Writing specifications

Earthwork in Excavation in Foundation

•Foundation trenches shall be dug out to the exact width of foundation
concrete and the sides shall be vertical.
•If the soil is not good and does not permit vertical sides, the sides should be
sloped back or protected with timber shoring.
•Excavated earth shall not be placed within 1 m of the edge of the trench.
•The bottom of foundation trenches shall be perfectly leveled both
longitudinally and transversely and the sides of the trench shall be dressed
perfectly vertical from bottom up to the least thickness of loose concrete so
that concrete may be laid to the exact width as per design.
•The bed of the trench shall be lightly watered and well rammed.
•Excess digging if done through mistake shall be filled with concrete at the
expense of the contractor.
•Soft or defective spots shall be dug out and removed, filled with concrete or
with stabilized soil.
•If rocks or boulders are found during excavation, these should be removed
and the bed of the trenches shall be leveled and made hard by consolidating
the earth.
Earthwork in Excavation in Foundation
•Foundation concrete shall not be laid before the inspection and approval of
the trench by the Engineer-in-charge.
•Any treasure and valuables or materials found during the excavation, shall
be property of the Government.
•Water, if any accumulates in the trench, should be baled or pumped out
without any extra payment and necessary precautions shall be taken to
prevent surface water to enter in to the trench.
•After the concrete has been laid masonry has been constructed, the
remaining portion of the trenches shall be filled up with earth in layers of
15cm and watered and well rammed.
•The earth filling shall be free from rubbish and refuse matters and all clods
shall be broken before filling.
•Surplus earth, not required, shall be removed and disposed, and site shall
be levelled and dressed.
•The measurements of the excavation shall be taken in cu. m. as for
rectangular trench, bottom width of concrete multiplied by the vertical
depth of foundation from ground level and multiplied by the length of
trenches, even though the contractor might have excavated with sloping
sides for his convenience.
•Rate shall be for complete work for 30 m lead and 1.5 m lift, including all
tools and plants required for the completions of the works. For every extra
lead of 30 m and every extra lift of 1.5 m separate extra rate is provided.
Writing specifications

Cement Concrete 1:2:4

•Aggregate shall be inert materials and shall be clean, dense, hard, sound,
durable, non-absorbent and capable of developing good bond with mortar.
•Coarse aggregate:
(a) Coarse aggregate shall be of hard broken stone of granite or similar
stone, free from dust, dirt and other foreign matters.
(b) The stone ballast shall be of 20 mm size and down and all should be
retained in a 5 mm square mesh and well graded such that the voids do not
exceed 42%.
(c) The gauge of stone ballast shall be specified depending on the thickness
of concrete and nature of work. For building work 20 mm gauge and for
road work and mass work 40 to 60 mm gauge may be used.
•Fine aggregate:
(a) Fine aggregate shall be of coarse sand consisting of hard, sharp and
angular grains and shall pass through screen of 5 mm square mesh.
(b) Sand shall be of standard specifications, clean and free from dust, dirt
and organic matters.
(c) Sea sand shall not be used. Fine aggregate may also be of crushed stone if
specified.
Writing specifications

Cement Concrete 1:2:4

•Cement shall be fresh Portland cement of standard ISI specifications, and

shall have the required tensile and compressive stresses and fineness.
•Water shall be clean and free from alkaline and acid matters and suitable
for drinking purposes.
•The proportion of concrete shall be 1:2:4 as cement:sand:stone ballast by
volume unless otherwise specified.
•Minimum compressive strength of concrete of 1:2:4 proportion shall be 140
kg/sq. cm. on 7 days.
•Stone aggregate and sand shall be measured by volume with boxes. Cement
need not be measured by box, one bag of cement (50 kg) should be
considered as 0.033 cu. m.
•Size of measured box may be 30 cm x 30 cm x 38 cm or 35 cm x 35 cm x 28
cm equivalent to one bag of cement.
•All materials shall be dry, if damp sand is used compensation shall be made
by adding additional sand to the extent required for the bulking of damp
sand.
•Mixing shall be machine mixing. For small work hand mixing by batches may be
allowed.
•Hand mixing:
(a) Mixing shall be done in masonry platform or sheet iron tray.
(b) For concrete of 1:2:4 proportion, first two boxes of sand and one bag of cement
shall be mixed dry thoroughly and this dry mix of cement and sand shall be placed
over a stack of four boxes of stone aggregate and the whole mixed dry turning at least
three times to have uniform mix.
(c) Water shall then be added slowly and gradually with a water-can while being
mixed, to the required quantity 25-30 liters per bag of cement, to give a plastic mix of
the required workability and water cement ratio.
(d) The whole shall be mixed thoroughly turning at least three times to give a uniform
concrete.
•Machine mixing:
(a) Stone ballast, sand and cement shall be put into the cement concrete mixer to have
the required proportion.
(b) For concrete of 1:2:4 proportion, first four boxes stone ballast, then two boxes sand
and then one bag of cement shall be put into the C. C. mixer, the machine shall then
be revolved to mix the materials dry and then water shall be added gradually to the
required quantity, 25-30 liters, per bag of cement to have the required water cement
ratio.
(c) The mixing should be thorough to have a plastic mix of uniform color.
(d) It requires 1 ½ to 2 minute’s rotation for thorough mixing.
(e) Mixed concrete shall be unloaded on a masonry platform or a sheet iron.
(f) Output of concrete mixer is 15 to 20 mix per hour.
•Regular slump test should be carried out to control the addition of water and to
maintain the required consistency. A slump of 7.5 cm to 10 cm may be allowed for
building work, and 3 cm to 4 cm may be allowed for road work.
•Curing:
(a) After about two hours laying, when concrete has begun to harden, it shall be kept
damp by covering with wet gunny bags or wet sand for 24 hours, and then cured by
flooding with water making mud walls 7.5 cm high or by covering with wet sand or
earth and kept damp continuously for 15 days.
(b) If specified curing may be done by covering concrete with special type of
waterproof paper as to prevent water escaping or evaporating.
(c) For weak cement concrete 1:3:6, 1:4:8, 1:5:10, etc., stack measurement and hand
mixing on a clean, water tight, masonry platform may be allowed.
 (d) For foundation concrete or weak concrete, brick ballast or cheap type stone ballast
of 40 mm size may be used.
(e) Approximate quantity of water required for cement may be taken 30% by weight of
cement plus 5% by weight of total aggregate. For concrete compacted by mechanical
vibrators the quantity of water shall be reduced by 20%.
Writing specifications

