IRS Concrete Bridge Code : 1997

8 TRANSPORTATION, PLACEMENT, proper compaction mechanical vibrators shall be used.

COMPACTION & CURING OF CONCRETE However, in case of vibrated concrete, quantity of water
in a nominal mix concrete may have to be reduced as
8.1 Transportation – Mixed concrete shall be transported
brought out in Note 1 under 5.5.3.1. The vibrator can be
from the place of mixing to the place of final deposit as
internal or external type and depending on the shape and
rapidly as practicable by methods which will prevent the
size of the member both the types may be used in
segregation or loss of the ingredients. Concrete shall be
combination. When internal vibrators are used they shall
deposited as near as practicable to its final position to
be used vertically to the full depth of the layer being
avoid rehandling.
placed and shall penetrate into the layer below while it is
8.1.1 When concrete is conveyed by chute, the plant still plastic to the extent of 100mm. The vibrator shall be
shall be of such size and design as to ensure practically kept in place until air bubbles cease to escape from the
continuous flow in the chute. The slope of the chute shall surface and then withdrawn slowly to ensure that no hole
be such as to allow the concrete to flow without the use of is left in the concrete, care being taken to see that it remains
excessive quantity of water and without segregation of in continued operation while being withdrawn. Vibrator
the ingredients. The delivery end of the chute shall be as should not be used to move the concrete as it can cause
close as possible to the point of deposit. When the honey-combing.
operation is intermittent, the spout shall discharge into
8.3.1 The internal vibrators shall be inserted in an
a hopper. The chute shall be thoroughly flushed with
orderly manner and the distance between insertions
water before and after each working period; the water
should be about 1.5 times the radius of the area visibly
used for this purpose shall be discharged outside the
affected by vibration.
formwork.
8.3.2 Form vibrators shall be used in addition to internal
8.1.2 During hot or cold weather, concrete shall be
vibrators in case of prestressed concrete girders/slabs
transported in deep containers. Other suitable methods
etc. Whenever vibration has to be applied externally, the
to reduce the loss of water by evaporation in hot weather
design of formwork and the disposition of vibrators
and heat loss in cold weather may also be adopted.
should receive special consideration to ensure efficient
8.2 Placing – The concrete shall be placed before setting compaction and to avoid surface blemishes.
has commenced and shall not be subsequently disturbed.
8.3.3 The use of vibrators complying with IS: 2505,
Concrete shall be so placed as to avoid segregation of the
IS:2506, IS:2514 and IS:4656 for compacting concrete
materials and displacement of reinforcement. To achieve
is recommended. Over- vibration and under vibration of
this, concrete should be lowered vertically in the forms
concrete are harmful and should be avoided.
and horizontal movement of concrete inside the forms
should as far as practicable be brought to a minimum. In 8.4 Curing of Concrete
wall forms drop chutes attached to hoppers at the top
8.4.1 Moist Curing – The concrete should be kept
should preferably be used to lower concrete to the bottom
constantly wet for a minimum period of 14 (fourteen)
of the form. Under no circumstances concrete shall be
days. Water should be applied on unformed surfaces as
dropped freely from a height of more than 1.5 metre.
soon as it can be done without marring the surface and
8.2.1 A record shall be kept of the time and date of placing on formed surfaces immediately after the forms are
the concrete in each portion of the structure. stripped. The concrete shall be kept constantly wet by
ponding or covered with a layer of sacking, canvas,
8.2.2 Concrete cover blocks of the same strength and
hessian or a similar absorbant material. When air
density as parent concrete shall be used.
temperature is expected to drop below 50C during the
8.3 Compaction – No concrete shall be allowed without curing period, additional covering of cotton/gunny bags,
vibration except under water concreting or tremie straw or other suitable blanketting material shall be
concreting, or in specific cases with prior approval where provided so that concrete temperature at surface does
access is not available. not fall below 100C.
Concrete shall be thoroughly compacted and fully 8.4.2 Curing Compound- Approved curing compounds
worked around the reinforcement, around embedded may be used in lieu of moist curing with the permission of
fixtures and into corners of the formwork. To achieve the engineer. Such compounds shall be applied to all
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exposed surfaces of the concrete along with stripping of chloride or admixtures containing calcium chloride shall
form work. Tests shall be done to ascertain : not be used.

