CO NC R E T E

SCOPE
This specification establishes the material, mixing, placing, curing, etc.,
of all types of cast in - situ concrete to be used in foundations,
underground and above ground structures, floors, etc., Any special
requirement as shown or noted on the drawings shall govern over the
provisions of this specifications. All work should be carried out with
proper scientific knowledge and practice and it is obligatory that the
contractor shall employ a qualified and competent Engineer for the said
purpose.
MATERIALS
CEMENT (IS : 269)
Cement shall be ordinary Portland cement with a 7 days strength of not
less than 220 Kg / cm 2 unless otherwise specified, obtained from
approved suppliers and shall be stored in a waterproof / weatherproof
shed in a manner approved by the Engineer. No cement that has been
allowed to deteriorate in quality or that has become caked or has
perished by dampness or otherwise shall under any circumstances be
used on the works. The concrete mix proportions shall be used on the
weight of cement bags as delivered at the mixer and not on their
theoretical weight. The contractor should allow in his rates for losses in
weight of cement bags in transit and handling as indicated in special
terms of contract part I.
STORAGE
The contractor shall follow accepted good practice in handling and
storing cement. Cement may be stored on site in moisture proof bulk
containers, which shall be equipped with venting arrangements.
Cement delivered in bags shall be stored off the ground (at lest 15 cms.)
in dry, well ventilated, weather proof / water proof sheds, arranged in
separate consignments as received from the manufacturer so that
consumption of cement is ensured in the order of receipt. I.e., First in
First Out rule. The stacks of cement shall be such that there is easy
access for proper inspection and identification. The bags shall be piled
not more than 15 bags per pile and placed close together in the pile to
reduce circulation of air. Each stack of cement shall be covered with
good water proof tarpaulin or thick polyethylene sheets.

USE
Cement shall be used in the order in which it is received. Cement in
bags in storage for more than 3 months shall be rest before use.

TESTING
Testing shall be carried out on cement delivered to the site for fineness,
initial and final setting time, and compressive strength (IS : 4031) and
the results should be approved by the Engineer before use of the cement
in permanent works. Samples shall be taken immediately on receipt of
cement at site. The methods and procedure of sampling shall be in
accordance with IS : 3535. The Engineer may specify other forms of
sampling and tests, if in his opinion the cement is of doubtful quality,
the costs of such additional tests shall be borne by the contractor, if
supplied by him.
FINE AGGREGATE (SAND) (IS : 383)
It shall be of river or pit sand or, if permitted by the Engineer, crushed
stone sand (produced from crushing stone suitable for concrete
aggregates) and all fine aggregates shall be sharp, free from excess fines,
loam earth, vegetable matter, soluble salts and other harmful chemical
organic impurities and shall be clean. If considered by the Engineer as
necessary, the same shall be washed. Washing shall be done at least
one day before using it in concrete. The aggregate should be stored in
such a manner as to avoid contamination.
Fine aggregates acceptable for the works shall normally have a grading
which falls within the following limits
GRADING LIMITS FOR FINE AGGREGATES (IS : 383)
IS Sieve
Designation

Equivalent B.S.
Sieve No.

Natural Sand or
crushed gravel
sand

Crushing stone
sand

4.75 mm

3/1600

90 100

90 100

2.36 mm

No. 7

75 100

60 95

1.1.8 mm

No. 14

55 90

30 70

600 Micron

No. 25

35 60

15 35

300 Micron

No. 52

5 30

5 20

150 micron

No. 100

0 10

0 12

If grading of fine aggregates can be improved by mixing two varieties of

sand, the Engineer may at his discretion specify such mixing, and may
permit the use of crushed sand as one of the two sands forming the
mixture. The provisions of two types of sand and their mixing in the
specified proportions shall be done at the contractors cost.

a)

The fine aggregate shall not contain more than a total 4% by

weight of loam, dust silt and any.

b)

The amount of fine particles shall not exceed 3% by weight for

natural sand.

