DIVISION 3.

CONCRETE

SECTION 3.01 CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE

PART 1.0 GENERAL

1. SCOPE
a) CONTRACTOR shall furnish all labor, tools, and equipment for the construction of reinforced
cast-in-place concrete.
b) This section includes basic finishing and curing methods, accessory control, and expansion
and contraction joint devices.
2. DELIVERY AND STORAGE
a) CEMENT. It should be in good quality and stored at a room temperature free from moisture so
it will not be hard.
b) AGGREGATES. Aggregates shall be stored in areas covered with tightly wood planks, metal
sheets or any other clean surfaces. Aggregates with different sizes shall be separated with
other sizes and in other area.
c) REINFORCEMENT. It should be stored in a good condition that will prevent excessive
corrosion or coating with grease, oil, dirt and any other irrelevant materials. It should be
separated following their sizes to be easily distinguish.
3. QUALITY ASSURANCE
a) QUALIFICATIONS. All the materials shall meet the requirements of the DRAWINGS and
SPECIFICATIONS.

PART 2.0 PRODUCTS

2.1 MATERIALS

1. GENERAL. Acquire cement and aggregates from the same source for all work.
2. CEMENT. Cement shall be Portland cement Type II, unless otherwise indicated on the DRAWINGS.
3. AGGREGATES.
a) Fine Aggregates. Fine aggregate shall consist of hard, strong, durable particles. Consist of
sand, stone screenings or other inert materials of similar characteristics.
 b) Coarse Aggregates. Coarse aggregates should be well graded in size to a size which will
readily pass between all reinforcing bars and between reinforcement.
4. WATER. Water shall be clean and free from injurious amounts of oils, acids, alkalis, salts, organic
materials, or other substances that may be deleterious to concrete or steel. Mixing water for
prestressed, pretensioned and prestressed post-tensioned concrete or for concrete which will contain
aluminum embedment’s shall not contain deleterious amounts of chloride ion.
5. CURING MATERIALS.
a) Water. Most effective of all the known curing materials is water. Most effective, that is, in terms
of prevent evaporation of the mix water.
b) Plastic Sheeting. It seals the evaporation of water from concrete. The curing concrete with
plastic sheeting, after a short spell of water curing for one or two days is sometimes beneficial.

2.2 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

1. Concrete compressive strength requirements consist of a minimum strength that must be obtained
before various loads of stresses are applied to the concrete and, for concrete designated by strength, a
minimum strength at the age of twenty-eight (28) days. Unless otherwise shown on the DRAWINGS, the
twenty-eight (28) day compressive strength of structural concrete shall be a minimum of four thousand
five hundred (4,500) psi.
2. The mix shall be designed for required strengths in accordance with ACI 301. The ratio of water to the
sum of concrete plus pozzolan shall not exceed 0.45 by weight for durable, watertight, concrete. The
amount of fly ash in the mix shall be between fifteen and twenty percent (15 and 20%) by weight of the
total cementitious materials.
3. Unless otherwise permitted or specified in the DRAWINGS, the concrete shall be proportioned and
produced to have a slump not to exceed four (4) inches or less than two and one-half (2-1/2) inches.
Concrete not consolidated by internal vibration shall be proportioned to have a slump not to exceed five
and one-half (5-1/2) inches or less than four (4) inches.

2.3 SOURCE QUALITY CONTROL

1. BATCHING
a) Measuring and batching of materials shall be done at site.
b) Portland Cement.
i. Either sacked or bulk cement may be used. No fraction of a sack of cement
shall be used in a batch of concrete unless the cement is weighed. Bulk
cement shall be weighed on scales separate and distinct from the aggregate
 hopper or hoppers. Batching shall be such that the accuracy of batching
shall be plus or minus one percent of the required weight.
c) Water.
i. Unless water is to be weighed, the water-measuring equipment shall include
an auxiliary tank from which the measuring tank shall be filled. In lieu of the
volume method, CONTRACTOR shall be permitted to use a water-metering
device.
d) Aggregates.
i. Aggregates shall be handled from stockpiles or other sources to the batching
plant in such a manner as to secure a uniform grading of the material.
Aggregates that have become segregated, or mixed with earth or foreign
material, shall not be used. Batching shall be so conducted as to result in the
weights of material required for each type of aggregate within a tolerance of
two percent (2%).
ii. Free water contents of the coarse and fine aggregates shall be continuously
tested, and concrete mixture adjusted for moisture conditions of the
aggregate to meet the designated water/cement ratio.
e) Fine Aggregates.
a) The proportion of fine aggregate shall be between thirty-six and forty four
percent (36 and 44%) by volume of the total aggregates in the concrete.

