28 ee 2 eg = Se ee — = = = = ae Se pees aes eS SS ee : - 2 y | ae : aS Qo : aS = pe eae ee Os : ee oe oe : : ee Ss : oo: a ae Se aaer a = : : : = : ee See = = Send : a : | - oeEighth Printing, December 1999 Standard Specifications for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials (ACI 117-90) and Commentary (117-90) Most ACI Standards and committee reports are gathered together in the annually revised ACI Manual of Concrete Practice The several volumes are arranged to group related material together and may be purchased individually or in sets The ACI Manual of Concrete Practice is also available on CD-ROM. ‘ACI Committees prepare standards and reports in the general areas of materials and properties of concrete, construction practices and inspection, pavements and slabs, struc- tural design and analysis, structural specifica- tions, and special products and processes A complete catalog of all ACI publications is available without charge American Concrete Institute P.O. Box 9094 Farmington Hills, Ml 48333-9094 ACI Certification Programs The final quality of a concrete structure depends on qualified people to construct it ACI certification pro- grams identify craftsmen, technicians, and inspectors, who have demonstrated their qualifications. The follow- ing programs are administered by AC! to fulfil the grow- ing demand in the industry for certified workers Conerete Flatwork Finisher Concrete Flatwork Technician Concrete Field Testing Technician—Grade | Concrete Strength Testing Technician Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician—Grade | Concrete Laboratory Testing Technician—Grade I! Concrete Construction Inspector-In-Training Conerete Construction Inspector Concrete Transportation Construction Inspector-In-Training Concrete Transportation Construction Inspector This document may already contain reference to these ACI certification programs, which can be incorporated into project specifications or quality control procedures H not, suggested guide specifications are available on request from the ACI Certification Department Enhancement of ACI Documents The technical committees responsible for ACI committee reports and standards strive to avoid ambiguities, omis- sions, and errors in these documents. In spite of these. efforts, the users of ACI documents occasionally find information or requirements that may be subject to more than one interpretation or may be incomplete or incor- rect To assist in the effort for accuracy and clarity, the Technical Activities Committee solicits the help of indi viduals using ACI reports and standards in identifying and eliminating problems that may be associated with their use Users who have suggestions for the improvement of ACI documents are requested to contact the ACI Engi- neering Department in writing, with the following infor- mation 1 Title and number of the document containing the problem and specific section in the document, 2 Concise description of the problem, 3 If possible, suggested revisions for problem The Institute's Engineering Staff will review and take appropriate action on all comments and suggestions received Members as well as nonmembers of the Insti- tute are encouraged to assist in enhancing the accuracy and usefulness of ACI documents igating theStandard Specifications for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials (ACI 117-90) Reported by ACI Committee 117 W Rober Lite Raseell$ Fling Chairman Chairman, Editorial Subcommitee SS Allen Face, 01 ‘Andrawos Morcos BJ Poimer ‘Thomas C Heist Clark B. Morgan, Jt Dean E Stephan, Jr * Richard A Kaden Harry M_Palmbsum Eldon Tipping Ross Martin Wiliam S Phelan Cat's Tosnt Peter Mera Joe ¥ Williams, 3¢ This specification provides standard tolerances for concrete con- struction This document ix intended 10 be used the reference doe lument for establishing tolerances for conerete construction by speci fication writers nd ACI committees writing Standards eywords: tending (enforcing steel ling codes omereeconiructi ‘concrete les concrete; Noo: ormvor (ONseton; maseNy: mass Com ‘ec; ples precast conte preted conc reinforcing See; ee ‘allen, splicing standards: FOREWORD F1. This foreword is included for explanatory pur- poses only; itis not a part of Standard Specification 17 2, Standard Specification 117 is a Reference Stan- dard which the Architect/Engineer may cite in the Project Specifications for any construction project, to- ether with supplementary requirements for the spe- cific project. This standard is not intended to apply to special structures not cited in the standard such as nuclear re- actors and containment vessels, bins and silos, and pre- stressed circular structures. Iti also not intended to apply to the specialized construction procedure of shoterete. 