DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal Earthwork in excavation of foundation trenches: i_Earthwork in excavation of foundation trenches: - (1) Before the earthwork is started, the whole area where the work is to be done shall be cleared of grass, roots of trees and other organic matter. @) The excavation shall be carried out exactly in accordance with the dimensions shown on the drawings or such other dimensions as the Engineer-in-Charge may decide. G) Sides of the trenches shall be vertical and its bottom shall be perfectly levelled, both longitudinally and transversely. Where the soil is soft, loose or slushy the trench shall be widened for allowing steps on either side or the sides sloped or shored up. (4) During excavation if rocks or rocky soils are found those shall be levelled as far as possible and the small spaces which are difficult to level shall be filled in with concrete (5) If the excavation is in earth, the bottom of the trenches shall be sprinkled with a little water and rammed. Any excess digging or any patches of bad soil or hollows shall be removed by placing concrete or shall be subject to any other special treatment as the Engineer-in-Charge decides. (6) No material excavated from foundation trenches, shall be placed nearer than one metre to the outer edges of the excavation. 3 (7) Water in trenches must be bailed or pumped out and where it is apprehended that the sides may fall down arrangement shall be made for adequate timber shoring (8) When it is specified that the work is to be carried out without removing pipes, cables, sewers, etc, all of them shall be temporarily shored and saved from any damage. (9) The materials or valuables found during excavation shall be the property of the Government. 2. Cement concrete: - (a) Materials: (1) Coarse aggregate: It shall be crushed or broken from hard stone obtained from approved quarry. It shall be hard, strong, dense and durable, clean and free from soft friable, thin, flat elongated or laminated, flaky pieces and shall be roughly cubical in shape. It shall be clean and free from dir and any other foreign matter. Coarse aggregate may be gravel, may either be river bed shingle or pit gravel. It shall be sound, hard, clean suitably graded in size, This shall be free from flat particles of shale, powdered clay, silt, loam and other impurities. Gravel shall have to be washed if it contains soil materials adhering to it. Unless specially mentioned the size of the coarse aggregate shall be 20 mm graded down and shall be retained in a 5 mm square mesh so that the voids do not exceed 42 percent. In the case of road or mass concrete work bigger size 40 to 60 mm may be specified. (2) Fine aggregate: Aggregate most of which passes 4.75mm IS Sieve is known as fine aggregate. Sand as fine aggregate shall be coarse, consisting of sharp, angular grains and be of standard specification. It shall be clean and free from dust, dirt and organic matters. Sea sand shall not be used. Crushed dust stone may also be used as fine aggregate. (3) Cement: Cement shall be fresh portland cement and conform to the IS: 269 up-to-date modification. Page |DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal (4) Water: Water used shall be clean and reasonably free from injurious quantities of deleterious materials such as oils, acids, alkalies, salts and vegetable growth. Generally potable water shall be used. (b) Proportioning: Proportion of cement, sand and coarse aggregate shall be 1:2:4 or as specified. Coarse aggregate and sand shall be measured by measuring box of 30cm x 30cm x 38cm or of suitable size equivalent to the content of one bag of cement of 1/30 cum or 0.035 cum. Cement shall be measured by bag weighing 50 kg. Sand shall be measured on the basis of its dry volume. In case of damp sand, the bulkage shall be determined at site and the extra quantity of sand so determined shall be added. No extra quantity shall be permitted unless bulkage is determined. As the bulking of sand may vary from day to day and at different parts of the day on account of varying moisture content, frequent tests for bulking shall be carried out with the sand to be used. While measuring the aggregate, shaking, ramming or hammering shall not be done. (© Mixing: (1) Hand mixing: Hand mixing by batches shall be permitted on small works, Normally all structural concrete shall be mixed in mixer machine. Mixing by hand shall be employed only in special cases with the specific prior permission of the Engineer-in-Charge. The mixing shall be done on a clean water tight masonry or concrete slab or stee! plate platform, Measured quantity of sand shall be spread evenly. The cement shall be dumped on the sand and distributed evenly. The sand and cement shall be mixed thoroughly with-spade, turning the mixture over and over again, until it is of even colour through-out and free from streaks. The measured quantity of coarse aggregate shall be spread out and the sand cement mixture shall be spread on us top. Alternatively, the reverse operation may be done. This shall be mixed at least three limes by shovelling and turning over by twist from centre to side, then back to the centre and again to the sides. A hollow shall be made in the middle of the mixed pile. Three quarters of the total quantity of water required shall be added while the material is turned in towards the centre with spades. The remaining water shall be added by a water can fitted with rose head, slowly turning the whole mixture over and over again until a uniform colour and consistency is obtained throughout the pile. The mixing platform shall be washed at the end of the day. (2) Machine