2.4 PROPORTIONING

1. Proportioning by the water-ratio and slump test.

2. Determine the strength of the concrete using the water-cement ratio. (The strength increases as the
water-cement ratio decreases).

PART 3.0 EXECUTION

3.1 PREPERATION

1. Prior to placing concrete, CONTRACTOR shall remove all debris and thoroughly dampen the surfaces
that may be in contact with the concrete to be placed.
2. CONTRACTOR shall use compressed air from an air compressor to blow out construction debris and
dirt at the bottom of members to be placed such as walls, beams, and columns, prior to final placement
of forms that may obscure any joint. CONTRACTOR shall demonstrate to ARCHITECT or ENGINEER
that all debris, such as concrete particles, saw dust, loose tie wire, bar tags, tape, trash, and dirt, have
been thoroughly removed.
 3. All surfaces of forms and embedded materials that have become encrusted with dried mortar or grout
from concrete previously placed shall be cleaned of all such mortar or grout before the surrounding or
adjacent concrete is placed.
4. No concrete shall be placed until all formwork, reinforcement, installation of parts to be embedded,
bracing of forms, and preparation of surfaces involved in the placing have been reviewed by Architect or
Engineer.
5. Immediately before placing concrete, all surfaces upon or against which the concrete is to be placed
shall be free from standing water, mud, debris, or loose materials.

3.2 PLACEMENT

1. No concrete shall be placed in water except with the written permission of ARCHITECT or ENGINEER.
The surfaces of absorptive materials against or upon which concrete is to be placed shall be moistened
thoroughly so that moisture will not be drawn from the freshly placed concrete. The concrete shall be
placed by equipment that will prevent segregation or loss of ingredients.
2. Concrete shall be placed to avoid segregation of the materials and the displacement of the
reinforcement.

3.3 EMBEDDED ITEMS

1. At the time of concrete placement, embedded items shall be clean and free from mud, oil, and other
coatings that may adversely affect bonding capacity. Embedment items shall be accurately placed and
securely fastened to the forms in such a manner that the placing of concrete shall not alter their
alignment or location. Contact between embedded items and reinforcing steel or tendon ducts is
unacceptable and is not permitted.

3.4 FIELD QUALITY CONTROL

1. CONTRACTOR shall assist, or the concrete testing consultant as requested during the performance of
quality control testing. Concrete for testing will be taken from the mixer.

END OF SECTION

CONCRETE

DIVISION 4.0

MASONRY
SECTION 4.01 CONCRETE MASONRY

PART 1.0 GENERAL

1. Concrete block masonry construction shall conform to the Standard Specifications.

2. Blocks shall be cut accurately to fit all plumbing ducts, openings, electrical work, and all voids slushed
full.

1.1 DELIVERY, STORAGE, AND HANDLING

1. Deliver masonry materials to project in undamaged condition.

2. Store and handle masonry units to prevent their deterioration or damage due to moisture, temperature
changes, contaminants, corrosion, or other causes, protect masonry units with tarpaulins or other
suitable material. If units become wet, do not install until they are dry.
3. At the time of delivery, the linear shrinkage of masonry units shall not exceed 0.065 percent.
4. Store cementitious materials and masonry units off the ground, under cover and in dry location. All
materials must be protected from wetting by capillary action, rain and protected from mud, dust, or other
materials and contaminants likely to cause staining or defects.
5. Store aggregates where grading and other required characteristics can be maintained, and
contamination avoided.
6. Store masonry accessories, including metal items, in such a way as to prevent corrosion or
accumulation of dirt and oil.

PART 2.0 MATERIALS

1. CONCRETE HOLLOW BLOCKS (CHB).

a) Standard CHB sizes are from thicknesses of 100mm (4”), 150mm (6”) and 200mm (8”) x height
of 200mm (8”) x length of 400mm (16”). 

b) CHB of 100mm (4”) thickness should be used only for interior partition walls where weather-
tightness is not required. 
2. CEMENT PLASTER AND MORTAR. Cement shall be Portland cement Type II, unless otherwise
indicated on the DRAWINGS.

2.1 JOINTS

1. Mortar joints shall conform to the Standard Specifications.

2. Where walls are to receive plaster, the joints should be struck flush.
3. Where certain joints are to be concealed under paint, these joints shall be filled flush and then sacked to
produce a dense surface.
 4. Vertical head joints shall be buttered well for a thickness equal to the face shell of the block and these
joints shall be shoved tightly so that the mortar bonds well to both blocks. Joints shall be solidly filled
from the face of the block to the depth of the face shell.

