JKR

CONCRETE SPECIFICATIONS 2014

BACKGROUND
Revision of the JKR Building Specifications started in
2012 involving Civil engineers and the Architects
The specifications was completed 2014 and applied to
all JKR Building projects in 2015
CKAS and CKJG were responsible for sections related
to civil and Structural Engineering Works
CKAS was responsible to Section D: Concrete Works
REASONS FOR THE REVISIONS
Update all references to the relevant Malaysian
Standards which has undergone major changes
through the adoption of European standards.
Changes in MS 522 MS 522 (now MS EN 197) series on
cement and MS 523 series on concrete
Adoption design standards to MS EN .
Moving forward from method specification to
performance specification
Introduction of IBS a must in JKR projects.
Introduction of CIS 21 : 2016 by CIDB.
MATERIALS IN CONCRETE.
Concrete = Aggregates + cement + water + admixtures
Aggregates shall be naturally occurring sand, granite or
limestone and comply with MS EN 12620 ( before was MS
29).
Grading ans testing of aggregates maintain as in MS 30
Table 2 and Table 3
MATERIALS IN CONCRETE.
Major changes in the sub section on Cement.
In the old JKR Specification (Rev 2005) there are only 5
types of cements namely OPC, RHPC, SRPC,
PPFAC(pfa), PSC (slag)
In the new JKR Specification there are now 27 types of
cements namely 1 type of CEM I, 19 types of CEM II, 3
types of CEM III, 2 types of CEM IV and 2 types of
CEM V.
MATERIALS IN CONCRETE.
Admixtures supplied shall comply with MS EN 934/BS EN
934-2.
Not Chloride base.
The use of super-plasticiser is allowed with special control
tests in accordance with the latest standard and the
manufacturers recommendations.
Admixtures acceptance test as in Table D4.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF CONCRETE MIXES
In the old JKR Specification, two types of concrete mixes
are specified which are Prescribed Mix and Designed Mix.
MS 523 defines 5 types of concrete ie Prescribed
Concrete, Designed Concrete, Designated Concrete,
Standardised Prescribed Concrete, and Proprietary
Concrete
To ensure continuity with the old specification it was
decided to cover only the first 2 types of concrete in the
new JKR specification.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF CONCRETE MIXES
Prescribed Concrete and Designed Concrete specified in
the new spcification have basically, have the same
definitions as Prescribed and Designed Mix respectively.
All the concrete mix shall comply with the
recommendations of MS523-1 and MS523-2.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF CONCRETE MIXES
PRESCRIBED CONCRETE may be used for the works of
minor nature or involving a small quantity of concrete.
Only CEM 1 cement are allowed and with no admixtures.
Weight and volume batching are allowed .
The prescribed concrete in the new JKR Specification
retains Tables 5 & 6 of the old specification containing the
formulation for prescribed mix and reproduce them
without modification in Tables 5 & 5A.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF CONCRETE MIXES
DESIGNED CONCRETE shall comply with the recommendations
of MS523-1 and MS 523-2.
The designed concrete is to be produced as site mixed or
ready-mixed.
The mix design submitted shall comply with the requirements
specified in TABLE D6 and D6A.
CONCRETE GRADES
The designed concrete grade to be used in the work shall be as
stated in the Drawings.
Concrete shall be designated as Grade C30/37 where 30' is
minimum characteristic cylinder strength in N/mm2, and 37' is
minimum characteristic cube strength in N/mm2.
For prescribed mix, a suffix'P' shall be added after 30').The
designed.
CEMENT CONTENT
The minimum cement content shall be in accordance with
TABLE D6 and D6A,
The maximum cement content shall not exceed 550 kg/m3
unless otherwise shown on the Drawings or as approved
by the S.O.
CONCRETE DURABILITY
In old specification, Minimum Cement Content and
Maximum Water-Cement ratio in Designed Mix is
governed by exposure conditions categorised by broad
descriptions in its table 6.
In the new JKR Specification, the above values are
similarly governed by exposure conditions but are
more elaborately classified in Table D6.
CONSISTENCE OF CONCRETE
The consistence of the fresh concrete shall be judged by
its suitability for the condition of handling and placing.
Consistence of the concrete shall be within one of the
Limits: (i) Slump classes (Refer to TABLE D7)
(ii) Compacting classes (Refer to TABLE D7A)
(iii) Vebe classes (Refer to TABLE D7B)
(iv) Flow classes (Refer to TABLE D7C)
Consistence values expressed as slump and flow classes
appropriate to different uses of concrete shall be as given
in TABLE D7D.
Target Mean Strength & Current Margin
In the old specification, the contractor is responsible to
ensure that the concrete mix is designed to have a
target mean strength greater than the required grade
by at least the current margin
The current margin shall be determined by the
contractor as sub-section 3.2.1
Target Mean Strength & Current Margin
In the new JKR Specification it is specified that the
targeted margin should be about twice the standard
deviation which means at least a margin of 6 N/mm2 to
12 N/mm2.
Initially, the standard deviation () shall be calculated
from at least 35 consecutive test results taken over a
period exceeding 3 months and which is immediately
prior to the production period during which conformity
is to be checked.
CONFORMITY AND IDENTITY TESTING
The contractor is responsible for the evaluation of
conformity for specified requirements of the concrete.
For this purpose, the contractor shall carry out the
following tasks:
(i) Initial test,
(ii) Production control including conformity control
CONFORMITY AND IDENTITY TESTING
In the case of using a new concrete composition,
initial testing shall be performed to provide a concrete
that achieves the specified properties or intended
performance with an adequate margin.
INITIAL TEST
In the old specification, the contractor shall carry out
Trial Mix as follows
3 separate batches of concrete
6 cubes from each batch making a total of 18
9 cubes tested at 7-day and 9 cubes at 28-day
Average strength of 9 cubes tested at 28-day
shall exceed the characteristic strength by the
current margin minus 3.5 N/mm2
INITIAL TEST
In the new JKR Specification, the contractor shall carry
out Initial Test as follows
3 separate batches of concrete
3 specimens from each batch with a total of 9