mixing: The mixer drum shall be flushed clean with water. Measured quantity of dry coarse aggregate shall be placed first in the hopper. This shall be followed with measured quantity of fine aggregate and then cement. In case, damp sand is used, add half of the quantity of coarse aggregate followed by cement and sand. Finally add balance quantity of the coarse aggregate The dry materials shall be mixed in the mixing drum for at least four turns of the drum, after which the correct quantity of water shall be added gradually while the drum is in motion, to ensure even distribution with the dry materials. The total quantity of water for mixing shall be introduced before 25 percent of the mixing time has elapsed and shall be regulated to achieve the specific water cement ratio. The mixing shall be thorough to have a plastic mix of uniform colour. The complete contents of the mixed conerete shall be Page 2DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal emptied before recharging. When the mixer is closed down for the day or for any time exceeding 20 minutes, the drum shall be flushed clean, Mixing time : - The materials shall be mixed in a drum for a period of not less than 2 minutes and until a uniform colour and consistency are obtained. The time shall be counted from the moment all the materials have been put into the drum. (@) Consistency : - The quantity of water to be used for each mix of 50 kg cement to give the required consistency shall not be more than 34 litres for 1 : 3 : 6 mix, 30 litres for 1 : 2: 4 mix, 27 litres for 1 : 1.5: 3 mix and 25 litres for 1: 1: 2 mix. In the case of vibrated concrete, the limit specified may be suitably reduced to avoid segregation. The quantity of water shall be regulated by carrying out regular slump tests. (©) Laying: - The entire concrete used in the work shall be laid gently (not thrown) in layers not exceeding 15 cm and shall be thoroughly vibrated by means of mechanical vibrators till a dense concrete is obtained. The Engineer-in-Charge may however relax this condition at his discretion for certain items depending upon the thickness of the members and feasibility of vibrating the same and permit hand compaction. Hand compaction shall be done with the help of punning rods and tamping with wooden tampers so that concrete is thoroughly compacted and completely worked into the comers of the form work. The layers of conerete shall be so placed that the bottom layer does not finally set before the top layer is placed. Compaction shall be completed before the initial setting starts i.e. within 30 minutes of addition of water to the dry mixture. During cold weather casting of concrete shall not be done when the temperature falls below 4.5°C. During hot weather precautions shall be taken to see that the temperature of wet concrete does not exceed 38°C. Conerete shall not be deposited under water. Where found necessary to deposit any concrete under water, the method and equipment shall first be approved by the Engineer-in-Charge. Concrete shall be deposited continuously until it is brought to required height; while depositing, the top surface shall be kept as nearly level as possible and the formation of seams shall be avoided. The concrete shall be deposited under water by one of the approved methods such as Treamic Method. Drop and bottom bucket, bags ete When the placing of concrete is suspended, or resumed on the following day, necessary roughening of the surface for joining future work shall be done before the concrete sets. When the work is resumed the previous work must be thoroughly cleaned, roughened, watered and a grout of neat cement slurry of the proportion, I kg of cement per 2 litres of water applied uniformly. Poge 3DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal (® Protection and curing : Freshly laid concrete shall be protected from rain by suitable covering. The work should also be protected from damage and rain during construction. After the concrete has begun to harden i.e. about | to 2 hours afier its laying, it shall be protected with moist gunny bags, sand or any other material approved by the Engineer-in-Charge against quick drying. After 24 hours of laying of concrete the surface shall be cured by flooding with water of about 25mm depth or by covering with wet absorbent materials ‘The curing shall be done for a minimum period of 14 days. Over the foundation concrete, the masonry work may be started after 48 hours of its laying, but the curing of cement concrete shall be continued along-with the masonry work for a minimum period of 14 days. In case of cement concrete used as sub-grade for flooring, the flooring may be commenced before the curing period of sub-grade is over but the curing of sub-grade shall be continued along with the top layer of flooring for a minimum period of 14 days, The water used for curing shall not produce any objectionable stains or unsightly deposit on concrete surface (g) Form work: ‘ If centering and shuttering are required to be done for this work these shall be done in accordance with the specifications for form work under Reinforced cement concrete 3. Reinforced cement concrete (R. C. (a) Form work: - Form work shall include all forms or moulds required for forming the concrete which is cast-in-situ, together with all temporary construction required for their support. (i) Materials for Form work: Form work shall be of plywood, or steel approved by the Engineer-in- Charge. Timber used for form work shall be easily workable with nails without splitting and of light weight. It shall be stiff and strong enough to avoid undue deflection when loaded and not liable to warp when exposed