DOWEL BARS 🔸 What Are Dowel Bars? Dowel bars are short, smooth steel bars placed across joints in concrete (mostly contraction or construction joints) to allow for load transfer between slabs while permitting movement (expansion or contraction). 🔸 Purpose of Dowel Bars: 1. Transfer vertical loads across adjacent slabs. 2. Maintain alignment of slabs during movement. 3. Reduce joint faulting and pumping. 4. Extend pavement service life. 🔸 Key Characteristics: Feature Description Material Mild