Dowel Bars

Dowel Bars are short steel round bars used while casting concrete that provide a connection between concrete slabs without restricting horizontal joint movement. They are provided at transverse joints to affect load transfer from one slab to the next, while permitting relative longitudinal movement of the concrete slabs.

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These steel bars are available in many grades of steel such as IS2062 E250A depending on the country, construction code or design practices. Indian standards for Dowel Bars are stated in IS6509. These bars because of the versatile properties of steel, increases load transfer efficiency by allowing the partial wheel load transfer. It allows the leave slab to assume some of the load of the approach slab before the load is actually over it. This reduces joint deflection and stress in the approach and leave slabs. It reduces joint faulting and corner cracking. A lot of times it is epoxy coated.

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These bars are used in various sizes of round bar but sizes usually used are from 25 mm and 40 mm. Lengths vary from 500mm to 600mm. Dowel steel bars are generally inserted in mid slab depth and coated with a bond-breaking substance to prevent bonding with the PCC. of one another.