CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENT.

S.No. Type Conforming to

i) Ordinary Portland Cement 43 Grade IS:8112
ii) Portlant Slag Cement IS:455
iiI) Portland Pozzolana Cement IS:1489-Part I
iv) Ordinary Portland Cement 53 Grade IS:12269
Note:
1) Fly ash upto 20 percent by weight of cement may be used in ordinary Portland cement 53 Grade. No fly ash
shall be used in any other grade of Cement other than 53 Grade. The fly ash shall conform to IS:3812 (Part I).
2) Ground Granulated Blast Furnance Slag (GGBFS) obtained by grinding granulated slag conforming to
IS:12089. GGBFS shall not be used in any other grade of cement except 53 grade. The content of GGBFS shall
be upto 50 percent by weight of Ordinary Portland Cement 53 grade. 260

Section 600 Concrete Pavement

3) Site mixing of fly ash and ground granulated slag shall be permitted only after ensuring availability of the
equipments at site for uniform blending through a specific mechanized facility with automated process control like
batch mix plants conforming to IS:4925 and IS:4926. Site mixing will not be allowed otherwise.
4) Mix design will be done as per IRC:44. The OPC content shall not be less than 310 kg/cu.m in case of blending
at site. The curing period may be suitably enhanced by at least about 2 days.
5) The Portland Pozzolana Cement produced in factory shall not have fly ash content more than 25 percent. The
Portland Pozzolana Cement produced in factory with fly ash content more than 25 percent shall not be used.
Certificate from the manufacturer to this effect shall be procured before use.

If the soil around PQC has soluble salts like sulphates in excess of 0.5 percent, the cement used shall
be sulphate resistant and shall conform to IS:12330. Guidance may be taken from IRC:44 for
ascertaining the compressive/flexural strength of cement concrete required to match with the prescribed
design strength of concrete. Cement to be used may preferably be obtained in bulk form. If cement in
paper bags is proposed to be used, there shall be bag-splitters with the facility to separate pieces of
paper bags and dispose them off suitably. No paper pieces shall enter the concrete mix. Bulk cement
shall be stored in accordance with Clause 1014. The cement shall be subjected to acceptance test just
prior to its use.
602.2.3 Chemical Admixtures : Admixtures conforming to IS:9103 and IS:6925 shall be permitted to
improve workability of the concrete or extension of setting time, on satisfactory evidence that they will
not have any adverse effect on the properties of concrete with respect to strength, volume change,
durability and have no deleterious effect on steel bars. The particulars of the admixture and the quantity
to be used, must be furnished to the Engineer in advance to obtain his approval before use. Satisfactory
performance of the admixtures should be proved both on the laboratory concrete trial mixes and in the
trial length paving. If air entraining admixture is used, the total quantity of air in air-entrained concrete as
a percentage of the volume of the mix shall be 51.5 percent for 31.5 mm nominal size aggregate.
602.2.6 Mild steel bars for dowels and tie bars :
i) Dowel Bar shall be of plain mild steel conforming to IS:432 and will have yield stress of Fe-240.
ii) Tie bar shall be of TMT steel conforming to IS:1786 and will have yield stress of Fe-500.
602.2.7 Premoulded joint filler : Joint filler board for expansion joints shall be used only at abutting
structures like bridges and shall be of 20-25 mm thickness within a tolerance of 1.5 mm and of a firm
compressible material and complying with the requirements of IS:1838, or BS:2630 Preformed Joint
Filler. It shall be 25 mm less in depth than the thickness of the slab within a tolerance of 3 mm and
provided to the full width between the side forms. It shall be in suitable lengths which shall not be less
than one lane width. Holes to accommodate dowel bars shall be accurately bored or punched out to
give a sliding fit on the dowel bars.
602.2.8 Joint sealing compound : The joint sealing compound shall be of hot poured, elastomeric type
or cold polysulphide/polyurethene/silicon type having flexibility, resistance to age hardening and
durability as per IRC:57. Manufacturers certificate shall be produced by the Contractor for establishing
that the sealant is not more than six months old and stating that the sealant complies with the relevant
standard as in Clause 602.2.8. The samples shall meet the requirements as mentioned in IRC:57. Hot
applied sealant shall be as per IS:1834.
Cold poured sealant shall be as under :
i) Polysulphide BS:5212, IS:11433
ii) Polyurethene BS:5212
iii) Silicon ASTM 5893-96

