SECTION 403 - SPECIFICATIONS

FOR TESTS AND MATERIALS

403.1 Notation
fy = specified yield strength of nonprestressed
reinforcement in MPa
db = nominal diameter of bar, wire, or prestressing strand
in mm
403.2 Tests of Materials
403.2.1 The engineer may require the testing of any
materials used in concrete construction to determine if
materials are of quality specified.
403.2.2 Tests of materials and of concrete shall be made in
accordance with the standards listed in Section 403.9.
403.2.3 Complete record of tests of materials and of
concrete shall be available for inspection during progress of
work and for two (2) years after completion of the project,
or as required by the implementing agency and shall be
preserved by the engineer for that purpose.
403.3 Cement
403.3.1 Cement shall conform to one of the following
specifications:
"Specifications for Portland Cement" (ASTM C150).
"Specifications for Blended Hydraulic Cements" (ASTM C
595M), excluding Types S and SA which are not intended
as principal cementing constituents of structural concrete.
"Specifications for Expansive Hydraulic Cement" (ASTM
C 845).
Fly ash and natural pozzolan: ASTM C618.
Ground-granulated blast-furnace slag: ASTM C989.
Silica fume: ASTM C1240.
403.3.2 Cement used in the work shall correspond to that on
which selection of concrete proportions was based. See
Section 405.3.
CHAPTER 4 - Concrete 4-13
National Structural Code of the Philippines 6th Edition Volume 1
403.4 Aggregates
403.4.1 Concrete aggregates shall conform to one of the
following specifications:
"Specifications for Concrete Aggregates" (ASTM C 33);
"Specifications for Lightweight Aggregates for Structural
Concrete" (ASTM C 330).
Aggregates failing to meet the above specifications but
which have been shown by special test or actual service to
produce concrete of adequate strength and durability may be
used where authorized by the engineer-of-record.
403.4.2 The nominal maximum size of coarse aggregate
shall not be larger than:
1. One fifth (1/5) the narrowest dimension between sides
of forms; or
2. One third (1/3) the depth of slabs; or
3. Three fourths (3/4) the minimum clear spacing between
individual reinforcing bars or wires, bundles of bars, or
prestressing tendons or ducts.
These limitations may be waived if, in the judgment of the
engineer, workability and methods of consolidation are such
that concrete can be placed without honeycomb or voids.
403.5 Water
403.5.1 Water used in mixing concrete shall be clean and
free from injurious amounts of oils, acids, alkalis, salts,
organic materials or other substances deleterious to concrete
or reinforcement.
403.5.2 Mixing water for prestressed concrete or for
concrete that will contain aluminum embedments, including
that portion of mixing water contributed in the form of free
moisture on aggregates, shall not contain deleterious
amounts of chloride ions. See Section 404.6.1.
403.5.3 Non-potable water shall not be used in concrete
unless the following are satisfied:
403.5.3.1 Selection of concrete proportions shall be based
on concrete mixes using water from the same source.
403.5.3.2 Mortar test cubes made with nonpotable mixing
water shall have 7-day and 28-day strengths equal to at least
90 percent of strengths of similar specimens made with
potable water. Strength test comparison shall be made on
mortars, identical except for the mixing water, prepared and
tested in accordance with "Test Method for Compressive
Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars (using 50-mm Cube
Specimens)" (ASTM C 109).
403.6 Steel Reinforcement
403.6.1 Reinforcement shall be deformed reinforcement,
except that plain reinforcement shall be permitted for spirals
or prestressing steels; and reinforcement consisting of
headed shear studs, structural steel, steel pipe or steel tubing
shall be permitted only for resisting shear under conditions
specified in Section 411.6.6.1(6).
403.6.2 Welding of reinforcing bars shall conform to
"Structural Welding Code - Reinforcing Steel", ANSI/AWS
D1.4 of the American Welding Society. Type and location
of welded splices and other required welding of reinforcing
bars shall be indicated on the design drawings or in the
project specifications. ASTM reinforcing bar specifications,
except for ASTM A 706M, shall be supplemented to require
a report of material properties necessary to conform to
requirements in ANSI/AWS D1.4.
403.6.3 Deformed Reinforcements
403.6.3.1 Deformed reinforcing bars shall conform to one of
the following specifications, except as permitted by Section
403.6.3.3:
1. "Specifications for Deformed and Plain Billet-Steel
Bars for Concrete Reinforcement" (ASTM A 615M)
for seismic resisting members.
2. "Specifications for Low-Alloy Steel Deformed Bars for
Concrete Reinforcement" (ASTM A 706M) for
members resisting earthquake induced forces.
403.6.3.2 Deformed reinforcing bars shall conform to one
of the ASTM specifications listed in Section 403.6.3.1,
except that for bars with fy exceeding 415 MPa, fy shall be
taken as the stress corresponding to a strain of 0.35 percent.