to sun and rain or wetted during casting of conerete. Form work shall be of rigid construction true to shape and dimensions shown on drawings. It shall be strong enough to withstand the dead and live loads and forces caused by ramming and vibrations of concrete and other incidental loads imposed upon it during and after casting of concrete. It shall be made sufficiently rigid by using adequate number of braces and ties. To make up any settlement in the form work either before or during the placing of concrete, hard wood wedges shall be provided where required. All form work shall be so constructed as to be removable in sections in the desired sequence, without damaging the surface of concrete or disturbing other sections, Forms should be easy to strip after connecting and no piece should be keyed into the concrete. The completed form work shall be approved after inspection by the Engineer-in-Charge before the reinforcement bars are placed in position. (ii) Propping and Centering: Props used for centering shall be of steel, timber, posts, ballies or any other material approved by the Engineer-in-Charge. In case when ballies are used none shall be less than 100 Page 4DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal mm in diameter measured at mid length and 80 mm at thin end. Ballies shall rest on wooden sole plates of not less than 40 mm thickness having a minimum bearing area of 0.1 square metre laid on ground or on 40 X 40 mm thick brick masonry pillars in mud mortar of height not exceeding 40 em. All props shall further be provided with double wedges between the sole plates and the props so as to facilitate tightening and easing of shuttering without causing shock to the concrete, In case a span exceeds 4.50 metres and height exceeds 3.50 metres suitable horizontal as well as diagonal bracings shall be provided after accounting for all forces including action of the wind which may produce lateral forces. In case the height of centering exceeds 3.50 metres, the props may be provided in multi-stages, The detail of splicing the props at each stage shall be as per approved drawing, Before the casting of concrete is started, the props and wedges shall be throughly checked to see that these are intact. While the casting of concrete is in progress, at least one carpenter shall keep a constant watch on the props and take immediate remedial measures, as soon as any of them gets loosened. (b) Shuttering: - The shuttering shall be of approved dressed timber of well seasoned wooden boards to give a smooth and even surface and the joints shall not permit leakage of cement grout. The timber shall be free from loose knots, projected nails, splits, adhering grout or other defects that may mar the cement surface of concrete It shall not be as green or wet as to shrink after erection. Species of timber which are not affected appreciably by its contact with water shall be used. When metal forms are used, all bolls and nuts shall be countersunk and well ground to provide a smooth plain surface. Opening for fan clamps and other fittings connected with services shall be provided in the shuttering as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge. (@ Surface treatment for shuttering : The surfaces of timber shuttering that would come in contact with conerete shall be thoroughly cleaned and well wetted and coated with soap solution, raw linseed oil, or form oil of approved manufacture, or any other approved material such as polythene sheets, to prevent adhesion of conerete to form work. ‘The Engineer-in-Charge shall inspect and accept the form work as to its strength, alignment and general fitness before placing any concrete in the forms, But such inspection shall not relieve the contractor of his responsibility for safety of man, machinery, materials and for results obtained, (ii) Camber : Suitable camber shall be provided in horizontal members of structures specially in long members to counteract the effects of deflection. The camber for beams and slabs shall be 4 mm per metre i.e. 1 in 250 and for cantilevers, at free end shall be 1/50" of the projected length or as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge iii) Removal of Form Work: The form work shall be removed avoiding shock or vibration that may cause any damage to concrete. In a slab and beam construction, sides of beam shall be stripped first; then the under sides of slab and lastly the underside of the beam. The period that shall elapse after the concrete has been laid before undertaking the work of easing and removal of centering and shuttering shall be as given below according to IS 456-1978, Page 5DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal Parts of structure | Where ordinary portland cement is used forms may | be removed after expiry of the following periods : T | Walls, columns and vertical faces of all | 24 to 48 hours as may be decided by the Engineer- structural members in-Charge. 