602.3.2 Cement content : When Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is used the quantity of cement shall
not be less than 360 kg/cu.m. In case fly ash grade I (as per IS:3812) is blended at site as part
replacement of cement, the quantity of fly ash shall be upto 20 percent by weight of cement and the
quantity of OPC in such a blend shall not be less than 310 kg/cu.m. The minimum of OPC content in
case ground granulated portland blast furnace is used, shall also not be less than 310 kg/m 3. If this
minimum cement content is not sufficient to produce concrete of the specified strength, it shall be
increased as necessary by the Contractor at his own cost.
3 Concrete strength
The characteristic flexural strength of concrete shall not be less than 4.5 MPa (M 40 Grade). Target
mean flexural strength for mix design shall be more than 4.5 MPa + 1.65*s, where s is standard
deviation of flexural strength derived by conducting test on minimum 30 beams. While designing the mix
in the laboratory, correlation between flexural and compressive strengths of concrete shall be
established on the basis of at least thirty tests on samples. However, quality control in the field shall be
exercised on the basis of flexural strength. It may, however, be ensured that the materials and mix
proportions remain substantially unaltered during the daily concrete production. The water content shall
be the minimum required to provide the agreed workability for full compaction of the concrete to then
required density as determined by the trial mixes or as approved by the Engineer and the maximum free
water cement ratio shall be 0.45 when only OPC is used and 0.50 when blended cement (Portland
Pozzolana Cement or Portland Slag Cement or OPC blended with fly ash or Ground Granulated Blast
Furnance Slag at site) is used.
602.3.3.2 The ratio between the 7 and 28 day strength shall be established for the mix to be used in the
slab in advance, by testing pairs of beams and cubes at each stage on at least six batches of trial mix.
The average strength of the 7 day cured specimens shall be divided by the average strength of the 28
day specimens for each batch, and the ratio R shall be determined. The ratio R shall be expressed to
three decimal places. If during the construction of the trial length or during some normal working, the
average value of any four consecutive 7 day test results falls below the required 7 day strength as
derived from the value of R then the cement content of the concrete shall, without extra payment, be
increased by 5 percent by weight or by an amount agreed by the Engineer. The increased cement
content shall be maintained at least until the four corresponding 28 day strengths have been assessed
for in conformity with the requirements as per Clause 602.3.1. Whenever the cement content is
increased, the concrete mix shall be adjusted to maintain the required workability.
602.3.4 Workability
602.3.4.1 The workability of the concrete at the point of placing shall be adequate for the concrete to be
fully compacted and finished without undue flow. The optimum workability for the mix to suit the paving
plant being used shall be determined by the Contractor and approved by the Engineer. The control of
workability in the field shall be exercised by the slump test as per IS:1199.
602.3.4.2 The workability requirement at the batching and mixing plant and paving site shall be
established by slump tests carried during trial paving. These requirements shall be established from
season to season and also when the lead from batching and mixing plant site to the paving site
changes. The workability shall be established for the type of paving equipment available. A slump value
in the range of 30 15 mm is reasonable for paving works but this may be modified depending upon the
site requirement and got approved by the Engineer. These tests shall be carried out on every
truck/dumper at batching and mixing plant site and paving site initially when the work commences but
subsequently the frequency can be reduced to alternate trucks or as per the instructions of the eng.
602.4 Sub-base
The cement concrete pavement shall be laid over the DLC sub-base constructed in accordance with the
relevant drawings and Specifications contained in Clause 601. The DLC will be laid on GSB as per
Clause 400. If the DLC sub-base is found damaged at some places or it has cracks wider than 10 mm,
it shall be repaired with fine cement concrete or bituminous concrete before laying separation
membrane layer. Prior to laying of concrete it shall be ensured that the separation membrane as per
Clause 602.5 is placed in position and the same is clean of dirt or other extraneous materials and free
from any damage. Mixing and Granular sub base material or in a pug mill shall be done mechanically in
a separate yard through motor grader to ensure uniform mixing. Mix-in-place method will normally not
be allowed except in exceptional situation, with the approval of the Engineer. The DLC sub
base/WMM/base (treated with cement etc.) of grading specified in the Contract shall be spread on the
prepared sub-grade with the help of a motor grader of adequate capacity, its blade having hydraulic
controls suitable for initial adjustment and for maintaining the required slope and grade during the

