DOWEL SYSTEM

An apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element, the apparatus including a dowel for transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element and a dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, wherein the dowel support is formed of corrosion free material.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Australian Patent Application No. 2021221651, filed Aug. 25, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a dowel system for supporting a concrete panel in alignment with an adjacent concrete panel and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to a dowel system for use in residential pavements.

BACKGROUND

It has been previously proposed to provide a dowel system for supporting a concrete element in line with an adjacent concrete element. In particular, it has been proposed to provide a dowel system for maintaining vertical alignment of adjacent panels in a concrete residential pavement for pedestrians. The dowel system may be provided to prevent one concrete element rising relative to an adjacent concrete element which may result in a tripping hazard for pedestrians.

However, there are various disadvantages with existing dowel systems as partially explained below.

Examples of the present disclosure seek to obviate or at least ameliorate one or more disadvantages of existing dowel systems. Examples of the present disclosure provide an improved dowel system for supporting a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element. The apparatus includes a dowel for transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element and a dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, wherein the dowel support is formed of corrosion free material.

Preferably, the dowel support is formed of plastic material. More preferably, the dowel support is formed by plastic injection moulding.

In a preferred form, the dowel support includes at least one resilient clip for resiliently receiving the dowel for supporting the dowel relative to the casting bed. More preferably, the dowel support includes a foot arranged to extend along a surface of the casting bed and an arm extending upwardly from the foot to support the clip. Even more preferably, the dowel support includes a series of spaced arms at spaced intervals along a longitudinal axis of the foot.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a pair of like dowel supports and a plurality of dowels, each of the dowels extending between the pair of dowel supports. More preferably, each of the dowels is supported in an orientation substantially parallel to the casting bed.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an assembly for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element. The assembly includes a dowel for transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element, a first dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, and a second dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to the casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, wherein the first dowel support and the second dowel support are formed as like parts.

Preferably, the first dowel support supports a first end portion of the dowel, and the second dowel supports at ports a second end portion of the dowel. More preferably, the first dowel support includes a resilient support portion for receiving the first end portion of the dowel and the second dowel support includes a resilient support portion for receiving the second end portion of the dowel.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for supporting the level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element. The apparatus includes a dowel for transferring load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element and a dowel support for supporting the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The dowel support includes a foot and a plurality of cradles for supporting the dowel, each of the cradles being positioned at a different height relative to the foot for interchangeably supporting the dowel at a different height relative to the casting bed.

Preferably, the dowel support includes the plurality of cradles at different heights corresponding to predetermined dowel heights for different pavement slab sizes. More preferably, the dowel support includes three cradles at heights of 100 mm, 125 mm, and 155 mm relative to the casting bed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the features, devices, and apparatus described herein may be embodied in various forms, the drawings show, and the specification describe certain exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. Not all of the components shown in the drawings and described in the specification may be required, and certain implementations may include additional, different, or fewer components. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components; the shapes, sizes, and materials of the components; and the manners of connections of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims. Unless otherwise indicated, any directions referred to in the specification reflect the orientations of the components shown in the corresponding drawings and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further, terms that refer to mounting methods, such as mounted, attached, connected, and the like, are not intended to be limited to direct mounting methods but should be interpreted broadly to include indirect and operably mounted, attached, connected and like mounting methods. This specification is intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure and as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

With reference toFIGS.1to10of the drawings, there is shown an example embodiment of the present disclosure including a dowel10and a pair of dowel cradles12. Disadvantages with various existing dowel systems may include that the dowel systems may be prone to corrosion, inconvenient/expensive to transport, and/or difficult to adjust. Advantageously, the dowel system of the present disclosure addresses one or more of these disadvantages of existing dowel systems.

Accordingly, in the example embodiment of the present disclosure depicted inFIGS.1to10, there is provided an apparatus14for supporting a level of a concrete element16(seeFIG.3) relative to an adjacent concrete element18. The apparatus14includes a dowel10for transferring load from the concrete element16to the adjacent concrete element18and a dowel support12for supporting the dowel10relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The dowel support12is formed of corrosion-free material. As shown inFIG.3, the apparatus14may be used in conjunction with a crack inducer36, used for inducing a crack at a desired location to define the concrete elements16and18.

In the example shown, the dowel support12is formed of plastic material such that the dowel support12will not corrode. The dowel support12may be formed by plastic injection moulding.