2_| Slabs (props left under) 3 days 3__ | Beams soffits (props left under) | Tdays 4 _| Removal of props under slabs | | @ Spanning up to 4.5m T days (b) Spanning over 4.5 m 14 days 3__ | Removal of props under beams and arches @ Spanning up to 6m 14 days (b) Spanning over 6m 21 days Tn case of cantilever slabs and beams, the centering shall remain till structures for bearing down have been erected and have sufficient strength. (0) Reinforcement: Mild steel bars shall conform to the L.S. specification, free from loose rust, dust, loose mill scales, coats of paints, oil or other coatings which may destroy or reduce bond. It shall be stored in such a way so as to avoid distortion and to prevent corrosion. (@ Bending of Overlapping: Bars shall be bent cold, correctly and accurately to the size and shape as shown on the detailed drawing or as directed by the Engincer-in-Charge. Preferably bars of full length shall be used, Overlapping of bars, where necessary, shall be done as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge. The overlaps shall be staggered for different bars and located at points, along the span, where neither shear nor bending moment is maximum. Overlapping of bars can be kept apart by 25mm or | 1/4" times the maximum size of coarse aggregate whichever is greater, with concrete between them. But where this cannot be done, the overlapping bars shall be bound together at intervals not exceeding twice the diameter of such bars, with two strands of annealed steel wire of 0.90mm to 1.6mm thickness twisted tight. In case of mild steel the ends of rods shall be bent in to semi-circular hooks, having clear diameter equal to four times the diameter of bar, with a length beyond the bend equal to four times the diameter of the bar. In case of deformed bars the hooks are not required, Welding of bars shall be permitted in lieu of overlap if approved by the Engineer-in-Charge. (ii) Placing in Position: Reinforcement bars shall be placed in position as shown in the drawings. Bars at their points of intersection shall be securely tied together with two strands of annealed stee! wire 0.90 to 1.6mm thick twisted tight to make the skeleton of the steel work rigid so that the reinforcement does not get displaced during the deposition of concrete. Tack welding shall be permitted in lieu of binding with steel wire if approved by the Engineer-in-Charge. The bars shall be kept in position by the following methods as the case may be Page 6DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal (1) For beam and slab construction, precast cover blocks in cement mortar 1: 2 about 4 x 4 cm section and of thickness equal to the specified cover shall be placed between the bars and shuttering, to avoid sagging and to maintain requisite cover of concrete. (2) For cantilevered and double reinforced beams or slabs the vertical distance between the horizontal bars shall be maintained by introducing chain spacers or support bars of steel at 1.0 metre or at shorter spacing to avoid sagging. (3) For columns and walls the vertical bars shall be kept in position by means of timber templates with slots accurately cut in them; or with block of cement mortar (1:2) suitably tied to the reinforcement. (d) Placing of conerete: - (a) Materials for concrete: Same as cement concrete except the size of coarse aggregate shall be 20 mm unless specially mentioned in the type of work. (i) Proportioning of concrete: Same as cement concrete (b). (ii) Mixing : Concrete shall be mixed by mechanical mixer except for small quantity when Engineer-in- Charge permits otherwise. Same as cement concrete item no (C). (iii) Consistency or Workability: The conerete, which will flow sluggishly into the forms and around the reinforcement without any segregation of coarse aggregate from the mortar shall be used. The consistency shall depend on whether the concrete is vibrated or hand tamped. It shall be determined by slump tests as per I. S. recommendation. (©) Placing of concrete: - Pouring into moulds, Placing of concrete shall be commenced only after the Engineer-in-Charge has inspected the centering, shuttering and reinforcements as placed and approved the same. Shuttering shall be clean and free from all saw dust, pieces of wood or other foreign materials and shalll be treated as prescribed in surface treatment for shuttering. In case of casting of concrete of slabs and beams, wooden planks or cat-walks supported directly on the centering by means of wooden blocks shall be provided to convey the concrete to the place of deposition without disturbing the reinforcement. Labourers shall not be allowed to walk over the reinforcement. In deep trenches and footings, concrete shall be placed through chutes as directed by the Engineer- in-Charge. In case of columns and walls, the shuttering shall be so adjusted that the vertical drop of concrete is not more than 1.5 meters at a time. During cold weather, with below 4.5°C temperature, laying of concrete shall not be done, During hot weather, precaution shall be taken to see that the temperature of wet concrete does not exceed 38°C. Unless permitted by the Engineer-in-charge no concrete shall be laid within half an hour of the closing time of the day. The time between mixing and placing of concrete shall not exceed the initial setting time of cement of 30 minutes. Page 7DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal (© Compaction : Concrete shall be compacted into a dense mass immediately after placing by means of mechanical vibrators designed for continuous operations during the whole period occupied for placing of concrete. The vibrators shall be so adjusted mat the centre of vibrations approximates to the centre of the mass being compacted at the time of placing. For certain items, such as roof slab, depending on the thickness of the members and feasibility of vibrating the same, the Engineer-in-Charge may permit hand compaction. Hand compaction shall be done with the help of 16 mm dia steel tamping rod and tamping with wooden tampers so that the concrete is thoroughly compacted and completely worked around the reinforcement and into comers of the form work. The layers of concrete shall be so placed that the bottom layer does not finally set before the top layer is placed. Compaction shall be continued until the mortar fills the spaces between the coarse aggregate and begins to cream