SPECIFICATION 901

CONCRETE – GENERAL WORKS

Copyright MAIN ROADS Western Australia

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 SPECIFICATION 901

CONCRETE – GENERAL WORKS

REVISION REGISTER
Date Clause Description of Revision Authorised
Number By

21 July 11 901.02 Replaced reference “Water SBDE

Services Specification
Section SP43 –
Cementitious Materials for
Concrete” to ‘Australian
Technical Infrastructure
Committee (ATIC)
Specification SP43 –
Cementitious Materials for
Concrete”.
901.05
Replaced all references
WSS -SP43 to ATIC
Specification SP43

25 May 09 901.02 Added reference to WSS SDE

SP43
901.05 Added Clauses on Cement
Annexure Added Concrete Request for
901A Registration form
26 Jun 08 901.04 New Clause added – titled SDE
‘Aggregate’
2 Nov 06 Guidance Guidance Note concerning SDE
Notes paving joints and surface
finish added
1 Aug 06 Whole Complete revision of Issue MCP
document 5.0 to new format

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 CONTENTS

Clause Page No

GENERAL................................................................................................................. 4
901.01 SCOPE 4
901.02 REFERENCES 4
901.03 DEFINITIONS 5
901.04 AGGREGATE 5
PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS................................................................................6
901.05 CEMENT 6
901.06 ADMIXTURES 7
901.07 REINFORCEMENT 7
901.08 CLASS OF CONCRETE 7
901.09 FORMWORK 7
901.10 – 901.25 NOT USED 7
OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................... 8
901.26 GENERAL 8
901.27 MIXING OF CONCRETE 8
901.28 PLACING OF CONCRETE 8
901.29 TESTING 9
901.30 CURING AND PROTECTION 9
901.31 CONCRETING IN HOT WEATHER 10
901.32 CONCRETE SURFACES 10
901.33 CONFORMANCE AND NON-CONFORMANCE 11
901.34 – 901.80 NOT USED 11
AS BUILT AND HANDOVER REQUIREMENTS....................................................11
901.81 – 901.90 NOT USED 11
CONTRACT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS.............................................................11
901.91 – 901.99 NOT USED 11
ANNEXURE 901A..................................................................................................12
CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS FOR CONCRETE REQUEST FOR
REGISTRATION BY MANUFACTURER 12

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 SPECIFICATION 901

CONCRETE – GENERAL WORKS

GENERAL

901.01 SCOPE
1. The work under this specification consists of the mix design, the
supply and delivery, placing, compaction, finishing, curing and
protection of concrete for general non-structural works where normal (N)
class concrete has been specified.
2. Concrete for bridgeworks, manufacture of reinforced concrete Major
box culverts and other major structures is covered in Specification 820 Concrete
CONCRETE FOR STRUCTURES. Structures

901.02 REFERENCES
1. Australian Standards, MAIN ROADS Western Australia
Standards and MAIN ROADS Western Australia Test Methods are
referred to in abbreviated form (e.g. AS 1234, MRS 67-08-43 or WA
123). For convenience, the full titles are given below:

Australian Standards
AS 1012 Methods of Testing Concrete
AS 1379 Specification and Supply of Concrete
AS 1478 Chemical Admixtures for Concrete.
AS 2758.1 Aggregates and Rock for Engineering Purposes Part 1:
Concrete Aggregates
AS 3600 Concrete Structures.
AS 3610 Formwork for Concrete
AS 3799 Liquid Membrane-forming Curing Compounds for
Concrete
AS 3972 Portland and Blended Cements

Australian/New Zealand Standards

AS/NZS 4671 Steel Reinforcing Materials

Other Standards

Australian Technical Infrastructure Committee (ATIC) Specification

SP43 – Cementitious Materials for Concrete

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 MAIN ROADS Specifications

Specification 201 QUALITY SYSTEMS

Specification 819 FALSEWORK
Specification 820 CONCRETE FOR STRUCTURES
Specification 821 FORMWORK
Specification 822 STEEL REINFORCEMENT

901.03 DEFINITIONS

901.03.01 GENERAL
1. Concrete in general shall consist of a mixture of cement and Constituents
water and coarse aggregate and fine aggregate.
2. The strength of concrete shall be defined as the average 28 Strength
day compressive strength of a minimum of two standard 100mm
diameter by 200 mm long cylinders taken from the same sample and
made and cured and tested in accordance with AS 1012.

