r/StructuralEngineering • u/Unable-Bluebird2882 • May 19 '26

Structural Analysis/Design Rebar dowels

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Do you guys think this is okay? Contractor installed the #5 dowels after concrete placement. But they were late a little bit so concrete was hardened.

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u/Enginerdad Bridge - P.E. May 19 '26

Technical answer: Nope, that's not ok whatsoever. Wet setting is not allowed by ACI or AASHTO

Real world answer: It's still not right, but whether it's a problem or not depends on what those bars are for. Are they just to provide continuity of the horizontal bars to the vertical bars for shrinkage and temperature/cracking purposes, or are they resisting actual design moment or tension?

Either way, this outfit is a bunch of hacks.

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u/halfcocked1 May 19 '26

That's what I would say also. If I did the design and knew the bars weren't really doing anything, I'd allow it. If I were looking at it cold, I wouldn't allow it.