanical or structural connection between two precast elements or in-situ to precast elements.
  (Refer Fig.01)

(Fig.01) Dowel bars

Purpose of Dowel bars:

• Dowel bars used to maintain the horizontal and vertical alignments of slab and precast panel. (Ref Fig.02)
• Dowel bar connection used to transfer the loads between two concrete elements or two precast elements or precast to in-situ elements. (Refer Fig.03&04)
• Dowel bar is used to extend the structure easily with small drilling to insert the steel for the extension of the structure.

General details for Dowels:

• Dowel bar is a steel rods with spiral outer design. (Refer Fig.01)
• Used in all the locations where Grout tubes are required.
• Selection of Dowel based on Engineer requirement.
• Dowel can either be black finish or galvanized finish.
• Black finish for load bearing dowels and galvanized finish for NLB (non-load bearing) dowel. (It may be varied).
• Alternatively, bars connected into NMB splice sleeves can be used. Also, starter bars can be casted into panel.
• Plastic tube will be placed over upper half of dowel. And 20mm compressible cap will be placed over the top of the dowel bar for NLB (non-load bearing) portions whereas grouting material will cover the entire dowels for LB (Load bearing) conditions.
• Dowels must be positioned within Grout Tubes with minimum amount of clearance on precast walls or slabs.

Advantages:

• It is reducing the corner cracking.
• It will reduce joint faulting.
• Dowel bar is also used to reduce the deflection and stress.

(Fig.02) Precast wall connection

(Fig.03) – Precast to in-situ connection

(Fig.04) – Precast to slab connection