UNITED ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING CO.
SITE WORK PROCEDURE Doc. No. SWP.CS.07
Department QA/QC Rev. 1
Title Concrete Block work Date 05.12.015
SITE WORK PROCEDURE
SWP.CS.07
CONCRETE BLOCK WORK
REVISION HISTORY
1 Revision-1 05.12.15
0 Original Issue 11.11.12
Rev
Revision information Date
.
Originated by Reviewed by Approved by
Owner: UECC Page 1 of 6
UNITED ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING CO.
SITE WORK PROCEDURE Doc. No. SWP.CS.07
Department QA/QC Rev. 1
Title Concrete Block work Date 05.12.015
CONCRETE BLOCK WORK
1.0 OBJECTIVE
1.1 Is to define the requirements for supply and laying of concrete block work for the
buildings and utilities under the contract.
2.0 SCOPE
2.1 Concrete block work for buildings and utilities.
3.0 REFERENCE
3.1 Project Approved Drawings
3.2 British Standards BS 6073, BS 4027, BS 12, Bs 1200 table 1, BS 4887, BS 1243
Table-3, BS 743 type-C, BS 3416-type 1, Class A
4.0 PROCEDURE
4.1 SPECIFICATION FOR MATERIAL
4.1.1 BLOCKS
4.1.1.1 Concrete block work shall conform to requirements of BS 6073 . Crushing
strength test report shall be submitted to engineer for approval before the
block are delivered to site.
4.1.1.2 Block shall be hollow or solid as per drawings.
4.1.1.3 The average compressive strength of 10 sample blocks shall be of
7N/mm2 and no individual bock shall be less than 5.6N/mm 2.
4.1.1.4 The thickness of the webs and walls shall not be less than 50mm and the
volume of the cavities in the block shall not exceed 50% of the gross
volume of the block.
4.1.1.5 All surfaces shall be flat and rectangular and adjacent surfaces shall be at
right angles to one another.
4.1.1.6 Unless otherwise specified all block faces shall provide a satisfactory bond
for motor, plastering or rendering.
Owner: UECC Page 2 of 6
UNITED ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING CO.
SITE WORK PROCEDURE Doc. No. SWP.CS.07
Department QA/QC Rev. 1
Title Concrete Block work Date 05.12.015
4.1.1.7 Each block manufactured from sulphate resisting cement shall be color
coded with a green identifying mark.
4.1.2 AGGREGATE :
4.1.2.1 Fine and coarse natural aggregates shall comply generally with BS
882.
4.1.2.2 The chloride content of the fine and coarse aggregates, tested in
accordance with BS 812, part 4, shall not exceed 1.0% of the weight of
cement used in manufacturer of the block.
4.1.2.3 Sand for motor shall be selected beach or dune sand, washed clean
and free from clay, chalk, shells, organic materials and other
impurities. The sand shall comply in all respects with BS 1200, table-1.
4.1.3 CEMENT: Cement shall be Portland cement to BS 12, sulphate
resisting cement shall comply with BS 4027.
4.1.4 WATER: It shall be Potable.
4.1.5 WALL TIES: Wall ties shall be Stainless steel/galvanized steel vertical twist
type complying with BS 1243 table 3.
4.1.6 DAMP-PROOF COURSE (DPC):
DPC shall be asbestos based bitumen to comply with BS 743 type 3 or plastic
type to the approval of the CONSULTANT engineer.
4.1.7 BITUMINOUS PAINT: Shall be cold applied black bitumen coating solution to
BS 3416 type 1, class A.
4.1.8 REINFORCEMENT FOR BLOCK WORK: Reinforcement required to be built
into block work and horizontal joints shall be galvanized steel expanded metal
type, minimum 24 gauge to the widths specified.
4.1.9 MORTAR MIXES:
4.1.9.1Mortar mixes shall be accurately gauged by volume using approved
gauge boxes.
4.1.9.2The ingredients shall first be mixed dry until thoroughly mixed to a uniform
color before water is added to the mix.
Owner: UECC Page 3 of 6
UNITED ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING CO.
SITE WORK PROCEDURE Doc. No. SWP.CS.07
Department QA/QC Rev. 1
Title Concrete Block work Date 05.12.015
4.1.9.3All mortar shall be used within 30 minutes of mixing. No mortar, which has
achieved its initial set, shall be used in the work, and no water is to be
added to the mortar, after the initial mix.
4.1.9.4Mortar samples shall be prepared and tested in accordance with BS 4551
and as instructed by the CONSULTANT engineer.
4.1.9.5For work below floor slab level and work in contact with the ground: 1 part
sulphate-resisting cement: 3parts sand.
4.1.9.6For all other work : 1 part ordinary Portland cement : 6 parts sand.
4.2 BLOCK WORK:
4.2.1 Block work shall be constructed generally in accordance with BS 5628
part 1.1978.
