SECTION 03240
CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT
PART 1 - GENERAL
1.01 SCOPE
This specification section describes steel reinforcement to be furnished and installed in cast-
in-place concrete. The CONTRACTOR shall furnish all steel reinforcement, supports, and
materials and all labor equipment, and other items necessary or convenient to the
CONTRACTOR for the proper installation of the reinforcement.
1.02 GENERAL
A. Steel reinforcement shall be designed, detailed, fabricated and placed in
conformance with all applicable requirements of ACI 315, ACI 318, and CRSI
Manual of Standard Practice.
B. No concrete shall be placed until all steel reinforcement to be covered has been
inspected in place and approved by the ENGINEER.
1.03 SUBMITTALS
A. Prior to placing any steel reinforcement, the CONTRACTOR shall submit to the
Engineer written evidence that the steel reinforcement has been tested and is in
conformance with the material and mechanical requirements specified herein. Certified
copies of mill tests may be considered evidence of compliance provided such tests are
regularly conducted by the reinforcement supplier by experienced, competent personnel
using adequate testing equipment. In case of doubt as to the adequacy or accuracy of
the mill tests, the Engineer may require the Contractor to furnish, at no additional cost
to the OWNER, test results from an independent testing laboratory acceptable to the
ENGINEER on mill samples or delivered steel reinforcement. Mill or laboratory test
results for verifying compliance with this specification section shall be provided for
each 15 tons of steel reinforcement shipped. Results of laboratory or mill tests
submitted to the ENGINEER shall be of tests conducted not earlier than 90 days prior
to delivery.
B. The cost of all sampling and testing of steel reinforcement necessary to furnish
satisfactory evidence of compliance shall be borne by the CONTRACTOR and no
separate payment will be made.
C. Prior to fabrication and bending of steel reinforcement, the CONTRACTOR shall
submit to the ENGINEER for review and approval complete shop drawings, bending
diagrams, and schedules of all steel reinforcement to be incorporated in the work.
D. The reinforcement shop drawings and bending diagrams shall show all
dimensions, details, notes, location, size, length, and each bar mark, together
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accessories and other materials belonging to the reinforcement for the concrete.
Schedules shall show all information and be of the same general form as those on the
Drawings. Concrete walls shall be detailed in elevation.
PART 2 - PRODUCTS
2.01 MATERIALS
A. REINFORCING BARS
Reinforcing bars shall be deformed billet-steel bars conforming to ASTM A 615. All
bars #4 and larger shall be Grade 60. All bars #3 and smaller shall be Grade 40. All
bars shall be shop fabricated and bent cold. Bars shall be free from defects and kinks
and from bends not indicated on the Drawings or approved bending diagrams.
B. MESH REINFORCEMENT
Mesh reinforcement shall be electrically-welded, cold-drawn, mild-steel, plain wire
fabric conforming to ASTM A 185. Wire shall be cold-drawn steel conforming to
ASTM A 82.
C. SUPPORT CHAIRS
Reinforcement supports shall conform to Product Standard PS7 and CRSI
Manual of Standard Practice, Class D or E.
Reinforcement support chairs shall be stainless steel or shall be plastic-tipped when
used in walls and elevated slabs. Support chairs used in slabs on grade shall be stainless
steel or shall be hot-dip galvanized after fabrication or plastic-tipped in such a manner
as to provide a minimum 1-1/2 inches of protection from the subgrade. Nails shall not
be used to support reinforcement.
D. TIE WIRE
Tie wire shall conform to Federal Specification QQ-W-461 and shall be of black
annealed steel, 16-gauge minimum.
PART 3 - EXECUTION
3.01 DELIVERY AND STORAGE
A. Reinforcement shall be delivered to the job site carefully bundled and tagged for
identification. Reinforcement shall be stored at least 12 inches above ground on timber
mats or other supports acceptable to the ENGINEER. Contact between reinforcement
and the ground shall not be permitted during storage. Reinforcement shall be supported
so as not to bend or deflect excessively under its own weight.
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3.02 SURFACE PREPARATION
Before placement, all reinforcement shall be thoroughly cleaned of oil, dirt, mill scale, rust
scale, and other coatings that would tend to destroy or reduce bond. A thin coating of orange
rust resulting from short exposure will not be considered objectionable; but any reinforcement
having heavy rust scale or thick rust coating shall be thoroughly cleaned to the satisfaction of
the ENGINEER or shall be ejected and removed from the job site. When there is a
considerable delay between placement of reinforcement and placement of concrete, the
reinforcement shall be reinspected prior to placement of concrete and recleaned if necessary.