901.03.02 FINISHED CONCRETE

1. In its finished state the concrete shall be sound, dense, Finished
durable, free from honeycombing and shall have the strength and other State
properties specified.
2. The exposed surfaces shall be smooth and dust free and
conform to the shape tolerances specified.
3. Concrete shall comply with AS 1379 except as varied by the
requirements of this Specification.
4. Aggregates shall meet the durability criteria for concrete Aggregate
exposure classification C of AS 2758.1. Durability

901.04 AGGREGATE
1. Fine aggregates for concrete shall be natural sand and shall Fine
comply with the requirements of AS 2758.1. The maximum amount of Aggregates
water absorption for fine aggregates shall not exceed 1.5 percent.
2. Coarse aggregates for concrete shall be crushed igneous Coarse
rock or crushed or screened river gravel conforming to the requirements Aggregates
of AS2758.1. All coarse aggregates shall be single-sized. Graded
coarse aggregates shall not be used. The maximum amount of water
absorption for coarse aggregates shall not exceed 2.5 percent.
3. The durability of coarse aggregates shall be assessed Durability
according to test methods of AS 2758.1. The acceptance criteria for
these tests shall be that for a concrete exposure classification C unless
otherwise specified.
4. All aggregates proposed for use in the Works shall comply Alkali-
with the requirements of the "Alkali-Reactive Materials" clause of AS Reactive
2758.1. Aggregates shall be classified by WA624.1 and those Materials
aggregates having potential for substantial AAR shall not be used.

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5. The Contractor shall provide proper means of storing the Storage
aggregates. Each nominal size of coarse aggregate and fine
aggregate shall be kept separated and suitable precautions shall be
taken to prevent the aggregates from being contaminated by the
ground or by wind blown dust or other foreign matter.
6. The grading of the individual aggregates shall conform to Testing
the overall limits for these materials given in AS 2758.1. Sampling for
the purposes of carrying out tests shall be in accordance with AS 1141

PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS

901.05 CEMENT
1. Unless otherwise specified, all cement used in the works
shall comply with the requirements of Type GP cement as specified in Testing
AS 3972 and Australian Technical Infrastructure Committee (ATIC)
Specification SP43. The Contractor shall provide manufacturer’s test
certificates showing all cement has been sampled, tested and conforms
in all respects with AS 3972 and ATIC Specification – SP43.
2. Blended cement shall be a combination of Type GP cement
and ground granulated iron blast-furnace slag complying with AS
Blended Cement
3582.2 and ATIC - Specification SP 43. The densified silica fume to be
added to the blended cement shall be finely divided and comply with
AS/NZS 3582.3 and ATIC – Specification SP43.

3. Cement for manufacture of concrete shall comply with the

requirements of ATIC- Specification SP43. The Cementitious Material
Registration Scheme (CMRS) shall be used to confirm that the cement Certification
complies to ATIC – Specification SP43. The standard application form
for CMRS registration is given in Annexure 910A.

4 Prior to manufacturing of concrete the Contractor shall

confirm that the cement complies with ATIC – Specification SP43
and shall provide the CMRS registration number for the cement to HOLD POINT
the Superintendent for approval of the cement.
5 The Contractor shall use cement in approximately the
chronological order in which it is delivered from the manufacturer.
Transportation units and storage bins for bulk cement shall be
weatherproof and shall be constructed so that there is no dead storage.
The Contractor shall demonstrate that the storage bins for bulk cement
do not have any dead storage. If dead storage exists the bins shall be
emptied completely at least once every three months. Cement
delivered in bags shall be stored in weatherproof structures having
floors raised above the ground. Cement that is more than three months
old shall not be used.
6. Concrete manufactured from cement not conforming to this
Specification or from cement that has deteriorated and become
unsuitable for use shall be rejected

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901.06 ADMIXTURES
1. Admixtures may be used in concrete to modify workability Admixtures
but will not be permitted for the purpose of reducing cement content. Compliance
However, the admixture shall have no harmful effect whatsoever upon
the quality of the concrete or upon any reinforcement or other fixture
embedded therein.
2. Any admixture shall comply with the requirements of and be
used in accordance with AS 1478.