COARSE AGGREGATES (IS : 383)

Coarse aggregate for the works shall be river gravel or crushed stone
obtained from sources approved by the Engineer. It shall be clean and
free from clay or loamy admixture or quarry refuse or vegetable matter.
The pieces of aggregates shall be cubical or rounded in shape and shall
have granular or crystalline or smooth (but not glossy non - powdery
surfaces.
Aggregates shall be properly screened and it necessary washed and
cleaned before use.
Coarse aggregates containing flat or flaky pieces or mica shall be
cleaned of such impurities before use. The grading shall conform to the
following as far as possible :
GRADING

LIMITS

FOR

SINGLE

SIZED

COARSE

AGGREGATE

(IS : 383)

Nominal
size of
aggregate

80
m
m

63 mm

100

63 mm

40
mm

20
mm

85 100

0 30

0 50

Passing Sieve (%)

12 mm

10
mm

4.75

2.36

40 mm

100

85 100

0 20

05

20 mm

100

85 100

0 20

05

12 mm

100

85 100

0 45

0 10

10 mm

100

85 100

0 20

Limits for use of single sized coarse aggregate in various types of

structures shall be as follows :

USE

SIZE

Slab and walls 200 mm or more in

40 mm to 10 mm
thickness
Columns and Girders with least
40 mm to 10 mm
dimension of 300 mm or more
Slab and walls under 200 mm in
20 mm to 10 mm
thickness
Columns and Girders with at least
20 mm to 10 mm
dimension under 300 mm
Note

Note :

The sieve sizes of 80mm, 40mm, 20mm, 12mm, and 10mm

will correspond roughly to B.S. Sieve size of 3, 21/2.
and 3/8 respectively.
Limit for impurities in Aggregates (IS : 383)
TEST

FINE AGGREGATE

COARSE
AGGREGATE

Clay, Silt & Fine dust

in natural sand or
crushed
Gravel
(by
weight)

4%

1%

Organic impurities

The solution obtained

by
immersing
the
samples in 3 percent
solution
of
sodium
Hydroxide for 24 hrs.
should be light colour.

Coarse and fine aggregates shall be batched separately. All in aggregate

may be used only where specifically permitted by the Engineer.
WATER
Before commencing the trial mix design, and in course of the work
whenever the source of water changes, or whenever there is in the
opinion of the Engineer reason to suspect a change in water quality, the
contractor shall get the water to be used for mixing, tested in an

approved laboratory.
The water in general shall comply with the
following requirements.
Water to be used for mixing and curing concrete shall be clean, fresh
and free from organic or inorganic matter in solution or suspension in
such amounts as may impair the strength or durability of concrete or
steel. Water which is potable is normally considered satisfactory for
concrete mixing. Sea water or water from excavations shall not be used.
In case of doubt suitable checks shall be made using distilled water as
the basis of comparison.
Where water can be shown to contain an excess of acid, alkali, sugar or
salts, the Engineer may refuse to permit its use. As a guide the
following concentrations represent the maximum permissible values.
a)

To neutralize 200 ml sample of water, using phenolphthalein as an

indicator, it should not require more than 2 ml of 0.1 Normal
NaOH. The details of test shall be as given in section 13 of IS :
3025.

b)

To neutralize 200 ml sample of water, using methyl - orange as an

indicator; it should not require more than 10ml of 0.1 HCL, the
details of test shall be as given in section 19 of IS : 3025.
c) Percentage of solid when tested in accordance with IS : 3025 shall
not exceed the following :
TABLE
Permissible Limit Max.

d)

Organic

200 mg/l

Inorganic

3000 mg/l

Sulphate (as SO4)

500 mg/l

Chlorides (as CL)

1000 mg/l

Suspended matter

2000 mg/l

The pH value of water shall be 6 - 10.