3.03 PLACEMENT
A. Reinforcement shall be accurately positioned and tied at intersections with
annealed wire or suitable clips approved by the ENGINEER. Reinforcement shall be
supported by concrete or metal chairs, stays, spacers, hangers, or other supports
acceptable to the ENGINEER.
B. Reinforcing bars shall be fastened with wire ties at a minimum of three places per
bar. Bars shall be tied at every intersection around the periphery of slabs. Wall steel
shall be tied at every fourth intersection as a minimum.
C. Reinforcement supports shall have sufficient strength and stability to maintain the
reinforcement in place throughout placement and concreting operations. Supports and
ties shall not be exposed at the face of the concrete nor shall they discolor the surface of
the finished concrete.
D. Movement of steel reinforcement in place during concreting operations shall be
prevented. Any reinforcement which is displaced shall be accurately repositioned in the
proper place before being completely covered.
E. Dowels for successive work shall be securely fastened in correct position before
placing concrete. The sticking of dowels after placing concrete shall not be permitted.
F. Reinforcement which has been exposed for bonding with future work shall be
protected from corrosion by heavy wrappings of burlap saturated with a bituminous
material.
G. No bar partially embedded in concrete shall be field-bent unless approved by
the ENGINEER.
3.04 MINIMUM COVER AND CLEARANCE
The minimum concrete cover for the protection of embedded steel reinforcement shall be as
follows:
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A. Surfaces cast against crushed rock, sand, or earth:
All bar sizes 3 inches
B. Surfaces exposed directly to water, backfill, or weather after form removal:
All bar sizes 2 inches
C. Surfaces not exposed directly to water, backfill, or weather after form removal:
1. Elevated Slabs 1 inch
2. Floors, Walkways, Pavement 1-1/2 inches
3. Walls
Less than 12 inches thick 1-1/2 inches
12 inches or thicker 2 inches
4. Beams
Stirrups 1-1/2 inches
Principal Reinforcement 2 inches
The minimum clearance between adjacent parallel bars shall not be less than the
nominal diameter of the bars, not less than 1.5 times the maximum course aggregate
size, and not less than 1 inch in beams, 1-1/2 inches in columns, and 2 inches in other
locations.
3.05 TOLERANCES
A. Allowable tolerances for fabricating steel reinforcement shall be as follows:
ITEM MAXIMUM TOLERANCE
Sheared Length of Bars +1" -1"
Depth of Truss Bars +0.0" -1/2"
Outside Dimensions of
Stirrups, ties, and
Spirals +1/2" -1/2"
Location of Bends +1" -1"
B. Allowable tolerances for placing steel reinforcement shall be as follows:
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ITEM MAXIMUM TOLERANCE
Concrete Cover from Outside
of Bar to Finished Surface +1/4" -0.0"
Lateral Spacing of Bars in
Plane of Reinforcement in
Beams and Joists +1/4" -0.0"
Lateral Spacing of Bars in
Plane of Reinforcement
in Slabs and Walls +1" -1"
Spacing of Stirrups, Ties,
and Spirals along Longitudinal
Axis of Member +1/2" -1/4"
Height of Bottom Bars in
Slabs, Beams, and Joists +1/4" -1/4"
Height of Top Bars in
Slabs, Beams, and Joists
Depth 8" and less +1/4" -1/4"
Depth 9-24" +1/2" -1/2"
Depth 25" and greater +1" -1"
3.06 SPLICES
A. Splices in reinforcement shall conform to the requirements of AC1-318, Chapter
7, Details of Reinforcement. Unless otherwise shown on the Drawings, all bars shall be
lapped a minimum of 36 bar diameters where splicing is necessary and splices shall be
staggered. Except where indicated on the Drawings, welding or tack welding of
reinforcement shall not be permitted. Lapped connections shall be sufficient to transfer
the full stress between the bars by bond and shear and to develop the full strength of the
bars. In slabs and beams no splices shall be made at points of maximum positive or
negative moment, and in no case shall adjacent bars be spliced at the same place.
B. Although tolerances are allowed in the lateral spacing of parallel bars in the plane
of reinforcement layers and in the spacing of stirrups, ties, and spirals along the
longitudinal axis of a member, in no case shall the number of bars per layer of
reinforcement provided in walls and slabs be less than the lateral dimension on the wall
or slab in the plane of the reinforcement layer divided by the specified spacing, nor
shall the number of stirrups, ties, or spirals provided along the longitudinal axis of a
member in a given segment be less than the length of the segment divided by the
specified spacing.
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C. Welded wire fabric reinforcement shall be lapped a minimum of 6 inches at joints
and shall be wired securely. Mesh shall extend to within 2 inches of sides and ends of
slabs. Lapped ends of welded wire fabric shall be offset to prevent continuous laps.
Splices shall not be made midway between supporting beams or directly over beams of
continuous structures.
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