QUALITY CONTROL FOR

ROAD WORKS AS PER

MORT&H (SECTION 900)
WHAT IS QUALITY CONTROL ?
 A process of implementation and maintenance of standard
specifications to confirm that the work meets the expected
quality as per requirements of project.

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 Expected quality can be ensured through performance of
necessary tests, site checking and satisfactory results as
per requirements of specifications.
 Quality in construction can be said to have been achieved
if it is completed without time and cost overruns, ensuring
the required serviceability, durability and safety, without
undue maintenance.
 Quality control tests on materials at project site are
essential to ensure that the materials being incorporated in
the construction are of specified quality.
 FIELD LABORATORY
 Field Laboratory should be located & set up with adequate equipments in order
to carry out all the required tests as directed by Engineer in-charge.
 Layout Plan for site laboratory as suggested in IRC SP: 112-2017 (Annexure

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6.1) shall be implemented such that it accommodates the equipments in proper
manner and provides good and efficient working environment.
 The Laboratory shall be adequately lit, ventilated, and well maintained with
proper water supply and sanitary arrangements.
 The equipments / apparatus requiring temperature controlled environment shall
be housed in air-conditioned rooms.
 The contractor shall carryout quality control tests on the materials and work to
the frequency specified in Section 900.
 Calibration of measuring equipments shall be carried out as per specified
frequency or whenever the equipment undergoes repair.
 Quality records should be properly indexed and linked to suitable strip maps for
traceability. They should be stored in an orderly, manner in the safe custody of
laboratory-in-charge. An electronic copy of the records shall be maintained in a
form that facilitates quick and easy retrieval.
 Manufacturer's test certificate together with invoice or delivery challan shall
be furnished for every lot of supply apart from tests to be conducted at site
laboratory for prime properties of the material like cement, bitumen, etc.
Where facilities for testing of materials are not available at site laboratory
the same shall be tested at an outside laboratory in the presence of the
Engineer.
 The method of sampling and testing of materials shall be in
accordance with the requirements of the relevant Indian Standards

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and these Specifications.
DEFECTIVE MATERIALS
 All materials which the Engineer has determined as not conforming to
the requirements of the Contract shall be rejected whether in place
or not; they shall be removed immediately from the site as directed.

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Materials, which have been subsequently corrected, shall not be
used in the work unless approval is accorded in writing by the
Engineer.
IMPORTED MATERIALS

 The Contractor shall furnish a list of materials/finished products

manufactured, produced I or fabricated outside India which he
proposes to use in the work.

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 The materials imported from outside India shall conform to the
relevant Specifications of the Contract. In case where
materials/finished products are not covered by the Specifications in
the Contract, the details of laboratories/establishments where tests
are to be carried out shall be specifically brought out and agreed to in
the Contract.
CL. 902. CONTROL OF ALIGNMENT, LEVEL AND SURFACE
REGULARITY

Horizontal Alignment
 Horizontal alignment shall be reckoned with respect to the centre line
of the carriageway as shown on the drawings. The edges of the

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carriageway as constructed shall be correct within a tolerance of± 10
mm therefrom. The corresponding tolerance for edges of the
roadway and lower layers of pavement shall be ± 25 mm
Surface Level
 The levels of the subgrade and different pavement courses as
constructed, shall not vary from those calculated with reference to
the longitudinal and cross-profile of the road.
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 For checking compliance with the above requirement for subgrade,
sub-base and base course, measurements of the surface levels shall
be taken on a grid of points placed at 6.25 m longitudinally and 3.5 m
transversely. For any 10 consecutive measurements taken
longitudinally or transversely, not more than one measurement shall
be permitted to exceed the tolerance as above, this one
measurement being not in excess of 5 mm above the permitted
tolerance.

