SECTION 05 REINFORCEMENT FOR CONCRETE

5.1 MATERIALS

5.1.1 Reinforcement

Round mild steel bar reinforcement shall comply with BS 4449 or A 615M.
High tensile bar reinforcement shall be high yield steel deformed round bars
complying with BS 4449 or A 615M or cold worked high yield bars to BS
4461. Fabric reinforcement shall be welded hard drawn steel wire fabric
complying with BS 4483 or A185 standards.

5.1.2 Binding Wires

Bars shall be bound together at suitable intersections with pliable iron tying
wire or other approved form of binding where directed so that the
reinforcement may not be displaced in the process of pouring the concrete.
Wire for binding shall be annealed (No. 16 S.W.G.). All ends of binding wire
shall be bent back clear of the formwork.

5.2 STORAGE

5.2.1 Reinforcement shall be stored on site in racks at a minimum of 150 mm above

the ground. Reinforcement shall be protected from wind – blown dust.
5.2.2 All reinforcement shall be protected from the weather. Any reinforcement,
which has become corroded or pitted to an extent, which in the opinion of the
Engineer will substantially affect its properties or its long-term durability,
shall be removed from the site.

5.3 SPACERS

5.3.1 Spacers shall be of such materials and designs as will be durable, not to cause
corrosion in the reinforcement and spalling of concrete cover.
5.3.2 The mix used for spacer blocks shall be comparable in strength, durability,
porosity and appearance to the surrounding concrete. Blocks shall be well
compacted and cured for a minimum of 7 days after casting and shall have a
30-minute absorption of less than 3.5% by weight.
5.3.3 Concrete spacer blocks shall be factory made. Concrete spacer blocks made on
the construction site shall not be used.
5.3.4 Sample concrete spacer blocks shall be submitted to the Engineer for approval
at least 21 days before it is intended to pour concrete.
5.3.5 Any wire cast into the spacer shall be positioned well away from the exposed
surface.

5.4 WORKMANSHIP

5.4.1 Fabrication

5.4.1.1 The Contractor shall prepare and submit in duplicate to the Engineer
for approval at least two weeks (unless otherwise allowed by the

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 Engineer) in advance of placement bar schedules showing cutting and
bending details of the reinforcement.
5.4.1.2 The schedules shall be prepared in accordance with BS 4466 or
applicable ASTM standards.

5.4.2 Installation

5.4.2.1 Reinforcement shall be securely fixed in position with a dimensional

tolerance of 20 mm in any direction parallel to a concrete face and
within a tolerance of 5 mm at right angles to a face, provided that the
cover is not thereby decreased below the minimum specified or
otherwise shown in the drawings.
5.4.2.2 All reinforcement shall be placed strictly in accordance with the
drawings. Nothing shall be allowed to interfere with the required
disposition of the reinforcement and the Contractor shall ensure that all
parts of the reinforcement are placed correctly in every respect and
fixed where necessary to prevent displacement before or during the
process of tamping and ramming the concrete in place. Fabric
reinforcement where supplied in rolls shall be flattened out on a hard
level surface before laying. Fabric reinforcement shall be lapped at a
minimum of 300 mm in all sides.
5.4.2.3 The following are the minimum cover to all steel used in cast- in- place
concrete including stirrups:

i. Columns below the ground,

ground beams 75 mm
ii. Column and beams above ground 40 mm
iii. Slab 25 mm

5.4.2.4 The clear distance between bars in any one layer should not be less
than the greater of:

i. 30 mm
ii. bar diameter
iii. 1.3 times the maximum size of aggregate

5.4.2.5 Unless otherwise agreed by the S.O. all intersecting bars shall be tied
together with 1.6 mm diameter soft annealed iron wire and the ends of
the wire turned into the body of the concrete, or shall be secured with a
wire clip of a type agreed by the S.O.

5.2.4.6 Spacer blocks shall be used for ensuring that the correct cover is
maintained to the reinforcement. Proprietary spacers or concrete blocks
shall be used subject to the S.O.’s approval.

5.2.4.7 Reinforcement shall be rigidly fixed so that no movement can occur

during concrete placing. Any fixings made to the formwork shall not
be within the space to be occupied by the concrete being currently
placed.

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5.2.4.8 Sheets of mesh fabric shall be flat unless specified as bent and any
tendency to curve or twist shall be corrected by the Contractor before
fixing. Mesh fabric shall not be supplied in rolls.
5.2.4.9 No splices shall be made in the reinforcement except where shown on
the drawings or agreed by the S.O. For high yield steel splice lengths
shall be as follows unless otherwise indicated on the drawings.
i. Tension 40db
ii. Compression 25db
5.2.4.10 Reinforcement shall not be welded except where required by the
drawings or agreed by the S.O. If welding is employed, the procedures
shall be as set out in BS 693 for gas welding or BS 5135 for metal arc
welding. Full strength butt weld shall only be used for steel complying
with BS 4449 and if used on high yield deformed bars complying with
BS 4449 the permissible stresses in the vicinity of the weld shall be
reduced to those applicable to plain bars complying with that
specification.
5.2.4.11 Mechanical splices shall not be used unless shown on the drawings or
agreed by the S.O.
5.2.4.12 The space between the top and bottom reinforcement shall be provided
with mild steel chairs. Plastic chairs shall be used where in contact
with exposed concrete surfaces. Chairs spacing shall be at 1.5 m
centers in both directions.
5.2.4.13 The Contractor shall ensure that reinforcement left exposed in the
permanent work shall not suffer distortion, displacement or other
damage. When it is necessary to bend protruding mild steel
reinforcement aside temporarily, the internal radius of the bend shall
not be less than four times the bar diameter for plain bars. Such bends
shall be carefully straightened before concrete placing continues,
without leaving residual kinks or damaging the concrete around them.
No reinforcement shall be bent without the prior approval of the S.O.
5.2.4.14 Reinforcement cages assembled before fixing shall be protected
against the weather and shall be stored and transported carefully so that
no distortion or contamination may occur.
5.2.4.15 Before concrete is placed in any section of the permanent works, which
include reinforcement, the reinforcement shall be completely clean and
free from all contamination including concrete and release agent,
which may have been deposited on it from previous operations. No
concrete shall be poured before the reinforcement has been approved
by the S.O.
5.2.4.16 Great care shall be taken not to disturb or displace the reinforcement
during concreting. Any reinforcement, which becomes displaced, shall
be re-fixed in each correct position by a competent steel fixer who
shall be in attendance throughout the concreting operation.
5.2.4.17 If any reinforcement is found to be displaced after the concrete has set
and, if in the opinion of the S.O., the durability, stability or strength of
the structure is thereby impaired, the Contractor shall cut away the
defective member and recast all at the Contractor’s expense.

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