TRIAL MIXES
The contractor shall be entirely responsible for the design of the concrete
mixes. The design is however to be approved by the Engineer before
commencing any concreting in the works. The contractor shall make
trail mixes using samples of coarse aggregates, sand, water and cement,

typical of those to be used in the works, and which have been tested in
an approved laboratory. A clean dry mixer shall be used and the first
batch discarded.
The cement contents of different grades of concrete and the required
average strength at 28 days for which the mixes shall be designed are
specified below

TABLE : 2

Grades
Designatio
n

Estimated
Characteristic
minimum
Strength thk.
cement
At 28 days
content

Target
average
cube
strength at
7 days

Target
average
cube
strength at
28 days

M 10

(Kg / cm2)
100

(Kg / cm3)
225

(Kg / cm2)
100

(Kg / cm2)
140

M 15

150

300

150

210

M 20

200

350

195

275

M 25

250

400

235

335

The estimated cement contents indicated above are for the contractors
guidance only. They are for 20 mm maximum nominal size aggregates,
and for other sizes different cement contents may be necessary to get
the specified strength. For 20 mm aggregates, the above are cement
contents with which it should be possible to obtain the required target
mean strengths provided the aggregate and other ingredients are of
satisfactory quality and grading.
In case however the contractor is unable to obtain the required average
strengths with these cement contents he will be required to provide
increased cement content at his own cost. On the other hand, cement
contents less than estimated minimum are not permitted.
Where the mix is not designed following proportions shall be used for
the concreting : (by Volume)
M-10
M-15
M-20
M25

(1:3:6)
(1:2:4)
(1:1.5:3)
(1:1:2)

R.C.C WORK IN CONTROLLED CONCRETE

Strength of concrete of different grades and their proportions for
controlled concrete shall be as under

Grade of
Concrete

Specified
Characteristic
compressive
cube strength
at 28 days in
Kg / Sq. cm

Total Qty. by
weight dry
aggregate
(course + 50
kg cement)

Proportion
of fine to
coarse
aggregates

Qty. of
water per
50 kg.
Cement
(Ltrs)

M5

50

800

Generally

60

M 7.5

75

625

1 : 2 but

45

M 10

100

480

Subject

34

M 15

150

350

To upper

32

M 20

200

300

Limit

30

250

1 : 1.5 &
Lower limit
1 : 2.5

30

M 25

250

Note :
1.

M - 5 and M - 7.5 grades need not be designed for mixes.

2.

Coarse aggregate above means graded coarse aggregates.

3.

If for obtaining workability etc., quantity of water has to be

increased, then the cement content shall also proportionately
increased so that specified water cement ratio is not exceeded. The
cost of such extra cement shall be deemed to be included in the
item rates / prices.

1, 2, 3 and 4 samples for quantity of concrete poured daily not

exceeding 5 Cu. M, 16 - 39 Cu.M & 31 - 50 Cu. M respectively
shall be taken or as directed by the Engineer. From each sample
six test cubes shall be made (150 x 150 x 150 mm ) size, three for
testing at seven days and three for testing at twenty eight days.
The strength at seven days for use of normal Portland cement shall
not be less than two thirds of twenty eight days strength. All tests
shall be carried out as per IS : 456, IS: 516. The results of test in
any recognized laboratory shall be final and binding on the
contractor.
All arrangements for testing concrete cubes shall be made by the
contractor at his own cost. All the materials and labour for
making, curing and transporting the cubes for carrying out
necessary tests including the fees of testing whether at site or
elsewhere shall be at the cost of the contractor.

Normally cube strength s substantially in excess of those specified

are expected.
In case the compressive strength obtained from the test cubes of
concrete is less than the minimum specified in acceptance criteria
as per IS : 456 Clause 15 the work is liable to be rejected.
If however, the strengths are higher than the specified due to good
control or otherwise, the contractor shall have no claim for extra
payment.
CONCRETE MIX DESIGN (IS : 01262)
Concrete mixes for various specified design strengths shall be worked
out by the contractor, generally as per the requirements of IS : 456.
a.