901.07 REINFORCEMENT
1. Reinforcement used in the Works shall comply with the
relevant requirements of AS/NZS 4671.

901.08 CLASS OF CONCRETE

1. The Class of concrete shall be Normal-class as specified on Normal
the Drawings. Class
Concrete
2. Unless otherwise noted slump and aggregate size is as
follows:
a) Maximum aggregate size 20mm Aggregate
Size
b) Maximum slump 100mm Slump
3. Specifying Supply Parameters for Normal-class Concrete. Concrete
Normal-class concrete shall be specified in accordance with AS 1379 Supply
including all of the following:
a) Standard strength grade to be designated as one of Strength
N20, N25, N32, N40 or N50; Grade
b) The slump at point of acceptance;
c) Intended method of placement;
d) The maximum nominal size of aggregate and
e) Project assessment to provide additional test data if
required by the supplier.

901.09 FORMWORK

1. All formwork used to form and support the concrete shall

conform to the requirements of AS 3610.

901.10 – 901.25 NOT USED

OPERATIONS

901.26 GENERAL

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1. Requirements for falsework shall be in accordance with Falsework
Specification 819 FALSEWORK.
2. Requirements for formwork shall be in accordance with Formwork
Specification 821 FORMWORK.
3. Requirements for steel reinforcement shall be in accordance Reinforcement
with Specification 822 STEEL REINFORCEMENT.

901.27 MIXING OF CONCRETE

1. Production and delivery for the concrete shall be in Batch Plant
accordance with the requirements of AS 1379 except that additional & Transit
water shall not be introduced into a mixed batch of concrete and the Mixers
period for completion of discharge from the commencement of mixing
shall not exceed 90 minutes.

901.28 PLACING OF CONCRETE

1. Prior to the placement of any concrete, the Contractor HOLD
must certify to the Superintendent that all falsework, formwork, POINT
reinforcement, levels, placement procedures and curing
procedures to be employed comply with the requirements of the
Technical Specification.
2. Before commencement of each concrete pour the HOLD
Contractor must demonstrate to the Superintendent that sufficient POINT
vibrators and spares are available and tested. The number of
working vibrators required must not be less than one for each 4
cubic metres of concrete placed per hour. The number of standby
vibrators must not be less than 25% of the number of working
vibrators with a minimum of one.
3. Concrete shall be conveyed from on site mixers to its final Transport &
position without delay and by methods which will not permit segregation Placing
and/or loss of material. All the concrete shall be placed in its final
position within ninety minutes of the materials having been placed in
the mixer.
4. Concrete shall be placed in a manner which will prevent
segregation. Concrete shall be spread in horizontal layers with the first
layer not exceeding 350mm in compacted thickness and the thickness
of subsequent layers limited to 75% of the length of the immersion
vibrators used. Placing shall be continuous between specified or
approved construction joints.
5. During placing, concrete shall be compacted using Vibration
mechanical or pneumatic immersion vibrators to remove all voids and
air bubbles. Immersion vibrators shall have a frequency of not less
than 150 Hertz and, where concrete Class 2 or 3 finish is specified,
shall be fitted with approved rubber caps. The largest practical size of
vibrator should be used.
6. Care shall be taken during placing to see that no foreign Foreign
substances are included in the concrete. Substances
7. The location of all construction joints shall be as indicated Construction
on the Drawings or approved by the Superintendent. Construction Joints
joints shall be made on true vertical and horizontal planes and the
surface shall be roughened to remove all laitance and expose the
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aggregate to provide a thorough bond with concrete cast subsequently.
The roughened surface shall be thoroughly cleaned with water to
remove loose chips and any foreign matter. Immediately before fresh
concrete is cast against the joint the hardened concrete surface shall
be thoroughly wetted.