See Section 409.5.
403.6.3.3 Deformed reinforcing bars conforming to ASTM
A1035 shall be permitted to be used as transverse
reinforcement in Section 421.6.4 or spiral reinforcement in
Section 410.10.3.
403.6.3.4 Bar mats for concrete reinforcement shall conform
to "Specifications for Fabricated Deformed Steel Bar Mats
for Concrete Reinforcement" (ASTM A 184M).
Reinforcing bars used in bar mats shall conform to one of
the specifications listed in Section 403.6.3.1.
4-14 CHAPTER 4 - Concrete
Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines
403.6.3.5 Deformed wire for concrete reinforcement shall
conform to "Specifications for Steel Wire, Deformed, for
Concrete Reinforcement" (ASTM A 496M). except that
wire shall not be smaller than size MD25 or larger than size
MD200 unless as permitted in Section 403.6.3.7. For wire
with a specified yield strength fy exceeding 415 MPa, fy
shall be the stress corresponding to a strain of 0.35 percent.
403.6.3.6 Welded plain wire fabric for concrete
reinforcement shall conform to "Specifications for Steel
Welded Wire, Fabric, Plain for Concrete Reinforcement"
(ASTM A 185M), except that for wire with a specified yield
strength fy exceeding 415 MPa, fy shall be taken as the
stress corresponding to a strain of 0.35 percent. Welded
intersections shall not be spaced farther apart than 300 mm
in direction of calculated stress, except for wire fabric used
as stirrups in accordance with Section 412.14.2.
403.6.3.7 Welded deformed wire fabric for concrete
reinforcement shall conform to "Specifications for Steel
Welded Wire Fabric, Deformed, for Concrete
Reinforcement" (ASTM A 497M), except that for wire
with a specified yield strength fy exceeding 415 MPa, fy
shall be the stress corresponding to a strain of 0.35 percent.
Welded intersections shall not be spaced farther apart than
400 mm in direction of calculated stress, except for wire
fabric used as stirrups in accordance with Section 412.14.2.
Deformed wire larger than MD200 is permitted when used
in welded wire reinforcement conforming to ASTM
A497M, but shall be treated as plain wire for development
and splice design.
403.6.3.8 Galvanized reinforcing bars shall comply with
"Specifications for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Steel Bars for
Concrete Reinforcement" (ASTM A 767M). Epoxy-coated
reinforcing bars shall comply with "Specification for
Epoxy-Coated Reinforcing Steel Bars" (ASTM A 775M) or
with "Specifications for Epoxy-Coated Prefabricated Steel
Reinforcing Bars" (ASTM A 934M). Galvanized or epoxycoated
reinforcement shall conform to one of the
specifications listed in Section 403.6.3.1.
403.6.3.9 Epoxy-coated wires and welded wire fabric shall
comply with "Standard Specification for Epoxy-Coated
Steel Wire and Welded Wire Fabric for Reinforcement"
(ASTM A 884M). Epoxy-coated wires shall conform to
Section 403.6.3.5 and epoxy-coated welded wire fabric shall
conform to Section 403.6.3.5 or 403.6.3.6.
403.6.3.10 Deformed stainless-steel wire and deformed and
plain stainless-steel welded wire for concrete reinforcement
shall conform to ASTM 1022M, except deformed wire shall
not be smaller than size MD25 or larger than size MD200,
and the yield strength for wire with fy exceeding 415 MPa
shall be taken as the stress corresponding to a strain of 0.35
percent. Deformed wire larger than MD200 is permitted
where used in welded wire reinforcement conforming to
ASTM A1022M, but shall be treated as plain wire for
development and splice design. Spacing of welded
intersections shall not exceed 300 mm for plain welded wire
and 400 mm for deformed welded wire in direction of
calculated stress, except for welded wire reinforcement used
as stirrups in accordance with Section 412.14.2.
403.6.4 Plain Reinforcement
403.6.4.1 Plain bars for spiral reinforcement shall conform
to one of the following specification: ASTM A615M or
A706M.
403.6.4.2 Plain wire for spiral reinforcement shall conform
to "Specifications for Steel Wire, Plain, for Concrete
Reinforcement" (ASTM A 82M), except that for wire with
a specified yield strength fy exceeding 415 MPa, fy shall be
the stress corresponding to a strain of 0.35 percent.
403.6.5 Headed Shear Stud Reinforcement
403.6.5.1 Headed studs and headed stud assemblies shall
conform to ASTM A1044M.
403.6.6 Prestressing Tendons
403.6.6.1Tendons for prestressed reinforcement shall
conform to one of the following specifications:
1. Wire conforming to "Specifications for Uncoated
Stress-Relieved Steel Wire for Prestressed Concrete"
(ASTM A 421M).
