SECTION ‘C’

CONCRETE WORKS

C.1 Standards

Most of the British (BS), national and international standards and codes of
practice referred to in this specification are listed below and reference shall be
made to the latest editions of these, together with all current amendments and
additions thereto.

BS 12 Ordinary & rapid hardening Portland cement

BS 882 Aggregate from natural sources for concrete
BS 1305 Batch type concrete mixers
BS 1881 Testing concrete
BS 3148 Tests for water for making concrete
BS 4027 Sulphate resisting Portland Cement
BS 4449 Carbon steel bars for the reinforcement of concrete
BS 4466 Bending dimensions and scheduling of reinforcement for
concrete
BS 4483 Steel fabric for the reinforcement of concrete
BS 4550 Methods of testing cement - chemical tests
BS 5075 Concrete admixtures
BS 5328 Methods for specifying concrete including ready mixed concrete
BS 5975 Codes of practice for falsework
BS 8004 Foundations
BS 8007 Code of Practice for design of concrete structures for retaining
aqueous liquids
BS 8110 The Structural use of concrete
OS 2 Omanian Standard No.2: Aggregates from Natural Sources for
concrete
OS 7 Omanian Standard No.7: Ordinary Portland Cement

C.2. Material Supply

C.2.1 Sources and Storage of Materials
The Contractor shall inform the Engineer of the sources of all materials
to be used in the concrete for the works. Samples of these materials
shall be submitted to the Engineer. No materials shall be used until
approved. Materials shall be transported to, and handled on the Site of
the Works in such a manner as to prevent damage, deterioration or
contamination.
Bagged cement shall be stored in a dry weatherproof structure not
subjected to internal condensation, and to the approval of the
Engineer. The floor shall be of raised timber or other approved
construction to prevent the absorption of moisture. Bags shall be
stacked close together to reduce circulation or air, but shall not be
stacked against outside walls. Any cement that has deteriorated for any
cause, shall be marked for identification and shall be removed from the
Site without delay at the Contractor's expense. The Engineer's decision
on this shall be final.

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 The fine aggregate shall be delivered free from coagulated lumps and
may be stored in stockpiles at a location approved by the Engineer. The
fine aggregate shall be kept free from contact with deleterious matter
and be stored separately from the coarse aggregate.

Coarse aggregate shall be stored in separate stockpiles constructed to

prevent contact with fine aggregate. Aggregate from different sources
shall be stored in separate piles and precautions taken to prevent
mixing. Stockpiles of coarse aggregate shall be built in horizontal layers
not exceeding one metre in depth to avoid segregation

Should the coarse aggregate become segregated it shall be re-screened

to the grading requirements in this specification. Washed aggregates
are to be stockpiled for drainage at least 24 hours before being batched.

C.2.2 Cement
Cement shall be ordinary Portland cement to OS-7/2001 or Sulphate
resistant cement to BS-4027:1996 as indicated on the drawings. The
Contractor shall test the ground for Sulphate and Chloride content in
areas as directed by the Engineer at no extra cost. Subject to the results
of the tests the Engineer may decide to use alternative types of cement
in the tested areas.

The cement manufactured in Oman, only shall be used and Contractor

shall submit a certificate confirming the use of locally manufactured
cement at the end of project with supporting documents as directed by
the Engineer. High Aluminia cement shall not be used.

C.2.3 Aggregates
All aggregates shall be chemically inert, strong, hard, durable, of
limited porosity, and free from adhering coatings, clay lumps and coal
residues, and organic or other impurities that may cause corrosion of
the reinforcement or may impair the strength or durability of the
concrete.

The fine aggregate shall be natural sand, or sand delivered by crushing

gravel or stone, conforming to BS 882. For Aggregates from Natural
Sources, Only grading within zones 2 and 3 defined in BS 882, will be
considered acceptable. Fine aggregate delivered from stone unsuitable
for coarse aggregate shall not be acceptable.

Coarse aggregate shall be crushed or uncrushed gravel or crushed stone

conforming to BS 882, and shall be taken from approved local rock
sources. The pieces shall be angular or, except for concrete surfaces
subject to abrasion, rounded in shape, and shall have granular or,
crystalline or smooth (but not glossy), non-powdery surfaces. Friable,
flaky, and laminated pieces, mica, and shale shall only be present in
such quantities as not to affect adversely the strength and durability of
the concrete.

