Dowel system

Abstract

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.

1 . An apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element, the apparatus comprising:
 a dowel configured to transfer a load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element; and   a dowel support configured to support the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete element and the adjacent concrete element, wherein the dowel support is formed of corrosion free material.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the dowel support is formed of plastic material. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dowel support is formed by plastic injection moulding. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the dowel support includes at least one resilient clip configured to resiliently receive the dowel to support the dowel relative to the casting bed. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein 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. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the dowel support includes a series of spaced arms at spaced intervals along a longitudinal axis of the foot. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , which includes a pair of like dowel supports and a plurality of dowels, each of the dowels configured to extend between the pair of dowel supports. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each of the dowels is supportable by the dowel supports in an orientation substantially parallel to the casting bed. 
     
     
         9 . An assembly for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element, the assembly comprising:
 a dowel configured to transfer a load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element;   a first dowel support configured to support the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete element and the adjacent concrete element; and   a second dowel support configured to support the dowel relative to the casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete element and the adjacent concrete element.   
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first dowel support is configured to support a first end portion of the dowel and the second dowel support is configured to support a second end portion of the dowel. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the first dowel support includes a resilient support portion configured to receive the first end portion of the dowel and the second dowel support includes a resilient support portion configured to receive the second end portion of the dowel. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for supporting a level of a concrete element relative to an adjacent concrete element, the apparatus comprising:
 a dowel configured to transfer a load from the concrete element to the adjacent concrete element; and   a dowel support configured to support the dowel relative to a casting bed prior to pouring of the concrete element and the adjacent concrete element, wherein the dowel support includes a foot and a plurality of cradles each configured to support the dowel, each of the cradles being positioned at a different height relative to the foot to interchangeably support the dowel at a different height relative to the casting bed.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the dowel support includes the plurality of cradles at different heights. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the dowel support includes three cradles at heights of 100 mm, 125 mm, and 155 mm relative to the casting bed.