901.29 TESTING

901.29.01 GENERAL
1. All minor structural works shall be tested in accordance with Testing
sub clauses 2 and 3 below and in accordance with Structural Concrete Requirement
quality verification requirements in Specification 201 QUALITY s
SYSTEMS. General non-structural concrete works may be accepted
on the basis of project testing certification, provided by the concrete
supplier.
2. Sampling and testing of concrete specimens shall be in Sampling
accordance with AS 1012 Parts 1 to 18. Concrete test cylinders shall Testing
be 100mm diameter by 200mm long. Rubber caps may be used for the
capping of test cylinders, as allowed in AS 1012.9.
2. The Contractor shall have available not less than 6 concrete
moulds, slump cone and tray, and rod.

901.29.02 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH ANALYSIS

1. Any batch of concrete shall be deemed to comply with the Compliance
strength requirements of this specification if:
a) Every concrete test specimen in the batch has a 28 day
compressive strength greater than 90% of the
characteristic strength; and
b) The average 28 day compressive strength of the
concrete test specimens in the batch is equal to or
greater than the characteristic strength.

901.30 CURING AND PROTECTION

1. Freshly placed concrete shall be protected from the
elements and prevented from drying out too quickly.

2. All concrete surfaces shall be cured by one of the following

methods for not less than five (5) days:
a) Continuous wetting.
b) Spraying with an approved curing compound complying
with the requirements of AS 3799. Such curing
compound shall be applied in accordance with the
manufacturer's published recommendations.
c) Wrapping with polythene or similar film to provide an
airtight cover.
d) Maintaining the formwork in position for the curing period.
3. The Contractor shall ensure that the method of curing shall
not result in any staining of exposed surfaces of concrete.

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901.31 CONCRETING IN HOT WEATHER
1. The requirements of AS 1379 for temperature of the Placement
concrete at the point of discharge shall be met for all concrete works Temperatur
undertaken in hot weather. In addition, placement of concrete shall e
only be permitted providing:
a) the concrete mix temperature during placement shall at Mix
no time exceed 35°C, Temperatur
e
AND, EITHER
b) the ambient shade temperature does not exceed 38°C Shade
and is falling, Temperatur
e
OR
c) the ambient shade temperature is less than 38°C and
rising provided that the placement can be completed
before the ambient temperature exceeds 38°C.

901.32 CONCRETE SURFACES

1. The type of formed concrete surface finish shall be as Formed
shown on the Drawings and shall comply with the requirements of Surface
Section 3 of AS 3610. Finish
2. The type of unformed surface finish shall be as shown on Unformed
the Drawings and shall be in accordance with Table 901.1 below. Surface
Finish
3. Tolerances for concrete construction shall be in accordance
with Table 821.1 of Specification 821, FORMWORK. The tolerances
shall be taken from the table to best match the general minor structure
specified in the project.

TABLE 901.1 UNFORMED SURFACE FINISHES FOR CONCRETE

Designated Type of Concrete Finish Maximum Allowable

Finish Surface Irregularities
U1 A wood floated finish to produce a 5mm abrupt or 15mm in a
uniform surface without surface 3m template
pitting or cavities
U2 A high quality steel trowelled finish Nil abrupt or 5mm in a 3m
having a dense smooth impervious template
finish without surface pitting or
cavities
U3 A high quality mechanical steel 2mm abrupt or 5mm in a
trowelled finish having a dense 3m template
impervious finish without surface
pitting or cavities
U4 A wood floated surface with a 2mm abrupt or 5mm in a
broomed finish 3m template

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901.33 CONFORMANCE AND NON-CONFORMANCE
1. Concrete that shows evidence of poor workmanship such as Non-
honeycombing or is porous due to inadequate compaction or due to Conforming
segregation or concrete that fails to comply with this Specification in
regard to strength or tolerances or finishes or other requirements shall
be deemed to be non-conforming.
2. If at any time the concrete fails to meet any of the Operations
requirements of this specification, concreting operations shall be Suspended
suspended until corrective measures are taken, at no cost to the
Principal.