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 The Chloride content (Cl) of fine or coarse aggregates should not
exceed 0.06% or 0.03% by weight respectively. The total sulphate
content expressed as Sulphuric Anhydride (SO3) of fine and coarse
aggregates should not exceed 0.25% by weight of aggregates. The above
limits are subject to the following overriding requirements:

The total chloride content of the concrete mix calculated from the
chloride contents of aggregates, water and any admixture should then
not exceed 0.3% by weight of the cement in the mix. The total sulphate
contents of the concrete mix calculated from the sulphate contents of
the cement, aggregates, water and any admixture should not exceed 4%
by weight of the cement in the mix. The grading is as follows:

Nominal size 20 mm Aggregate (20 mm to 5 mm)

BS 410 Percentage (by wt)
test sieve passing
mm

37.5 100
20.0 95 - 100
10.0 30 - 60
5.0 0 - 10

The flakiness index of any size coarse aggregate used when determined
by the sieve methods described in BS 812 shall not exceed 35.
Additionally, for structural concrete of specified compressive strength
of 25N/mm2 or higher at 28 days, the `Ten percent Fines' value of the
coarse aggregate determined in accordance with BS 812 shall not be
less than 50 kN. Any aggregate which does not comply with the
requirements of this specification shall be immediately removed from
the Site at the Contractor's own expense.

C.2.4 Water
Water shall be clean, fresh and free from organic or inorganic matter in
solution or suspension in such amounts that may impair the strength
or durability of the concrete. Water shall be obtained from a source
ordered or approved by the Engineer. No water from excavations shall
be used. Contractor shall submit fortnightly test reports of potable
water being used for construction activities at Site through
Government testing Laboratory without fail or as and when directed by
the Engineer.

PH value of water shall be within 5.5 to 7.5.

Only water of approved quality shall be used for washing out

formwork, curing concrete and similar purpose. Water for making
concrete shall be tested in accordance with BS 3148. Water from
existing well within the premises, if any will not be allowed for any
direct/indirect construction activity.

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 C.2.5 Admixtures
The use of Admixtures will be restricted unless otherwise indicated.
The following details will have to be provided for obtaining approval
from the Engineer.

(a) The typical dosage and the detrimental effects, if any, of under
dosage and over dosage.

(b) The chemical names of the main active ingredients of the

admixture.

(c) Whether or not the admixture contains chlorides and, if so, the
chloride iron content expressed as a percentage by weight of
admixture.

Admixtures should never be regarded as a replacement for good

concrete practice and should never be used indiscriminately. Their
suitability should generally be verified by trial mixes.

C.2.6 Reinforcement
Steel reinforcement shall be manufactured in Oman. (Steel
reinforcement produced in China, Central Asia and Dubai shall not be
used for the project). Steel reinforcement shall be either:

a) High yield hot rolled deformed bars to BS 4449 : 1988

b) High yield cold worked deformed bars to BS 4449 : 1988
c) Welded fabric to BS 4483.

Steel reinforcement shall comply with the relevant British Standard.

Any reinforcement found to have become pitted by rust corrosion will
be rejected and shall be removed from the works and replacements
obtained. Reinforcement shall be free from pitting, loose scale and rust
or any foreign matter that may impair the bond between the steel and
concrete. Bars shall be in one length without welding and free from any
flaws or defects. Reinforcement shall be stored in an orderly manner
on clean, dry hard surface or support. No reinforcement deteriorated
by rusting or in any way damaged shall be used in the works. The
reinforcement for more than 2 months actual Site requirement will not
be procured and stored at Site.

C.2.7 Epoxy Coated Reinforcement

Epoxy coated rebars wherever specified shall conform to ASTM
Standard A 775/A 775/M-93. Bars shall be fusion bonded type and
coating thickness shall be 0.18 to 0.30 mm. All cut ends and coating
damaged due to fabrication and handling shall be repaired by
proprietary repair kits. Epoxy coated welded fabric mesh shall be used
wherever indicated.

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C.3 Materials Testing
C.3.1 Testing of Cement
If required by the Engineer, cement shall be sampled when delivered to
the Site of the Works and sent for testing. Should the results of such
tests shows that any samples do not comply with the specified
requirements in relevant OS/BS Codes then the whole consignment
from which the sample was taken will be rejected and the Contractor
must immediately remove it from the works and replace it with cement
of satisfactory quality at his own expense. The cost of testing such
rejected cement shall be borne by the Contractor.