operation or other means as approved by the Engineer. The surface levels and surface regularity shall
be as per provision contained in IRC:SP:16.
Emerging literature suggests alternative for both DLC and separation membrane. Due to lack of
indigeneous experience available, the same are not provided in these Specifications. It is, however, felt
that these alternative Specifications may be tried atleast on experimental basis, by consulting specialist
literature. Some of such possible alternatives are laying PQC on base course like WMM, soil treated
with cement (cementitious material) as instead of DLC. Design of PQC in such cases, shall include
checking against pumping/erosion besides fatique. Two courses of wax based curing compound or two
coats of bitumen or 5 mm thick non-woven geo-fabric sheet, instead of polythene film are some of the
emerging alternatives for membrane. DLC sub-base shall be laid with paver and not with grader.
602.5 Separation Membrane
A separation membrane shall be used between the concrete slab and the sub-base. Separation
membrane shall be impermeable PVC sheet 125 micron thick transparent or white in colour laid flat with
minimum creases. Before placing the separation membrane, the sub-base shall be swept clean of all
the extraneous materials using air compressor. Wherever overlap of plastic sheets is necessary, the
same shall be at least 300 mm and any damaged sheathing shall be replaced at the Contractors cost.
The separation membrane may be nailed to the lower layer with concrete nails.
602.6 Joints
602.6.1 The locations and type of joints shall be as shown in the drawing. Joints shall be constructed
depending upon their functional requirement. The location of the joints should be transferred accurately
at the site and mechanical saw cutting of joints done as per stipulated dimensions. It shall be ensured
that the required depth of cut is made from 267 edge-to-edge of the pavement. Transverse and
longitudinal joints in the pavement (PQC) and DLC sub-base shall be staggered so that they are not
coincident vertically and are at least 800 to 1000 mm and 300 to 400 mm apart respectively. Sawing of
joints shall be carried out with diamond studded blades soon after the concrete has hardened to take
the load of the sawing machine and personnel without damaging the texture of the pavement. Sawing
operation could start as early as 5-6 hours after laying of PQC but not later than 18 to 20 hours
depending upon the ambient temperature, wind velocity and relative humidity and required maturity of
concrete achieved for this purpose. When the kerb is cast integrally with the main pavement slab, the
joint cutting shall also be extended to the kerb. When on instructions of the Engineer, the use of maturity
meter is specified, sawing should not be initiated when the compressive strength of the concrete is less
than 2 MPa and should be completed before it attains the compressive strength of 7 MPa.
602.6.2 Transverse joints
602.6.2.1 Transverse joints shall be contraction and expansion joints constructed at the spacing
described in the drawings. Transverse joints shall be straight within the following tolerances along the
intended line of joints which is the straight line transverse to the longitudinal axis of the carriageway at
the position proposed by the Contractor and agreed to by the Engineer, except at road junctions or
roundabouts where the position shall be as described in the drawings:
i) Deviations of the filler board in the case of expansion joints from the intended line of the joint shall not
be greater than 10 mm.
ii) The best fit straight line through the joint grooves as constructed shall be not more than 25 mm from
the intended line of the joint.
iii) Deviations of the joint groove from the best fit straight line of the joint shall not be greater than 10
mm.
iv) Transverse joints on each side of the longitudinal joint shall be in line with each other and of the
same type and width. Transverse joints shall have a sealing groove which shall be sealed in compliance
with Clause 602.11.
602.6.2.2 Contraction joints : The contraction joints shall be placed transversely at pre-specified
locations as per drawings/design using dowel bars. These joints shall be cut as soon as the concrete
has undergone initial hardening and is hard enough to take the load of joint sawing machine without
causing damage to the slab. Contraction joints shall consist of a mechanical sawn joint groove, 3 to 5
mm wide and th to rd depth of the slab 5 mm or as stipulated in the drawings and dowel bars
complying with Clause 602.6.5. Contraction joint shall be widened subsequently accommodate the
sealant as per Clause 602.11, to dimensions shown on drawings or as per IRC:57.
602.6.2.3 Expansion joints : The expansion joints shall consist of a joint filler board complying with
Clause 602.2.7 and dowel bars complying with Clause 602.6.5 and as detailed in the drawings. The filler
board shall be positioned vertically with the prefabricated joint assemblies along the line of the joint