up to form an even surface. Needle Vibrators shall be withdrawn slowly so as to prevent formation of loose pockets in the case of internal vibrators. The specific instructions of the makers of the particular type of vibrator used shall be strictly complied with. Shaking of reinforcement for the purpose of compaction should be avoided. Compaction shall be completed before the initial setting starts. Overvibration or vibration of very wet mixes is harmful and shall be avoided; under vibration is also harmful. (g) Construction Joints : The positions where construction joints are to be made shall be as shown in structural drawing or as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge. Such joints shall be kept to the minimum and shall be located where the shear force is the minimum and these shall be straight and at right angles to the direction of main reinforcement, When stopping the concrete on a vertical plane in slabs and beams, an approved, stop-board shall be placed with necessary slots reinforcement bars or any other obstruction to pass the bars freely without bending, The construction joints on a vertical plane shall be keyed. Inclined or feather joints shall not be permitted. Any concrete flowing through the joints of stop-board shall be removed soon after the initial set. When concrete is stopped on a horizontal plane, the surface shall be roughened and cleaned after the initial set. In case of columns, the joints shall be horizontal and 10 to 15 cm below the bottom of beam running into the column head .Conereting shall be carried out continuously up to construction joints. When the work has to be resumed, the joint shall be thoroughly cleaned with wire brush and loose particles removed. A coat of neat cement slurry at the rate of 2.75kg of cement per square metre shall then be applied on the roughened surface before fresh concrete is laid. (h) Curing: Same as cement concrete item no (f) (i Finishing: In case of roof slabs the top surface shall be finished even and smooth with wooden trowel, before the conerete begins to set. Immediately on removal of forms, the R.C.C. work shall be examined by the Engineer-in-Charge, before any defects are made good. The work that has sagged or contains honeycombing to an extent Page 8DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal detrimental to structural safety or architectural concept shall be rejected. Surface defects of a minor nature may be accepted and shall be made good as per direction of the Engineer-in-Charge. The R.C.C. work shall be done carefully so that the thickness of plaster required for finishing the surface is not more than 6mm. ( Testing conerete: Regular mandatory tests on the consistency and workability of the fresh concrete shall be done to achieve the specified compressive strength of concrete. Work tests and slump tests shall be carried out as per standing practice. Three test specimens shall be made from each sample for testing at 28 days. 4. First class Brickwork: - (a) Materials : Bricks shall be first class of standard specification, regular in shape and size with sharp edges and corners. They shall emit a clear ringing sound on being struck. They shall be of uniform deep red or copper colour, free from cracks, chips, efflorescence, flaws and lumps of any kind. Dry bricks shall not absorb more than 20% of their weight when immersed in water for 24 hours. Brick shall have an average compressive strength of not less than 100 kg per sq em and not more than 125 kg per sq em. For cement mortar, cement shall be fresh portland cement of standard quality. Sand shall be medium coarse sand, clean, sharp and free from clay, mica or organic matter. For lime mortar, lime shall be slaked and fresh stone-lime screened at work site conforming to standard specification. Surki shall be made from first class brick having uniform colour and free from admixture of foreign matter. Water used shall be clean and reasonably free from oils, acids, alkalies, salts and vegetable growth, Generally potable water shall be used. (b) Mortar : The brickwork shall be done with the specified mortar (cement or lime) mixing the ingredients in the specified proportion. In the case of cement mortar the unit of measurement for cement shall be a bag of cement and this shall be taken as 0.035 cu m, Sand in specified proportion shall be measured in boxes of suitable size 35 em x 25 cm x 40 cm, Sand shall be measured on the basis of its dry volume. In case of damp sand, its quantity shall be increased suitably to allow for bulkage. Materials of mortar shall be first mixed dry till of uniform colour on a solid clean watertight platform and then mixed wet at least three times by adding water gradually and evenly to have a workable consistency of a stiff paste. Only the quantity of cement mortar which can be used within 30 minutes shall be prepared at a time. In case of lime morta, it shall be used on the day it is made, (¢) Soaking of Bricks : All bricks shall be thoroughly soaked in water by submerging them in clean water for at least four hours just before use. The wetted bricks shall be stacked on a clean platform to avoid any contact with mud. Page?DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal (@) Laying : The bricklaying shall be of English bond unless specially mentioned. A Layer of mortar shall be spread on full width over a suitable length of the lower course, Each brick shall be properly bedded with frog upward and set home (in position) by gently tapping with handle of trowel or wooden mallet. Its inside faces shall be buttered with mortar before the next brick is laid and pressed against it. On completion of a course, all