C.3.2 Testing of Aggregates

The fine aggregate shall be tested in accordance with BS 812 to
determine the cleanliness, shape, surface texture, specific gravity and
grading before delivery to the Site is commenced, and at frequent
intervals thereafter. No fine aggregate shall be used for concrete which
fails to comply with the requirements of these tests, as laid down in BS
812. The grading of fine aggregate shall be such that not more than
10% shall exceed 5 mm, and not more than 10% shall be smaller than
150 microns. Between these limits the grading shall conform to the
grading for either zones 2 or 3 (BS 882).

The coarse aggregate shall be tested in accordance with the appendices

to BS 812 to determine the cleanliness, particle size and shape, specific
gravity, `Ten per cent Fines' value and grading before commencement
of delivery to Site and at frequent intervals thereafter. Coarse
aggregate, which fails to comply with the requirements of these tests
shall not be used for concrete. Coarse aggregate shall also be subject to
tests by the sieve analysis as described in BS 882 before delivery and at
frequent intervals thereafter. This is to ensure that the grading is
suitable and that the constituent proportions of the mix provide a
dense watertight concrete of the required strength and workability.

C.3.4 Testing of Reinforcement

10 nos. of specimen random samples of reinforcement bars available at
Site from each of the various diameters of bars being incorporated in
the works shall be periodically taken to conduct tensile test and bend &
re-bend tests as advised by the Engineer.

C.4 Concrete Production

C.4.1 Concrete Mix
The Contractor shall provide concrete to the grades as shown on the
Drawings or as directed by the Engineer. The concrete mix shall be so
designed that no segregation takes place during transportation &
placement. The high range water reducing hyper plasticiser shall be
used as per Manufacturer’s guidelines to produce the concrete. The
temperature of the concrete shall be within 30°C - 32°C.

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 The Mix design will comply with the following parameters.

Sr. Grade Minimum Cube Max. Design

No. Cementitious Strength W/C Target
Contents Kg/m3 N/mm² ratio Slump
(mm)
7 28
Cement
days days

1. 15 N 310 Kg 15 20 0.50 80±25

2. 35 N 380 Kg 40 50 0.42 150±40
3. 40 N 400 Kg 50 60 0.40 150±40

C.4.2 Batching the Concrete

The structural concrete shall not be produced at Site. The Batching
plant to produce the non structural concrete shall be of the "weigh
batch" type and to the approval of the Engineer. The Plant must have
separate means of weighing the cement & microsilica accurately to
within plus or minus two per cent.

The cement, sand, coarse and fine aggregates, shall be added

successively to the same weighing hopper until the exact scale reading
is obtained as agreed with the Engineer for the various mixes, cement
being added last. The weighing mechanism shall be tested in the
presence of the Engineer to confirm its accuracy prior to being put to
use, and shall undergo further regular testing at monthly intervals or at
such other times as instructed by the Engineer. All results of test shall
be notified immediately to the Engineer. Should the weigh mechanism
fail to give accurate readings, the Engineer may order its removal from
the Site. Volume batching of concrete will not be allowed under any
circumstances.

C.4.3 Mixing of Concrete

The Concrete shall be mixed as near as possible to the place of deposit
in a batch mixing machine complying with the requirements of BS 1305
and to the approval of the Engineer. The concrete shall be deposited as
soon as possible after mixing. No concrete that has been standing for
more than 30 minutes since being mixed shall be used in the work.
Only a minimum amount of water shall be added to the cement and
aggregate during the mixing to produce a concrete having sufficient
workability to enable finish, and have the specified strength, as shown
on the drawings or ordered by the Engineer. The concrete slump shall
not exceed the figure ordered by the Engineer.

The consistency of the concrete mixes shall be controlled by means of

slump and compacting factor tests. The Engineer shall require trial
mixes to be made initially on the approved materials to establish the
desired quality of the concrete.

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 C.4.4 Pre-mixed Concrete
Pre-mixed concrete shall be used for whole of the works. The
Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all Clauses of the
specification are adhered to by the premix supplier. The Contractor
shall submit the mix design and test results in advance and obtain
approval for the premix supplier. Before using premixed concrete the
Contractor shall notify the Engineer which batching yard he intends to
use so that the Engineer may inspect that yard and assure himself that
the concrete will be of the quality required. To meet the characteristic
strength specified, the concrete shall be designed to have an average
strength called the target mean strength, which exceeds the
characteristic strength by the following margin:

1. When the Contractor or his supply agent is able to provide more

than 40 consecutive test results, for concrete of nominally similar
proportions and of similar materials and recorded within the last
six months, which satisfy the Engineer, the margin shall be 1.64
times the standard deviation for these results, but not less than 7.5
N/mm².

