GENERAL NOTES

General notes are guides from the structural engineer to the structural elements of

the buildings such as Beams, Columns, Slabs, etc. for the construction of the H-Shaped

Building.

1. In the interpretation of these drawings, indicated dimensions shall govern and

distances or sizes shall not be scaled for construction purposes.

2. The contractor shall coordinate with the AR, ME, SE, EE, and other utilities and

equipment plans for the exact size, number and locations of all sleeves or openings

thru floor, slabs, beams, walls, and also building dimensions.

3. All reinforced concrete work shall be done in accordance with the Building Code

requirements (ACI 318) and all structural steel work shall be done in accordance with

AISC specifications (latest edition) in so far as they do not conflict with the local

building code requirements.

4. Materials, and parts necessary to complete each item through such work which is not

shown or specified shall be included, such as miscellaneous bolts, anchor, supports,

braces and connections, etc.

5. All slabs, beams, girders, and other structural elements which are not indicated,

detailed, designated, or inadvertently omitted but are necessary to be coordinated with

architectural and other allied engineering plans as well as to complete the structural

works in accordance with the intent of the plans and specifications shall be brought up

during pre - bids/ meetings/ negotiations. It is understood that the contractor has

provided and included all these items in their bid.

A-1 EXCAVATION NOTES

 The contractor shall make all necessary excavation for foundations to establish grades

indicated on drawings without extra compensation including all other excavations required

and necessary for the proper prosecution of the work.

1. Cut slope for permanent excavations shall not be steeper than 1 - ½ horizontal to 1

vertical, and slopes for permanent fills shall not be steeper than 2 horizontals to one

vertical unless a substantiating data which justify steeper slopes are submitted.

2. Deviation from the foregoing limitations for slopes shall be permitted only upon

presentation of a soil investigation report acceptable to the supervising Engineer.

3. Trim the excavation to the required depth, lines and grades and other incidental

excavations to level up the footing plus compacting and tamping which are included

in the building Contract.

4. The materials to be excavated shall include: any rock, earth and other materials of any

nature and description encountered in obtaining the indicated lines and grades.

5. If the required safe bearing power of the soil is not obtained at the excavation depth

indicated on the drawings, the excavations shall be continued until such bearing

power is reached.

6. Piers and walls shall be lengthened accordingly and likewise, the footings shall be

revised to suit the new conditions for which the Contractor shall be paid at the unit

price bid for concrete work.

7. No fill or other surcharge loads shall be placed adjacent to any building or structure

unless such building or structure is capable of withstanding the additional loads

caused by the fill or surcharges.

8. Footings or foundations which may be affected by the excavation shall be

underpinned adequately, or otherwise, protected against settlement and/or against

lateral movement.
 9. Fills to be used to support the foundations shall be placed in accordance with accepted

engineering practices. A soil investigation report and a report of satisfactory

placement of fill, both, shall be acceptable to the supervising Architect or Engineer.

10. Additional payment for excavation will be computed per unit bid price and/or at

established unit price for same as follows:

a. All materials of every nature and descriptions, which in the Owner’s opinion will

require the use of operated hammers, wedging, or drilling and blasting.

b. For additional excavation to safe-bearing power soil as required in 5 based upon

work required between indicated grades and authorized grades.

A-2 UNAUTHORIZED EXCAVATION

These are necessary when existing surface levels are lower than the sub-grade levels required

for work, or where excess or unauthorized excavation takes place beyond the indicated lines

and grades, the contractor shall fill the indicated line and grade at his expense under the

following conditions:

1. Where the footings and foundations occur, use concrete fill od the same class as

specified for footings and foundations.

2. Where slabs occur, use a well compacted sand and gravel fill.

A-3 FILLING AND GRADING

1. All excavations shall be back-filled immediately as work permits after concrete walls

and pers have attained full design strength and or as the Owner’s Engineer directs.

2. After the forms have been removed from the footings, walls, and piers, the materials

taken from excavations (free from waste and objectionable matter) shall be used for

back-filling around them.

 3. The filling materials shall be made in layers not to exceed 15 cm and thoroughly

tamped before the next fill is placed. Excess excavated materials shall be placed and

spread on the immediate premises as directed by the supervising Engineer, provided,

however, that the Contractor shall not be required to remove such materials more than

50 meters from the building line.