2.2 REINFORCING

1. Reinforcing bars shall conform to the Standard Specifications.

2. Vertical bars shall be held in position at top and bottom and at intervals not exceeding 192 diameters of
the reinforcement.
3. When a foundation dowel does not line up with vertical core to be reinforced, it shall not be bent over,
but shall be grouted into a core in direct vertical alignment, even though it is in an adjacent cell to the
vertical wall reinforcing.

PART 3.0 EXECUTION

3.1 INSTALLATION

1. Examine conditions, with Installer present, for compliance with requirements for installation tolerances
and other conditions affecting performance. Inspect surfaces that are to support masonry work to
assure completion to proper lines and grades and are free of dirt and other deleterious material. Do not
begin work until surfaces not properly prepared have been satisfactorily corrected.
a) For the record, prepare written report, endorsed by Installer, listing conditions detrimental to
performance.
b) Verify that foundations or other supporting surfaces are within specified tolerances.
c) Verify that reinforcing dowels are properly spaced.
d) Examine rough-in and built-in construction to verify actual locations of piping connections.
2. The horizontal and vertical spacing between anchors tying the masonry wall to the structural frame shall
be as indicated on the Drawings. Intersecting walls may substitute for an anchor.
3. Cleaning Reinforcing: Before placing, remove loose rust and other coatings from reinforcing.
4. Leave openings for equipment to be installed before completion of masonry work. After installation of
equipment, complete masonry work to match work immediately adjacent to the opening.
5. Do not install cracked, broken, or chipped masonry units exceeding ASTM allowances.
6. Protect sills, ledges, and offsets from mortar droppings or other damage during construction.

3.2 LAYING MASONRY WALLS

1. Do not wet concrete masonry prior to laying up units unless written permission is obtained from the
Engineer.
 2. Lay out walls in advance for accurate spacing of surface bond patterns with uniform joint widths and for
accurate location of openings, movement-type joints, returns and offsets. Avoid the use of less-than-
half-size units, particularly at corners, jambs and wherever possible at other locations.
3. Lay-up walls with courses accurately spaced and coordinated with other work.
4. Lay concealed masonry with all units in a wythe in running bond or bonded by lapping not less than 2
inches. Bond and interlock each course of each wythe at corners. Do not use units with less than
nominal 4 inch horizontal face dimensions at corners or jambs.
5. Stopping and Resuming Work: In each course, rack back one-half-unit length for one-half running bond
or one-third unit for one-third running bond. Do not tooth. Clean exposed surfaces at set masonry and
remove loose masonry units and mortar prior to laying fresh masonry.
6. Built-in Work: Install bolts, anchors, nailing blocks, inserts, frames, vent flashings, conduit, and other
built-in items specified under this and other sections of these specifications as masonry work
progresses. Avoid cutting and patching. Solidly grout spaces around built-in items. Provide joints around
exterior framed openings ¼ inch to 3/8 inch wide, raked and tooled smooth to a uniform depth of ¾ inch,
ready for caulking by others. Build chases, do not cut. Consult other trades in advance and make
provisions for installation of their work to avoid cutting and patching. Install chases minimum of one full
masonry unit length from jambs.
a) Fill in space between hollow metal frames and masonry solidly with mortar, unless otherwise
indicated.
b) Where built-in items are to be embedded in cores of hollow masonry units, place a layer of
metal lath in the joint below and rod mortar or grout into core, unless detailed otherwise.
c) Fill cores in hollow concrete masonry units with grout to supporting beam or slab below under
bearing plates, beams, lintels, posts and similar items, unless otherwise indicated.

3.3 CONSTRUCTION STABILITY

1. Design, provide and install bracing that will assure stability of masonry during construction.
2. Allow 16 hours to elapse after completion of masonry columns and walls before placing floor or roof
construction loads. Allow an additional 48 hours before applying concentrated loads such as girders,
beams, or trusses.

3.4 PLACING REINFORCEMENT

1. General: Clean reinforcement of loose rust, mill scale, earth or other materials which will reduce bond to
mortar or grout. Do not use reinforcement bars with kinks or bends not shown on Drawings or final Shop
Drawings, or bars with reduced cross-section due to excessive rusting or other causes.
2. Position reinforcement accurately at the spacing indicated.

3.4 FORMWORK
 1. Temporary Formwork: Provide formwork and shores as required for temporary support of reinforced
masonry elements
2. Brace, tie and support as required to maintain position and shape during construction and curing of
reinforced masonry.

3.4 FIELD QUALITY CONTROL

1. Masonry work inspection and test requirements.

END OF SECTION

MASONRY