2. When the premix supplier is unable to provide sufficient acceptable

test data, the margin shall be not less than 12 N/mm², except that
for mixes with the characteristic strength of 7, 10 and 15 N/mm²
the minimum margins shall be 2.5, 5 and 10 N/mm² respectively.

For each strength class, the minimum cement content is to be as

specified. The Contractor shall, however, provide greater cement
content if necessary to achieve the target mean strength with the
required workability.

Transporting the concrete from the batching yard to Site shall take no
more than 1 hour and unloading/placement shall be completed within
2 hour of batching. The concrete shall have the specified workability at
the time of placing and the Engineer shall have the right to reject any
unsuitable concrete. No water shall be added after batching, enroute or
on Site. For any failure to concrete after placing the premix or after the
curing period, the Contractor will be fully responsible and shall follow
the instructions of the Engineer.

C.4.5 Testing of Concrete for performance

The following tests shall be carried out during the laboratory trials of
concrete mix and results shall be submitted along with detailed
material proposal.

1. Initial Slump & Slump retention with time.

2. Initial & Final setting time of concrete as per ASTM C 403.
3. Compressive strength at 3, 7 and 28 days ( 3 cubes each).

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 The Contractor may be required to use higher cementitious content
and/or lower water cement ratio than those specified above. The
Engineer may require the concrete performance tests to be carried out
during the progress of works at the Contractor’s expense.

C.5 Workmanship - Preparation

C.5.1 Formwork
Formwork for concrete shall be tightly constructed of suitable quality
in either metal or film faced plywood and shall be true to the shape and
dimensions described on the working drawings. Faces in contact with
concrete shall be free from adhering grout, projecting nails, splits or
other defects. Joints shall be of such a design as to ensure that there is
no loss of fine materials or cement grout during the placing or
consolidation of the concrete. Particular care is to be taken in joints
with previous work to ensure that the formwork fix accurately and no
lipping occurs.

When reinforcement is to pass through formwork, care shall be taken

to ensure a close fitting joint against the steel rods so as to avoid the
loss of cement grout during the placing and consolidation. Connections
shall be constructed to permit easy removal of the formwork and shall
be either nailed, screwed, bolted, clipped, wired or otherwise secured
so as to be strong enough to retain the correct shape during
consolidation of the concrete. Bolt holes in concrete shall be made good
after removal of the bolts. Wire ties passing through concrete shall be
used only where approved, and the ends of the wires shall be concealed
and measures taken to prevent rust stains on the concrete.

C.5.2 Reinforcement
C.5.2.1Bending of Reinforcement
Bars shall be bent cold by machine or other approved means as per BS
4466 unless otherwise stated. Bars may not be re-bent, straightened or
otherwise altered without Engineer’s approval. Contractor shall include
in his rates for the provision of all horizontal & vertical laps, spacer
bars, chairs etc. required accurately to position steel, whether or not
indicated in the schedule/drawings. All necessary Bar Cutting &
Bending Schedules shall be provided by the Contractor to the Engineer
in such time as to preclude delay or otherwise affect the progress of the
Works. The same schedule can’t be considered for re-measurement due
to lap lengths. For measurement purposes separate schedules without
laps shall be prepared.

All reinforcement shall be cut to the specified length and made truly
straight or bent to the specified shape, as indicated on the bar bending
schedules, before it is fixed to the work. All bending of bars shall be
done by machine or other approved methods producing a gradual and
even motion. Bars shall be bent cold unless the Engineer shall approve
that large bars may be bent warm.

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 All end hooks shall have an overall length and width equal to not less
than 4 diameters of the bar. Right angle bends shall have a length equal
to not less than four diameters of the bar. Bar splices shall be made in
the reinforcement by lapping bars for a length 50 times the diameter of
the larger bar being spliced. The splices must be securely wrapped
together. Dimensions of bent bars and internal dimensions of links and
the like shall not exceed the dimensions on the bar schedules, and in
BS 4466.

Bars incorrectly bent shall be used only if straightening the rebending

is not detrimental to the material. No reinforcement shall be bent when
in position without approval, whether or not it is partially embedded in
hardened concrete. Bends & hooks showing signs of cracking/
brittleness shall be rejected.

C.5.2.2Fixing of Reinforcement
Reinforcement shall be accurately positioned as shown on the
Engineer’s drawings, rigidly supported and wired together to prevent
displacement in formwork during concreting and to achieve concrete
cover specified.

