A dowel for insertion into a borehole in a structural unit includes a dowel body and a spreading member. The dowel body is axially elongated and has a cylindrically shaped outside surface with a bore extending axially through the body. The body is formed of a sintered dry powdered metal made up primarily of iron and having a weight in the range of 5 to 7 g/cm3. Phosphorus in the range of 0.1 to 1% can be added to the dry powdered material to increase its cohesion. Further, the sintered material can be reinforced with fibers. An axially extending portion of the bore is conically shaped and the spreading member is similarly conically shaped for radially expanding the dowel body within the borehole.