3. Standard Specification 117 addresses each of the Three-Part Section Format of the Construction Speci- fications Institute, organized by structural elements, structural components and types of structures; the numbering system reflects this organization. The lan- guage is imperative and terse to preclude an alterna- tive. F4, A Specification Checklist is included asa preface to, but not forming a part of, Standard Specification 117. The purpose of this Specification Checklist is to assist the Architect/Engineer in properly choosing and specifying the necessary mandatory and optional re- uirements for the Project Specification. wma PREFACE TO SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST 1. Standard Specification 117 is intended to be used in its emirexy by reference in the Project Specification. Individual sections, articles, ot paragraphs should not be copied into the Project Specifications since taking them out of context may change their meaning. 2. Building codes establish minimum requirements necessary to protect the public. Some of the require- ments in this Standard Specification may be more stringent than the minimum in order to insure the level of quality and performance that the Owner expects the structure to provide. Adjustments to the needs of a particular project should be made by the Architect/En- gineer by reviewing each of the items in the Specifica- tion Checklist and then including the Architect/Engi- neer’s decision on each item as a mandatory require- ‘ment in the Project Specifications. P3. These mandatory requirements should designate the specific qualities, procedures, materials, and per- formance criteria for which alternatives are permitted cot for whica provisions were not made in the Standard Specification. Exceptions to the Standard Specification should be made in the Project Specifications, if re- quired. 4, A statement such as the following will serve to make Standard Specification ACI 117 an official part of the Project Specifications: Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Mate- rials shall conform to all requirements of ACI.117, Standard Specifications for Tolerances for Con- crete Construction and Materials, published by the ‘American Conerete Institute, Detroit, Michigan, except as modified by the requirements of these Contract Documents Ao andar of te American Concrete fst in Novenber 1988 ‘in cance we mates nandardeaton procures \Copyrgit © 990, Armerzan Concrete Inmate Al ight reeves cha ing te making of copes ules permusion ued 7a te cop PO Pie SChinman during inal deropment ofthis document1172 ‘ACI STANDARD PS. The Specification Checklist that follows is ad- dressed to each item of the Standard Specification where the Architect/Engineer must or may make a choice of alternatives; may add provisions if not indi- cated, or may take exceptions The Specification Checklist consists of two columns; the first identifies the sections, parts, and articles of the Standard Speci- fication and the second column contains notes to the Architect/Engineer to indicate the type of action re- quired by the Architect/Engineer. MANDATORY SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST Section/Part/Article Notes tothe Architet/ Engineer ‘Section 2—Materials 2.2—Reinforcement | Tolerances for fabrication, placement, must be specified by the specifier ind lap splices for welded wire fabric Section 3—Foundations 3.11 Drilled piers | Specify category of caisson. The designer should be aware that the recom- mended vertical alignment tolerance of 1 5 percent of the shaft length indicated in Category B caissons is based on experience in a wide variety of sol situations combined with a limited amount of theoretical analysis using the beam on elas- tic foundation theory and minimum assumed horizontal soil restraint. Section 4—Cast-in-place ‘concrete for buildings 45.4 Form offsets | Designate class of surface (A, B, C, D): (Class A — For surfaces prominently exposed to public view where appearance is of special importance, (Class B — Coarse-textured concrete-formed surfaces intended to receive plas- ter, stacco, or wainscoting. (Class C — General standard for permanently exposed surfaces where other fin- ishes are not specified Class D — Minimum quality surface where roughnes ally applied where surfaces will be concealed. ‘Specify floor finish tolerance measurement method (either Section 4 $ 6 or See- tion 4 $7) Designate floor classification (15/13; 20/15; 30/20; or, 50/30). not objectionable, usu- 4.5.5 Floor finish 4 5.5 1 For Section 456 4.55 2For Section | Designate maximum gap under a freestanding straightedge (M4 in , Yo in, %e 437 or ¥in) OPTIONAL SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST ‘Section 1 — General 11.2 Scope Tolerance values affect