4. All exterior grades shall be formed in accordance with the drawings and

specifications, taking into account the requirements for landscaping work, if any, and

giving due allowances for the top soil depth.

5. The Contractor shall grade the area included within clearing lines as defined in

“Clearing” under the General Conditions, and all such grading work shall be included

in the building Contract without extra or additional cost Banks of graded areas shall

have a slope of 3.8cm horizontal to one vertical distance.

6. Extra grading (cut or fill) beyond the 4.5meters and due to change of grade shall be

paid at the unit price bid for the same.

A-4 PROTECTION OF TREES

The Contractor shall protect trees indicated to remain in place by boxing then, by using guys

and the like, and or as indicated by the supervising Architect or Engineer.

B. FOUNDATION NOTES

1. The foundation is designed for a net allowable soil bearing pressure of 250 kPa (5222

psf) at a minimum depth of 2.5 meters from the natural grade line. Contractor shall

report in writing or the structural engineer on the actual soil conditions uncovered and

confirm actual bearing capacity of soil before depositing concrete.

 2. No footing shall rest on fill.

3. Provide temporary removal of water from any source during construction. Dewatering

shall be carefully and properly performed to avoid disturbing the foundations and slab

bearing surfaces.

4. Contractor shall design, install, and monitor excavations retention systems, as

required for the protection of adjacent properties and provide all measures and

precautions necessary to minimize settlement and prevent damage to adjacent existing

or new construction.

5. Prepare conditions of concrete supply and placement of the complete concrete

foundation for the full thickness as a continuous monolithic casting.

6. Do not back fill against basement walls until ground floor slabs have been placed and

concrete has attained the required strength.

C. REINFORCED CONCRETE NOTES

C-1 MATERIIAL REQUIREMENTS

C-1-1 PORTLAND CEMENT

1. Portland cement shall conform to the requirements of ASTM C-150 Type for

normal Portland Cement, Type III for High Early Strength Portland Cement.

2. Cement shall be any standard commercial brand in 40 kg per bag such as

Filipinas, Union, Republic, Apo or other locally available equivalent.

C-1-2 FINE AGGREGATES

Sand shall be clean, hard, coarse river sand or crushed sand free from injurious

amount of clay loam and vegetable matter and shall conform ASTM C-33 or C-330.
 C-1-3 COARSE AGGREGATE

Gravel shall be river run gravel or broken stones. The maximum size shall be

1/5 of the nearest dimension between sides of forms of the concrete, or ¾ of the

minimum clear spacing between reinforcing bars, or between rebars and forms

whichever is smaller.

C-1-4 MIXING WATER

Water used in mixing concrete shall be clean and free from injurious number

of oils, acids, alkali, organic materials or other deleterious substances.

C-1-5 ADMIXTURE

All air-entraining admixtures if used, shall conform to ASTM C-260. Water

reducing and accelerating admixtures, if used, shall conform to the requirements of

ASTM C-494.

C-2 STORAGE OF MATERIALS

1. Cement and Aggregates shall be stored in such a manner as to prevent their

deterioration or the intrusion of foreign matter.

2. Cement shall be stored, immediately upon arrival in the site of work, in

substantial waterproof bodegas, with a floor raised from the ground

sufficiently high to be free from dampness. Aggregates shall be stored in such

a manner as to avoid the inclusion of foreign matter.

C-3 MIXING CONCRETE

The mixing and measuring equipment shall be approved by the supervising Architect

or Engineer. Unless otherwise authorized, concrete shall be machine mixed at the site or by

ready-mixed concrete.
C-3-1 Site Mixed Concrete

Provide a batch mixer equipped with accurate timing and measuring devices

and operate in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

C-3-2 Mixing Time

1. For each batch, after all solid materials are placed inside the mixing drum, and

water is introduced before ¼ of the mixing time has elapsed, shall not be less

than 1 minute for mixers having a capacity of one(1) cubic meter or a fraction

thereof for additional concrete.

2. The concrete mixer shall revolve at no less than 14 or more than 20

revolutions per minute. Speed greater than 20 revolutions per minute and less

than 14 revolutions per minute are usually found to be unsatisfactory.