All reinforcement is to be inspected and approved by Engineer prior to

concreting. Reinforcement shall be accurately fixed, and by approved
means, maintained in the position described on the drawings and
elsewhere. Bars intended to be in contact at passing points shall be
securely wired together, with No. 18 gauge annealed soft-iron tying
wire or PVC coated wire to the approval of the Engineer. The ends of
such tying wire shall be turned into the body of the concrete and not
allowed to project towards the surface of the concrete. Links and the
like shall tightly embrace the bars with which they are intended to be in
contact and shall be securely wired, or if approved, welded thereto.

Concrete spacer blocks shall be used to ensure that the reinforcement

is correctly positioned and to maintain the required vertical distances
between successive layers of bars. The blocks shall be as small as
possible consistent with their purpose, or a shape acceptable to the
Engineer, and designed so that they will not over-turn when the
concrete is placed. The spacer blocks shall be made of concrete with 10
mm max. aggregate size and the mix proportions shall be such that the
blocks shall have the strength and appearance of the adjacent concrete.
The tying wire shall be cast in the block for the purpose of tying it to
the reinforcement. Temporary or permanent chairs, spacers, etc. must
be supplied by the Contractor wherever required by the Engineer.

Splicing of bars shall have a length equal to at least 42 Ф of the larger

bar being spliced. The splice must be securely wrapped together.
Welding of reinforcement shall be done only if detailed on the
drawings or authorized by the Engineer in writing. Steel fabric shall be
lapped with a minimum 200 mm side lap and 400 head lap, or in
accordance with the drawings.

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 Reinforcement projecting from work being concreted or already
concreted shall not be bent out its correct position for any reason
unless approved by the Engineer, and shall be protected from
deformation or other damages. All reinforcement before concreting
should be perfectly free from dirt, scale, rust, paints, oil, lime-wash or
any other coating. During concreting, competent steel fixer shall be in
attendance on the work to adjust and correct if necessary the position
of the reinforcement immediately prior to the placing of the concrete.
Reinforcement shall be fixed rigidly in position so that it is not
displaced during concreting. Concrete cover to the reinforcement shall
be not less than shown on the drawings and shall be provided and
maintained within a tolerance of 5 mm ± (except where specified as a
minimum) by means of the concrete spacer blocks.

C.6 Workmanship - Concrete Operations

C.6.1 Placing of Concrete
The Contractor shall submit a statement covering his 'Method of
Placing' to the Engineer for his prior approval before the
commencement of concreting. The statement shall list the items of
plant, which are to be used, and the method of carrying out the work.
All plant and equipment used in placing of concrete shall be kept fully
maintained and in clean condition, free from hardened concrete and
deleterious matter.

Concrete is to be deposited continuously in any lift to avoid the

formation of seams and planes of weakness within this section, until
the section authorized by the Engineer has been completed to the
height and extent required. If a section cannot be placed continuously,
construction joints must be located at points provided for in the
drawings or in additional positions as approved by the Engineer. For
construction joints, the Contractor will have to provide permanent
formwork made of hot-dip zinc coated steel sheet to B.S. 2989-1982
comprising of mesh areas & U section ribs and material density not less
than 6.34 kg/m2.

Where delays of longer than 40 minutes occur during concreting

operations work shall be suspended until, in the opinion of the
Engineer, the concrete has had sufficient time to harden. The concrete
surface shall then be cut back to a position agreed with the Engineer,
and a day joint formed to his satisfaction.

C.6.2 Compaction of Concrete

Except where otherwise ordered, all concrete during and immediately
after depositing shall be thoroughly compacted by means of
mechanical vibrators of an approved type. Mechanical vibrators may be
of the immersion or exterior type with frequency of not less than 167
Hz. Clamp-on vibrators shall not be permitted except with the express
permission of the Engineer.

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 The number and size of vibrators are to be such as to ensure adequate
vibration throughout the entire volume of the concrete after it is placed
in the formwork. The Engineer will not give approval for concrete to be
placed if he considers that insufficient standby vibrators are available.

The unformed edge of the pour shall not be beyond the radius of
compaction of the nearest vibrators. Vibrators shall not be permitted to
touch shutters. When concreting in layers, vibrators shall penetrate
previous layers to produce a homogeneous mass. Compaction shall
continue for such periods as are required to produce a dense
homogeneous mass, free from voids, and which on striking the
shuttering, presents a fair face free from honeycombing, cracks or
excessive dusting. There shall be no vibration of any sort near a
hardened concrete unless it has been placed for more than 24 hours.
All the voids, tie rod holes, honeycombs and damaged, debonded, weak
or spalled concrete shall be repaired with approved polymer modified
light weight high build cementitious repair mortar with min.
compressive strength of 25 N/mm2 and flexural strength of 4.9 N/mm 2
at 28 days. Suitable primer shall be used as per Manufacturers
guidelines.

