Tubular reinforcing dowel system and method

• US 6,171,016 B1
• Filed: 10/20/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Concrete Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Concrete Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Pauls, Dennis A., Whiteman, John Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addie, Raymond W
• Application Number:
  US09/175,299
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 523/091.5, 523/091.7, 523/93, 523/960.2, 527/201, 527/214, 404/62, 404/67, 404/63, 404/64, 404/59, 404/58
• US Class Current: 404/64
• 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 tubular reinforcing dowel system includes a plurality of fiber composite hollow, tubular dowel tubes comprising a first material and each including a longitudinally-extending bore. The dowel tube bores are filled with a second material, such as hydraulic cement, to form dowel members. The dowel members are mounted on a basket assembly which includes a pair of horizontal runners and multiple, longitudinally-aligned pairs of stands mounted on the runners. Each stand is connected to a respective dowel member end. A reinforcing method includes the steps of mounting multiple reinforcing dowel members on a basket assembly, placing the basket assembly on a crushed rock base of a roadway and pouring a cement slab on top of the base and encasing the dowel members underneath a transverse construction joint.

Claims

1. A tubular reinforcing dowel system, which comprises:

a) a tubular dowel with opposite first and second ends and a dowel bore extending between and open at said ends;

b) a dowel core located within said dowel member bore and extending generally between said dowel members ends;

c) said dowel member comprising a longitudinally-extending, continuous, filament-reinforced plastic pultruded first material with first characteristics; and

d) said dowel core comprising a cementitious second material with second characteristics.

2. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 1, wherein said dowel member and said bore have circular cross-sections.

3. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 1, wherein said dowel member and said bore thereof have round cross-sectional configurations.

4. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 1, wherein said dowel member includes:

(a) a first section adjacent to said first end with a relatively smooth exterior finish; and

(b) a second section adjacent to said second end with a relatively rough exterior finish.

5. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 4, which includes:

(a) said first dowel member section having a smooth pultrusion finish.

6. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 1, wherein said second material is hydraulic cement.

7. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 1, which includes:

a) a basket assembly with a pair of basket stands each having a loop receiving said dowel member and a pair of legs extending from said loop, said loop engaging said dowel member in a gripping relation and exerting a radial inward force thereon.

8. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 7 wherein said stands comprise continuous lengths of wire forming said loops and said legs.

9. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 7, which includes:

a) said basket assembly including a base with a pair of longitudinal base members each connected to the legs of a respective stand.

10. A reinforcing dowel system for reinforcing a slab including a construction joint, which comprises:

(a) a plurality of dowel members each including;

i) a dowel tube with first and second ends;

ii) a dowel tube bore extending between said ends; and

3) a cement core positioned in said dowel member bore;

b) a basket assembly including;

i) first and second runners extending in parallel, spaced relation; and

ii) a plurality of supports each mounted on a respective dowel end and including a loop receiving said dowel tube end and a pair of legs extending from said loop and connected to a respective runner; and

c) each said leg assembly loop engaging a respective dowel tube end in a gripping relation and exerting a radial inward force thereon.

11. The reinforcing dowel system according to claim 10, which includes:

(a) said dowel members extending generally transversely across said joint; and

(b) each said runner extending in parallel, spaced relation with respect to said joint on a respective side thereof.

12. A method of reinforcing a slab including a construction joint and a base, which comprises the steps of:

a) providing a plurality of longitudinally-extending continuous filament-reinforced plastic pultruded material dowel members each having a dowel tube with first and second ends, and a dowel tube bore extending between said dowel tube ends;

b) filling said dowel tube bores with cement to form cores;

c) forming a basket assembly with first and second runners and a plurality of supports each attached to respective runner, each said support including a loop receiving a respective dowel tube end and a pair of legs extending from said loop, said loop engaging said dowel tube in a gripping relation and exerting a radial inward force thereon, said legs being connected to a respective runner;

d) pouring concrete over said basket assembly and said dowel members;

e) forming a joint said concrete over said dowel members; and

f) extending said joint in parallel, spaced relation which respect to said runners.

13. The reinforcing method according to claim 12, which includes the additional steps of:

(a) providing a relatively smooth, pultrusion finish on the outer surface of said dowel tube at a first section thereof; and

(b) machining a second section of said dowel tube outer surface to provide said dowel tube outer surface at said second section with a greater coefficient of friction than said dowel tube outer surface at said first section.

14. The reinforcing method according to claim 13, which includes the additional step of:

(a) partially curing said slab; and

(b) saw-cutting said slab over said dowel members between said dowel tube first and second sections.

15. The reinforcing method according to claim 12, which includes the additional step of:

(a) expanding said cement cores to pre-stress said dowel tubes.

16. The reinforcing method according the claim 15, which includes the additional step of:

(a) expanding said dowel cores in the range of 0% to approximately 2.2% by volume during cure.