C-3-3 CURING AND PROTECTION

1. All concrete work shall be protected from drying out after removal of forms

by covering with waterproof paper, polyethylene sheeting, burlap, with a

coating of approved membrane curing compound having a moisture retention

equal to 90% based on ASTM C-309 and C-156, applied in accordance with

the manufacturer’s instructions for use.

2. Membrane curing compound shall not be used where floor hardener,

membrane waterproofing, damp-proofing, resilient floor tile or other floor or

wall covering set in adhesive, concrete-fill or setting beds, paint, plaster or

other applied finishing or surfaces treatment are to be subsequently applied.

3. Wet burlap as often as required to keep concrete wet throughout each day for a

period of at least 7 days where normal Portland cement is used and 3 days
 where high early strength cement is used.

D. SLAB - ON - GRADE NOTES

1. The soil subgrade and fill layers below all slabs on grade, paving and pit slab shall be

mechanically compacted in layers to a minimum of 95 percent of the modified proctor

density. As per ASTM D1557.

2. All slabs - on - grade shall be provided with a minimum of 100mm thick. Compacted

and clean coarse sand bed, except as otherwise detailed in the plans.

3. Unless otherwise noted, all bedded slabs shall be reinforced with bars at 120mm O.C.

each way at the upper thirds portion of the slab.

4. Place concrete for all slabs - on- grade in checkerboard fashtion between construction

joint areas not to exceed 300 sq. meters with a minimum of 24 hours between adjacent

areas of placement. Construction joint shall not be farther apart than 8.00 meters in

any direction. All slabs on grade shall be saw cut on each grid line and mid bay line

(in both directions within 24 hours of casting).

E. STRUCTURAL STEEL NOTES

The scope of work under this section consists of furnishing of all materials, labor, tools,

equipment and performance of all operations relative to the fabrication, delivery to the site,

erection and painting of structural steel as shown on the Plans.

E-1 SHOP DRAWINGS

 1. Shop drawings giving complete information necessary for the fabrication of the

component parts of the structures, including the location, type and sizes of all rivets, bolts and

welds, shall clearly distinguish between shop and field rivets, bolts and welds.

2. Shop drawings shall be made in conformity with the best modern practice and with

due regard to speed and economy in fabrication and erection.

E-2 MATERIALS

1. All structural steel shapes and plates shall conform to ASTM A-36.

2. Light-Gauge Cold-formed Structural Steel shall conform to pertinent specifications

of the Americal Iron and Steel Institute (AISI).

3. Machine Bolts shall conform to ASTM A-307. Each bolt shall be provided with

standard nuts and washers.

4. Anchor Bolts shall conform to ASTM A-141.

5. Cross Bracing with turnbuckles shall conform to ASTM A-307.

6. Welding Electrodes shall conform to AWS A-5.1 or A-5.5; E 70 Electrodes.

E-3 WELDING

1. The technique, appearance and quality of welds and the method of correcting

defective work shall conform to the applicable provisions of “Workmanship of the Standard

Code for Welding in Building Construction of the American Welding Society”.

2. Welding of structural members in shop and on field, shall be done only by certified

and experienced welder.

 3. Surfaces to be welded shall be free from loose side, rust, grease, paint and other

foreign materials that will impair the soundness of the weld.

4. Temporary weld and assembly attachments shall be kept to a minimum. All

temporary attachment that are welded, shall be removed by a flame torch above the parent

metal surface and ground to smooth surface by power grinding.

5. Note shall be made on the Plans and on the shop drawings of those joints or group

of joints in which it is especially important for the welding sequence and technique of

welding to be controlled carefully, to minimize welding under restraint, and to avoid undue

distortion.

6. Weld length called on the Plans and on the shop drawings shall be the net effective

length.

E-7 CONNECTIONS AND HOLES

Connections shall be as shown in the drawings and shall develop the full capacity of

the members.

1. Surfaces or joints prepared for welded or high strength bolted connections

shall comply with the cleanliness requirements of all joint's surfaces and

contact surfaces within friction types joints as specified in “Bolted parts” of

the AUSC Specifications.

2. Holes shall be punched or drilled at right angles to the surfaces of the metals

and shall not be enlarged by burning.

3. Holes shall be clean-cut without rugged edges. Outside burrs resulting from

drilling or reaming operations shall be removed with a tool which reaches a

1.588mm level around the bolt holes.