Wherever concrete surface is to receive non cementitious finishes such

as waterproofing, raised flooring, PVC flooring and wooden flooring
etc. then the same shall be made smooth during concreting itself. If the
surface is found uneven then the Contractor will have to make smooth
by using approved self smoothing cementitious two component floor
levelling compound having min. 7.5N/mm 2 adhesion to concrete and
1800  200kg/m3 plastic density @ 250C.

C.6.3 Testing of Concrete

Sampling and testing of concrete shall be as laid down in BS 1881
except where otherwise specified, and the results shall conform to
requirements stipulated in BS 8110 parts 1 to 3. The following tests
shall be carried on fresh concrete to the entire satisfaction of the
Engineer. All tests to be carried out as per BS 1881 (parts 102 to 120)
a) Slump and Compaction Factor Tests
b) Cube Test (compressive and tensile strengths. The splitting cube
tests to be carried out to determine the tensile strength).
Test cubes of 150  150  150mm shall be made (minimum one cube
per 10 m3 of concrete) for each major pour, and additionally, as the
Engineer may direct. These cubes shall be divided in to two groups, the
cubes of one group shall be immersed in water and cubes of another
group shall be kept at Site along with the members concreted. Half of
the cubes from each group shall be tested at seven and twenty-eight
days respectively. These cubes shall be composed of concrete taken
from the actual mixes for the work and shall be compacted by hand.
Cubes so tested shall comply with the target mean strength specified in
the Contract Document.

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 For making of concrete cubes, the Contractor shall supply at his own
cost a suitable number of cast iron moulds to the approval of the
Engineer. The Contractor shall make arrangements for the testing of
concrete cubes to the approval of the Engineer. A record of all results
shall be supplied to the Engineer throughout the course of works. The
Engineer may, from time to time, order tests on concrete as given in BS
1881, and the Contractor will be required to supply and make all
necessary arrangements for testing at his own expenses. In addition to
testing of cubes casted during concreting, the Contractor must obtain
cube results from the Supplier also so that comparative study can be
made and quality /performance of concrete is maintained to high
standards as specified. These results obtained from Supplier also will
be entered in cube test register. The failure to comply with the above
may lead to stoppage of concrete activities.

A proper concrete cube test register shall be maintained at Site with all
related information dates, slump, strengths etc.. The copies of cube
results tested during the month also shall be enclosed with monthly
progress reports.

C.6.4 Work in Hot Weather

A combination of hot, dry weather and high winds or high
temperatures resulting in the temperature of concrete as placed, being
at, or in excess of, 32 °C shall be regarded as "hot weather" conditions.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, no concreting shall take
place when the temperature exceeds 40 °C.

In "hot weather" conditions, coarse aggregate shall be heavily sprayed

with water immediately before mixing. In order to keep the concrete
temperature as low as possible, every effort shall be made to use water
from a cool source and to keep it cool by protecting pipes and tanks.
Pipelines for conveying mixing water shall be buried, insulated, shaded
or painted white. Water storage shall be treated in a similar manner.
Water may be cooled by adding ice, provided it is completely melted by
the time water enters into the mixer.

Concrete shall be placed in layers thin enough and in areas small

enough, so that the time interval is reduced and vibration or other
working of the concrete will ensure complete union of adjacent
portions. In case the surfaces set, and dry too rapidly, or shrinkage
cracks appear, fog sprays, wet burlap, cotton mats or other means shall
be applied to keep the concrete moist. Prior to the placing of concrete,
all forms, reinforcements, etc. and areas in the immediate vicinity of
the formwork, shall be sprinkled with cool water. All sub-grades,
formations, etc., which are to receive concrete and have not been
protected with an impervious membrane shall be wetted down or
flooded with water immediately before concreting, preferably during
the night or early morning prior to concreting, as directed by the
Engineer.

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 The Contractor shall provide and make all the facilities ready for
prompt initiation of curing of concrete. Immediately after placing
concrete, all exposed surfaces shall be protected from drying by
continuous spray of water and covering with polyethylene sheets.
Water shall be applied to formwork surfaces while forms are still in
place. Steeply sloping and vertical formed surfaces shall be kept
continuously moist prior to and during form removal by applying water
to top surfaces so that it will pass down between the forms and the
concrete. Unformed surfaces shall be kept moist by watering for at
least 24 hours and curing shall be started as soon as the concrete has
hardened sufficiently to withstand surface damage. Spray nozzles shall
be provided to keep covering materials soaked.

