SPECIFICATION

PRE-CAST CONCRETE

GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PHASE -2

DUBAI

Prepared by: SG

SHEPHERD GILMOUR
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Grosvenor Business Tower
Dubai, UAE
Tel: (+971) (0) 44479765
Fax: (+971) (0) 44479764

Date: 15/09/15
Ref: U415/SG/Construction

SPECIFICATION FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE – GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PH.-2 1

 CONTENTS

1.0 Design And Scope

2.0 Portland Cement

3.0 Fine And Coarse Aggregates

4.0 Water

5.0 Reinforcement Quality

6.0 Manufacture Of Units

7.0 Transport And Erection

8.0 Grouting

9.0 In-Situ Concrete Make-Up

10.0 Protection

11.0 Camber

12.0 Hollow Units

13.0 Holes Through Units

14.0 Drawings And Calculations

15.0 Tolerances

16.0 Surface Finish

17.0 Design And Loadings

SPECIFICATION FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE – GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PH.-2 2

1.0 DESIGN AND SCOPE

The word "Contractor" in this Specification means:

a) in the case of nominated Sub-Contractors, the pre-cast concrete unit manufacturer

b) in the case of pre-cast units being a measured item in the Bills of Quantities, the General
Contractor.

The "Employer’s Representative" shall mean Shepherd Gilmour, Consulting Engineers.

The “Client” shall mean TDIC.

"Satisfactory" shall mean to the satisfaction of the Employer’s Representative.

"Approved" shall mean to the approval of the Employer’s Representative.

"Approved by the Employer’s Representative" shall mean conforming with the Specification as far as
can be ascertained from visual inspection.

The pre-cast units to which this specification refers are to be designed in accordance with the
recommendations of the British Standard Code of Practice BS8110 "Structural Use of Concrete".

This Specification takes preference at variance with BS8110. The British Standards referred to in the
Specification are the current publications and revisions at the time of Tender.

The Specification for the quality of materials, the standards of workmanship and the requirements for
testing the inspection in the British Standard are the minimum requirements of this Specification.

In the event of any aspect of the work not complying with the Specification, or being considered
inadequate for any other reason, the remedial works or rectification must be carried out promptly upon
receipt of instructions and not left until such time as to cause delays to associated works or any aspect
of the Contract.

2.0 PORTLAND CEMENT

All cement shall be Portland Cement of EEC Manufacture complying with BS12 for ordinary cement.
BS4027 for sulphate/resisting cement or as specified on the drawings. Rapid hardening Portland
Cement shall only be used with the permission of the Employer’s Representative and no claim for any
extra cost will be entertained.

Pre-cast units manufactured with High Alumina Cement will not be accepted in any circumstances.
The minimum cement content used in the manufacture of the units shall be in accordance with
BS8110.

3.0 FINE AND COARSE AGGREGATES

Fine and coarse aggregates shall be obtained from an approved source and shall comply in all
respects, with the requirements of BS882. Only fine aggregates of medium and coarse classification
shall be permitted.

Coarse aggregates for reinforced concrete work to be of 20mm maximum size graded to 5mm.

Fine aggregates shall have a maximum size of 5mm graded down so that when combined with the
coarse aggregates shall provide a dense workable mix.

SPECIFICATION FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE – GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PH.-2 3

 The source of the proposed aggregates for use in the concrete shall be included in the mix design
data together with a geological description of the source material and confirmation, supported by
means of Laboratory Tests, if necessary, that the aggregate is low in reactive siliceous minerals and is
not known to promote Alkali-Silica Reaction (A.S.R.). Aggregates, which are considered to promote
A.S.R., will not be permitted.

4.0 WATER

The water shall be clean, fresh and free from harmful matter and comply, in all respects, with BS3148.

5.0 REINFORCEMENT QUALITY

The reinforcement shall be of EEC manufacture and of the following types:

Rolled mild steel bars and deformed (high bond high yield stress bars), complying with the
requirements of BS4449 "Hot rolled steel bars for the reinforcement of concrete". Cold worked steel
bars complying with the requirements of BS4461 "Cold worked steel bars for the reinforcement of
concrete".

Welded steel fabric complying with the requirements of BS4483 "Steel fabric for the reinforcement of
concrete." Pre-stressing steel wire complying with the requirement of BS4896 "Steel Wire for pre-
stressed concrete" or BS3617 "Seven wire steel strand for pre-stressed concrete" or BS4757
"Nineteen wire steel strand for pre-stressed concrete."

6.0 MANUFACTURE OF UNITS

The Contractor shall be fully responsible for the quality of the units in all respects. Units which are
damaged or, in the opinion of the Employer’s Representative, have not obtained a quality suitable for
inclusion in the works shall be removed from site and replaced at the Contractor's expense.

No units shall be delivered to site until the required design strength has been achieved. Units shall be
stored in such a manner as to prevent damage or overstress.

7.0 TRANSPORT AND ERECTION

Units shall be transported to the site by approved means and shall be suitably packed to avoid
damage during transit.

Lifting of pre-cast units shall be carried out using suitable appliances with, in the case of units to
remain fair-faced, nylon webbing or similar approved. The use of chains, or other metal straps, other
than those specifically designed to eliminate chafing, will not be acceptable where fair-faced finishes
are applicable. No lifting must be carried out until the concrete has attained sufficient strength to
enable this to take place without cracking.

