SECTION 609 - CURB AND CURB & GUTTER (Last Revised May, 2024)
609-1 DESCRIPTION. Construct and place curb, and curb & gutter, and/or reset curb as indicated in
the Contract Documents or established by the Engineer.
609-2 MATERIALS. The materials shall meet the requirements of the following subsections of Section
700 - Materials and Manufacturing. Portland Cement, Type II 701-01 Concrete Repair Material 701-04 Concrete Grouting Material 701-05 Anchoring Material - Chemically Curing 701-07 Concrete Repair Material - High Early Strength 701-12 Coarse Aggregate 703-02 Concrete Sand 703-07 Premolded Resilient Joint Filler 705-07 Masonry Mortar 705-21 Stone Curb Anchor Bars 709-07 Quilted Covers (for Curing) 711-02 Plastic Coated Fiber Blankets (for Curing) 711-03 Polyethylene Curing Covers (White Opaque) 711-04 Membrane Curing Compound 711-05 Stone Curb 714-01 Precast Concrete Curb 714-04
609-2.01 (Vacant)
609-2.02 Concrete for Cast-in-Place Concrete Curb and Curb & Gutter.
A.Conventionally Formed Curb and Curb & Gutter. Provide Performance Engineered Mixture (PEM) Portland Cement Concrete that meets the appropriate mix design requirements specified in Table 2 of Materials Procedure (MP) 501-2 Mix Design and Approval Procedure for Performance Engineered Mixtures – Structural Concrete. Provide concrete that contains an ASTM Type A water-reducing admixture meeting the requirements of §711-08 Admixtures.
B.Machine-Formed Concrete Curb and Curb & Gutter. Provide Performance Engineered Mixture (PEM) Portland Cement Concrete that meets the appropriate mix design requirements specified in Table 2 of MP 501-2.
609-2.03 Stone Curb. Stone curb shall conform to the requirements for Stone under §714-01.
609-2.04 Curb Anchors. Curb anchors for cast-in-place concrete curb, and curb & gutter shall be
fabricated from material conforming to the requirements for Longitudinal Joint Ties §705-14 and to the details shown on the Standard Sheet for concrete curb or as indicated in the Contract Documents.
609-2.05 Concrete for Backing and Bedding Precast Concrete Curb and Stone Curb. The
Contractor shall use Performance Engineered Mixture (PEM) Portland Cement Concrete that meets the appropriate mix design requirements specified in Table 2 of Materials Procedure (MP) 501-2 Mix Design
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Section 600 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS (USC) January 1, 2026 VOLUME 3 and Approval Procedure for Performance Engineered Mixtures – Structural Concrete or Table 609-1, proportioned as follows: TABLE 609-1 POUNDS OF AGGREGATE PER BAG OF CEMENT Specific Gravity of Aggregate 2.60 2.70 2.80 2.90 Concrete Sand 326 337 350 364 Coarse Aggregate, MP 501-2, 3 536 556 558 597
609-3 Construction Details
609-3.01 General. Curb or curb & gutter found to be dirty, damaged, or out of alignment shall be
cleaned, repaired, or replaced as necessary by the Contractor to the satisfaction of the Engineer prior to final acceptance of the work. When the Contract Documents have no reference to placing curb across driveway entrances, no curb shall be placed across driveway entrances.
609-3.02 Setting Precast Concrete Curb or Stone Curb. At the Contractor’s option, all precast
concrete curb and stone curb, excluding stone traversable sloped (TRS) curb, shall be set on:
A.A 3-inch thick continuous bed of dry concrete mix; or
B.A 3 inch thick dry concrete mix bed at the joints as shown on the Standard Sheets and wet concrete mix between the joints; or
C.A 3-inch minimum thickness continuous bed of compacted granular material. Precast concrete curb and stone curb, excluding stone traversable sloped curb and Lean Back curb, shall be backed up with concrete using one of the following methods depending on the type of pavement:
A.Portland Cement Concrete (Rigid) Pavement. The Contractor shall place concrete backing behind the curb at each joint. The backing shall extend a minimum of 12 inch on both sides of the joint. The minimum height of the concrete backing shall be 6 inches and shall be measured from the bottom of the curb.
B.Asphalt (Flexible) Pavement. The Contractor shall place a continuous concrete backing behind the curb. The minimum height of the concrete backing shall be 10 inches or to the top of the asphalt pavement, whichever is greater, measured from the bottom of the curb. Lean Back (LB) curbs are not allowed for installation with Portland Cement Concrete (Rigid) Pavement and shall be backed up as shown on the standard sheets for Asphalt (Flexible) Pavement. Precast curb and stone curb, excluding stone traversable sloped curb, with and without sawed ends, not on a structure, shall be butted together with no mortar between the joints. When the curb is set next to a concrete (rigid) pavement, grout conforming to §701-04 Concrete Repair Material, §701-12 Concrete Repair Material - High Early Strength, or §705-21 Masonry Mortar shall be placed in the joint formed between the curb and the pavement. The grout shall extend from the bottom to the top of the pavement slab. Before proceeding with any further work adjacent to the curb, the curb shall be backfilled with material approved by the Engineer and the backfill material shall be thoroughly tamped as per contract documents.
