Section III – Concrete

PART 1 – GENERAL

1.01 WORK INCLUDED

A. The work included under this section consists of furnishing all materials, forms, transportation and equipment, and performing all necessary labor to do all the plain and reinforced concrete work shown on the Drawings, or incidental to the proper execution of the work, or as herein specified.

B. Composition: Concrete shall be composed of cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and water, so proportioned and mixed as to produce a plastic workable mixture in accordance with all requirements under this section suitable to the specified conditions of placement.

1.02 RELATED WORK

A. Section IV – Water Distribution System

B. Section V – Sanitary Sewer System

C. Section VI – Sewer Force Mains

D. Section VII- Submersible Pump Station

1.03 SUBMITTALS

A. All materials specified shall be certified by the producer or manufacturer that the furnished material meets the specific requirements of the specifications.

PART 2 – PRODUCTS

2.01 MATERIALS

A. Cement:

1. Cement for all concrete shall be domestic Portland cement that conforms to the requirements of ASTM designation C 150, Type I, Type II or Type III. Type III cement for high early strength concrete shall be used only for special locations and only with the approval of the Engineer. Type II cement shall be used in the construction of sanitary sewer manholes, wet wells and pump stations.

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2. Only one brand of cement shall be used in any individual structure unless approved by the Engineer. Cement which has become damaged, partially set, lumpy or caked shall not be used and the entire contents of the sack or container which contains such cement will be rejected. No salvaged or reclaimed cement shall be used.

B. Fine Aggregate: Shall be clean, sharp sand. 100% calcareous rock to be used in MH’s wet wells and pump stations.

C. Coarse Aggregate: Shall be as standard for the intended application, except that slag shall not be used and the gradation shall be grade 57 as approved by the Engineer.

D. Water: Shall be taken from a potable water supply and shall be fresh, clean and free from injurious amounts of oil, acid, alkali or organic matter.

E. Admixtures: No admixtures shall be used except by specific approval of the Engineer. When approved, admixtures shall meet the following minimum standards. 1. Air entraining agent: ASTM C 260

2. Water Reducing and Retarding Admixture: ASTM C 4494, Type D and free of chlorides.

F. Membrane Curing Compound: Shall conform to the requirements of AASHTO Designation M 148, Type 1-clear, or Type 2-white pigmented.

G. Expansion Joint Filler:

1. Pre-formed expansion joint filler shall be of the nonextruding and resilient bituminous type and conform to the requirements of AASHTO Designation M 213.

2. Expansion joint filler shall be gray neoprene sponge rubber that conforms to AASHTO Designation M 153, Type I.

H. Separation Board: Shall be closed cell, non-extruding, PVC foam Grade #327 with a 20 psi maximum compressive strength to compress to 75% of thickness.

I. Membrane: Shall be a 6 mil polyethylene film.

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J. Reinforcing Steel:

1. Re-enforcing steel shall conform to the requirements of ASTM Designation A 615, Deformed Grade 60, except where otherwise indicted.

a. The name of the manufacturer of the reenforcing steel shall be called out in the shop drawings together with a sketch showing the pattern of the deformation, including the mill mark.

b. Bar reinforcement shall be accurately fabricated in accordance with the latest CRSI Manual of Standard Practice. The Contractor shall prepare necessary shop drawings and bar lists and submit six copies to the Engineer. The Contractor shall be responsible for errors made in shop drawings even though approved by the Engineer.

2. Welded wire fabric for concrete reinforcement shall conform to the requirements of ASTM Designation A 185 and shall be formed with smooth cold-drawn wire.

3. Cold-drawn wire for spirals shall be plain and shall conform to the requirements of ASTM Designation A 82 with a minimum yield strength of 70,000 psi.

4. Bar Supports:

a. Bar supports for reinforcing steel shall conform to the requirements of CRSI Manual of Standard Practice, Chapter 3 and shall be of height to furnish the concrete cover called for on Drawings. High chairs shall be furnished for bent or top bars in solid slabs. Bar supports to be in contact with exterior surfaces of concrete shall be Class C with plastic caps at least 1-inch in length on the leg tips, or Class E with stainless steel legs. Bar supports shall be spaced not more than 100 times the diameter of the bars to be supported, with not more than 1/4 spacing from the end of the supported bars to the first chair.

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b. Bar supports for slabs on grade shall be plain concrete blocks, 3-inches high by 4-inches square with tie wires embedded in support. Concrete strength shall be at 3,000 psi at time of use.