within the tolerances given in Clause 602.6.2.1 and at such depth below the surface as will not impede
the passage of the finishing straight edges or oscillating beams of the paving machines. The adjacent
slabs shall be completely separated from each other by providing joint filler board. Space around the
dowel bars, between the sub-base and the filler board shall be packed with a suitable compressible
material to block the flow of cement slurry.
602.6.3 Transverse construction joint : Transverse construction joint shall be placed whenever
concreting is completed after a days work or is suspended for more than 30 minutes. These joints shall
be provided at location of constructing joints using dowel bars. The construction joints may preferebly
coincide with the pre-specified location of contruction joints by properly planning the day to day
concreting work of PQC. The joint shall be made butt type. At all construction joints, steel bulk heads
shall be used to retain the concrete while the surface is finished. The surface of the concrete laid
subsequently shall conform to the grade and cross sections of the previously laid pavement. When
positioning of bulk head/stop-end is not possible, concreting to an additional 1 or 2 m length may be
carried out to enable the movement of joint cutting machine so that joint grooves may be cut and the
extra 1 or 2 m length is cut out and removed subsequently after concrete has hardened. Like
contraction joint, the construction joint shall also be widened to dimensions shown on drawing or as per
IRC:57, not before 14 days curing of PQC.
602.6.4 Longitudinal joint
602.6.4.1 The longitudinal joints shall be saw cut as per details of the joints shown in the drawing or as
per dimensions given in IRC:57. The groove may be cut after the final set of the concrete. Joints should
be sawn to at least rd the depth of the slab 5 mm as indicated in the drawing Logitudinal joint shall also
be widened to dimensions shown on drawing or as per IRC:57, not before 14 days curing of PQC.
602.6.5 Dowel bars
602.6.5.1 Dowel bars shall be mild steel rounds in accordance with Clause 602.2.6 with
details/dimensions as indicated in the drawings and free from oil, dirt, loose rust or scale. They shall be
straight, free of irregularities and burring restricting slippage in the concrete. The sliding ends shall be
sawn or cropped cleanly with no protrusions outside the normal diameter of the bar. To remove any
protrusions, the ends of the dowel bars shall be suitably grounded. The dowel bar shall be supported on
cradles/dowel chairs in pre-fabricated joint assemblies positioned prior to the construction of the slabs
or mechanically inserted with vibration into the plastic concrete by a method which ensures correct
placement of the bars besides full re-compaction of the concrete around the dowel bars. Modern slip
form pavers are equipped with automatic dowel bar inserter (DBI).
602.6.5.2 Unless shown otherwise on the drawings, dowel bars shall be positioned at mid depth of the
slab within a tolerance of 20 mm, and centered equally about intended lines of the joint within a
tolerance of 25 mm. They shall be aligned parallel to the finished surface of the slab and to the centre
line of the carriageway and to each other within tolerances given hereunder, the compliance of which
shall be checked as per
Clause 602.10.7.
i) For bars supported on cradles prior to the laying of the slab:
a) All bars in a joint shall be within 3 mm per 300 mm length of bar
b) 2/3rd of the number of bars shall be within 2 mm per 300 mm length of bar
c) No bar shall differ in alignment from an adjoining bar by more than 3 mm per 300 mm length of bar in
either the horizontal or vertical plane
d) Cradles supporting dowel bar shall not extend across the line of joint i.e. no steel bar of the cradle
assembly shall be continuous across the joint.
ii) For all bars inserted after laying of the slab the tolerance for alignment may be twice as indicated in (i)
above.
602.6.5.3 Dowel bars, supported on cradles in assemblies, when subject to a load of 110 N applied at
either end and in either the vertical or horizontal direction (upwards and downwards and both directions
horizontally) shall conform to be within the limits given in Clause 602.6.5.2.
602.6.5.4 The assembly of dowel bars and supporting cradles, including the joint filler board in the case
of expansion joints, shall have the following degree of rigidity when fixed in position:i) For expansion joints, the deflection of the top edge of the filler board shall be not greater than 13 mm,
when a load of 1.3 kN is applied perpendicular to the vertical face of the joint filler board and distributed
over a length of 600 mm by means of a bar or timber packing, at mid depth and midway between
individual fixings, or 300 mm from either end of any length of filler board, if a continuous fixing is used.
The residual deflection after load shall be not more than 3 mm.

