Dowels in RC Flat Slab Movement Joint

Hi Everyone

I’m working on an L-shaped RC building where a movement joint is required, primarily to accommodate thermal and shrinkage movements in RC flat slab. The two wings meet at a re-entrant corner, with the left wing skewed relative to the right wing by approx. 54°.The proposed solution is to provide a movement joint through the slabs, with Ancon ESDQ (available in the UK; lateral, rotational and longitudinal movement allowed)dowels across the joint. The design intent is:

• Transfer vertical shear only across the joint

• No transfer of in-plane axial force, shear, or moment

• Allow longitudinal, lateral, and rotational movement across the joint

• Dowels generally perpendicular to the joint line

With respect to wind-induced differential deflection between the two wings:
Is the correct design approach to:

• determine the maximum relative horizontal displacement between the two structures at the joint (from SLS wind combinations),

• combine this with thermal, shrinkage, and construction tolerances, and

• then specify a required movement capacity for the dowels (axial/lateral, as applicable) to ensure the system does not bind or lock up?

Many thanks