K. Forms: Shall be of wood, steel or other approved materials. The sheeting for all exposed surfaces shall be 5-ply-wood, unless otherwise specifically authorized. Forms of like character shall be used for similarly exposed surfaces in order to produce a uniform appearance. Forming for exposed exterior concrete from 1-foot below finished exterior grade to top of structure shall be carefully fabricated so as to provide a smooth finish without defects. The type, size, shape, quality and strength of all materials of which the forms are made shall be subject to the approval of the Engineer. If it is his opinion that the interior surfaces of the forms are too irregular to produce the specified finish, they shall be lined with smooth, dense, moisture resistant hardboard or other material of which he approves.

L. Nonshrink Grout: Shall be nonmetallic, pre-mixed type and shall be Sauereisen F-100 Level Fill, Master Builders Masterflow 713, Burke Non-Ferrous, Non-Shrink Grout or approved equal.

2.02 CLASSIFICATION AND STRENGTH OF CONCRETE

A. Class and minimum strength requirements for concrete shall be as tabulated below. Unless otherwise specified, Class B concrete shall be used.

B. Strength Requirements: Concrete class and strength shall meet the minimum compressive strength requirements at the age of 7 and 28 days as shown in the following table. The compressive strengths shall be as determined by standard laboratory cylinder tests in accordance with the procedure set forth in ASTM Designation C 31 and C 39. (See Article 3.03 of this Section for quantity and testing of cylinders.)

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH IN POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH
FOR DESIGN 3 CONSECUTIVE CYLINDER AVERAGE LOW CYLINDER

CLASS   PURPOSES   7 DAYS   28 DAYS 7 DAYS 28
—– ———- —————————— ————-
A   4000   2950   4250   2600   3750
B   3000   2100   3200   1850   2800
C   2500   1800   2700   1550   2300

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2.03 PROPERTIES AND DESIGN OF CONCRETE MIX

A. TESTS AND DESIGN MIX:

1. The Contractor, 30 days before the beginning of concrete work, shall advise the Engineer of the proposed sources of the materials, or ready-mixed concrete, which the Contractor intends to use in the work. A design mix which has been used by the concrete supplier before, may be submitted for approval provided the proportions and strengths meet the requirements of this specification.

2. The source and manufacturer of material after once having been approved shall not be changed by the Contractor, except as approved by the Engineer, and additional laboratory tests may be required by the Engineer to prove conformance with specification requirements.

3. If during the progress of the work, tests indicate that concrete is not being produced in accordance with these Specifications, the Engineer may order changes in the materials or their proportions so as to secure concrete as specified.

4. Slumps: Shall be as low as possible consistent with proper placing. Low slump concrete shall be used for footing and slabs on grade. Medium slump concrete shall be used for walls, columns and sus pended slabs. Concrete shall conform to the limits specified in the following schedule:

Class of Medium Low
Concrete Slump Slump
——– —— —–
A 4 to 5 inch 2 to 3 inch
B 4 to 5 inch 2 to 3 inch
C 5 to 6 inch 3 to 4 inch

PART 3 – EXECUTION

3.01 PREPARATION

A. Concrete Mixing:

1. Equipment: The concrete shall be ready-mixed and the equipment shall conform to the applicable requirements of ASTM Designation C 94.

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2. Measurement: Equipment necessary to positively determine and control the actual amounts of all materials entering the concrete shall be provided by the Contractor or the concrete manufacturer. All materials shall be measured by weight, except that water may be measured by volume. A bag of cement weighs 94 pounds.

3.02 INSTALLATION

A. Forms:

1. Construction:

a. Forms shall be built true to line and grade, and shall be mortartight and sufficiently rigid to prevent displacement or sagging between supports. Particular attention shall be given to adequacy of supports and shoring, which is the Contractor’s responsibility. The surfaces of forms used for permanently exposed surfaces shall be smooth and free from irregularities, dents, sags, or holes. Forms for surfaces to receive stucco finish shall be suitable for its application. Bolts and rods used for internal ties shall be so arranged that, when the forms are removed, all metal is at least 1-1/2 inch from any concrete surface. Form ties shall be removed immediately after removal of forms, and holes shall be thoroughly plugged with grout within 24 hours after form removal and kept damp for 4 days to prevent shrinking.

b. Wire ties will not be permitted. All forms shall be so constructed that they can be removed without hammering or prying against the concrete. Unless otherwise indicated, suitable moldings shall be placed to bevel or round exposed edges at expansion joints or at any other corners that are to remain. Beams below grade shall have forms at both sides.

2. Coating: Prior to the placing of steel re-enforcement or concrete, forms for exposed surfaces shall be coated with a nonstaining paraffin base oil or mineral oil. Forms for unexposed surfaces may be thoroughly wetted in lieu of oiling, immediately before the placing of concrete.

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3. Removal: Forms and/or form supports shall not be removed from any concrete until it has obtained sufficient strength to support itself and any live loads it may be subjected to, and then only with the approval of the Engineer.

