Z7-04 Good practice through Design, Concrete Supply and Construction

Australian concrete construction standards more generally focus on minimum design and material requirements and with the exception of a few more detailed “Hand Book” standards are unlikely to provide more informative recommendations about how to design or construct a structure to get the target life expectancy.
The Concrete Institute of Australia Durability Series provides the tools for managing durability through design, construction and maintenance. As the title suggests, this document has applicability to more general concrete design and construction as well as concrete requiring specifically higher levels of durability.
Z7/04 provides more specific detail covering areas such as the impact of specifications and the contract process, impacts of design on construction, more detailed view of the materials used in construction, material quality control processes, construction process and supervision as well as some detailing issues in common structural elements that may present potential durability issues to the designer and constructor. In addition to this an appendix section is included on reinforcement spacers and chairs as this is an area that has demonstrated to cause weakness in durable construction and is rarely adequately specified.
The designer and durability planner must understand not only the intended design but must understand the material properties and consider how these properties can be delivered during the construction.