Misaligned Column Dowels and a Short Lap
At a 24-in. by 24-in. column, 16 No. 10 Grade 60 vertical bars are to lap with footing dowels. The dowels were cast up to 2-1/2 in. out of position; one bar has a visible kink just above the footing. The placing drawing calls a Class B lap of 5 ft 3 in., but the dowels project only 3 ft 10 in. above the top of footing, and the crew wants to count the bend and "make it work" by heating two bars with a torch and pulling them with a come-along. The first tie is 3 in. above the footing. The concrete is 4,000 psi, and the column is on the second-floor critical path. The inspector has not been notified of the offset.
1. Can the bars be heated, pulled, and counted into the lap length? Show the geometric reasoning.
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No. Field heating reinforcing steel is not permitted, and pulling bars with a come-along does not produce a controlled bend. Offset bends in column bars are made cold with approved bar-bending equipment, and the slope is limited, typically to 1:6 between the two parallel surfaces. A 2-1/2-in. offset at 1:6 needs about 15 in. of bar height to make the transition. Starting with 3 ft 10 in. (46 in.) of dowel projection and using roughly 15 in. for the bend leaves only about 31 in. for the lap, far short of the 5 ft 3 in. required. The bend cannot be counted as lap length; lap length is measured along the straight, parallel portion of the bar.
The kinked bar is also a separate problem. A visible kink indicates the bar has already been bent sharply or damaged, and it should be evaluated and likely replaced rather than straightened. The geometry, not just the crew's technique, shows that the detail as cast cannot satisfy the lap.
2. What are the acceptable ways to resolve the offset and the short lap?
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Submit a field measurement report and RFI to the engineer of record, showing the actual offsets, dowel projection, bar size, and lap called for. The engineer may approve a combination of solutions: cold-bending the dowels within the 1:6 limit where the remaining height still provides the full lap; adding properly designed dowels drilled and anchored into the footing; using qualified mechanical couplers, with coupler and bar tests as required; or redesigning the splice location and detail. Each option must be specifically approved, not chosen in the field.
If the bend consumes too much height, a coupler may be the cleanest solution, but the coupler must be the correct size and type, installed to the manufacturer's requirements, and inspected before concealment. Any drilled dowels need the engineer's anchor design, hole preparation, and adhesive installation records. The kinked bar should be replaced or repaired per the engineer's direction. Field cutting, heating, or simply shortening the lap to fit is not acceptable.
3. What inspection and documentation steps apply before the column is closed in?
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Notify the inspector as soon as the offset is found; this is a nonconformance, not a routine adjustment. Record the column location, bar numbers, measured offsets, dowel projection, lap length required and available, and photographs of the kinked bar. Keep the RFI, the engineer's written repair, and any coupler or anchor test records with the placing drawings.
Before concealment, verify that every bar meets the approved detail, that bends are cold and within the allowed slope, that the lap or coupler is at the approved elevation, and that tie spacing and cover are correct. The first tie 3 in. above the footing should be checked against the placing drawing, and the repaired bars must not reduce cover or clear spacing. Confirm that couplers are fully engaged and that anchored dowels have the specified hole depth, cleaning, and cure time. The inspector should sign off on the repair before the column forms are placed, and the final condition should appear on the as-built record.