GUIDELINES FOR CONCRETE WORKS

Concrete Orders:

1. Weekly concrete requirements shall be communicated with the site batching plant on
weekly basis to ensure availability of materials. This concrete schedule is tentative (i.e.
quantity / concrete class / zone).

2. Daily concrete requirements are confirmed by zones to the site batching plant one day
before intended pour date. Copies of daily ‘concrete orders’ shall be forwarded to KLC.

3. Concrete orders shall be specific in terms of:

a) Mix class/cement type,

b) Total quantity required,
c) Any specific workability requirement,
d) Frequency of supply (intervals between individual trucks), and
e) Location on site (zone/building/element).

4. During the pour, site communicates with plant, and vice versa, for any needed
adjustment or requirement.

Concrete supply:

1. Each truck of concrete delivered to site shall be accompanied with its specific ‘delivery
note’ showing as minimum: concrete class/cement type, quantity, and batching/mixing
time. Location is determined from the concrete order, if not mentioned on the delivery
note.

2. It is of extreme importance that concrete is placed within its allowable mixing and
delivery time, to avoid high rates of workability loss. Addition of water on site is not
permitted under any circumstances. Addition of water into one truck shall be grounds
for rejection of the truck.

3. If workability adjustment is needed for pumping, but concrete is still within mixing time,
approved plasticiser shall be permitted, within limitations of manufacturer.

Concrete sampling:

1. A concrete sampling station will be established on site, in near proximity to the site
batching plant.

2. All concrete mixers shall, after loading, stop at the sampling station before going to
location of intended pour. A representative sample is obtained from each truck to
check for slump and temperature. For small pours, at least one set for strength testing

ACTC/KCP/PQP/ITP/C-01/R0 Page 1 of 6
 shall be taken. For large pours, subsequent sets/cubes are taken from selected trucks
depending on specified frequency (i.e. one set every 100 cubic meter).

3. KLC technician shall take and retain one copy of the ‘delivery note’ from each mixer.
All delivery notes specific to a single pour shall be attached to the corresponding ‘pour
card’, and retained.

4. For each single pour, regardless of volume, there must be a unique ‘pour card’
showing the details of each mixer, including but not limited to:

a) Concrete class/cement type

b) Location of pour (zone, building, and element)
c) Truck & ticket nos.
d) Batching and sampling times
e) Fresh concrete properties (slump & temperature-concrete & ambient)
f) Set/cube reference # (where strength samples are taken)
g) Concrete quantity (for each single truck and total, cumulative)

5. Location of pour is determined from the concrete order, copy of which should be with
KLC. KLC communicate with nearby batching plant for any clarification on concrete
orders or on location.

6. Any observed deviation from specified slump and temperature shall be immediately
communicated with the site batching plant, and the responsible site engineer. Batching
plant shall take immediate measures to correct.

7. A working thermometer shall be fixed in an outside shaded location near the sampling
point for the recording of ambient temperature. Specified limitations on ambient
temperature to permit concrete shall be observed by construction, plant, and KLC.

8. No concrete shall be rejected by KLC because of a higher-than-specified concrete

temperature as long as concrete temperature does not exceed 38 C. Good concrete
workmanship and practices shall prevail to account for concreting in hot weather and
potential higher-than-specified concrete temperatures, which sometimes are
unavoidable. Proper site curing is of extreme importance to eliminate any consequent
effects of higher concrete temperature on strength and durability.

9. Strength cube samples shall be numbered and identified to indicate mix type, date of
cast, and set/cube ref number. Cubes shall be placed on solid ground, protected from
damage, and initially cured as per applicable standards (covered with wet burlap and
maintained at 20 +/- 5C.

10. When concrete is set and gained sufficient strength to allow handling, cubes shall be
de-moulded and transported (with care) to the site laboratory to commence lab curing
until testing.

ACTC/KCP/PQP/ITP/C-01/R0 Page 2 of 6
 11. Lab curing shall be as per applicable standards (20 +/-2C). Curing temperature shall
be maintained without disruption. Curing water (tank) shall be changed periodically.

Pre-pour checks:

The site engineer in-charge shall ensure the following prior to any concrete pour:

1. All checks are done and the pour is released by Consultant, including coordination with
other trades (i.e. approved checklist).

2. Availability of working crew in sufficient number needed to start and finish the pour,
including supervisory.

3. Availability of tools & equipment in sufficient quantity (depending on volume of pour)

for placing, compacting, and finishing, with back up.

4. Power supply and lighting.

5. Availability of proper and safe access. Scaffolding and platforms shall be inspected
and released by safety.

Concrete placing, compaction, and finishing:

The following shall be observed by the engineer/foreman in-charge of the pour:

1. For day and large exposed pours, spray and damp formwork and reinforcement to
prevent concrete temperature from rising when placed. Care shall be taken not to use
excessive water.

2. Check first concrete truck arrives at site to verify and confirm correct concrete mix
grade and type is supplied. Random checks afterward.

3. To ensure concrete is placed within specified time limit (mixing time), communicate
with plant required time interval between mixers depending on rate of placement
(element type) and site conditions.

4. Workability shall be within specified limits; any loss in workability due to high
temperatures shall be corrected with plasticizer. No addition of water is permitted.

5. Deposit concrete as near as possible to its final position. Do not move concrete by
vibration.

6. Concrete shall be placed by pump; however, the use of skip, chute, and/or crane shall
be permitted, depending on site conditions.