vertical joints shall be fully filled from the top with mortar. Half, or cut bricks shall not be used except where necessary to complete the bond. No damaged or broken bricks shall be used. Closers in such cases, shall be cut to the required size and used near the ends of the walls. In exposed brickwork, selected bricks of the specified class shall be used for face work. The brickwork shall be true to line, plumb and all vertical joints shall be truely vertical. Vertical joints in alternate courses shall come directly one over the other. Thickness of brick course shall be kept uniform. All connected brickwork shall be carried up simultaneously and no portion of work shall be left more than one metre below the rest of the work. Where this is not possible, in the opinion of the Engineer-in-Charge, the work shall be raked back according to bond (and not toothed) at an angle not steeper than 45°, The work done per day should not be more than one metre height All iron fixtures, pipes, outlets of water, hold fasts of doors and windows, which are required to be built into walls shall be embedded in mortar or cement concrete as specified in their correct position as per direction, as the work proceeds. (©) Joints : Brick shall be so laid that all joints are full of mortar. The thickness of joints shall not exceed 1.0 em. All face joints shall be raked to a minimum depth of 15 mm by raking tool during the progress of work when the mortar is still green so as to provide proper key for plastering or pointing to be done. The face of brickwork shall be cleaned on the same day on which brickwork is laid and all mortar droppings removed promptly. (@) Brick Coping : The top courses of all plinth, parapet, steps and top wall below R.C.C. shall be laid with brick on edges unless specified otherwise. (g) Curing : Brickwork shall be protected from rain by suitable covering when the mortar is green. Masonry work in cement mortar or lime mortar shall be kept constantly moist on all faces for a minimum period of seven days. Brickwork carried out during the day shall be suitably marked indicating the date on which the work is done so as to keep a watch on the curing period. (hy) Scaffolding : For all exposed brickwork, double scaffolding having two sets of vertical supports shall be provided. The supports shall be sound and strong, tied together with horizontal pieces over which scaffolding planks shall be fixed. For all other brickwork in buildings, single scaffolding shall be permitted. In such cases, the inner end of the horizontal scaffolding pole shall rest in a hole provided only in the header course for the purpose. Only one header for each pole shall be left out. Such holes for scaffolding shall, however, not Page 10DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal be allowed in pillars or columns less than one metre in width. The holes left in masonry works for scaffolding purposes shall be filled and made good before plastering. (Usual thickness is 2.5 cm). The ingredients are cement, sand and stone chips in the proportion 1:2:4 or as specified. (This is also known as patent stone flooring when crushed blast surface slag is used as coarse aggregate). (a) Materials : Coarse aggregate shall be stone chips well graded from 12mm down, free from dust, dirt etc. hard and rough. Sand shall be coarse 5 mm maximum size, clean, free from dirt etc. Cement shall be fresh Portland cement. All the materials as stated above and water shall comply with their respective standard specifications, (b) Sub-grade : J The Sub-grade shall be provided with the slopes required for the flooring. Flooring in verandah, kitchen, baths, water-closets and courtyards shall invariably be provided with suitable slope to drain off waste and rain water. Plinth masonry off-set shall be depressed so as to allow the sub-grade concrete to rest on it. If the sub-grade consists of lime concrete, it shall be allowed to set for seven days and the flooring shall be laid in the next three days. If the sub-grade is of lean concrete, the flooring shall be commenced preferably within 48 hours of the laying of sub-grade. The surface of the sub-grade shall be roughened with steel wire brushes without disturbing the concrete. The sub-grade may also be R.C.C. slab. In all cases the surface shall be cleaned and before laying the flooring, the sub-grade shall be wetted with a coat of cement slurry at 2 kg of cement spread over an area of one sq m so as to get a good bond between the sub-grade and concrete floor. (©) Proportioning and mixing: Usual proportion of cement, sand and coarse aggregate shalll be 1 :2 : 4 or as specially mentioned. Mixing of concrete shall be done by hand or by mechanical mixer. In case of hand mixing the cement and sand shall be at first mixed dry and this dry mixture shall be further mixed with dry coarse aggregate till the coarse aggregate is well coated with dry mix of cement and sand. Required amount of water 32 litres per bag of cement as per water cement ratio shall be added slowly and gradually to mix the concrete wet to have a uniform plastic mix. The mixture shall have a slump of not more than 4 em. Conerete for one panel only shall be mixed at one lot. (@) Laying : Flooring of specified thickness shall be laid in the pattern as given in the drawings or as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge. The panel shall be of uniform size and no dimension of a panel shall exceed 2m and Page 11DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr, Subhash C. Yaragal the area of panels shall not be more than 2 sq m. The whole operation of laying in one panel shall be completed within 30 minutes. (® Laying