The Contractor shall ensure that the curing water is not much cooler
than the concrete. The temperature difference between concrete and
curing water shall not be more than 15 °C. Water mixed with ice shall
not be used at any time during the curing of concrete.

C.7. Workmanship
C.7.1 Tolerances
The permissible tolerances in finished surface shall not exceed the
limits shown on the drawings or as indicated below.

Permissible tolerances for Structural Work in Building

Structures mm

Foundations : Departure from Center Line 25

Variation in cross-section ±12
Departure from specified
finished levels 12

Structural Beams, Walls, Slabs and

Columns : Deviation from intended line 6
Variation in Cross-Section ±6
Variation in length ±9
Variation in level ±6
Twist in slabs: Deviation
of one corner from a plane
containing the other three
corners. ±6
Flatness: Deviation with a
1.5 m long straight edge
placed on a normally plane
surface. ±6

The permissible tolerances for concrete with a fair

face finish shall be 50% of the above tolerances.

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 C.7.2 Curing and Protection
Immediately after the concrete is placed and compacted, all exposed
surfaces shall be protected from sun, wind and weather by canvas or
other suitable materials approved by the Engineer, held clear of the
concrete by frames. Curing will start as soon as the exposed concrete
surfaces can accept further curing procedures. For flat surfaces it is
preferred to do ponding and water shall be filled and maintained for
the specified period. For vertical surfaces the members shall be
wrapped with hessian cloth and shall be kept wet till the specified
period.

Bitumen painting/tanking on concrete surfaces for sub-structure will

not be allowed unless satisfactory curing has been carried out for
specified period. The curing period shall be of 7 days, unless there is a
likelihood or curing water or damp coverings freezing, when the period
shall be as instructed by the Engineer. Formwork shall be left in place
for the full period.

C.7.3 Formwork Striking and Removal

The Engineer shall be informed in advance when the Contractor
intends to strike any formwork. No formwork shall be removed before
the concrete has developed sufficient strength to withstand safely any
stress to which the structure may then be subjected. The removal of the
formwork shall be carefully effected without shock or vibration to the
concrete. The minimum periods which shall elapse between the placing
& compacting of the concrete and the removal of the formwork for
various parts of the structure will depend upon the spans and to the
approval of the Engineer as given below.

Side of beams, walls and column 2 days

Soffit of suspended slabs 5 to 10 days
Soffit of beams 10 to 14 days
The Contractor shall record on the Drawings or elsewhere the date on
which formwork is removed therefrom. The assessment of the period
elapsing between placing the concrete and removing the formwork and
consequences arising therefrom shall be the Contractor's entire
responsibility.

C.8 Watertight Concrete

C.8.1 General
The watertightness of the retaining walls, tanks, sumps, etc. indicated
in the drawings as being of watertight concrete construction shall be
ensured by virtue of the materials, workmanship, placing and curing of
the concrete so as to produce a concrete of such denseness and
impermeability that will prevent leakage of water.

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 C.8.2 Mixes and Additives

The concrete shall be a minimum of 35N mix or as specified with a

workability, which will allow thorough compaction of the concrete
around the reinforcement and into all corners of the shuttering.

C.8.3 Joints

The joints shall be constructed to achieve full continuity and complete

watertightness. They shall be prepared and treated to the satisfaction
of the Engineer in a manner now described.

The surface of the joint prior to the deposition of the next lift or section
of concrete shall be free from all laitance. It shall show a lightly
roughened texture over the full section of the work so that the tips of
the aggregate are exposed but not so as to cause porosity at the joint.

Proprietary PVC water stops shall be provided at construction joints as

per approval of the Engineer whether or not shown in the drawings.
The Contractor may with the permission of the Engineer, incorporate
additional PVC water stops in his joints at no extra cost.

C.8.4 Placing

The oversite concrete on which the structure is to be formed shall

comprise a clean dry base through which the base slab shall not lose
cement or gain water. Structural concrete slabs shall be laid upon 1000
gauge polythene sheets of approved manufacture. The first layer of
concrete in each lift shall be enriched, in agreement with the Engineer,
by reducing the aggregate cement ratio approximately 10% while
retaining the water-cement ratio of the normal mix.

The Contractor shall ensure that the junction between the lower edge
of the formwork for the upper lift of concrete forms a close fit with the
lower concrete section since seepage of mortar from the newly placed
concrete could be potential cause of failure in watertightness of the
structure.