B. Reinforcing Steel: When placed in the forms, reenforcement shall be clean and free of all rust, scale, dust, dirt, paint, oil or other foreign material and shall be accurately and securely positioned in the forms as shown on the Drawings before the placing of concrete. Reinforcing steel shall be wired or otherwise fastened together at intersections and shall be supported by concrete or metal supports, spacers or hangers. Bar supports, where adjacent to the ground, shall be set on precast concrete pads compressed into the sub grade. The Contractor shall obtain the Engineer’s approval before fastening reinforcing steel at intersections by welding methods.

1. Splicing of reinforcement shall be held to a minimum and shall be placed at points of minimum stress. Bars shall be lapped at splices a minimum of 24 bar diameters unless otherwise shown on the Drawings or directed by the Engineer, and shall be rigidly wired or clamped.

2. Wire fabric shall be straightened before placing and shall overlap one full space of mesh at ends and edges and shall be securely fastened. Fabric shall be supported so as to occupy its proper location in the concrete as shown on the Drawings. Fabric shall not cross any expansion joints.

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3. Removal: Forms and/or form supports shall not be removed from any concrete until it has obtained sufficient strength to support itself and any live loads it may be subjected to, and then only with the approval of the Engineer.

B. Reinforcing Steel: When placed in the forms, reenforcement shall be clean and free of all rust, scale, dust, dirt, paint, oil or other foreign material and shall be accurately and securely positioned in the forms as shown on the Drawings before the placing of concrete. Reinforcing steel shall be wired or otherwise fastened together at intersections and shall be supported by concrete or metal supports, spacers or hangers. Bar supports, where adjacent to the ground, shall be set on precast concrete pads compressed into the sub grade. The Contractor shall obtain the Engineer’s approval before fastening reinforcing steel at intersections by welding methods.

1. Splicing of reinforcement shall be held to a minimum and shall be placed at points of minimum stress. Bars shall be lapped at splices a minimum of 24 bar diameters unless otherwise shown on the Drawings or directed by the Engineer, and shall be rigidly wired or clamped.

2. Wire fabric shall be straightened before placing and shall overlap one full space of mesh at ends and edges and shall be securely fastened. Fabric shall be supported so as to occupy its proper location in the concrete as shown on the Drawings. Fabric shall not cross any expansion joints.

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C. Embedded Items: In addition to steel reinforcement, pipe inserts and other metal objects as shown, specified or ordered shall be built into, set in or attached to the concrete. All necessary precautions shall be taken to prevent these objects from being displaced, broken or deformed. Before concrete is placed, care shall be taken to determine that all embedded parts are firmly and securely fastened in place as indicated. They shall be thoroughly clean and free from paint or other coating, rust, scale, oil, or any foreign matter. No wood shall be embedded in concrete. The concrete shall be packed tightly around pipes and other metal work to prevent leakage and to secure perfect adhesion. Drains shall be adequately protected from intrusion of concrete. All aluminum in contact with concrete shall have a bituminous coating.

D. Separation Board: Two inch separation board shall be installed as indicated on the Drawings.

E. Concrete:

1. General: Reinforcement shall be secured in position, inspected and approved before placing concrete. Runways for transporting concrete shall not rest on reinforcing steel. Concrete not placed within 90 minutes from the time mixing is started will be rejected and shall be removed from the job by the Contractor. Concrete shall not be allowed to drop freely more than six feet. All concrete shall be placed in daylight and (excepting seal concrete) shall be placed in the dry unless otherwise authorized by the Engineer in writing.

2. Slabs Placed On Subgrade: Slab concrete placed on earth or fill subgrade shall be separated from direct contact with the subgrade by 6 mil polyethylene film or other approved material. Sidewalks and walkways will not require a separation sheet. Polyethylene film shall be lapped 4-inches on sides and 12-inches on ends.

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3. Compaction: Concrete shall be compacted by internal vibrating equipment, supplemented by hand rodding and tamping as required. Vibrators shall in no case be used to move the concrete laterally inside the forms. Internal vibrators shall maintain a speed of at least 5000 impulses per minute when submerged in concrete. (At least one spare vibrator in working condition shall be maintained at the site during concrete placing operations.) Duration of vibration shall be limited to time necessary to produce satis factory consolidation without causing segregation. Vibrator shall be moved constantly and placed in each specific spot only once.

4. Bonding: Before depositing new concrete on or against concrete that has set, the surfaces of the set concrete shall be thoroughly cleaned so as to expose the coarse aggregate and be free of coatings, foreign matter and loose particles. Forms shall be retightened. The cleaned surfaces shall be dampened, but not saturated, and then thoroughly covered with a coat of cement grout of similar proportions to the mortar in the concrete. The grout shall be as thick as possible on vertical surfaces and at least 1/2-inch thick on horizontal surfaces. The fresh concrete shall be placed before the grout has attained its initial set.

