CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE ROAD WITH EXPANSION JOINTS

• US 3,702,093 A
• Filed: 04/02/1971
• Issued: 11/07/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guido Van De Loock, Roeland Van Overbeke
• Original Assignee: Guido Van De Loock, Roeland Van Overbeke
• Inventors: Van de Loock, Guido, Van Overbeke, Roeland
• Primary Examiner(s): Byers, Jr., Nile C.
• Application Number:
  US05/130,627
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 94/8,17,18,22
• US Class Current: 404/62
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 11/14 Dowel assembly ; Design or construction of reinforcements in the area of joints coupling devices for prefabricated units E01C5/005; combined with characteristic packings E01C11/08 - E01C11/12; removable holders E01C23/045

Abstract

A support apparatus for constructing a concrete road with expansion joints includes a plurality of like-oriented parallelspaced inverted U-shaped cross members and at least one pair of support members connecting together the cross members with one of the support members being connected to each of the legs at an intermediate point on one side of the cross members and the other of the support members being connected to each of the opposite legs at an intermediate point on the opposite side of the cross members. In constructing a concrete road with expansion joints the support apparatus is first placed on a roadbed in general alignment with the desired location of a particular expansion joint, self-oiling dowel bars are secured adjacent the cross members with the dowel bars resting on the support members and being aligned generally with the longitudinal axis of the road, the concrete is poured for finishing the road, and a groove is then cut in the upper portion of the concrete, prior to the time when the concrete commences to shrink, to a depth sufficient to sever the central elements connecting the legs of the inverted Ushaped cross members but not to a depth sufficient to contact the dowel bars.

Claims

1. A method for constructing a concrete road with expansion joints which comprises placing a support apparatus on a roadbed in general alignment with the desired location of an expansion joint prior to pouring concrete for finishing the concrete road, said support apparatus including a plurality of substantially parallel-spaced inverted generally U-shaped cross members, each of said U-shaped cross members including a first leg on one side, a second leg on the other side and a central element connecting said legs and being generally oriented in the same direction as the others of said cross members, and a pair of substantially parallel-spaced support members disposed substantially perpendicular to the planes of said U-shaped cross members and connecting together said cross members, one of said support members being connected to each of said first legs at a point intermediate the ends of said first legs and the other of said support members being connected to said second legs at a point intermediate the ends of said second legs, said support members being aligned generally parallel with the desired expansion joint with one support member being disposed on one side and the other support member being disposed on the other side thereof, securing a self-oiling dowel bar adjacent essentially each Ushaped cross member, said dowel bars resting on said support members and being aligned generally with the longitudinal axis of said road, pouring concrete for finishing said road to a depth exceeding the height of said support apparatus, and cutting a groove in the upper portion of said concrete prior to the time when said concrete commences substantial shrinking to a depth sufficient to sever the central elements connecting said legs of said cross members but not to an extent to contact said dowel bars.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein each of said legs at its other end has an arm connected thereto disposed substantially parallel to said central element and extending in a direction outwardly from said central element.

3. The invention of claim 2 including a second pair of substantially parallel-spaced support members disposed substantially perpendicular to the planes of said U-shaped cross members and connecting together said cross members, one of said second pair of support members being connected to each of the arms on one side of the cross members and the other of said second pair of support members being connected to each of the arms on the other side of the cross members.

4. The invention of claim 1 in which the dimensions of the construction are selected on the following basis:

1/4 A <

H + D <

3/4 A <

A - B <

C wherein;

A the depth of the final concrete layer H the height at which the lower edge of the dowel bars are supported above the roadbed D the diameter of the dowel bars B the depth of the groove C the height of the central elements of the cross members above the roadbed.

5. In a concrete road having expansion joints, the improvement which comprises a support apparatus placed on a roadbed in general alignment with the location of each expansion joint and embedded in said concrete road said support apparatus including a plurality of substantially parallel-spaced inverted generally U-shaped cross members, each of said U-shaped cross members including a first leg on one side, a second leg on the other side and a central element connecting said legs and being generally oriented in the same direction as the others of said cross members, and a pair of substantially parallel-spaced support members disposed substantially perpendicular to the planes of said U-shaped cross members and connecting together said cross members, one of said support members being connected to each of said first legs at a point intermediate the ends of said first legs and the other of said support members being connected to said second legs at a point intermediate the ends of said second legs, said support members being aligned generally parallel with the expansion joint with one support member being disposed on one side and the other support member being disposed on the other side thereof, a plurality of self-oiling dowel bars secured adjacent essentially each U-shaped cross member, said dowel bars resting on said support members and being aligned generally with the longitudinal axis of said road, and a groove cut in the upper portion of said concrete road to a depth sufficient to sever the central elements connecting said legs of said cross members but not to an extent to contact said dowel bars.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein each of said legs at its other end has an arm connected thereto disposed substantially parallel to said central element and extending in a direction outwardly from said central element.

7. The invention of claim 6 including a second pair of substantially parallel-spaced support members disposed substantially perpendicular to the planes of said U-shaped cross members and connecting together said cross members, one of said second pair of support members being connected to each of the arms on one side of the cross members and the other of said second pair of support members being connected to each of the arms on the other side of the cross members.

8. The invention of claim 5 in which the dimensions of the concrete road are selected on the following basis:

1/4 A <

H + D <

3/4 A <

A - B <

C wherein;

A the depth of the concrete layer H the height at which the lower edge of the dowel bars are supported above the roadbed D the diameter of the dowel bars B the depth of the groove C the height of the central elements of the cross members above the roadbed.