1.

General
All the structural drawings shall be read in conjunction with all the architectural, other consultants drawing, specifications and with other written instructions as may be issued. All discrepancies shall be referred to the architects and/or the structural consultant for decision before proceeding with the work on the site. Dimensions of existing construction shall be verified on site and any discrepancies shall be referred to the architect and/or structural consultant before proceeding with construction. Architectural drawings shall be referred to for column centerlines. Dimensions shall not be obtained by scaling any of the structural drawings. During construction, the structure shall be in stable condition and no part of the structure shall be over-stressed. The quality of materials and workmanship shall be in accordance with the latest Bureau of Indian Standard specifications, except where varied by the contract documents. The overall safety at construction site shall be the sole responsibility if the contractor. All dimensions and levels shall be indicated in millimeters unless otherwise noted.

2. Excavation and Foundations

The Safe Bearing Capacity (SBC) of the founding soil shall be as indicated in the foundation drawings. Geotechnical report shall be referred to in detail and in conjunction with the foundation drawings and any discrepancies shall be brought to notice of the geotechnical and structural consultant before proceeding with the work on site. All dimensions and grid line locations shall be checked and correlated with architectural drawings. Unless noted otherwise, excavation is symmetrical with respect to gridlines.

Unless noted otherwise, foundations, columns and walls are located symmetrically with respect to gridlines. Excavation safety shall be the responsibility of the contractor who shall comply with the requirements of the safety code for excavation work i.e. IS 3764 latest.

Founding levels shall be stepped down as per general detail sheet GN8 if it is not possible to maintain the founding strata at one level. If required, structural consultant shall be consulted.

The top level of footings shall be below the soffit of the plinth beams if the founding depths are varying. Records of actual founding levels shall be communicated with the engineer immediately. The record shall be sent to the geotechnical and structural consultants in soft copy AutoCAD file format. In case of abnormal situations, geotechnical and structural consultant shall be notified immediately.

Excavation shall be kept dry before and during laying of concrete. Rubble soling shall not be done and Plain Cement Concrete (PCC) not be placed prior to obtaining approval of the engineer. Geotechnical consultant shall be contacted regarding the suitability of rubble soling.

Excess excavation under the foundation shall be filled with well compacted M10 concrete after obtaining approval of the engineer. Any undulations in the hard strata must be filled up with PCC. The PCC to be provided below foundations shall be minimum 150mm thick and have a minimum offset of 150mm.

If footings are abutting against each other, bituminous paper or Styrofoam (Thermocol) sheets shall be provided to separate their joining faces. In piles, L-bends shall be provided to only half the longitudinal reinforcement at the bottom. The bend shall be 8 times bar diameter (max.). The remaining half reinforcement at the bottom of the pile shall not be bent (it must be straight). The reinforcement of piles at the top shall be developed into the pile. The development length shall be Ld.

Concrete poured in piles shall have a slump of 150mm minimum. The depth of insertion of temporary liner (if permanent liner is not used) shall be communicated with the geotechnical and structural consultant.

The socket length of the piles shall strictly be obtained from the geotechnical consultant. Integrity tests shall be carried out on all piles and dynamic tests shall be performed on at least 5% of the piles. The records of the tests shall be sent to the structural and geotechnical consultants for comments.

For the design of pilecap beams, pilecap eccentricities shall be submitted to the structural consultant. Pile eccentricities shall be marked in X and Y direction on pile layout plan and submitted as a soft copy AutoCAD file.

Pilecaps shall project at least 200mm from face of piles. The backfilling shall be done in layers of 225mm. Each layer shall be watered (such that soil has optimum moisture content) and

compacted/consolidated/rammed to its 95% proctor density.

3. Concrete
Provisions of chapter 2 of IS 456:2000 shall be referred for all concrete work. Fly ash / slag based composite cement shall be used (either ACC PPC / Ultratech P53 / Ambuja PPC) Coarse and fine aggregates shall confirm to IS 383 latest. Potable water used for mixing and curing concrete shall confirm to IS 456:200. The grade of reinforced cement concrete and the maximum water-cement ratio shall be indicated in the structural drawings. The maximum water-cement ratio and the minimum and maximum cement contents shall be as per IS 456:2000. Discrepancy in the drawings, if any, shall be communicated to the structural consultant. All plain cement concrete (PCC) hall unless noted otherwise be M10 with maximum size of aggregate (MSA) 40mm. Concrete mix in slabs and beams, under and around columns and walls covering an area of four times the gross area of the column or wall shall be the same grade as that specified in the column or wall drawing. All concrete shall be machine mixed, shall be placed and compacted before setting commences and shall not be subsequently disturbed.

Curing: Concrete shall be protected against premature drying due to hot weather. The concrete surface shall be kept constantly wet by covering it with a layer of sacking, canvas, Hessian or similar absorbent materials, for a minimum period of twelve days from the date of placing or casting of concrete. Slabs shall be cured by ponding for at least twelve days.