5. Protection: Rainwater shall not be allowed to increase the ratio of mixing water nor to damage the surface finish. Concrete shall be protected from disfigurement, damage, vibration, internal fractures and construction overloads.

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F. Curing:

1. All concrete, including gunite, shall be water cured by covering with a double thickness of clean burlap, cotton mats, or other approved material kept thoroughly saturated with water. The forms shall be kept wet until removed and upon removal, the curing specified herein shall be started immediately. Concrete shall be cured for a period of 7 days for normal Portland ce ment or 4 days for high early strength cement. Concrete poured in the dry shall not be submerged until it has attained sufficient strength to ad equately sustain the stress involved nor shall it be subjected to flowing water across its surface until it has cured 4 days. Curing of gunite shall be started as soon as possible without damaging surface and not later than 2 hours after placing.

2. In lieu of wet burlap or cotton mats as specified above, concrete slabs may be covered with wet sand and kept moist for the specified curing period. The initial curing period of not less than 24 hours shall consist of the wet burlap or cotton mat method, then the wet sand method may be utilized until the end of the curing period.

3. Concrete surfaces which will not be coated, painted, plastered, stuccoed, covered with tile or floor covering or requiring a bonding surface may be cured by means of a membrane curing compound in lieu of the wet cure method. The curing compound shall be applied immedi ately after a satisfactory surface finish has been completed or forms have been removed. The rate of application of membrane curing compound shall be at least one gallon to every 200 square feet of exposed surface to be cured.The membrane curing compound and impervious covering shall be continuous and without defects and shall retain the required moisture in the concrete. Membrane curing compound that becomes damaged by rain, foot traffic or other conditions within 5 days of application shall be reapplied.

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G. Finishes:

1. As soon as forms can safely be removed, all Irregular projections shall be chipped off flush with the concrete surfaces. All voids produced by spacers or any honeycombing shall be pointed up with grout and troweled flush with the concrete surface immediately after removal of forms and water cured to prevent shrinkage. Honeycombing shall be cut out to expose a sound concrete surface prior to pointing. The use of mortar pointing or patching shall be confined to the repair of small defects in relatively green concrete. Where in the opinion of the Engineer substan tial repairs are required, the defective con crete shall be cut out to sound concrete and repaired with gunite or the concrete shall be removed and reconstructed as directed.

2. Floor slabs shall be brought to a true and even finish by power or hand floating in a manner that will not bring excess fines to the surface. The consistency of the concrete shall be such that water does not accumulate at the surface. Unless otherwise shown on the Drawings, the surface shall be floated with a wood float and shall be steel troweled to a smooth finish. Troweling shall be the minimum to obtain a smooth, dense surface and shall not be done until the mortar has hardened sufficiently to prevent excess fine material from being worked to the surface. If so directed, the surface shall be brushed lightly with a push broom so as to produce a nonslip surface.

3. Concrete surfaces that are not exposed in the completed work will require no special finish other than such pointing up and rubbing as is necessary to leave them smooth and impervious.

4. Other surfaces which will be exposed in the completed work shall be finished by being rub bed smooth with a float and water or a carbo rundum brick. The final surface shall be smooth and dense, without pits, irregularities, blow holes or bubbles.

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H. Grout:

1. Grout for pointing and patching shall consist of cement and fine aggregate mixed in the pro portions used in the concrete and a minimum amount of water to produce a workable grout.

2. Material for grouting column base plates, anchor bolts, reinforcing bars, pipe sleeves and pump base plates shall be of nonshrink type and shall be mixed and placed as recommended by the manu facturer. Machinery set on grout pads shall not be operated until the grout has cured for at least 24 hours.

3.03 FIELD QUALITY CONTROL

A. General: The quality of the concrete as to conformance to the specifications is the entire responsibility of the Contractor until it is accepted in place in the structure and verified by the final cylinder tests made by the laboratory. Arrangements for field testing shall be made by the Contractor with the laboratory as approved by the Owner.

B. Compressive Tests: Standard Laboratory compressive test cylinders will be obtained by the laboratory when concrete is discharged from the mixer at the site of the work. A set of 6 cylinders will be obtained for each 60 cubic yards or fraction thereof placed each day, for each type of concrete. The cylinders will be cured under laboratory conditions and will be tested in two groups of three at 7 and 28.

C. Slump Tests: The laboratory approved by the Owner or their representative will make slump tests of Class A and Class B concrete as it is discharged from the mixer at the site of the work. Slump tests will be made for each 25 cubic yards or “pour” of concrete placed. Slump tests may be made on any batch and failure to meet specified slump requirements will be sufficient cause for rejection of that batch.

D. Reports: Proper reports of all tests performed by the laboratory will be prepared by the laboratory and submitted promptly to the Engineer. Such reports shall be properly labeled so as to identify the portions of the project into which the materials have been placed.

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