The mix proportion shall be selected to ensure that the workability

of the fresh concrete is suitable for the conditions of handling and
placing, so that after compaction it surrounds all reinforcements
or tendons and ducts and completely fills the formwork. When the
concrete is hardened, its quality shall be such as to comply with
the strength, durability and other requirements taking into
account the conditions to which it will be exposed.

b.

Any standard method of mix design may be used. For determining

the required strength the probability of any test result falling short
of the specified minimum shall be taken as per IS : 456. Unless

the contractor can prove from his past experience that he is

capable of achieving a high degree of control, a fair control should
be assumed in the initial mix design, before arriving at the average
strength values due regard shall be given to the Criteria of
Acceptance of the site concrete, which shall be as here under.
Laboratory cube strength for mix design shall be 25% higher than
the targeted characteristic strength e.g. for M - 20 mix, laboratory
28 day strength for 150 mm size cube should be 250 Kg / Sq. cm
so as to get 200 Kg/ Sq. cm field strength.
c.

The mixes designed by the contractor shall be used on works only

after obtaining a written approval of the Engineer. It is to be
understood that the mix design shall be entirely the responsibility
of the contractor and such approval by the Engineer shall not
relieve the contractor of his responsibility in respect thereof.

d.

The contractor shall prepare all calculations, tabulations, graphs

etc., pertaining to concrete mix designs and / or test results and
supply copies of such calculations, tabulations, graphs etc., as
required by the Engineer.

e.

Not withstanding the mix design prepared by the contractor, the

absolute minimum quantity of cement which must be used for
various grades of concrete shall be as follows
MIX

K.G. PER CU. M

M 15

300

M20

350

M 25

400

f.

Either ordinary Portland or Portland pozzolana cement will be

supplied. No deviation either in rate or schedule of work will be
entertained on this account. The mix design should be based on
the use of ordinary Portland cement / Portland pozzalana cement.
Due regard should also be taken regarding minimum cement
content specified as above.

g.

The contractor shall furnish the cement content assumed for

various mixes for approval by the Engineer within on (1) week after
award of contract. In case it becomes necessary to use Portland
pozzolana cement during the course of the work, the contractor
shall design fresh mixes and the difference in the consumption of

cement due to use of pozzolana cement shall be taken into account

for reconciliation purpose also.
In all cases the contractor shall make trial cubes from each
consignment of cement and test the same before actually using in
the work.
h.

The Criteria Acceptance for concrete shall be as follows:

The Criteria of acceptance of site concrete shall be as per clause
15 of IS : 456. Concrete which does not fulfill requirements
specified in clause 15.1 of IS : 456. but has a strength greater
than that required by clause 15.2 is liable for rejection at all
consequences of rejection of concrete shall be totally at the
contractors expense.
For each grade a total of 18 cubes shall be made. Of these 18
cubes made not more than 6 may be made on any day and further.
Of the 6 cubes made in one day not more than 2 cubes may be
from any single batch. 9 of these cubes. Each representing a
different batch of concrete shall be tested at the age of 7 days and
the remaining 9 cubes shall be tested at the age of 28 days. The
making of the cubes, their curing, storing, transporting and
testing shall be in accordance with Indian Standard IS : 516. The
test shall be carried out in a laboratory approved by the Engineer.

ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA (IS : 456)

The contractor shall submit test results in statistical form as described
in IS : 456. Standard Deviation calculations shall be on a set consisting
of not less than 30 samples.
Concrete will be considered acceptable if
The average strength of set is not less than
Not more than 5% of the samples of the set fall below characteristic
strength of the concrete.
Lowest samples strength value in a set does not fall below greater of the
following two values.
If the concrete produced at site does not satisfy the above strength
requirements, the Engineer will reserve the right to require the
contractor to improve the methods of batching, the quality of the
ingredients and redesign the mix with increased cement content if
necessary. The contractor shall not be entitled to claim any extra cost
for the extra cement used for the modifications stipulated by the
Engineer for fulfilling the strength requirements specified.
If from the test results it appears that some portion of the works has not
attained the required strength, the Engineer may order the testing of the
suspected as well as adjacent portions of the structure. Such testing
shall be at the contractors cost. The Engineer may also reject the work
and order its demolition and reconstruction at the contractors cost.
If the strength of concrete in any portion of the structure is lower than
the required strength, but it is considered never the less adequate by the
Engineer so that demolition is not necessary, the contractor shall be
paid a lower rate for such lower strength concrete as determined by the
Engineer.
If the average strength of the concrete cubes falls below the required
strength fresh preliminary mixes for that grade shall be made as before,
until the trial mixes yield cubes of compressive strength at 28 days
greater than the required average strength at that age.
When there is a significant change in the quality of any of the
ingredients of concrete, the Engineer may at his discretion order the
carrying out of fresh trial mixes. All costs for trial mixes and tests shall