Concreting shall be carried out continuously. Construction joints shall be provided as determined by the structural consultant. At the construction joint, the hardened surface of the concrete shall be roughened and cleaned thoroughly to expose the aggregates so that the joint is free of laitance, loose aggregates and any foreign matter. The joint shall be wetted and covered with 13mm layer of cement and sand mortar (ratio 1:2 and same w/c ratio as placed concrete) freshly mixed and placed immediately before concreting. Preferably, a good bonding agent shall be used to ensure adequate bond between old and fresh concrete.

Immediately after removing formwork, any honeycombed and defective concrete shall be brought to the notice of the structural consultant and shall be repaired as directed.

Sizes of concrete elements do not include the thickness of any applied finishes. Inverted beams shall be cast simultaneously with the slab. Similarly, column pedestals shall be cast simultaneously with the raft. In no case the delay shall be more than 24 hours. This shall be brought to the notice of the structural consultant.

Cantilever beams shall be cast along with the tie-back beams. Concrete shall not be poured or placed from a height more than 2.0 m. Concrete shall not be placed during rains.

4. Reinforcement
Deformed bars confirming to IS 1786 latest shall be used as concrete reinforcement. Only TMT steel (Tata Steel / SAIL) shall be used. Yield stress shall be indicated in the drawings and shall be either 415 or 500 MPa.

Rolled steel and sections made from structural steel shall conform to IS 226 latest. Use of any other steel shall be subject to the specific approval of the structural consultant. Unless otherwise noted all reinforcing bar diameters shall be considered to given in mm. Clear cover shall be given as per general detail sheet GN9. Cover blocks shall be prepared as per instructions given in general detail sheet GN9. Links in beam-column junction shall be at a spacing of 100mm max. General detail drawing GN1 shall be referred for beam column junction details. Any reinforcing bars shall be joggled at a slope not greater 1 in 6. The lap lengths and development lengths of reinforcing bars shall not be less than Ld. Values of Ld are given in general detail sheet GN10. Lap lengths and development lengths for epoxy bars shall be 1.4 times that of ordinary deformed reinforcing bars. Not more than 33% of the main reinforcing bars shall be lapped at any section for beams (refer general detail sheets GN5 / GN6) and 50% for columns (refer general detail sheet GN1).

For two way slabs, the short span reinforcement shall be placed in the outermost layers. For flat slabs, the long span reinforcement shall be placed in the outermost layers. Reinforcement is represented diagrammatically; it is not necessarily shown in true projection. Reinforcing bars shall not be bent after being embedded in concrete. Welding of reinforcement shall not be permitted under normal circumstances. All the reinforcement shall be clean and free from loose mill scales, dust, rust and coats of paint, oil or other coatings that may destroy or reduce bonds.

5. Formwork
In addition to the requirements of this section, the formwork shall also satisfy the provisions given in Section 11 of IS 456:2000. The formwork shall conform to the shape, lines and dimensions as shown on drawings. The timber used for formwork and centering shall be of such quality and dimensions so as to, when constructed, remain sufficiently rigid and unyielding during laying, compaction and setting of concrete. It shall be such as not to deform and warp excessively when wetted or not to shrink so as to create large gaps in joints. Ballies used as props shall not be less than 100 mm (4) in diameter and shall be in one piece for work up to 4 meters high. All props shall be adequately stiff and they shall be braced laterally in both directions at mid-height. Props shall not rest on loose or made-up ground. Forms shall be sufficiently tight to prevent any loss of slurry from concrete. Runways for the concreting gangs shall not be allowed to rest on reinforcement. Steel chairs shall be used to support runways. In normal circumstances, formwork shall not be removed before the periods given below: Walls, columns and vertical sides (faces) of beams and other structural members..1 day (24 hours) to 2 days (48 hours) or as directed. Slabs spanning up to 4.5 meters..7 days Slabs spanning more than 4.5 meters.14 days Beams spanning up to 6 meters..14 days Beams spanning more than 6 meters..21 days Forms and scaffolding shall generally be cambered as indicated in the drawings (for beams and slabs of large spans). However for moderate spans defined as under, camber need not be provided: Span type: Cantilever Slabs1.0 meter Beams..2.0 meters

Span type: Simply Supported Slabs3.5 meters Beams..5.0 meters

 Span type: Continuous Slabs4.0 meters Beams..6.0 meters

Steel plates and tubular steel props used for formwork and centering shall be as per manufacturers specifications. The structural consultant shall be consulted in case of formwork for transfer girders and other special structural elements. The general arrangement of the formwork shall comply with the following: All pieces and panels shall be easily removable without causing disturbances to other members. One side of the column moulds shall be left open (window) in case of columns higher than 3.0 meters. The window shall be used for placing and consolidating concrete to avoid concrete from segregating. Wedges and clamps shall be used wherever practicable in lieu of facilitate striking. All props shall be supported on double wedges. While removing the props these wedges shall be gently eased. Bolts and rods shall be preferably used for ties in case of beams, walls, columns, beam column junctions etc. Wire ties shall generally be avoided as far as possible.

