Diamond Dowels
Diamond Dowels
(OP)
http://www.pna-inc.com/products/diamond_dowel/
Has anyone used these dowels on slab on grade const joints? The contractor is requesting to use these instead of the typical dowel between pours detail and he claims that this will help reduce curling in the floor, which I don't buy. But regardless, has anyone allowed the use of these on any project and what has been the experience.
Thanks.
Has anyone used these dowels on slab on grade const joints? The contractor is requesting to use these instead of the typical dowel between pours detail and he claims that this will help reduce curling in the floor, which I don't buy. But regardless, has anyone allowed the use of these on any project and what has been the experience.
Thanks.






RE: Diamond Dowels
These are expensive, but you get the Cadillac of slabs.
They do help reduce curling better than convensional dowels. It's a simple matter of surface area contact between slabs. With a solid flat plate, you will get considerably more contact area than a 1" diameter smooth bar.
RE: Diamond Dowels
RE: Diamond Dowels
Although they are not primarily for curling, it's a definite upgrade from smooth round dowel bars.
RE: Diamond Dowels
RE: Diamond Dowels
RE: Diamond Dowels
RE: Diamond Dowels
RE: Diamond Dowels
My next step was to contact PNA, but I thought I'd get your opinion since you guys are coincidently on the same subject.
RE: Diamond Dowels
RE: Diamond Dowels
Why do you think it's overkill? I need something to tie them together so I don't get get differential vertical movement, and the PNA doiwels allow movement in the other two directions. Movement in two directions is important because my recessed area is a very odd shape (not rectangular), and keyways are pretty much frowned upon these days.
RE: Diamond Dowels
I think with your detail I have usually used a continuous concrete placement detail with no joint, and a haunch that transitions over a foot or two to avoid a sudden change in the thickness of the slab to lessen the bottom restraint of the slab in shrinkage. Usually put a cont rebar in the haunch parallel to the step.
Lots of ways to skin this cat, we are probably giving it much more thought then 99% of house designers :)
I'd also be concerned with the transition between the stone and your other flooring at that joint, though its not your detail its something worth coordinating with the architect. You could get continued slab shrinkage down the road depending on how quickly they place the flooring (and lots of other factors) and get some lateral displacement that may cause a crack at that joint if rigid material is placed over top of it. I often see tile cracks in residential SOG placed over construction joints and shrinkage cracks that do not have vertical displacement, only lateral...
RE: Diamond Dowels
Thanks for the response. I fully intend to coordinate the transition detail for the finishes with the architect. Any internal sawcuts within the stone area will need to be coordinated with the tile pattern, with a flexible joint between tiles in lieu of grout. Just so you don't think I'm going crazy on joints, the footprint of the first floor of the main house is over 8500 sq. ft.
I'm beginning to feel like I'm hijacking this thread. If I need more input, I think I'll start a new one.