ii) The joint assembly fixing to sub-base shall not fail under the 1.3 kN load applied for testing the rigidity
of the assembly but shall fail before the load reaches 2.4 kN.
iii) The fixings for contraction joint shall not fail under 1.3 kN load and shall fail before the load reaches
2.6 kN when applied over a length of 600 mm by means of a bar or timber packing placed as near to
the level of the line of fixings as practicable.
iv) Fixings shall be deemed to fail when there is displacement of the assemblies by more than 3 mm
with any form of fixing, under the test load. The displacement shall be measured at the nearest part of
the assembly to the centre of the bar or timber packing.
602.6.5.5 Dowel bars in the contraction joints, construction joints and expansion joints shall be covered
by a thin plastic sheath. The sheath shall be not more than 125 micron thick and shall be tightly fitted on
the bar for at least two-thirds of the length from one end for dowel bars in contraction joints or half the
length plus 50 mm for expansion joints. The sheathed bar shall comply with the following pull-out tests:
i) Four bars shall be taken at random from stock and without any special preparation shall be covered
by sheaths as required in this Clause. The ends of the dowel bars which have been sheathed shall be
cast centrally into concrete specimens 150 mm x 150 mm x 600 mm, made of the same mix proportions
to be used in the pavement, but with a maximum nominal aggregate size of 20 mm and cured in
accordance with IS:516. At 7 days a tensile load shall be applied to achieve a movement of the bar of at
least 0.25 mm. The average bond stress to achieve this movement shall not be greater than 0.14 MPa.
602.6.5.6 For expansion joints, a closely fitting cap 100 mm long consisting of waterproofed cardboard
or an approved synthetic material like PVC or GI pipe shall be placed over the sheathed end of each
dowel bar. An expansion space (about 25 mm) at least equal in length to the thickness of the joint filler
board shall be formed between the 271 end of the cap and the end of the dowel bar by using
compressible sponge. To block the entry of cement slurry between dowel and cap it shall be taped.
602.6.6 Tie bars
602.6.6.1 Tie bars in longitudinal joints shall be deformed steel bars of strength 500 MPa complying with
IS:1786 and in accordance with the requirements given in this Clause. The bars shall be free from oil,
dirt, loose rust and scale.
602.6.6.2 Tie bars projecting across the longitudinal joint shall be protected from corrosion for 75 mm on
each side of the joint by a protective coating of bituminous paint with the approval of the Engineer. The
coating shall be dry when the tie bars are used. In the case of coastal region, tie bars shall be epoxy
coated as per IS:13620.
602.6.6.3 Tie bars in longitudinal joints shall be made up into rigid assemblies with adequate supports
and fixings to remain firmly in position during the construction of the slab. Alternatively, tie bars at
longitudinal joints may be mechanically or manually inserted into the plastic concrete from above by
vibration using a method which ensures correct placements of the bars and recompaction of the
concrete around the tie bars.The modern slip form pavers are equipped with automatic tie bar inserter
(TBI).
602.6.6.4 Tie bars shall be positioned to remain within the upper middle third of the slab depth as
indicated in the drawings and approximately parallel to the surface and approximately perpendicular to
the line of the joint, with the centre of each bar on the intended line of the joints within a tolerance of 50
mm, and with a minimum cover of 30 mm below the joint groove.
602.7 Weather and Seasonal Limitations
602.7.1 Concreting during monsoon months : Concreting should be avoided during rainy season.
However, when concrete is being placed during monsoon months and when it may be expected to rain,
sufficient supply of tarpaulin or other waterproof cloth shall be provided along the line of the work. Any
time when it rains, all freshly laid concrete which had not been covered for curing purposes shall be
adequately protected. Any concrete damaged by rain shall be removed and replaced. If the damage is
limited to texture, it shall be retextured in accordance with the directions of the Engineer.
602.7.2 Temperature limitation
No concreting shall be done when the concrete temperature is above 30C. Besides, in adverse
conditions like high temperature, low relative humidity, excessive wind velocity, imminence of rains etc.,
tents on mobile trusses may be provided over the freshly laid concrete for a minimum period of 3 hours
as directed by the Engineer. The temperature of the concrete mix on reaching the paving site shall not
be more than 30C. To bring down the temperature, if necessary, chilled water or ice flakes should be
made use of. When the ambient temperature is more than 35 0C, no concreting shall be permitted.
No concreting shall be done when the concrete temperature is below 5 0C and the temperature is further
falling.