construction cost Specific use of a toleranced item may ‘warrant less or more stringent tolerances than contained in the specification Such variances must be individually designated by the specifier in the contract docu- 11.2Scope Tolerances in this specification are for standard concrete construction and con- struction procedures Specialized concrete construction or construction procedures require specifier to include specialized tolerances. ACI committee documents cov- ‘ering specialized construction may provide guidance on specialized tolerances ‘The tolerances in this Specification do not apply to special structures or procedures not cited in the document such as nuclear reactors and containment vessels, bins and silos, circular prestressed concrete tank structures and shoterete Where a specific application uses multiply toleranced items that together yield a toleranced result, the specifier must analyze the tolerance envelope with respect to practical limits and design assumptions and specify its value where the standard tolerances values inthis specification are inadequate or inappropriate | z 1.23 RequirementsTOLERANCES 1173 OPTIONAL SPECIFICATION CHECKLIST, continued ‘Section 2 — Materials 22 3Conerete cover | The tolerance for reduction in cover in reinforcing steel may require a reduction in ‘magnitude where the reinforced concrete is exposed to chlorides or the environ- ‘ment Where possible excess cover or other protection of the reinforcing steel should be specified in lieu of reduced tolerance because of the accuracy of locating reinforcing steel utilizing standard fabrication accessories and installed procedures 2.3.2 Embedded items | Tolerance given is for general application Specific design use of embedded items ‘may require the specifier to designate tolerances of reduced magnitude for various | embedded items Section 3 — Cast ‘concrete for foundations 341.2 Footings | Plus tolerance for the vertical dimensiots is not specified because no limit is im- posed Specifier must designate plus tolerance if desired. Section 4 — Cast-in-place concrete for buildings 455 Floor finish | The procedures for specifying and measuring floor finish tolerances set forth herein are not appropriate for narrow aisle warehouse floors with defined traffic lanes de- signed for use by specialized wheeled equipment Consult specific equipment man- ufacturers for their recommendations ‘concrete ‘The tolerances for precast concrete are intended to apply to all types of precast concrete construction cast onsite (including tilt-up) and offsite except as set forth bbelow Variations to these tolerances may be advisable after consideration of panel size and construction techniques required. Tolerances set forth herein are not intended to apply to plant production of pa- tented or copyrighted structural systems and/or elements Designers, specifiers and Contractors should contact the Licensors of such systems and/or products for ap- plicable tolerances 5.14 Camber For members with a span-to-depth ratio equal to or exceeding 30, the stated cam- ber tolerance may require special production measures and result in cost premi ums. Where feasible, a greater tolerance magnitude should be utilized where the span-to-depth ratio is equal to or greater than 30 53 Planer Industrial precast products may not conform to the planar tolerances. Manufac- ements turers should be consulted for appropriate tolerances for theit products CONTENTS Section 4 — Cast.in-place concrete for buildings, Section 1 — General, p. 117-4 p. 1179 11 — Scope “41 — Vert alignment 12 Requirements 42—Lateal alignment 13— Definitions 43— Lew 44— Crossetonal dimensions Section 2 — Materials, p. 117-6 Aso eae 2.1 — Reinforcing sted fabrication oe 2.2 — Reinforcement placement 2.3 — Placement of embedded tems Section 5 — Precast concrete, p. 117-10 2 4 — Concrete batching 51 — Fabrication tolerances in linear elements except piles 2.5 — Concrete properties 552 — Fabrication tolerances for piles 553 — Fabscaton tolerances in planar elements Section 3 — Foundations, p. 117-8 a ‘31 — Vertical alignment 32 Lateral alignment Section 6 — Masonry, p. 117-11 33-— Level alignment 6 1 — Verte alignment 3.4 — Cross-sectional dimensions 62 — Lateral alignment 3.5 — Relave alignment 63 — Level alignment174 ‘ACI STANDARD 6.4 — Cross-sectional dimensions 65 — Relative alignment Section 7 — Cast-in-place, vertically slipformed building elements, p. 117-11 71 — Vertical alignment 72 Lateral alignment 73 — Grose-sectional dimensions 7 4— Relative alignment Section 8 — Mass concrete structures other than buildings, p. 117-11 81 — Vertical alignment 8 2— Lateral alignment 83 — Level alignment 84 — Relative alignment Section 9 — Canal lining, p. 117-11 9.1 — Lateral alignment 92 — Level