No units shall be lifted into final position unit such time as the concrete has achieved the design
strength. All units shall be positioned in accordance with the Employer’s Representative's detail
drawings or in accordance with the Manufacturer's layout drawings.

During erection, due consideration shall be given by the Contractor to the sequence and arrangement
of loadings that will occur on supporting members. The degree of imposed loading on supporting
members brought about by handling techniques eccentricities, etc., shall be such that no excessive
deflections, distortions or damage occurs to the supporting members or their bearings.

SPECIFICATION FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE – GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PH.-2 4

8.0 GROUTING

After completion of erection, the General Contractor shall ensure that the work is in accordance with
the drawings prior to proceeding with grouting. The grouting shall be carried out as follows:

a) Thoroughly brush all top surfaces, including raking out joints to ensure that they are free from
debris.

b) Thoroughly wet the floor immediately prior to grouting.

c) The grout mix should be prepared utilising sharp sand of mediumclassification to BS882 and
mixed with Ordinary Portland Cement in the proportions of 3 parts sand to 1 part cement.
The water content of the mix should be such as to provide a grout just capable of being
poured from a bucket into the joints between the units. Grouts which are too wet, resulting in
rapid dispersal through the joints, will not be accepted.

d) When grouting is carried out, the grout should initially be spread over the floor with a stiff
brush, in the direction of the joints and brushed in the opposite direction, ensuring thorough
compaction into the joints between.

e) Where structural screeds are to be laid, grouting should be carried out confining the work to
the joints themselves and allowing a 25mm deep recess to be left in the top of the joint as a
key for screeding later.

f) Where the joints between wide slab units are grouted up using in-situ concrete, the Contractor
is to submit appropriate mix details to the Employer’s Representative for approval.

9.0 INSITU CONCRETE MAKE-UP

Where the use of standard width units result in in-situ make-up being required, then either of the
following shall apply:

a) In the case of nominated Sub-Contractors, the pre-cast concrete unit supplier shall indicate at
the time of Tender, either the extent of in-situ make-up required, or he shall include in his
Tender for carrying out this work.

b) In the case of pre-cast units being a measured item in the Bills of Quantities, the General
Contractor shall include for all necessary make-up.

10.0 PROTECTION

At all stages and until completion of the work, pre-cast concrete units and any other concrete
associated therewith shall be properly protected. The degree and extent of the protection to be
provided should be sufficient for the surface finish and profile being protected, bearing in mind its
position and importance. This is particularly important in the case of permanently exposed concrete
surfaces, especially arrases and decorative features. The protection can be provided by timber strips,
hessian, etc., but must not be such as will damage, mark or otherwise disfigure the concrete.

11.0 CAMBER

The predicted camber of pre-stressed units shall be stated at the time of Tender, in the case of a
nominated Sub-Contractor, and on the Contractor's layout drawings. Actual cambers shall not exceed
predicted cambers by more than 25%. The variation in camber between adjacent units shall not be
greater than 5mm for units up to 5 metres in length, nor 10mm for longer units. Where in-situ concrete
make-up strips run parallel with the units, the soffit line shall follow the camber in the units. The pre-

SPECIFICATION FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE – GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PH.-2 5

 cast concrete manufacturer is to obtain the Employer’s Representative's written approval of any
variation in the above camber requirements.

12.0 HOLLOW UNITS

Units formed with hollow or foam filled cores shall be provided with soffit holes or other approved
methods to ensure that after completion, or erection and building being made watertight, that no
subsequent percolation of entrapped water takes place.

13.0 HOLES THROUGH UNITS

No holes shall be cut through pre-cast units without the approval of the Employer’s Representative.

14.0 DRAWINGS AND CALCULATIONS

Detail and layout drawings produced by the Contractor are required to be submitted to the Employer’s
Representative for his approval before work proceeds. The Contractor is to allow a period of 10 clear
working days for checking of the drawings. The Contractor is to take this time into consideration when
preparing his programme for the work. The checking of the drawings by the Employer’s
Representative does not obviate the Contractor from his responsibility for correctly interpreting the
Employer’s Representative's drawings. Where necessary, the unit manufacturer should allow for
taking site dimensions prior to preparing his drawings.

The Contractor is also required to submit calculations for the design of the units to the Employer’s
Representative, for submission to the Local Authority in connection with the Building Regulations.

15.0 TOLERANCES

All pre-cast units shall be manufactured to tolerances not exceeding those laid down into Clause
i6.2.8.3, latest edition. Pre-cast units shall be erected such that the tolerances of manufacture related
to the dimensions of supporting structural elements complying with Clause 5.2.3 of BS8110, but this
must not result in bearing lengths/depths less than the following:

a) Structural Steelwork - 75mm

b) Concrete - 75mm
c) Masonry/Brickwork - 100mm

16.0 SURFACE FINISH

The tops of all units shall be clearly marked. All lifting hooks are to be removed following erection. The
soffit finish of the units shall be finished to suit architectural requirements.

17.0 DESIGN AND LOADINGS

Type of Unit – 265mm Hollow core Slabs - refer to building drawings for details
Depth of Unit Density of Finished Floor Construction – 60mm - refer to building drawings for details
Composite Action with Screed - Yes
Fire Resistance of Finished Floor Construction – 2 hours

Loadings:

(a) Superimposed – 5.0 kN/m2

(b) Finishes – 4.0 kN/m2

SPECIFICATION FOR PRE-CAST CONCRETE – GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PH.-2 6