602.10.5.4 Position of tie bars

Compliance with Clause 602.6.6 for the position and alignment of tie bars shall be checked by drilling
additional cores from the slab unless they can be determined from cores taken for density.
602.10.5.5 Minimum of thirty (30) beams for flexural strength and thirty (30) cubes for compressive
strength shall be prepared from the concrete delivered in front of the paving plant. Each pair of beams
and cubes shall be from the same location/batch but different sets of beams and cubes shall be from
different locations/batches. Compressive and flexural strength shall be tested after 28 days water curing
in the laboratory. At the age of 28 days, thirty (30) cores with diameter 150 mm shall be cut from the
pavement slab when the thickness of PQC is more than 300 mm. In case the PQC thickness is less
than 300 mm, the dia of core shall be 100 mm. The cores shall be suitably cut at both ends to provide a
specimen of plain surface on both ends. The dia to height ratio of core shall be 1 to 2. (for cylindrical
specimen of PQC of dia 150 mm, the variation in dia shall be + 0.5 mm, a tolerance on height shall be +
1 mm for a specimen of cylindrical height 300 mm or more). The test shall be conducted as per IS:516.
Concrete in the member represented by a core test shall be considered acceptable, if the average
equivalent cube strength of the cores is equal to at least 85 percent of the cube strength (characteristic
strength) of the grade of the concrete specified for the corresponding age (28 days) and no individual
core has a strength less than 75 percent.
602.10.7.1 Inspection of dowel bars
602.10.7.1 Compliance with Clause 602.6.5. for the position and alignment of dowel bars at construction
and expansion joints shall be checked by measurements relative to the side forms or guide wires.
602.10.7.2 When the slab has been constructed, the position and alignment of dowel bars and any filler
board shall be measured after carefully exposing them in the plastic concrete across the whole width of
the slab. When the joint is an expansion joint, the top of the filler board shall be exposed sufficiently in
the plastic concrete to permit measurement of any lateral or vertical displacement of the board. During
the course of normal working, these measurements shall be carried out in the pavement section at the
end of days work by extending slab length by 2 m. After sawing the transverse joint groove, the
extended 2 m slab shall be removed carefully soon after concrete has set to expose dowels over half
the length. These dowels can be tested for tolerances.
602.10.7.3 If the position and alignment of the bars in a single joint in the slab is unsatisfactory then the
next two joints shall be inspected. If only one joint of the three is defective, the rate of checking shall be
increased to one joint per day until the Engineer is satisfied that compliance is being achieved. In the
event of non-compliance in two or more successive joints, the Contractor shall revert to the construction
of fresh trial lengths and make any necessary alteration to concrete mix, paving plant or methods until
the dowel bar position and alignment are satisfactory.
602.10.7.4 After the dowel bars have been examined, the remainder of the concrete shall be removed
over a width of 500 mm on each side of the line of the joint and reinstated to the satisfaction of the
Engineer. The dowels shall be inserted on both sides of the 1 m wide slab by drilling holes and grouting
with epoxy mortar. Plastic sheath as per Clause 602.6.5.5 shall be provided on dowels on one of the
joints. The joint groove shall be widened and sealed as per Clause 602.11
Preparation and Sealing of Joint Grooves
602.11.1 General
All transverse joints in surface slabs shall be sealed using sealants described in
Clause 602.2.8 and as for IRC:57.
602.11.2 Preparation of joint grooves for sealing
602.11.2.1 Joint grooves usually are constructed in first instance to provide the minimum width specified
in the drawings when saw cut joints are adopted. They shall be widened subsequently by sawing before
sealing. Depth/width gauges shall be used to control the dimension of the groove. Grooves are
constructed in first instance just to provide a minimum width (3-5 mm) to facilitate development of
cracks at such locations. Subsequently before sealing, grooves are widened by sawing as per the
dimensions in the drawing. Dimension of the grooves shall be controlled by depth/width gauge.
602.11.2.2 If rough arrises develop when grooves are made, they shall be ground to provide a chamfer
approximately 5 mm wide. If the groove is at an angle upto 10 o from the perpendicular to the surface,
the overhanging edge of the groove shall be sawn or ground perpendicular. If spalling occurs or the
angle of the former is greater than 10 degree, the joint sealing groove shall be sawn wider and
perpendicular to the surface to encompass the defects upto a maximum width, including any chamfer, of
20 mm for transverse joints and 10 mm for longitudinal joints. If the spalling cannot be so eliminated