be to the contractors account and held to be included in the contract

rates.

Before commencing the works the contractors shall submit to the

Engineer, for approval full details of all preliminary trial mixes and tests.
When the proportions of a concrete mix have been approved by the
Engineer, the contractor shall not vary the quality or source of the
materials or the mix without the written approval of the Engineer.
CONCRETE CUBE TESTS
The quantity of hardened concrete will be verified by the following
procedure
The engineer shall select random batches of concrete for examination
without warning the contractor and sampling will generally be done at
the point of discharge from the mixer.
From the batches thus selected 6 concrete cubes shall be made in
accordance with Indian Standards. However not more than 2 cubes may
be made from any single batch. Of these 6 cubes thus made 3 cubes
(each representing concrete of different batches) shall be tested 7 days
and the remaining 3 cubes shall be tested at 28 days.
All cubes shall be made, cured, stored, transported and tested in
accordance with Indian Standards. The tests shall be carried out in a
laboratory approved by the Engineer.
For concrete mix above M - 15 grade, at least 6 cubes shall be made on
each days concreting until 60 cubes have been made for each grade of
concrete. This is the initial period.
After the initial period, subject to the acceptance of the Engineer. The
frequency at which the cubes shall be made, may be reduced to 1 set for
every 40 Cu.M. or part thereof for each days concreting (1 set = six
cubes, each pair of cubes representing concrete from a different batch).
If concrete is batched at more than one point simultaneously the above
frequency of making cubes shall be followed at each point of batching.

The test strength of sample shall be the average of the strength of three
cubes. The individual variation should not be more than 15% of the
average.
QUALITY CONTROL
The contractor shall exert proper quality control at the various stages of
concrete production and placement.

As frequently as the Engineer may require, testing shall be carried out in

the field for
1.

Moisture content of sand

2.

Moisture content of aggregates

3.

Silt content of sand

4.

Grading of sand

The contractor shall provide and maintain at all times, until the works
are completed, equipment and staff required for carrying out these tests.
The contractor shall grant the Engineer or his representative full access
to this laboratory at all times and shall produce on demand complete
records of all tests carried out on site. Alternatively, the contractor may
also avail of the services of a local testing laboratory with prior approval
of the Engineer.
CONCRETE BATCHING
1.

The aggregates shall always be measured by weigh batching

making due allowance for the water contained in aggregates.
Volume batching of aggregates shall be permitted in exceptional
cases only, after the Engineer is satisfied that adequate control
can be exercised by the contractor and densities of the aggregates
are fairly uniform.

2.

The water shall be controlled by direct measurement and due

allowance shall be made for water in the aggregates. The quantity
of water contained in the aggregates shall be determined by a
method approved by the Engineer.

3.

Where cement concrete is specified by strength cement shall

always be used on actual weight basis with necessary addition to
compensate for weight of gunny bag and deficiency in weight of
gunny bag and deficiency in weight of cement in the particular
bag. Where nominal mixes viz. Mud-mat / blindage are specified,
use of cement may be permitted on basis of number of bags as
may be decided by the Engineer. In addition to the accurate
control of water / cement ratio, slump tests shall be adopted to
check that there is no significant variation in the workability of the
mix.

4.

