M 254 SPECIFICATIONS FOR MATERIALS

Standard Specification for

Corrosion Resistant Coated Dowel Bars

AASHTO DESIGNATION: M 254-77

1. SCOPE 2.7 The processing facilities of the manu- ble). Check for holidays shall be per-
facturer and the fabricator shall be open formed by the electric resistance process.
to inspection by the agent of the pur- A 67.5 volt holiday detector shall be
1.1 This specification covers the materi- chaser at all times during the manufactur- used, as recommended by the manufac-
als, manufacture, and installation of ing and fabricating of the material. turer of the test equipment, for the deter-
coated dowel bars to be used where mination of holidays.
corrosion resistant performance is essen- 2.8 A minimum of 24 dowel bars shall be
tial and may be used in lieu of stainless made available for testing. Of these, a 5.3 Any damage which results from
or other approved noncorrosive metals. maximum of 6 bars may be in a basket welding or mechanical fixation to
The dowel shall consist of a steel core assembly. achieve a fixed end condition shall not
covered by an organic coating. extend more than 25.4 mm (1 in.) in from
the weld or point of fixation.
1.2 The coated dowels shall be one of the 3. MATERIALS
two following types: 5.4 Welding to achieve a fixed end
condition shall be sufficiently strong to
Type A: The coating material develops 3.1 The core material shall be of steel maintain dowel alignment under the
sufficiently low bond strength meeting the requirements of ASTM A forces imposed by concrete placement
with concrete that a bond 633 or AASHTO M 255 as specified by and construction practices.
breaker is not required. the purchasing agency. 5.5 When tested in accordance with
Type B: The coating material develops 3.2 The coating material shall be of AASHTO T 253, Standard Method of
bond strength with concrete organic composition with the exception Testing Coated Dowel Bars, the dowel
such that a bond breaker is re- of the pigment which may or may not be bars shall have the following properties:
quired. The type of bond present and which may have an inorganic
breaker used shall be as rec- 5.5.1 Load Deflection-The relative
composition. deflection shall not exceed 0.25 mm
ommended by the coating
manufacturer. NOTE 1-The Type B coating material may be (0.10 in.) at the 1815 kg (4000 lb) load
one of the types recommended in Report No. for any of the three specimens tested.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be FHWA-RD-74-18, "Nonmetallic Coating for
regarded as the standard. 5.5.2 Pull-Out-The maximum pull-out
Concrete Reinforcing Bars" or other types
approved by the purchasing agency. load shall not exceed 1360 kg (3000 lb)
for any specimens, and no specimen shall
2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS show any corrosion, tears, or perforation
4. DIMENSIONS due to the pull-out and subsequent freeze-
thaw testing.
2.1 The coated dowels shall resist corro-
sion and degradation caused by roadway 4.1 The core metal shall be 31.8 mm (1 5.5.3 Abrasion-The coating shall not
deicing materials and normal highway ¼ in.) diameter or as specified by the have been worn away, perforated, or
debris. purchasing agency. wrinkled and none of the three specimens
shall show depth or wear exceeding 70
2.2 The coating shall develop low bond 4.2 The nonabraded thickness of the
percent of the original coating thickness.
strengths with portland cement concrete Type A coating shall be 0.64 ± 0.13 mm
Thickness shall be determined according
without a bond breaker, if Type A, or (25 ± 5 mils). The nonabraded thickness
to Section 4.3 of this specification.
with the proper bond breaker if Type B. of the Type B coating shall be 0.18 ±
0.05 mm (7 ± 2 mils). 5.5.4 Corrosion-No corrosion shall be
2.3 The coating shall resist wear due to
apparent on any of the specimens when
abrasion resulting from pavement expan- 4.3 Coating thickness shall be deter-
viewed under 5-power magnification.
sion and contraction. mined according to ASTM G 12, Nonde-
structive Measurements of Film Thick- 5.5.5 Chemical Resistance-The coating
2.4 The coating used over the steel core
ness of Pipeline Coatings of Steel, or by shall not blister, soften, disbond, develop
shall be continuous on the lateral surface
stripping the coating from the bar. holidays, nor exhibit any undercutting at
of the dowel.
the drilled holes.
2.5 Test procedures as- stated herein and 4.4 The dowels shall be supplied to
lengths and in support assemblies or 5.5.6 Cathodic Disbonding-No film
in AASHTO T 253, Testing Coated
baskets as specified by the purchasing failure shall take during the first 1 hour of
Dowel Bars, shall apply to both Type A testing. Such film failure would be evi-
agency.
and B dowels. denced by the evolution of hydrogen gas
2.6 In the event there is any change in at the cathode or appearance of corrosion
material composition or geometrics of the 5. PHYSICAL REQLTREMENTS products of steel at the anodes except that
joint support system, any or all parts of such hydrogen evolution or corrosion
the dowels and assembly are subject to 5.1 The free ends of the dowels shall be products at the intentionally cut 6.4 mm
retesting. The frequency of qualification saw cut and free of burrs and projections. (¼ in.) holes will not be considered as
testing will be determined by the basis for rejection. However, no under-
purchasing agency. 5.2 Dowel coatings shall be free from cutting shall be permitted during the
contamination, perforations, cracks, and remainder of the test period at the inten-
holidays (pinholes not visually discerni-
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M 254 SPECIFICATIONS FOR MATERIALS

tionally cut 6.4 mm (¼ in.) holes in either able upon request by the purchasing 7.3 The coated dowel manufacturer
the anode or cathode. agency. and/or coating applicator shall provide
5.5.7 Coating Hardness-The hardness certified copies of test reports to the
of the coating shall exceed the Knoop purchasing agency showing all test data.
7. DOCUMENTATION
Hardness Number of 16. 7.4 For the purpose of identification, the
5.5.8 Coating Impact Resistance-No manufacturer or applicator shall provide
shattering, or disbonding of the coating 7.1 Tests performed according to this certification showing the generic type of
shall occur except at the impact area specification shall be the responsibility of coating material along with the type and
(area permanently deformed by the tup). the manufacturers and/or coating applica- percentages of pigments, diluents, fillers,
tor and may be performed at his labora- flexibilizers, and other additives used.
tory or an independent laboratory ap- 7.5 The coated dowel manufacturer is
6. SAMPLING proved by the purchasing agency. Upon defined as a company which produces a
completion of the tests all tested speci- complete product consisting of dowel bar
mens shall be properly labeled as to test and coating.
6.1 A minimum of 24 dowel bars, of procedure, and be made available upon
which up to 6 may be in a basket assem- request to the purchasing agency. 7.6 The coating applicator is defined as a
bly, shall be furnished by the manufac- company which applies coating to dowel
turer for testing and verification of the 7.2 The laboratory facilities and proce- bars.
materials and process. The specimens dure must be open to observation by the
purchaser while tests are underway. The 7.7 Rechecks of the coated dowels may
shall be made available to the testing be made at the discretion of the purchas-
laboratory 120 days prior to their first purchasing agency reserves the right to
check any or all parts of the required tests ing agency. The purchasing agency may
intended use. When fixed mechanical delete any of the above specified test
assembly is being used, a complete as- in the agency laboratory or a laboratory
of his choice. procedures during rechecks of any previ-
sembly with dowels shall be made avail- ously approved product.

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