Average strength of 9 cubes tested at 28-day

shall exceed values of fck of Table D8 or D9 at least
by the margin stated earlier
INITIAL TEST
SAMPLINGS
SAMPLINGS
In the new specifications, for both compliance testing
and conformance testing a sample consists of 3 cubes
where 1 cube is tested for the 7-day compressive
strength and the remaining 2 cubes are tested for the 28-
day compressive strength

The average strength of the 2 cubes constitutes the 28-

day compressive strength of the sample
SAMPLINGS
For the new JKR Specification, in the sampling & testing
plan and conformity criteria a distinction is made between
Initial production with less than 35 results
Continuous production with at least 35 results
obtained over a period not exceeding 12 months

The minimum rate of sampling and testing of concrete

shall be in accordance with table D10
CONFORMITY CRITERIA OF
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
In the old specification, for compliance purpose both of
following conditions must be satisfied
The mean strength determined from first 2, 3 of 4
consecutive test results or from any group of 4
consecutive results complies with the limits in
column A of Table 8A of the specs.

Any individual test result complies with limits in

column B of Table 8A.
CONFORMITY CRITERIA OF
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
CONFORMITY CRITERIA OF
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
In the new JKR Specification conformity of concrete
compressive strength is assessed on specimens tested at
28 days in accordance with
a) Groups of n non-overlapping or overlapping test
results fcm (Criterion 1)
b) Each individual test results fa (Criterion 2)

Conformity is confirmed if both criteria given in Table

D11 for either initial or continuous production are
satisfied.
CONFORMITY CRITERIA OF
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
IDENTITY TESTING
Identity Testing in the New JKR Specification indicates
whether the defined volume of concrete belongs to
same population which conforms with the specified
strength

JKR decided to adopt the same sampling rate as for

compliance testing in the old specification. In future
these rates may be reduced once there is more
confidence with the concrete producers
IDENTITY TESTING
IDENTITY CRITERIOR OF COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
In the new JKR Specification for concrete under production
control certification
Identity of concrete is assessed for each individual
strength test result and the average n non-overlapping
discrete results as identified in Table D13

Concrete is deemed to come from a conforming

population if both criteria in Table D13 are satisfied for
n results derived from strength tests on samples
IDENTITY CRITERIOR OF COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
IDENTITY CRITERIOR OF COMPRESSIVE
STRENGTH
For concrete not under production control certification
From the defined volume of concrete, at least 3 samples
shall be taken for testing. The concrete is deemed to
come from a conforming population if conformity for
initial production is satisfied.
IDENTITY CRITERIOR FOR SLUMP AND
FLOW.
CONTROL CHANGE IN THE CURRENT
MARGIN
In the old specification, recalculation of the margin is carried
out as described in 3.2.1
The recalculated value is adopted if the two values differ by
more than 18% for tests on 40 batches or more than 11% for
tests on 100 batches or more than 5% for tests on 500 batches
CONTROL CHANGE IN THE CURRENT
MARGIN
In the new JKR Specification, validity of the current margin
is verified during subsequent production if the standard
deviation of the latest 15 results S15 does not deviate from
the initaily adopted standard deviation value () as follows
(method 1)
0.63 S15 1.37
Where the value of S15 lies outside this limits a new
estimate of shall be determined from last available 35
test results
CONTROL CHANGE IN THE CURRENT
MARGIN
Alternatively in the new JKR Specification, provided approved
by S.O. method 2 can be applied whereby a new value of is
estimated from a continuous system but the sensitivity of the
system should be at least that of method 1.
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