Cleaning and treatment of formwork: The inside of formwork shall be coated with non-staining mineral oil or good quality deshuttering oil or any other approved material. The coating shall be as thin as possible and any excess oil shall be wiped off before placing the reinforcement. Temporary openings shall be provided at the base of column boxes and wall forms and other places where necessary to facilitate cleaning and inspection prior to laying of concrete. All rubbish, particularly chippings, shavings, sawdust and packets shall be removed from the interior of the forms before the concrete is placed. All formwork shall be properly designed and erected by the contractors. Preferably the contractors shall get the formwork approved from the structural engineers. However, approval of the proposed formwork by

the consulting engineers shall not diminish the contractors responsibility for the satisfactory performance of formwork, nor for the safety and coordination of all operations at the site. The contractor shall conform in writing that he has read and understood these formwork specifications and that he shall be fully responsible for its provisions, arrangements, workmanship, care and maintenance till the time of removal of props and formwork.

6. Workmanship, Supervision and Testing

The workmanship, supervision and testing of RCC structures shall be according to the provisions of Chapter 2 of IS 456:2000. Some of the important points are covered in this section. Mixing: Concrete shall normally be mixed in a mechanical mixer. Mixing shall be continued until there is a uniform distribution of the materials and the mass is uniform in colour and consistency; but in no case shall the mixing be done for less than one and a half minutes. Adequate care shall be taken such that the maximum water-cement ratio shall not exceed that specified in the structural drawings or the ratios given below (whichever is more conservative): M25......0.5 M30......0.45 M35......0.4 M40......0.35 Placing and Compacting: Concrete shall be placed and compacted before setting commences and shall not be subsequently disturbed. The method of placing shall be such as to avoid segregation. Concrete shall be thoroughly compacted during the operation of placing and thoroughly worked around the reinforcement, embedded fixtures and into corners of the formwork. Concrete compacting shall be done using mechanical vibrators such as needle vibrators etc. Over vibration or vibration of wet mixes is harmful as it causes segregation and shall be avoided.

When the concrete has not been fully hardened, all laitance shall be removed by scrubbing the wet surface with wire or bristle brushes. Care shall be taken be taken to avoid dislodgement of aggregates. The surface shall be thoroughly wetted and all free water removed. The surface shall then be coated with neat cement grout. The first layer of concrete to be rammed and vibrated against old work, particular attention being paid to corners and closed spots.

Testing of Materials: Copies of all test results shall be submitted to the structural consultant for record, perusal and comments in a systematic manner. Testing of Cement: Before the casting of concrete, genuineness and quality of cement (with particular attention to strength and setting time) shall be ascertained as per the required standards from an approved material testing laboratory. Testing of Concrete: Concrete cubes of size 150 mm X 150 mm X 150 mm shall be cast, cured and tested as specified in IS 456:2000. The number of samples to be prepared is given in Section 15.2 of IS 456:2000. One sample consists of three cubes. However, a minimum of 9 cubes shall be prepared for every concreting operation. Three cubes out of this shall be tested for 7-day strength on site. Three cubes shall be tested for 28-day strength in the site laboratory. The remaining three cubes shall be tested for 28-day strength at an approved laboratory. The 28-day strength of the cubes shall pass the acceptance criteria given in Section 15.4, Section 16.1, Section 16.3 and Table 11 of IS 456:2000. Testing of Reinforcement: Testing of reinforcement shall be carried out as per the relevant Indian standards specified in IS 456:2000 for every lot of reinforcement received.

Concrete Mix Design: Mix design shall be carried out periodically (once every month) and at the time of change of source of concrete ingredients to ensure consistency of concrete.

7. Caution
Structural drawings shall be executed on site subject to necessary permission from competent authority.

It shall be ensured on site that the construction activity is according to the latest revision of the structural drawings. In case of any confusion or discrepancy, the structural consultant shall be promptly contacted.

The responsibility of the structural consultant is limited only to the accuracy of design calculations and structural drawings, and periodic general checking of construction activity and test results. The design is be based on the data provided by the client. The client shall engage an independent supervision agency to ensure quality control on site.

The client shall also ensure that: No addition and alteration shall be carried out without consulting the structural engineer. Structural members shall not be damaged / tampered with for any reason whatsoever during and after construction. Overloading the structure, changes in the structural system, lack of maintenance, or any act that is detrimental to the safety and stability of the structure as a whole shall be avoided during the lifetime of the structure.

8. Design Loads
Dead Loads shall be calculated as per IS 875 latest Part 1 Live Loads shall be calculated as per IS 875 latest Part 2 Wind Loads shall be calculated as per IS 875 latest Part 3 Earthquake Loads shall be calculated as per IS 1893 latest Load combinations shall be as per IS 875 latest Part 5 and IS 456:2000 latest