2. Low-relaxation wire conforming to "Specifications for
Uncoated Stress-Relieved Steel Wire for Prestressed
Concrete" including Supplement "Low-Relaxation
Wire" (ASTM A 421M)
3. Strand conforming to "Specifications for Steel Strand,
Uncoated Seven-Wire for Prestressed Concrete"
(ASTM A 416M).
4. Bar conforming to "Specifications for Uncoated High-
Strength Steel Bar for Prestressing Concrete" (ASTM
A 722M)
403.6.6.2 Wire, strands, and bars not specifically listed in
ASTM A 416M, A 421M and A 722M are allowed,
provided they conform to minimum requirements of these
specifications and do not have properties that make them
less satisfactory than those listed in these specifications.
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National Structural Code of the Philippines 6th Edition Volume 1
403.6.7 Structural Steel, Steel Pipe or Tubing
403.6.7.1 Structural steel used with reinforcing bars in
composite compression members meeting requirements of
Section 410.17.7 or 410.17.8, shall conform to one of the
following specifications:
1. "Specifications for Carbon Steel" (ASTM A 36M).
2. "Specifications for High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural
Steel" (ASTM A 242M).
3. "Specifications for High-Strength Low-Alloy
Columbium-Vanadium Steels of Structural Quality"
(ASTM A 572M).
4. "Specifications for High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural
Steel" with 345 MPa (ASTM A 588M).
5. "Specifications for Structural shapes” (ASTM
A992M).
403.6.7.2 Steel pipe or tubing for composite compression
members composed of a steel-encased concrete core
meeting requirements of Section 410.17.6 shall conform to
one of the following specifications:
1. Grade B of "Specifications for Pipe, Steel, Black and
Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated Welded and Seamless"
(ASTM A 53M).
2. "Specifications for Cold-Formed Welded and Seamless
Carbon Steel Structural Tubing in Rounds and Shapes"
(ASTM A 500M).
3. "Specifications for Hot-Formed Welded and Seamless
Carbon Steel Tubing" (ASTM A 501M).
403.6.8 Steel discontinuous fiber reinforcement for concrete
shall be deformed and conform to ASTM A820M. Steel
fibers have a length-to-diameter ratio not smaller than 50
and not greater than 100.
403.6.9 Headed deformed bars shall conform to ASTM
A970M and obstructions or interruptions of the bar
deformations, if any, shall not extend more than 2db from
the bearing face of the head.
403.7 Admixtures
403.7.1 Admixtures for water reduction and setting time
modification shall conform ASTM C494M. Admixtures for
use in producing flowing concrete shall conform ASTM
C1017M.
403.7.2 Air-entraining admixtures shall conform to
"Specifications for Air-Entraining Admixtures for Concrete"
(ASTM C 260).
403.7.3 Admixtures to be used in concrete that do not
conform to Sections 403.7.1.and 403.7.2 shall be subject to
prior approval by the engineer.
403.7.4 Calcium chloride or admixtures containing chloride
from other than impurities from admixture ingredients shall
not be used in prestressed concrete, in concrete containing
embedded aluminum, or in concrete cast against stay-inplace
galvanized steel forms. See Sections 404.6.1 and
406.3.2.
403.7.5 Fly ash or other pozzolans used as admixtures shall
conform to "Specifications for Fly Ash and Raw or Calcined
Natural Pozzolan for Use as a Mineral Admixture in
Portland Cement Concrete" (ASTM C 618).
403.7.6 Ground granulated blast-furnace slag used as an
admixture shall conform to "Specifications for Ground
Granulated Blast-furnace Slag for Use in Concrete and
Mortars" (ASTM C 989).
403.7.7 Admixtures used in concrete containing ASTM
C845 expansive cements shall be compatible with the
cement and produce no deleterious effects.
403.7.8 Silica fume used as an admixture shall conform to
"Specification for Silica Fume for Use in Hydraulic-Cement
Concrete and Mortar" (ASTM C 1240).
403.8 Storage of Materials
403.8.1 Cementitious materials and aggregate shall be
stored in such manner as to prevent deterioration or
intrusion of foreign matter.
403.8.2 Any material that has deteriorated or has been
contaminated shall not be used for concrete.
403.9 Standards Cited in this Chapter
403.9.1 In the absence of the Philippine National Standard
(PNS), Standards of the American Society for Testing and
Materials (ASTM) referred to in this chapter listed below
with their serial designations, including year of adoption or
revision, are declared to be part of this code as if fully set
forth herein:
A36/A36M-05 Standard Specifications for Carbon
Structural Steel
A-53/A53-07 Standard Specifications for Pipe, Steel,
Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated Welded and Seamless
A82/A82-07 Standard Specifications for Steel Wire,