with strips: Normally’ cement flooring shall be laid in one operation using glass or plain asbestos sheet strips at the junction of two panels. This method ensures uniformity in colour of all the panels and straightness at the junction of the panels. (ii) Strips fixing : 4mm thick glass strips or Smm thick plain asbestos strips shall be fixed with their top at proper level, giving required slopes. (ii) Laying without strips: Laying of cement concrete flooring in alternate panels may be allowed by Engineer-in-Charge in case strips are not to be provided. (iv) Shuttering : The panels shall be bounded by wooded battens. The battens shall have the same depth as the concrete flooring. These shall be fixed in position, with their top at proper level, giving required slopes. The surface of the battens that come in contact with concrete shall be oiled with raw linseed oil or a coat of soap solution may be applied before casting the concrete. (v) Casting of conerete; The concrete shall be placed gently and evenly spread within the panel and thoroughly compacted with wooden 'thapies’ to the required thickness. The surface shall then be smoothed with wooden floats, The battens used for shuttering, shall be removed on the next day of the laying of cement concrete. The ends thus exposed shall be repaired, if damaged, with cement mortar 1 cement: 2 coarse sand, and allowed to set for a minimum period of 24 hours. The alternate panels shall then be cleaned of dust, mortar - droppings etc, While laying concrete, care shall be taken to see that the edges of the previously laid panels are not damaged and fresh mortar is not splashed over them. (© Finishing : The surface shall be left for some time, till moisture disappears from it. Excessive trowelling shall be avoided. Use of dry cement or cement and sand mixture sprinkled on the surface to stiffen the concrete or absorb excessive moisture, shall not be permitted. Fresh quantity of cement at 2.0 kg of cement shall be mixed with water to form thick slurry and spread over an area of one sq m of flooring while the concrete is still green. The cement slurry shall then be properly pressed and finished smooth. The men engaged in finishing operation shall be provided with raised wooden platform to sit on, so as to prevent damage to new work. (® Curing : The curing shall be done for a minimum period of ten days. Curing shall not be commenced until the top layer has hardened. Covering with empty cement gunnies shall be avoided as the colour is likely to be bleached with the remnants of cement matter from the bags. Page 12DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal 6. Cement plastering: (a) Materials : Cement shall be fresh portland cement and sand shall be medium quality, cleaned, free from organic matter or salts, All the materials including water shall be of standard specification. (b) Preparation of mortar : - The materials shall be at first mixed dry throughly till uniform in colour in the required proportion and then shall be mixed wet adding water slowly and gradually for at least four times to give a uniform paste. So much material shall be prepared at a time as can be used within the initial setting time (30 minutes) of cement. (c) Preparation of surface: - The surface of the wall shall be brushed, cleaned, washed, watered and wetted with water before plastering. In case of cement plaster on cement concrete the face shall be lightly roughened, cleaned, ‘washed and wetted. To ensure uniform thickness of plaster as specified, narrow strips of about 10 om wide plaster shall be applied first a distance of about | m centres and the gaps between such strips shall immediately be filled up with mortar. (d) Laying : - The plastering shall be started from the top and worked towards the ground. The whole surface shall be made flush with wooden straight edges and rubbed thoroughly with wooden floats to ensure an even suurface. Rounding of corners if desired by the Engineer-in-Charge shall be carried out in one operation. (©) Curing : - Plastering surface shall be kept wet by sprinkling water after 12 hours for at least 7 days and shall be protected from rain or sun. 7. Cement pointing: (a) Preparation of surface: The joints of the brick work shall be raked out to a depth of at least 12mm. Raking shall be done with long nails bent at one end. The surface of wall including the raked joints shall be brushed, cleaned and washed with water and kept wet for 2 hours before pointing. (b) Mortar : Pointing to new brickwork shall be done while the mortar in the joints is still green. Ingredients of mortar i.e. cement and sand shall be of their standard specifications and shall be at first mixed dry with a required proportion (1:2 or I : 3) and then wet by adding water gradually and slowly to form a stiffer mortar. Page 13DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal (©) Pointing: For flush pointing - both horizontal and vertical joints shall be filled up with mortar and pressed with a pointing trowel and finished off flush with the edges of the bricks so as to produce an even appearance to the brick surface. For rule pointing: horizontal joints shall be at first filled up with mortar and pressed to form U-shaped horizontal lines. The vertical joints shall then be filled with mortar and pressed flush with the edges of bricks. During pointing work mortar shall be spread over the faces of bricks and the edges of the bricks shall be clearly defined. After pointing the surface shall be kept wet for at least 7 days. During this period it shall be suitably protected from sun, rain and other damages. White-washing: (a) Scaffolding : ‘Wherever scaffolding