Damp Proof Course 2.5 cm c.c. 1:1 ½:3

•Materials:
(a) Damp proof course shall consist of cement, coarse sand and stone
aggregate of 1:1 ½:3 proportion with 2% of impermo or cem-seal, or Acco
proof by weight of cement or other standard water proofing compound (1 kg
per bag of cement).
(b) The damp proof course shall be applied at the plinth level in a horizontal
layer of 2.5 cm thickness.
(c) The cement shall be fresh Portland cement of standard specifications.
(d) The sand shall be clean, coarse of 5 mm size and down, and the stone
aggregate shall be hard and tough of 20 mm size well graded and free from
dust and dirt.
•Mixing:
(a) Mixing shall be done in a masonry platform or in a sheet iron tray in the
proportion of 1:1 ½:3 by measuring with measuring boxes.
(b) The cement is first mixed thoroughly with the water proofing compound
to the required quantity, and then mixed dry with sand in the proportion of
1:1 ½.
(c) The mix of cement and sand shall than be mixed dry with stone aggregate
to have the proportion 1:1 ½:3.
(d) Clean water shall then be added slowly and gradually while being mixed,
to the required quantity to give a plastic mix of the required workable
consistency.
(e) The mixing shall be done by turning at least three times to give a uniform
and homogeneous concrete.
•Laying:
(a) The level of the surface of the plinth shall be checked longitudinally and
transversely.
(b) The top of walls at damp proof course should be laid with frogs of the brick
downward.
(c) Side forms or shuttering of strong wooden batten of 2.5 cm thickness shall be fixed
properly and firmly on both sides to confine the concrete so that the shuttering does
not get disturbed during compaction and mortar does not leak through.
(d) The inner edges of the shuttering shall be oiled to prevent concrete adhering to it.
(e) The surface of the wall shall be cleaned and the masonry shall be wetted by
watering before concrete is laid.
(f) The concrete shall be laid within half an hour of mixing and compacted thoroughly
by tamping to make dense concrete and levelled both longitudinally and transversely.
(g) After two hours of laying the surface of the concrete shall be made rough an
chequered so as to form a key with the wall above.
(h) The damp proof course shall be laid in continuation in one day without any joints.
(i) Joints or breaks if unavoidable shall be given at the sills of the doors or the
openings.
(j) If joints cannot be avoided the joint shall be sloped and the sloped surface shall be
applied with neat cement wash just before starting concreting on the following day.
(k) Shuttering may be removed after three days.
(l) On removal of shuttering the edges should become smooth without any honey
combing.
•Curing:
(a) The damp proof course shall be cured by watering and kept wet for 7 days and the
construction of wall above may be started.
(b) The surface shall be cleaned and wetted before masonry is started.
•Painting with Asphalt:
(a) Two coats of asphalt painting may be applied on the upper surface of damp proof
course, if specified.
(b) The first coat of hot asphalt at 1.5 kg per sq.m. shall be applied uniformly on the
surface when the concrete is dry and the painted surface is blinded immediately with
coarse sand and the surface is tamped lightly.
(c) The second coat of hot asphalt at 1 kg per sq.m. should then be applied uniformly
and the surface is immediately blinded with coarse sand and tamped lightly.
•2 cm Damp proof course:
(a) The damp proof course may be of 2 cm thick layer of 1:2 cement and coarse sand
mortar with standard water proofing compound at the rate of 1 kg per bag of cement.
(b) The mixing, laying, curing, etc. shall be done in the same manner as above.
The form or shuttering shall be 2 cm thick.