7. Avoid segregation during placement. Concrete free drop shall not exceed 2 meters.

ACTC/KCP/PQP/ITP/C-01/R0 Page 3 of 6
 8. Concrete placed in layers shall be limited to 500mm per layer depth to ensure proper
consolidation.

9. Vibrate concrete by the use of poker vibrators, considering the following:

a) Diameter of poker shall be compatible with formwork and reinforcement.

b) Length of poker shall be compatible with depth of concrete layer, to sufficiently
penetrate into preceding layer.
c) Spacing of insertion shall be nearly 6-8 times the diameter.
d) Time of insertion enough to have all air voids visible out; avoid excess vibration.

10. Satisfactory compaction must ensure that concrete:

a) Forms a solid uniform mass free of voids;

b) Fills all parts of formwork and around reinforcement;
c) Does not segregate;
d) Reach the required finish level.

11. During placement and compaction, continuous monitoring of the formwork is essential
to ensure that no displacement or damage occurs due to concrete pressure. String-
lines shall be fixed, where required, so that a continuous check can be made on
alignment and plumb during placing and vibrating operations.

12. Where bleeding water is observed, re-vibrate the top layer as necessary to prevent
plastic settlement cracking. Ensure that concrete is still plastic and responds to re-
vibration.

Finishing and initial curing:

1. Float, trowel, and finish unformed surfaces using wooden, steel trowels or power
floats, depending on the type of finish required.

2. As soon as concrete is set, commence curing by covering concrete surfaces with wet
burlaps and polythene sheeting. Fix polythene sheeting at the ends to prevent
displacement and rapid drying, and therefore preserve moisture for the longest time
possible.

3. Striking of formwork shall be carried out only when the concrete has developed
sufficient strength to avoid damage to and/or overstressing of the element. Specified
striking times (03 10 00) shall be observed.

4. Large unformed surfaces shall be treated with power float as soon as concrete gain
strength to permit work.

5. Where cubes for strength are taken to check for field cured strength, these shall be
cured the same way as the structure they represent.

ACTC/KCP/PQP/ITP/C-01/R0 Page 4 of 6
 6. Curing shall be continuous, without disruption for the time specified. Where wet burlap
is used, these shall be kept continuously wet for the curing duration. They shall be
completely removed after curing is complete. Do not leave dry burlaps in place after
curing is complete.

7. Curing compound of an approved type could be used in lieu of water curing. SSH
approval is required on use, type and applicability of curing compounds.

8. Keeping shutter in place (specifically for columns) could be a substitute for water
curing, subject to SSH approval.

Post pour inspection & repair:

1. Finished concrete shall be inspected for:

a) Finished lines and levels.

b) Surface damage, and need for repair.

2. Where concrete repair is required, the following guidelines shall be observed for all
kinds of repair:

a) Checklist shall be initiated before any major concrete repair on site (i.e. cracks,
segregation, honeycombs). Inspection is required after surface preparation but
before application of repair materials.
b) Repair material shall be approved and suitable for condition. A ‘repair selection
chart’ shall be prepared to identify the applicability of each repair material.
c) Pinholes and blowholes shall be broken and blown with compressed air to
remove entrapped air from the inside.
d) Tie-rod holes shall be prepared by removing the cone and blowing the hole to
remove any accumulated dust and debris
e) Surface cracks shall be marked with a pin along the crack, making a 15 mm by
10 mm deep ‘V’ groove using a grinder, brushed with a wire brush to remove
debris.
f) Honeycombed and segregated areas shall be marked and cut to sound
concrete. The depth at any point of the cut area shall be at least 10 mm.
g) Areas to receive repair shall be soaked or kept moistened to ensure saturated,
but surface dry conditions. Remove any excess water.
h) If rebar are exposed, they should be brushed by wire to remove surface rust.
i) Where formwork is required, it shall be watertight.
j) Mixing, application and curing shall be as per manufacturer’s instruction.

Concrete testing and reporting:

1. Testing of cubes for compressive strength shall be carried out in the site laboratory at
a fixed time during the day. SSH shall be informed of the time for witnessing when they
require.

ACTC/KCP/PQP/ITP/C-01/R0 Page 5 of 6
 2. Testing for strength shall be in accordance with applicable standards.

3. The site laboratory shall maintain a ‘master concrete strength register’ of concrete
strength. The register shall be in excel, formatted to highlight low strength cubes, and
to allow for filtering of results per mix class, zone/building, date, etc.

4. Individual strength reports shall make reference to the following as minimum:

a) Concrete class/cement type

b) Pour date
c) Location of pour (zone/building/element)
d) Properties of fresh concrete (slump/temp)
e) Test date (7 & 28 day)
f) Individual strength results (and average)
g) Compliance statement (in the remarks)

5. Strength reports shall be submitted to the Contractor as soon as they become

available. Submission of strength reports shall not be delayed more than 3-5 days after
test date.

6. Each submittal of strength reports shall comprise of the following:

a) An extract from the ‘master concrete strength register’ containing sets included
in the submittal.
b) Individual strength test report.

Assessing Strength Results for Compliance:

ACI 318, chapter 26.12 shall be referred to in the investigation of low strength cube,
and assessment of affected concrete for compliance.

ACTC/KCP/PQP/ITP/C-01/R0 Page 6 of 6