Checklist of Material Submission - Concrete

1. Submission documentation
1.1. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014 (Section 2)
- Details of materials shall be submitted for approval before placement in permanent works:
a) Certificate for each type of cement, showing manufacturer’s name, date and place of
manufacture;
b) Certificate for each nominal maximum aggregate size;
c) Manufacturer’s information on admixtures
d) Details of mix design

- Design reference of materials

a) Cement: Ordinary Portland Cement complying with BS EN 197-1:2011, high alumina cement
shall not be used in structural concrete;
b) Aggregate: It shall be obtained from an approval source and marine origin will not be
permitted, BS EN 12620:2002
c) Sand: BS EN 13139:2002

d) Clay, fine slit and fine dust: their quantity shall be determined by BS EN 933-1:2012 and BS
EN 933-3:2012, shall not be exceed 10% by weight
e) PFA: BS 3892:Part 1

f) Pigment for cement: BS EN 12878:2014

g) Accelerating and retarding admixtures and water reducing admixture: BS 5075: Part 1

2. Sampling rate for cube strength

2.1. Code of Practice for Structural Use of Concrete 2013
- Sampling of concrete cube: (clause 10.3.4.1a)
1.

2. At least one sample shall be taken from each grade of concrete produced on any one
day.
3. 2 cubes shall be made for each sample of concrete in accordance with CS1. The average
compressive strength of each pair of cubes made from the same sample shall be taken
as the test result.
2.2. Construction Standard CS1:1990 (clause 1.2)
- Batch is the quantity of concrete mixed in one cycle operations of a batch mixer, or the quantity
of concrete conveyed ready-mixed in a vehicle, or the quality discharged during 1 minute from a
continuous mixer or the quantity mixed by hand in one cycle of operations.

2.3. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014
- Frequency of sampling for compressive strength and slump testing (clause 6.1.30.3)

- Where the type of structure is not specified, all concrete shall be considered as being
intermediate structures. (clause 6.1.30.4)
- A minimum of one sample shall be taken from each grade of concrete produced on any one day.
- A batch of concrete is any quantity of the same concrete mix produced in one cycle of operations
of a batch mixer or conveyed ready-mixed in a delivery vehicle. (clause 6.1.30.5)
- Two cubes shall be made from one sample.

3. Sampling from a mixer or ready mixed vehicle

3.1. Construction Standard CS1:1990 (clause 1.4.2)
- The first 0.3m3 and the last o.3m3 of the batch discharged from the mixer or ready-mixed vehicle
shall be discharged.
- The sample shall consist of 3 approximately equal increments taken after about 1/6, 1/2 and 5/6
of the discharge of the remainder of the batch.
- The sample for the determination of slump may be obtained from the initial discharge from the
moving stream in a sample container after allowing a discharge of approximately 0.3m 3.
- Sampling report from fresh concrete shall include name of works / date of sampling / name of
supplier and source of concrete / delivery note number or other means of identifying the batch /
grade of concrete / time for adding water to the mix / location in works where the batch will be
placed / time of sampling, ambient temperature and weather condition / place and method of
sampling (at discharge from truck or from a heap) / name and signature of person responsible for
sampling.
- Sampling report for concrete cube shall include sampling report / workability if measured /
identification number of each cube / time at which the cube was completed / age at which ube is
to be tested / name and signature of person responsible for making cube.

4. Cube Strength
4.1 Code of Practice for Structural Use of Concrete 2013
- Characteristic strength of concrete is that the value of the cube strength at 28days below which
5% of all compressive test results would be expected to fall.
- Design Strength Grade (clause 3.1.3)

- Specification for sampling, testing and assessing conformity are given in CS1 and the acceptable
standard. (clause 10.3.4.1)

- Acceptance criteria: (clause 10.3.4.1b)

The result shall be trested as if they were 4 consecutive test results when there are less than 4
results available.
 1. Before 40 test results are available and there is sufficient previous data using similar
materials from the same plant under similar supervision, the standard deviation of those 40
test results is less than 5MPa for 150mm test cubes or 5.5MPa for 100mm test cubes,
compliance requirement C2 may be adopted;
2. When the calculated standard deviation from a set of 40 consecutive test results, which is
judged by requirement C2, exceeds 5MPa for 150mm test cube or 5.5MPa for 100mm test
cubes, the compliance requirement shall be changed from C2 to C1 from the 35th day after
making the last pair of test cube in the set of 40;
3. When the calculated standard deviation from a set of 40 previous consecutive test results is
less than 5MPa for 150mm test cube or 5.5MPa for 100mm test cubes, the compliance
requirement shall be changed from C1 to C2 from the 35th day after making the last pair of
test cube in the set of 40.

- Failure of test results: (clause 10.3.4.1b)

1. If the average strength from any group of 4 consecutive test results does not satisfy Column
A, the batches represented by the first and last samples in group and all intervening batches
are considered as fail the cube strength test;
2. If an individual test result does not satisfy Column B and the average of all groups of 4
consecutive results in which the individual test appears satisfy Column A, only the particular
batch of concrete from which the sample was taken are considered as fail the cube strength
test.
- If the difference between the compressive strength of any pair of cube made from the same
sample exceed 20% of the test result for that pair of cubes, the test result shall be disregarded
and review.
- No further concreting shall be allowed in the following conditions until a steady and satisfactory
mix could be produced.
1. For concrete grade not exceeding C60, the standard deviation exceeds 8MPa for 150mm
cubes or 8.5MPa for 100mm cubes;
2. For concrete grade exceeds C60, the coefficient of variation exceeds 14%.