then the arrises shall be repaired by an approved thin bonded arrises repair using cementitious
materials.
602.11.2.3 All grooves shall be cleaned of any dirt or loose material by air blasting with filtered, oil-free
compressed air. The Engineer shall instruct cleaning by pressurized water jets. Depending upon the
requirement of the sealant manufacturer, the sides of the grooves shall be sand blasted to increase the
bondage between sealant and concrete.
602.11.2.4 The groove shall be cleaned and dried at the time of priming and sealing.
602.11.2.5 Before sealing the temporary seal provided for blocking, the ingress of dirt, soil etc., shall be
removed. A highly compressible heat resistant paper-backed debonding strip as per drawing shall be
inserted in the groove to serve the purpose of breaking the bond between sealant and the bottom of the
groove and to plug the joint groove so that the sealant may not leak through the cracks. The width of
debonding grip shall be more than the joint groove width so that it is held tightly in the groove. In the
case of longitudinal joints, heat resistant tapes may be inserted to block the leakage through bottom of
the joint. When hot poured sealant is used. When cold poured sealant is used a debonding tape of 1.02.0 mm thickness and 6 to 8 mm width shall be inserted to plug the groove so that the sealant does not
enter in the initially cut groove.
602.11.3 Sealing with sealants
602.11.3.1 When sealants are applied, an appropriate primer shall also be used if recommended by the
manufacturer and it shall be applied in accordance with his instructions. The sealant shall be applied
within the minimum and maximum drying times of the primer recommended by the manufacturer.
Priming and sealing with applied sealants shall not be carried out when the naturally occurring
temperature in the joint groove to be sealed, is below 7C.
602.11.3.2 If hot applied sealant is used (MAF more than 10 percent) it shall be heated and applied from
a thermostatically controlled, indirectly heated preferably with oil jacketed melter and pourer having
recirculating pump and extruder. For large road projects, sealant shall be applied with extruder having
flexible hose and nozzle. The sealant shall not be heated to a temperature higher than the safe heating
temperature and not for a period longer than the safe heating period, as specified by the manufacturer.
The dispenser shall be cleaned out at the end of each day in accordance with the manufacturers
recommendations and reheated material shall not be used.
602.11.3.3 Cold applied sealants with chemical formulation like polysulphide/ polyurethene/silicon as
per IRC:57 shall be used when requirement of MAF is 25 percent or more. These shall be mixed and
applied within the time limit specified by the manufacturer. If primers are recommended they shall be
applied neatly with an appropriate brush.
602.11.3.4 The sealants applied at contraction phase of the slabs would result in bulging of the sealant
over and above the slab. Therefore, the Contractor in consultation with the Engineer, shall establish the
right temperature and time for applying the sealant. Thermometer shall be hung on a pole at the site for
facilitating control during the sealing operation.
602.11.3.5 Sealant shall be applied, slightly to a lower level than the slab with a tolerance of 3 1 mm.
602.11.3.6 During sealing operation, it shall be seen that no air bubbles are introduced in the sealant
either by vapours or by the sealing process. The sealant after pouring, shall be allowed to cured for 7
days or for a period as per instructions of manufacturers.
602.12 Measurement of Texture Depth Sand Patch Method
602.12.1 The following apparatus shall be used:
i) A cylindrical container of 25 ml internal capacity;
ii) A flat wooden disc 64 mm diameter with a hard rubber disc, 1.5 mm thick, next to one face, the
reverse face being provided with a handle
iii) Dry natural sand with a rounded particle shape passing a 300 micron IS sieve and retained on a 150
micron IS sieve.
602.12.2 Method : The surface to be measured shall be dried, any extraneous mortar and loose
material removed and the surface swept clean using a wire brush both at right angles and parallel to the
carriageway. The cylindrical container shall be filled with the sand, tapping the base 3 times on the
surface to ensure compaction, and striking off the sand level with the top of the cylinder. The sand shall
be poured into a heap on the surface to be treated. The sand shall be spread over the surface, working
the disc with its face kept flat in a circular motion so that the sand is spread into a circular patch with the
surface depressions filled with sand to the level of peaks.
602.12.3 The diameter of the patch shall be measured to the nearest 5 mm. The texture depth of
concrete surface shall be calculated from 31000/(DxD) mm where D is the diameter of the patch in mm.

The dimensions of Tining i.e. width, depth and landwidth shall be controlled by depth/width guage.