At the junction of floor slab and wall a continuous upstand section of

the wall shall be cast at the same time as and integrally with the floor
slab. This section shall be as indicated on the Drawings, but not less
than 75 mm.

Where watertight construction is required concrete must not be poured

against an earth face. Waterproofing additives may be used in elements
of the structure providing that the elements are not being used to
retain liquids. All water retaining structures to be constructed and
tested in strict accordance with BS 8007 : 1987.

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 C.8.5 Inspection & Repair of Leaks and Coating
After the works have been carried out they shall be inspected by the
Engineer and if leaks are found, they shall be made good at the
Contractor's expense or repaired by a procedure approved by the
Engineer. Internal rendering shall on no account be used. Whatever
the procedure adopted for repair, it shall be without prejudice to the
Contractor's responsibility to obtain a watertight structure.

The repair shall be carried out by pressure grouting. Pressure grouting

shall be carried out using a hand operated pressure grouting pump
capable of producing 1.4 N/mm².

All water retaining structures shall be coated internally with approved

two pack high build phenol novolac epoxy resin coating with phenol
novolac epoxy amine cured primer to provide chemical resistance and
to avoid growth of bacterial algae unless otherwise indicated.

C.9 In-situ Tests on defective works

The Contractor shall carry out, at his expenses, all the necessary in-situ/non-
destructive test on any defective concrete works as directed by the Engineer.

C.10 Light Weight Concrete

The light weight concrete shall be produced by mixing cement, fine sand,
water and foam in a proprietary mixing & pumping machine to produce a
strong and light weight concrete containing millions of evenly distributed,
consistently sized air bubbles or cells. The density of the light weight concrete
shall not exceed 800 kg/m3 and shall comply with the following requirements:

1) The cement shall be ordinary Portland cement meeting with the

requirements of BS 12. The minimum cement contents shall be 365 kg/m 3
of concrete.
2) The foaming material shall be with prior approval of the Engineer and
minimum contents shall be 1.12 litres. The water contents shall be 160
litres.
3) The sand and water to be used in the concrete mix shall comply with the
requirements enumerated elsewhere.
4) The 28 day’s cube crushing strength of the light weight concrete shall be
min. 3.4 N/mm2.
5) Like any other cement product, light weight concrete shall be properly
cured. This shall be achieved by continuously keeping it damp for at least
4 days with wet sacks or Hessian or by water sprays. In the hot dry
weather the freshly cast concrete should be shielded from the sun and
wind until sufficiently firm for covering.

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 Light weight concrete specified for structural steel encasement shall have
surface reinforcement of 5 kg/m2 (minimum). Light weight concrete for
roofing shall have K-value equal to 0.11. Site mix light weight concrete will not
be allowed. The light weight concrete shall be supplied by approved Supplier
and the mix design proposal will be submitted for the Engineer’s approval.

C.11 Anchorage System

Wherever the new structural member is to be connected to existing member, a
proprietary rebar fastening system shall be used. The system essentially
consists of drilling holes of appropriate diameter and length, injecting the
adhesive and injecting the rebar.

The holes shall be drilled with a rotary percussive drill to ensure adequate
hole surface roughness. Diamond core drills shall not be used without
subsequent surface roughening. Holes shall be dry at the time of anchor
installation. The diameter and length shall depend upon the rebar diameter
and the application and the same shall be to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

The adhesive shall be a virtually odourless hybrid system consisting of organic

and inorganic binding agent without styrene. The injecting shall start from
the bottom of the hole to ensure complete filling. Some mortar should
overflow upon inserting the rebar to show the complete filling.

The adequate time shall be allowed for complete curing of the anchorage
before applying the loads.

Contractor will submit the detailed proposal for the approval of the Engineer
including the method statement to avoid any damage to existing structure.

C.12 Precast concrete Hollow Block (Hourdi Block) Suspended Slabs

In the case of hollow block-suspended slabs, concrete to ribs, margins and
topping shall be of grade as indicated in the drawings and specified at relevant
sections. The concrete shall be poured monolithically. Hollow blocks (Hourdi
Blocks) of dimensions indicated in the drawings shall be manufactured by
using light weight aggregates as per BS3797 and shall have a minimum
compressive strength of 2.5 N/mm². The weight of blocks shall be between 13
to 20 kg depending upon the height.

Joints, openings and ends of blocks shall be sealed to prevent concrete from
filling the voids of the blocks. The method of sealing is to be approved by the
Engineer.

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