4.2. Construction Standard CS1:1990

- Cube of 100mm size are not suitable for concrete having a nominal maximum aggregate size
exceeding 20mm; cube of 150mm size are not suitable for concrete having a nominal maximum
aggregate size exceeding 40mm. (clause 7.1)

4.3. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014
- Characteristic strength of designed mix concrete with any type of cement shall be that 28 days
cube strength below which not more than 5% of the test results are expected to fall. (clause
6.1.3.2)
- Concrete cubes of 150mm size shall be made in accordance with CS1:2010, except that the
standard temperature shall be 27deg. (clause 6.1.31.1)
- Cube may be cured on the side if approval, in additional to the water tank curing method
specified in CS1:2010. (clause 6.1.31.1)
- The strength requirement is satisfied if (clause 6.1.31.3)
a) The average strength determined from any group of four consecutive test results complies
with the appropriate limits given in Column A;
b) The average strength determined from individual test results complies with the appropriate
limits given in Column B.

- Failure of test
a) If the average strength determined from any group of four consecutive test results fails to
meet the requirement in Column A, then all the concrete in all the batches represented by
such samples shall be deemed not to comply with the strength requirements;
b) If any individual test result fails to meet the requirements in Column B, then the result may
be considered to represent only the particular batch of concrete from which the sample was
taken; provided that the averages of any 4 consecutive results in which the individual test
result appears satisfy the requirements of Column A.

5. Mix proportions
4.1. Code of Practice for Structural Use of Concrete 2013
- Exposure condition (clause 4.2.3.2)
- Mix proportions for durability requirement (clause 4.2.5.1)
Based on 20mm nominal maximum sized normal weight aggregates

- Adjustments to minimum cement content for aggregate sizes (clause 4.2.5.4)

- The cement content should be not less than 240kg/m 3 for the exposure conditions.
- Minimum grade of C20 with minimum cement content not less than 290kg/m 3 can be used in
foundations to low rise structure in non-aggressive soil. (clause 4.2.6.1)
- The cement content may be reduced provided the followings are met: (clause 4.2.5.3)
1. The reduction in cement content does not exceed 10% of the values in table 4.2
2. The corresponding free water/cement ratio is reduced by not less than the percentage
reduction in the cement content
- The cement content should be limited to not more than 450kg/m 3 (clause 4.2.6.1)
- Total cementitious content, including cement and pfa or ggbs, shall not be higher than 550kg/m 3
for normal strength concrete fcu≤60kg/m3 (clause 4.2.6.1)

- Usual range of pulverized-fuel ash (pfa) and ground granulated blastfurnace slag (ggbs) by mass
of the total cementitious content: (clause 4.2.5.5)
1. 25-35% for pfa
2. 35-75% for ggbs

- Unreinforced concrete (clause 4.2.6.2)

4.2. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014
- Minimum cementitious content (clause 6.1.15.1)
- The cementitious content of any mix shall not exceed 550kg/m 3 of the compacted concrete.
- Maximum free water cement ratio for grade 20D and above (clause 6.1.15.3)
 6. Chemical composition
4.3. Code of Practice for Structural Use of Concrete 2013
- Limits of chloride content (clause 4.2.7.2)

- Reactive alkali content of concrete expressed as the equivalent sodium oxide per cubic meter
shall not be exceed 3.0kg. (clause 4.2.7.3)

4.4. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014
- The percentage of chloride ion by mass of cementitious material shall not be excess 0.2% by
weight of the cementitious content. (clause 6.1.14)

7. Determination of Slump
7.1. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014 (Section 2)
- Aggregate having a nominal maximum size not exceeding 40mm.
- Slump cone shall be held firmly against the surface below. It shall be filled in 3 layers of
approximately equal depth and each layers shall be tamped uniformly to its full depth with 25
stroke of tamping rod.
- The operation from filling to removal of slump cone shall be completed within 150 seconds.
- The slump is the difference between the height of the slump cone and the highest point of the
specimen being tested, measured to the nearest 5mm.
- The report shall include sampling report / place of test if different from place of sampling / time
of completion of test / specified range of slump / form of slump (true, shear or collapse) /
measured slump / name and signature of person responsible for carrying out the test.

7.2. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014 (clause 6.1.32.2)
- Permissible slump shall be decided for each class of work by the engineer.
- It is limited to 25-50mm for framed member and 50-100 for footing or mass concrete.

8. Determination of Flow
8.1. MTR Material &Workmanship Specification for Building and Civil Work 2014 (Section 22)
8. Aggregate having a maximum size not exceeding 63mm; it is not applicable to foamed concrete or no-
fines concrete.
9. It is suitable for concrete mix corresponding to flow values between 340mm and 600mm.
10. Repeat the free falling of table to give total 15 drops.
11. The flow value, (d1+d2)/2, shall be recorded to the nearest 10mm.
12. The cement paste may segregate from the coarse aggregate to give a ring of paste extending several
millimeters beyond the coarse aggregate. The segregation is unsatisfactory.
13. The report shall include identification of test sample / location, date and time of performance test /
any indication of segregation of the concrete / the test result / any deviation from standard test
method / A declaration by the person carrying out the test that it was carried out in accordance with
this standard / temperature of the concrete specimen at time of test