is necessary it shall be erected on double’ supports tied together by horizontal pieces, over which scaffolding planks shall be fixed. No bailies, bamboos or planks shall rest on or touch the surface which is being white-washed. Where ladders are used, pieces of old gunny bags shall be tied on their tops to avoid damage or scratches to walls. For white-washing the ceiling, proper stage scaffolding shall be erected. (b) Preparation of Surface: Before new work is white-washed, the surface shall be thoroughly brushed free from mortar droppings and foreign matter. In case of old work all loose pieces and scales shall be scraped off and holes in plaster as well as patches of less than 50 sq cm area shall be filled up with mortar of the same mix. (©) Preparation of Lime-wash: ‘The wash shall be prepared from fresh stone white lime. The lime shall be thoroughly slaked on the spot, mixed and stirred with sufficient water to make a thin cream. This shall be allowed to stand for a period of 24 hours and then shall be screened through a clean coarse cloth. 40 gm of gum dissolved in hot water, shall be added to each 10 cubic decimetre of the cream. The approximate quantity of water to be added in making the cream will be 5 Litres of water to one kg of lime. Indigo (nee!) up to 3 gm per kg of lime dissolved in water, shall then be added and wash stirred well. Water shall then be added at the rate of about 5 litres per kg of lime to produce a milky solution. (@) Application: The white-wash shall be applied with moonj or jute brushes to the specified number of coats. The operation for each coat shall consist of a stroke of the brush given from the top downwards, another from the bottom upwards over the first stroke, and similarly one stroke horizontally from the right and another Page 14DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal from the left before it dries. Each coat shall be allowed to dry before the next one is applied. Each coat shall be inspected and approved by the Engineer-in-charge before the subsequent coat is applied. No portion of the surface shall be left out initially to be patched up later on. For new work, three or more coats shall be applied till the surface presents a smooth and uniform finish through which the plaster is not visible, The finished dry surface shall not show any signs of cracking and peeling nor shall it come off readily on the hand when rubbed. For old work, after the surface has been prepared a coat of white-wash shall be applied over the patches and repairs. The washing on ceilings should be done prior to that on walls (©) Protective Measures: Doors, windows, floors, articles of furniture etc. and other parts of the building not be washed shall be protected from being splashed upon. Splashings and droppings if any, shall be removed and the surface cleaned and no payment for such cleaning shall be made separately. 9. Colour Washing: : The same as white-washing except that the mineral colours, not affected by lime, shall be added to white wash. Indigo (Neel) shall, however, not be added. No colour wash shall be done until a sample of the colour wash of the required shade has been got approved from the Engineer-in-Charge. The colour shall be of even shade over the whole surface. For new work, the priming coat shall be of whitewash with lime or with whiting as specified. For old work, a coat of colour wash shall be applied over the patches and repairs. The colour washed surface shall present a uniform finish. 10. Distempering: (a) Materials : The distemper shall be of the colour as specially mentioned and shall be thoroughly mixed with the quantity of water as prescribed by the manufacturer. Only the required quantity (generally 12 kg per 100 sq m for 1* coat and 7.5 kg for subsequent coats) shall be mixed at a time as required for the day's work. It shall be well stirred before and during use to maintain an even consistency. (b) Preparation of surface: New plastered surface shall be thoroughly brushed free from mortar droppings and other foreign matter and rubbed smooth with sand-paper. Before distempering, efflorescence, if any, shall be wiped out with a clean cloth. New plastered surface shall be allowed to dry up before any operation for distempering and the surface shall be washed over with a solution of zine sulphate. One kg of zinc sulphate shall be mixed in 10 litres of water. The washed surface shall be allowed to dry up. In the case of old work, all loose pieces, scales etc, shall be removed by rubbing with sand-paper. The surface shall be cleaned of all grease, dirt etc. Pits in plastering shall be made good with plaster of Page 15DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS Dr. Subhash C. Yaragal pans mixed with dry distemper of the colour to be used. The surface shall then be rubbed down again with fine sandpaper and made smooth. A coat of the distemper shall be applied over the patches. The prepared surface shall be allowed to dry thoroughly before application of regular coat. (©) Application : - No distemper shall be applied in wet weather. Distemper shall be applied with proper distemper brushes bin not with white-wash brushes, first horizontally and then immediately crossed off vertically which together shall constitute one coat. The subsequent coats shall be applied only after the previous coat has dried. The finished surface shall be even and uniform and shall show no brush marks. The application of a coat in each room shall be finished in one operation and no work shall be started in any room, which can not be completed the same day. After the day's work the brush shall be washed with hot water and kept dry. Page 16