alignment 9.3 — Cross-setional dimensions Section 10 — Monolithic siphons and culverts, p. 17-11 10 1 — Lateral aligament 102 — Level alignment 3 — Cross-sectional dimensions Section 11 — Castin-place bridges, p. 117-12 111 — Vertical alignment 112 — Lateral alignment 113 — Level alignment 11 &— Cross-sectional dimensions 115 — Relative alignment Section 12 — Pavement and sidewalks, p. 117-12 12 1 — Lateral alignment 12.2— Level alignment Section 13 — Chimneys and cooling towers, p. TAZ 13.1 — Vertical alignment 132— Diameter 133 — Wall ickness Section 14— Cast-in-place nonreinforced pipe, p. 117-42 4 1 — Wal thickness 12 — Pipe diameter 3— offset 144— Surface indentations SECTION 1 — GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 1.1 — Scope 1.1.1 This specification designates standard toler- ances for concrete construction. 1.1.2 The indicated tolerances govern unless other- wise specified 1.2 — Requirements 1.2.1 Concrete construction shall meet the specified tolerances 1.2.2 Tolerances shall not extend the structure be- yond legal boundaries 1.2.3 Tolerances are not cumulative. The most re- strictive tolerance controls 1.2.4 Plus (+) tolerance increases the amount or di- mension to which it applies, or raises a level alignment ‘Minus (—) tolerance decreases the amount or dimen- sion to which it applies, or lowers a level alignment A. nonsigned tolerance means + or ~ Where only one signed tolerance is specified (+ or ~), there is no limit in the other direction. 1.3 — Definitions ‘Arris — The line, edge, or hip in which two straight cor curved surfacss of a body, forming an exterior an- aie, meet; a sharp ridge, as between adjoining channels of a Doric column Bowing — The displacement of the surface of a planar element from a plane passing through any three corners of the element. Clear distance — n reinforced concrete, the least distance between the surface of the reinforeement and the referenced surface, ie., the form, adjacent res forcement, embedment, concrete, or other surface Concealed surface —- Surface not subject to visual observation during normal use of the element. Contract documents — The project contract, the project drawings, and the project specifications. Cover — In reinforced concrete, the least distance between the surface of the reinforcement and the outer surface of the concrete. Flainess — The degree to which a surface approxi- mates a plane. Lateral alignment — The location relative to a spec- ified horizontal ine or point in a horizontal plane, Level alignment — The location relative to a speci- fied horizontal plane. When applied to roadways, bridge decks, slabs, ramps, or other nominally hori- zontal surfaces established by elevations, level align- ment is defined as the vertical location of the surface relative to the specified profile grade and specified cross slope. Levelness — The degree to which a line or surface parallels horizontal Precast linear element — Beam, column, or similar unit Precast planar element — Wall panel, floor panel, or similar unit Project Specifications — The building specifications which employ ACI 117 by reference, and which serve as the instrument for making the mandatory and optional selections available under these and for specifying items not covered herein. Relative alignment — The distance between two or more elements in any plane, or the distance between adjacent elements, or the distance between an element and a defined point or plane. Spiral — As used in circular stave silo construction, is defined as the distortion that results when the staves are misaligned so that their edges are inclined while their outer faces are vertical. The resulting assemblyTOLERANCES 175 appears twisted with the vertical joints becoming long- pitch spirals Specified surface, plane, or line — A surface, plane, cr line specified by the contract documents; specified planes and lines may slope and specified surfaces may hhave curvature Tolerance — 1. The permitted variation from a given dimension or quantity. ‘STRAIGHT et 4. 5 © 2. The range of variation permitted in maintaining, a specified dimension. 3A permitted variation from location or align- ment, Vertical alignment — The location relative to speci- fied vertical plane or a specified vertical line or from a line or plane reference to a vertical line or plane. When applied to battered walls, abutments or other nearly vertical surfaces, vertical alignment is defined as the © fr Ctx 6 i o> sr p ® ( aT, 2" "aT END OF EAR 2 T saw-CuT ENDS FOR END BEARING SPUCES ee Moximum devioion from square" 12 the eng [2in of the bor Gar Sze #5-M 1) shall be 1% deg. for comeression splice 44eg:or tension slice saw-cut ends ony, for butt splices} Fig. 2.1(a) — Standard fabricating tolerances for bar sizes #3 through #11