All tests shall be carried out at regular intervals and records of the
results shall be kept at site. Copies of records shall be sent to the
Engineer for reference.

5.

To ensure that the grading of the aggregate remains the same as

the grading to which the mix design is based, sieve analysis shall
be carried out regularly and charts showing the results shall be
prepared. Copies of this information shall be kept at site and
supplied by the contractor as instructed. If a change in grading is
unavoidable the mix shall be redesigned and got approved.

6.

Record of theoretical and actual consumption of cement shall be

maintained by the contractor for each work separately and
regularly.

MIXING
Concrete shall be machine mixed, in a batch mixer of approved type,
which will ensure a uniform distribution of the material through the
mass, so that the mixture is uniform in colour and homogeneous. The
mixer shall be cleaned at frequent intervals while in use. The mixing of
each batch shall continue not less than 11/2 minutes after all the
materials and water are in the mixer during which time the mixer shall
turn at a speed of about 15-20 rounds per minute. The quantity of the
mixed materials per batch shall not exceed the manufactures capacity
of the mixer.
When hand mixing is authorized by the Engineer, it shall be done on a
water tight platform. The materials shall be turned at least three times

after the water is added and until the batch is homogeneous in

appearance and colour.
Concrete shall be poured and consolidated in its final position within
half an hour of mixing. Tampering with concrete, which has partially
hardened, i.e., re - mixing with or without additional cement, aggregate
or water, shall not be permitted.
PLACING CONCRETE
Before placing concrete, all equipments for mixing and transporting the
concrete shall be cleaned and all debris shall be removed from the place
to be occupied by the concrete. All form and soil surface shall be
finished to desired level and shall be thoroughly wetted immediately
prior to placing concrete.
Concrete shall be handled from the place of mixing to the place of final
deposit as rapidly as practicable by methods which will prevent the
segregation or loss of any of the ingredients. If segregation does occur
during transport, the concrete shall be mixed before being placed. The
concrete shall be placed and compacted before setting commences and
shall not be subsequently disturbed.

The concrete shall in no case be dropped from a height over 1.5 m and it
shall be carefully laid in position. Before depositing the concrete, all
debris, and dirt shall be removed from the space to occupy by concrete.
Concreting shall not be done unless the formwork conforms to the
shapes, lines and dimensions as shown in the drawing. The form work
shall be sufficiently rigid. During the placing and compaction of
concrete, care shall be taken to ensure that there is no loss of water
from concrete and no segregation takes place. The method of placing
and compaction employed in any particular section of the work shall be
to the entire satisfaction of the Engineer.
To ensure bond and water tightness between old concrete surface and
the concrete to be placed, the surface should be cleaned and roughened
to initial green cut may be done after 6 hours of placing concrete in
order to facilitate the work. Before plastering, the surface shall be
thoroughly hacked. The bonding of old and new concrete should be
done by applying the cement slurry after thoroughly watering the old
concrete surface and removing all loose particles.

Unless otherwise approved, concrete shall be placed in single operation

to the full thickness of slabs, beams and similar members and shall be
placed in horizontal layers but exceeding 1m. deep in walls, columns
and similar members. Concrete shall be placed continuously until
completion of the part of the work between construction joints or as
directed by the Engineer.
Concreting shall not be started unless the Electrical conduits or any
other piping wherever required are laid by the concerned agency. The
civil contractor shall afford all the facilities, to maintain coordination of
work with other agencies engaged in electrical and such other works as
directed by the Engineer.
Before concreting, the contractor shall provide fabricate and lay in
proper position metal inserts, anchor bolts, pipes etc., (which are
required to be embedded in concrete members as per relevant drawings
and directions of the Engineer.
Where concrete is placed on soil, it shall be placed only on firm
undisturbed ground. Any concrete that is place on well compacted fill
shall have the prior approval of the Engineer. Concrete shall not be
placed in standing water on sub - grade or in foundation excavation.
The concrete after being laid shall be compacted by means of vibrators of
approved type under proper supervision as directed by the Engineer-inCharge. Vibration shall not be confined only to the top surface, but the
whole mass of concrete shall be well vibrated until the dense mass
assumes jelly like appearance and consistency with water just appearing
on the surface. Over vibration or vibration of vary wet mixes shall be
avoided. Care should be taken to avoid segregation and accomplished by
means of spud type internal vibrators with flexible shaft of 6000
vibration / min. The vibrator shall not be left in any position for more
than 5 seconds.
The whole process starting from the mixing of concrete to the placing
and compaction shall not take more than 20 min. the process shall be
completed before the initial setting takes place.
All chutes, pipes and other placing equipment shall be kept clean and
free from coatings of hardened concrete by cleaning and thoroughly
flushing, with water after each run, and water used for flushing shall be
discharged clear of the concrete already in place.
No concrete shall be deposited until the Engineer has inspected the
forms, reinforcing steel, inserts hollow clay tile units, sleeves etc., and