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 For checking the compliance with the above requirement for
bituminous wearing courses and concrete pavements,
measurements of the surface levels shall be taken on a grid of points
spaced at 6.25 m along the length and at 0.5 m from the edges and
at the centre of the pavement. In any length of pavement, compliance
shall be deemed to be met for the final road surface, only if the
tolerance given above is satisfied for any point on the surface
SURFACE REGULARITY OF PAVEMENT COURSES
 The longitudinal profile shall be checked with a 3 metre long straight
edge/moving straight­edge

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RECTIFICATION

 Where the surface regularity of subgrade and the various pavement

courses fall outside the specified tolerances in Clause 902.4.
 Subgrade: Where the surface is high, ii shall be trimmed and suitably

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compacted. Where the same is low, the deficiency shall be corrected
by scarifying the lower layer and adding fresh material and
recompacting to the required density. The degree of compaction and
the type of material to be used shall conform to the requirements of
Clause 305.
 Granular Sub-base: Same as at (i) above, except that the degree of
compaction and the type of material to be used shall conform to the
requirements of Clause 401.
 Sr. Particulars Test Frequency (min.)
No.
1 Granular 1) Gradation One test per 400 cu.m
2) Atterberg limits One test per 400 cu.m
3) Moisture content prior One test per 400 cu.m
to compaction
4) Density of compacted One test per 1000 cu.m
layer
5) Deleterious constituents As required

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6) CBR
As required
2 Lime/Cement 1) Quality of lime/ cement One test for each consignment
Stabilised Soil 2) Lime/Cement content subject to a minimum of one
Sub-base 3) Degree of pulverization test per 5 tonnes
4) CBR or Unconfined
Compressive Strength
test on a set of 3
specimens
5) Moisture content prior
to compaction
6) Density of compacted
layer
7) Deleterious constituents
 Sr. Particulars Test Frequency (min.)
No.
2 Granular Sub base 1) Gradation 1 test per 400 cum

2) Moisture content prior to 1 test per 400 cum

compaction
3) Density of compacted 1 test per 1000 cum
layer

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4) Deleterious constituents As required

5) CBR As required
3 Dry Lean Concrete 1) Gradation 1 Test per day’s work
(Base Course)
2) Aggregate Impact Value 1 Test for each source of
supply & on monthly basis.
3) FI-EI Value 1 Test per day’s work
4) FDD 1 Test per 1000 sq.mt.
5) Workability For each dumper load per
day’s work
6) Compressive strength Min. 5 Cubes for 7 days
(Cubes) strength test
TOLERANCE OF SURFACE LEVELS OF SUB-GRADE IS + 20
MM (AS PER TABLE 900-1 OF 5TH REVISION).

Picture of rolled and levelled subgrade

 Tolerances in surface levels is + 10 mm (in case of flexible
pavement) and + 6mm (in case o concrete pavement) as per table
900-1 of 5th Rev.
 Grading III & IV of Table 400-1 of 5th. revision being gap-
graded is suitable for drainage layer. (Not grading V & VI as
mentioned in cl. no. 401.2.1 of 5th revision, it is wrongly written
there. IRC 37(2018)) has clarified this very clearly.
 If the thickness of the compacted layer does not exceed 100
mm, a smooth wheeled roller of 80 to 100 kN weight may be
used.
 For a compacted single layer upto 200 mm, the compaction shall
be done with the help of a vibratory roller of minimum 80 to
100 kN static weight capable of achieving the required
compaction. [Cl. 401.3.2 of 5th revision]
 ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA FOR TESTS ON DENSITY SHALL BE
AS PER CLAUSE 903.4.2 WHICH IS AS FOLLOWS:

o It is very important to keep good record of Theoretical Maximum Density (Gmm)

of the plant mix everyday and the particular location where the mix produced on a
day is laid. If there is possibility of change of any parameter of mix design, it should
be separately marked.
o The density of the core cut from the bituminous layer of any location should be
checked with respect to the Gmm of that particular location.
o Properly correlating of the field cores to the respective Gmm is very important,
without that, it would be a mere theoretical exercise and of no practical use.
 It is also said in cl. 505.3.5 that core has to be taken after 24
hours of laying and compacting the bituminous layer, because
before 24 hrs, it may not be enough hard or sound to drill the core
with defined cylindrical shape. But at the same time, after 24 hrs,
if it is detected that the desired level of density has not been
achieved, no rectifying measures can be taken because after 24
hrs, the temperature of the bituminous layer would come down to
ambient level and at that time further compaction would just not
be possible. Here the advantages of instant digital density gauge
(like nuclear density gauge, electrical density gauge or such
attachment fitted with sophisticated compaction machineries,
intelligent compaction) may be taken while rolling operation is in
progress.