4.2.2 The area is to be cleaned, all loose materials to be removed.
4.2.3 Before starting of block work, the area is to be washed with water.
4.2.4 All block shall be thoroughly wetted with water before they are laid and
tops of walls left from previous day work shall be similarly wetted before
the new work commences.
4.2.5 Block work shall rise at the rate of four courses per 900mm. A maximum
of 6 courses being built in a section in any one day.
4.2.6 Walls shall be built in stretcher bond unless otherwise specified.
4.2.7 Cutting of blocks shall be kept to a minimum. When cutting of blocks is
essential, a bolster shall be used in preference to a trowel.
4.2.8 All units shall be laid on a full bed of mortar in perfectly horizontal
courses. All perpend joints shall be in perfect vertical alignment and well
filled by buttering the ends of the unit and then sliding into position against
its neighbor. Collar joints shall be filled by buttering the stretcher side.
4.2.9 All joints shall be solidly filled and the thickness of the joints shall not
exceed 10mm. All mortar joints shall be finished flush with the general
face of the wall unless otherwise specified.
4.2.10 Hollow block at jambs, reveals of opening etc shall be filled solid with
concrete.
Owner: UECC Page 4 of 6
UNITED ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING CO.
SITE WORK PROCEDURE Doc. No. SWP.CS.07
Department QA/QC Rev. 1
Title Concrete Block work Date 05.12.015
4.2.11 Curing of block work should be done for at least 7 days.
4.3 MOVEMENT JOINTS:
4.3.1 The movement joints to be 12mm wide as per position indicated on the
drawings. The joints shall be straight vertical and formed with uncut faces
of the blocks to each side.
4.4 EXPANSION JOINTS:
4.4.1 Expansion joints are to be as per positions indicated on the drawing.
4.4.2 The expansion joints shall be filled with bitumen impregnated fiberboard
to finish 15mm back from each face of the wall.
4.4.3 All exposed edges of the expansion joints shall be pointed with two part
gun-grade poly sulphide sealing compound 15mm deep neatly finished
flush with the wall face and colored if specified on the drawings.
4.5 BLOCK WORK ABUTTING STRUCTURAL CONCRETE:
4.5.1 Where block work abuts structural concrete columns or walls and the like it
shall be tied to the concrete with bitumen coated steel ties at 225 mm
vertical centers. The ties shall be 50X3X600 mm girth once bent, one end
shall be securely short filed to concrete and the other and solidly built into the
block work, unless otherwise specified.
4.6 REINFORCED BLOCK WORK:
4.6.1 Where specified on the drawings walls shall be reinforced with horizontal
joints reinforcement at the vertical intervals specified.
4.6.2 The width of joints reinforcement will be that recommended by the
manufacturer for each thickness of wall.
4.6.3 The joints reinforcement shall be completely bedded in the mortar and
lapped at least 75 mm at joints in the length. At corners the joints
reinforcement shall be cut neatly and butted together but not lapped.
4.7 DAMP-PROOF COURSES AND TREATMENTS:
Owner: UECC Page 5 of 6
UNITED ENGINEERING & CONTRACTING CO.
SITE WORK PROCEDURE Doc. No. SWP.CS.07
Department QA/QC Rev. 1
Title Concrete Block work Date 05.12.015
4.7.1 Check for the requirement of DPC as per approved drawings. If DPC is
required it shall be laid horizontally in external and internal walls at ground
floor level in positions indicated on the drawings.
4.7.2 Damp-proof courses shall be laid horizontally in external walls at the last roof
level and above openings. Vertical damp-proof courses shall be built into
external cavity walls at jambs of openings and in the positions indicated on
the drawings.
4.7.3 Horizontal damp- proof courses shall be laid on a continuous bed of cement
and sand (1:3) mortar and lapped minimum 150mm at joints in the length
and lapped the full width of the wall at corners and passing.
4.7.4 All concealed wall surfaces below DPC level shall be painted with two coats
bitumen paint and enclosed in minimum 1000 gauge polythene sheet
membrane, the polythene sheet measure shall be tightly dressed up against
the wall face and turned over the top of the block work for a width of alt least
50mm under damp-proof courses internally and on the wall courses
immediately below the finished ground level externally. The polythene sheet
membrane shall lap a minimum 100mm at all joints.
5.0 PROTECTION TO BLOCK WORK:
5.1 Block Work shall be protected from damage by wet weather with
CONSULTANT approval coverings extending down both sides of exposed
walls.
5.2 All work shall be protected against rapid drying out by an approved method.
5.3 Necessary steps to protect work to prevent damage by the building
operations
6.0 RECORDS
6.1 Inspection Reports
6.2 Checklist
6.3 Mortar test certificate
Owner: UECC Page 6 of 6