given permission to place. Concrete, shall be deposited only in the

presence of a representative of the Engineer.
CURING
Curing shall be accomplished in accordance with IS : 456 by keeping the
concrete covered with a layer of sacking canvas, hessian or similar
absorbent materials and kept constantly wet for atleast ten days from
the date of placing of concrete unless otherwise specified. The approval
of the Engineer shall be obtained for method of curing which the
contractor proposes to use on the work. In very hot weather precaution
shall be taken to see that temperature of wet concrete does not exceed
38oC while placing.
Heavy loads shall not be placed on or moved across floor slabs until
curing is complete. Care shall be taken to prevent floor surface from
being marred during curing period. For freshly laid concrete formwork
shall not be jarred. Concrete placed under water shall be protected form
falling earth during and after placing. Walking on concrete shall not be
permitted for at least twenty four hours after it has been placed in the
forms and for such additional length of time as the Engineer may direct.
CONSTRUCTION JOINTS
Construction joints shall in general conform to the relevant clauses of
IS : 456.
When the placing of concrete is interrupted and a construction joint is
formed, provision shall be made for interlocking with the succeeding
layer by the embodiment or saturated wooden blocks or strips,
smoothened on four sides to facilitate their removal. Prior to the next
pour the wooden pieces shall be loosened and removed in such a
manner as to avoid damage to the concrete.

Such construction joints, as the contractor feels, are necessary shall be

approved by the Engineer and shall be so located and formed as to least
impair the strength and the appearance of the structure.
They shall be made in the positions as specified or elsewhere as
approved. Such joints shall be truly vertical or horizontal as the case

may be except that in an inclined or curved member the joint shall be

strictly at right angles to the axis of member.
Construction joints shall be rebated to an approved profile and an
approved water stop shall be inserted in the joints when specified.
Construction joints shall be made horizontally in the foundations and
75 mm below the lowest beam soft at the head of columns. Concrete in
the ribs and slabs of small tee and other beams shall be placed in one
operation but for large beams concrete in the rib up to first. Concrete in
haunches or splays on beams or braces and concrete in the head of
adjoining position of the column shall be placed at the same time
junction of walls and slabs shall be placed at the same time as that in
the slab. Construction joints in slab and beams shall be located at 1/3
of span and keyed and doweled as specified.
FINISHING OF CONCRETE
On skirting the formwork all blowholes and honey combing observed
shall be brought to the notice of Engineer-in-Charge. The Engineer may
at his discretion allow such honey combing or blowholes to be rectified
by necessary chipping and packing or grouting with concrete or cement
mortar. If mortar is used, it shall be (1:3) mix, or as specified by
Engineer-in-Charge. However, if honey combing or blowholes are of such
extent as being undesirable, the Engineer-in-Charge may reject the work
totally and his decision shall be final and binding. No extra payment
shall be made for rectifying these defects. All humps and uneven faces
shall be rubbed smooth with the help of carborundum stone.
The surface of non - shuttered faces shall be smoothened with a wooden
float to give a finish equal to that of the rubbed down shuttered faces.
Concealed concrete faces shall be left as from the shuttering except that
honeycombed surface shall be made as detailed above. The top faces of
slabs but intended to be surfaced levels or falls shown in the drawings
or elsewhere. The floating shall not be executed to the extent of bringing
excess fine materials to surface.
The top faces or slabs intended to be covered with screened, granolithic
or similar faces, shall be made rough when wet with wire brush. Faces
of concrete intended to be plastered shall be roughened by approved
means to form a key.