The dowel support12includes at least one resilient clip20(seeFIG.4) for resiliently receiving the dowel10for supporting the dowel10relative to the casting bed. The dowel support12may include a foot22arranged to extend along a surface of the casting bed and an arm24extending upwardly from the foot22to support the clip20. As shown inFIG.5, the dowel support12may include a series of spaced arms24at spaced intervals along a longitudinal axis of the foot22.

As shown most clearly inFIG.1,FIG.2, andFIG.10, the apparatus14may include a pair of like dowel supports12and a plurality of dowels10, each of the dowels10extending between the pair of dowel supports12. Each of the dowels10may be supported in an orientation substantially parallel to the casting bed. This orientation is clearly shown in the end view ofFIG.3where the dowel10is supported in a horizontal orientation parallel to the horizontal casting bed on which the concrete elements16and18have been cast.

Another aspect provides an assembly26including a dowel10when assembled together with a pair of dowel supports12. More specifically, as shown inFIG.1,FIG.2, andFIG.10, there is provided an assembly26for supporting a level of a concrete element16relative to an adjacent concrete element18. The assembly26includes a dowel10for transferring load from the concrete element16to the adjacent concrete element18, a first dowel support12aand a second dowel support12b. The first dowel support12ais arranged for supporting one end portion of the dowel10relative to the casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete, and the second dowel support12bis arranged for supporting an opposite end portion of the dowel10relative to the casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The first dowel support12aand the second dowel support12bare formed as like parts. In particular, the first dowel support12aand the second dowel support12bmay be formed as identical castings is from a common mould through a process of plastic injection moulding.

The first dowel support12asupports a first end portion28of the dowel10and the second dowel support12bsupports a second end portion30of the dowel10. The first dowel support12aincludes a resilient support portion32for receiving the first end portion28of the dowel10and the second dowel support12bincludes a resilient support portion32for receiving the second end portion30of the dowel10.

In another aspect, there is provided an apparatus14which facilitates adjustability of a height of the dowel10above the casting surface. More specifically, there is provided an apparatus14for supporting a level of a concrete element16relative to an adjacent concrete element18, the apparatus14including a dowel10for transferring load from the concrete element16to the adjacent concrete element18. The apparatus14also includes a dowel support12for supporting the dowel10relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete. The dowel support12includes a foot22and a plurality of cradles34(seeFIG.9) for supporting the dowel10. Each of the cradles34is positioned at a different height relative to the foot22for interchangeably supporting the dowel10at a different height relative to the casting bed. Each of the cradles34is positioned at a different longitudinal axis.

Advantageously, the dowel support12includes the plurality of cradles34at different heights corresponding to predetermined dowel heights for different pavement slab sizes. For example, in the example depicted inFIG.9, the dowel support12includes three cradles—a first cradle34aat a height of 100 mm, a second cradle34bat a height of 125 mm and third cradle34cat a height of 155 mm relative to the casting bed.

As shown inFIG.7, the dowel support12may be provided at either end with a coupling38so that one dowel support12is able to be interlinked with another like dowel support12to form a longer length of dowel supports, for example where a plurality of dowel supports12are required to span a width of a pavement being laid.

Corrosion Free Dowel Cradle

Advantageously, examples of the present disclosure may be useful in providing a corrosion-free dowel and support cage construction. Further advantageous features may include the following:Accurate and consistent dowel centres over a long run (up to 4 m).Freestanding chaired construction to suit 100 mm, 125 mm and 150 mm slab heights. Dowels positioned at half the slab height.Causes no restraint but allows for contraction from concrete shrinkage at a pour through joint.Open profile with larger apertures to avoid crack induction and to allow good flow of aggregate up to 20 mm.

Modular Flat Pack Construction (Clip Together Onsite)

By virtue of the easy assembly facilitated by the straightforward coupling of the dowel10to the dowel supports12, examples of the present disclosure may provide the following advantageous features:Flat-pack components which can be assembled onsite by installer.Clip together assembly functionality without fasteners or welding.Securely holds dowels in place and at a level during concrete pour.Modular length which can be joined in a chain to create larger runs of dowels.Simple to cut to in-fill lengths if required.

Multiple Configuration Dowel Placement

By virtue of the easy variability in height of the dowel10courtesy of the cradles34being at a range of heights, examples of the present disclosure may provide the following advantageous features:Standardised multiple slab height chair for all three required pavement slab sizes (100 mm, 125 mm and 150 mm).Possibility of having multifunctional dowel centre placement options (for example 150, 300, 450 or 600).Possibility of having different dowel sizes for different slab heights.Possibility to suit different dowel lengths.

While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

LIST OF NUMBERED FEATURES