901.34 – 901.80 NOT USED

AS BUILT AND HANDOVER REQUIREMENTS

901.81 – 901.90 NOT USED

CONTRACT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

901.91 – 901.99 NOT USED

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 ANNEXURE 901A
ATIC
CEMENTITIOUS MATERIALS FOR CONCRETE
REQUEST FOR REGISTRATION BY MANUFACTURER

Cement or Blend Details

Product Name

Type

Proportions

Manufacturer

Place of Manufacture

Source of Constituent Materials

Cement Clinker

Fly Ash

Slag

Limestone

Gypsum

Grinding Aids

Supply Details

Dispatching Supplier

Contact Name

Contact Phone No.

Contact Address

Suppliers ABN

Send this form with the sample to:

RTA Chemical and Materials For RTA Laboratory Use Only:

Laboratory
Date of Registration:
Att: Laboratory Officer
Registration No:
Unit H, 75 St. Hilliers Rd,
Auburn NSWWestern
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 SPECIFICATION 901 GUIDANCE NOTES
DELETE THESE GUIDANCE NOTES FROM FINAL DOCUMENT AFTER USING FOR
REFERENCE

All edits to downloaded TDP documents shall be tracked (most word processing
software allows this to be done automatically). Deletions shall be struck through e.g.
example. Insertions shall be in italics e.g. example. If all information relating to a clause
is deleted then the clause number should be retained and the words "NOT USED"
should be inserted.

The proposed documents with tracked changes shall be submitted to the Project
Manager for review, prior to printing the final batch of documents. When this final
printing is carried out, the tracked changes option is to be turned off.

The Custodian of this specification is the Senior Bridge Design Engineer.

CLAUSE 901.08 CLASS OF CONCRETE

The project manager shall select the appropriate concrete Grade in Clause 901.08.3

CONCRETE PAVING

The project manager shall ensure that construction/contraction/expansion joint details

and the paving surface finish are preferably included on the Contract Drawings or
failing this that details are clearly described within the Contract Specific Requirements
section of the Specification.

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CONTRACT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS TO ADD OR DELETE

The following clauses are to be placed under the CONTRACT SPECIFIC

REQUIREMENTS as required.

(NO REQUIREMENTS AT THIS TIME)

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 SPECIFICATION AMENDMENT CHECKLIST

Specification Name: No: 901 Revision No: ______ Title: CONCRETE –

GENERAL WORKS

Project Manager: Name: _______________Signature _______________Date:______

Checked By: Name: _______________Signature: ___________Date:________

Contract No: ___________Contract Description: __________________________

ITEM DESCRIPTION SIGN

OFF
Note: All changes/amendments must be shown in Tracked Change mode until
approved.
1. Project Manager has reviewed Specification and identified
Additions and Amendments.
2. CONTRACT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS addressed? –
Contract specific materials/products/clauses added? (Refer
Specification Guidance Notes for guidance).
3. Any unlisted Materials/Products proposed and approved by the
Project Manager? – if “Yes” provide details at 15.
4. Standard Clauses amended? – MUST SEEK approval from
MCP.
5. Clause deletions shown as ‘NOT USED’.
6. Appropriate INSPECTION & TESTING parameters included in
Spec 201 (Test Methods, Minimum Testing Frequencies
verified).
7. ANNEXURES completed (Refer Specification Guidance Notes).
8. HANDOVER and AS BUILT requirements addressed.
9. Main Roads QS has approved changes to SMM.
10. Project Manager certifies completed Specification reflects intent
of the design.
11. Completed Specification – independent verification arranged by
Project Manager
12. Project Manager’s review completed.
13. SPECIFICATION GUIDANCE NOTES deleted.
14. TABLE OF CONTENTS updated.
15 Supporting information prepared and submitted to Project
Manager.
Further action necessary:

Signed: (Project Manager) Date: _______________

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