(i) Loss of moisture in concrete with and without 8.6.2 Under-water Concreting
curing compound. 8.6.2.1 When it is necessary to deposit concrete under
water, Tremie method shall be used. The equipment,
(ii) Cube strength of concrete with moist curing
materials and proportions of the mix to be used shall be
and curing compound.
submitted to and approved by the engineer before the work
(iii) Permeability of concrete. is started. The volume or mass of the coarse aggregate
shall be not less than one and a half times, not more than
8.4.3 Steam-Curing- Steam curing can be advantageously
twice that of the fine aggregate.
used to save time of curing of concrete for transfer of
prestress. The optimum steam curing cycle for a 8.6.2.2 Coffer-dams or forms shall be sufficiently tight
particular situation can only be determined by trial and to ensure still water if practicable, and in any case to
reduce the flow of water to less than 3m per minute
error. However, it has been found satisfactory to use a
through the space into which concrete is to be deposited.
presteaming period of 4 to 5 hour or rate of temperature
Coffer-dams or forms in still water shall be sufficiently
rise between 22-330 C per hour and a maximum curing
tight to prevent loss of mortar through the walls.
temperature of 66-82 0 C for a period such that entire Dewatering by pumping shall not be done while concrete
curing cycle does not exceed 18 hour. Rapid temperature is being placed or untill 24 hours thereafter.
changes during the cooling period should be avoided and
8.6.2.3 Concrete shall be deposited continuously until
drop in ambient temperature in the enclosure is not
it is brought to the required height. While depositing,
sharper than 200 C per hour. The reuse of casting beds
the top surface shall be kept as nearly level as possible
and forms alongwith 18 hour steam curing makes it a
and the formation of seams avoided. In the exceptional
total 24 hour cycle. Prestress to members in pretension cases of interruption of concreting which can be resumed
beds should be transferred immediately after the within 2 hours, the tremie shall not be taken out of the
termination of steam curing while the concrete and forms concrete. Instead it shall be raised and lowered slowly
are still warm, otherwise the temperature within the from time to time to prevent the concrete around tremie
enclosure shall be maintained at over 150 C until the from sett ing. Concreting should be resumed by
prestress is transferred to the concrete. introducing a little richer concrete with a slump of about
200mm for easy displacement of partly set concrete. All
The steam curing will be considered complete
tremie tubes shall be properly cleaned before and after
when the concrete has reached the minimum strength at
use.
‘Strength at Stress transfer’ or handling strength.
8.6.2.3.1 Tremie – The concrete should be coherent and
8.5 Construction Joints
slump shall be more than 150mm but it should not exceed
8.5.1 Concreting shall be carried out continuously upto 180mm. When concrete is carried out under water a
the construction joints, the position and arrangement of temporary casing should be installed to the full depth of
which shall be predetermined by the designer. bore hole or 2m in to non-collapsible stratum, so that
fragments of ground cannot drop from the sides of the
8.5.2 The use of construction joints in prestressed
hole in the concrete as it is placed. The temporary casing
concrete work should preferably be avoided. However, if
may not be required except near the top when concreting
found necessary, they shall be kept to the minimum by
under drilling mud. The top section of tremie shall be a
adopting proper construction techniques.
hopper large enough to hold one entire batch of the mix
8.5.3 The construction joints shall comply with the or the entire contents of the transporting bucket if any.
provisions given at Appendix-A. Properly designed The tremie pipe shall be not less than 200mm in diameter
reinforcement shall be provided for transfer of full tensile and shall be large enough to allow a free flow of concrete
stress across the joints prior to casting of the next lift. and strong enough to withstand the external pressure of
the water in which it is suspended, even if a partial
8.6 Concreting Under Special Conditions
vacuum develops inside the pipe. Preferably, flanged steel
8.6.1 Work in Extreme Weather Conditions- During pipe of adequate strength for the job should be used. A
hot or cold weather, the concreting should be done as per separate lifting device shall be provided for each tremie
the procedure set out in IS: 7861 (Part I) or IS: 7861 (Part pipe with its hopper at the upper end. Unless the lower
II) with the approval of the engineer. However, calcium end of the pipe is equipped with an approved automatic
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check valve, the upper end of the pipe shall be plugged aggressive soils or waters on one side only, evaporation
before delivering the concrete to the tremie pipe through may cause serious concentrations of salt s with
the hopper, so that when the concrete is forced down from subsequent deterioration, even where the original salt
the hopper to the pipe, it will force the plug (and alongwith content of the soils or water is not high. The selection of
it any water in the pipe) down the pipe and out of the type of cement, therefore, should be made after thorough
bottom end, thus establishing a continuous stream of investigation. For particular problems, engineer-incharge
concrete. It will be necessary to raise the tremie pipe by should decide upon the method.