PROTECTION OF CONCRETE
Care shall be exercised to protect the completed concrete from damage
by subsequent construction operations. No equipments shall be run
over the complete slabs until they are at least two weeks old, special
case shall be taken on concreting in hot weather. The forms must be
thoroughly wetted first before the concrete is placed and the exposed
surface of the concrete shall be kept continually damp, by sprinkling for
two days.
CRACKS
If cracks, which in the opinion of the Engineer may be detrimental to the
strength of the construction, develop in concrete construction, the
contractor at his own expense shall test the slab or other construction
as specified in special conditions. If under such test loads the cracks
develop further, the contractor shall dismantle the construction, carry
away the debris, replace the construction and carry out all
consequential work thereto, at his cost.
In any cracks develop in the concrete construction. Which in the opinion
of the Engineer have suffered damages either in appearance or stability
owing to such cracks. The Engineers decision as to the extent of the
liability of the contractor in the above matter shall be final and binding.
DEFECTIVE CONCRETE
Should any concrete be found honey combed or in any way defective,
such concrete shall on the instruction of the Engineer be cut out by the
contractor and made at his own expenses.
EXPOSED FACES, HOLES AND FIXTURES
On no account shall concrete surface be patched or covered up or
damaged concrete rectified or replaced until the Engineer or his
representative has inspected the works and issued written instructions
for rectification. Further to observe this procedure will render that
portion of the works liable to rejection ; in which case it will be treated
as rejection which has failed to meet specified strength requirements.
APPROVAL BEFORE CONCRETING
No concreting shall be carried out by the contractor until the Engineer
or his representative has inspected formwork and reinforcement and

certified in writing that concreting may proceed. Any concrete poured

without such prior written approval shall be cut out and removed by the
contractor at his own cost.

CONCRETE FOR FLOORING ON GRADE

Concrete for flooring on grade shall be over well packed stone metal or
no earth as specified with or without reinforcement, placed in alternate
bays not exceeding more than 6 m x 6 m or as specified including
hacking the joints or adjacent bays. The water cement ratio shall not
exceed 0.4 and cement content shall not be less than 320 Kg/ Cu.M. of
finished concrete.
The stiff mix shall be thoroughly vibrated and
finished to receive the floor finish.
PRECAST CONCRETE
All provisions, not specifically excluded and not in conflict with
provisions of Section 2 : Concrete and Formwork. Section 4 :
Reinforcement and Section 7 : Structural Steel work shall apply to pre
-cast concrete.
CASTING
All pre - cast units shall be cast on suitable bed or platform with firm
foundation and free from wind. The contractor shall be responsible for
the accuracy of the level or shape of the bed or platform.
EMBODIMENTS
Embedded items shall be placed and maintained in correct position
while concreting.
Embedded items shall be properly anchored to develop required factored
loads.
STRIKING FORMS
Side shutters shall not be struck in less than 24 hours after depositing
concrete and no pre - cast unit shall be lifted until the concrete reaches
strength of at least twice the stress to which the concrete may be
subjected to at the time of lifting.
CURING

All pre-cast work shall be protected from the direct rays of the sun for at
least 7 days after casing an during that period each unit shall be kept
constantly watered or preferably be completed immersed in water if the
size of the unit so permits.
MODE OF MEASUREMENT (IS : 1200)
Payment for all concrete work shall be made on cubic metre basis. The
measurements shall be as per relevant part of IS : 1200. The rate shall
be inclusive of labour, equipments, material, curing etc., complete.
Reinforcement and formwork shall be paid separately.