25cm to 30cm slowly in order to cause a uniform flow of 8.6.4.2 No concrete shall be allowed to come in contact
the concrete, but the tremie shall not be emptied to avoid with sea water within 72 hours of casting.
flow of water into the pipe. At all times even while
changing/adding pipes to tremie, the bottom of tremie 8.7 Sampling, Strength Tests and Acceptance Criteria
pipe shall be atleast 600mm below the top of concrete as 8.7.1 General – Samples from fresh concrete shall be
ascertained by sounding. This will cause the concrete to taken as per IS:1199 and cubes shall be made, cured and
build up from below instead of flowing out over the surface, tested at 28 days in accordance with IS: 516.
and thus avoid formation of laitance layers. If the charge
in the tremie is lost while depositing, the tremie shall be 8.7.1.1 In order to get a relatively quick idea of the quality
raised above the concrete surface, and unless sealed by a of concrete, optional tests on beams for modulus of
check value, it shall be replugged at the top end, as at the rupture at 72r2 hours or at 7 days, or compressive strength
beginning, before refilling for depositing concrete. tests at 7 days may be carried out in addition to 28 days
compressive strength tests. For this purpose, the values
8.6.2.4 To minimise the formation of laitance, great care given in Table 7 may be taken for general guidance in
shall be exercised not to disturb the concrete as far as case of concrete made with ordinary Portland cement. In
possible while it is being deposited. all cases, the 28 days compressive strength specified in
8.6.3 Concrete in Sea Water Table 2 shall alone be the criterion for acceptance or
rejection of the concrete.
8.6.3.1 Special attention shall be given to the design of
the mix to obtain the densest possible concrete; slag, TABLE 7 : OPTIONAL TESTS REQUIREMENTS OF
broken brick, soft limestone, soft sandstone, or other CONCRETE
porous or weak aggregates shall not be used.
8.6.3.2 As far as possible, preference shall be given to (Clause 8.7.1.1)
precast members unreinforced, well cured and hardened,
without sharp corners, and having trowel-smooth finished
COMPRESSIVE MODULUS OF
surfaces free from crazing, cracks or other defects; GRADE OF
STRENGTH ON 15 RUPTURE BY
plastering should be avoided. CONCRETE
cm CUBES BEAM TEST Min.
Min. at 7 days Min. at Min. at 7
8.6.3.3 No construction joints shall be allowed within 72r2h days
600mm below low water level or within 600mm of the (1) (2) (3) (4)
upper and lower planes of wave action. Where unusually 2 2
N/mm N/mm N/mm2
severe conditions or abrasion are anticipated such parts
M20 13.5 1.7 2.4
of the work shall be protected by bituminous or silico-
M25 17.0 1.9 2.7
fluoride coating or stone facing bedded with bitumen. M30 20.0 2.1 3.0
8.6.3.4 In reinforced concrete structures, care shall M35 23.5 2.3 3.2
be taken to protect the reinforcement from exposure to M40 27.0 2.5 3.4
saline atmosphere during storage and fabrication. M45 30.0 2.7 3.6
M50 33.5 2.9 3.8
8.6.4 Concrete in Aggressive Soils and Water M55 37.0 3.1 4.0
M60 40.0 3.3 4.2
8.6.4.1 General – The destructive action of aggressive
waters on concrete is progressive. The rate of
deterioration which varies with the alkali resisting
property of the cement used, decreases as the concrete 8.7.2 Frequency of sampling
is made stronger and more impermeable, and increases as
the salt content of the water increases. Where structures 8.7.2.1 Sampling Procedure – A random sampling
are only partially immersed or are in contact with procedure shall be adopted to ensure that each concrete

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