609-3.03 Stone Curb - Bridge Type. The requirements of §609-3.02 shall apply with the following
modifications:
A.Unless special construction details are called for in the Contract Documents, Type A bridge curbs, when on a structures approach, shall be set true to line and grade on a concrete bedding.
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B.Type F1 bridge curbs shall be set in full mortar beds on structures. Excess mortar which extrudes around the curb shall be struck off flush with the front face of the curb and the top surface of the roadway.
C.Anchor bars for stone bridge curb shall be installed where and as indicated in the Contract Documents. All curb on structures shall be fitted together allowing ¼-inch full mortared joints finished flush with exposed curb surfaces. Curb surfaces shall be cleaned of excess mortar to the satisfaction of the Engineer. Mortar used for bedding and filling of joints shall conform to §705-21 Masonry Mortar, §701-04 Concrete Repair Material or §701-12 Concrete Repair Material - High Early Strength.
609-3.04 Cast-In-Place Concrete Curb and Curb & Gutter. Cast-in-place concrete curb and curb &
gutter shall either be conventionally formed or machine formed to the size and shape shown on the Standard Sheets or as indicated in the Contract Documents. If no width is indicated in the Contract Documents, the width shall be the minimum shown on the Standard Sheet. Curb anchors, as required on the Standard Sheets or the Contract Documents, shall not be coated with materials which impair bonding. Curb anchors shall be installed a minimum of 12 inches from the ends of a pavement slab. Curb anchors for new concrete pavement, when placed simultaneously with pavement concrete, shall be placed by equipment which can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Engineer placement of the anchors in accordance with these specifications. Curb anchors, when not placed simultaneously with pavement concrete, shall be placed rigidly secured by chairs or other supports to prevent displacement of the anchors when pavement concrete is placed. Curb anchors for existing concrete pavement shall be inserted into holes drilled in the side of the existing concrete pavement. The holes shall be thoroughly cleaned and filled with Concrete Grouting Material §701-05 or Anchoring Materials - Chemically Curing §701-07 immediately before placing the curb anchor. The curb anchor shall be securely supported in position until the grout has hardened. Curing of the curb and curb & gutter shall comply with the requirements of §502-3.11 Curing, except that a clear membrane curing compound with fugitive dye conforming to the requirements of Membrane Curing Compound §711-05 may be used in lieu of the white pigmented membrane curing compound.
A.Conventionally Formed Curb and Curb & Gutter
1.Forms. Forms shall be free from warp and of such construction that there will be no interference to inspection for grade and alignment. All forms shall extend to the full curb depth and be secured so no displacement will occur during the placement of concrete.
2.Casting Segments. Curb and curb & gutter shall be cast in segments having a uniform length of approximately 10 feet. The joints between segments shall not exceed 1/4 inch in width. When curb and curb & gutter is constructed next to concrete pavement, the curb and curb & gutter joints shall line up with the pavement joints or additional joints shall be provided in the curb and curb & gutter which line up with the pavement joints.
3.Expansion Joints. Expansion joints shall be 3/4 inches wide and contain Premolded Resilient Joint Filler §705-07. The filler shall be cut to conform to the cross section of the curb and curb & gutter. Expansion joints shall be located at all immovable objects (bridge structures, etc.), adjacent to expansion joints in the pavement, and where shown in the Contract Documents or directed by the Engineer. Expansion joints will not be required at regular intervals unless otherwise shown in the Contract Documents.
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4.Concrete Placing and Vibrating. Concrete shall be placed in the forms in accordance with the applicable requirements of §555-3.04 and shall be compacted with an immersion type mechanical vibrator. The vibrator shall be of a size and weight capable of thoroughly vibrating the concrete without damaging or misaligning the forms. The forms shall be left in place until the concrete has hardened sufficiently to permit removal without damage to the curb and curb & gutter. The front form may be removed before the other forms to facilitate finishing the curb and removal of the joint dividers. After removal of the forms, the exposed faces of the curb and curb & gutter shall be immediately rubbed to a uniform surface. No plastering will be permitted.
B.Machine Formed Concrete Curb and Curb & Gutter. The equipment proposed for use by the Contractor shall demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Engineer, the capability of placing the concrete in accordance with these specifications. When machine forming, the Contractor may provide additional width of curb above the minimum on the Standard Sheets or above the width indicated in the Contract Documents without any other change in shape or dimension. If additional width is provided by the Contractor, there shall be no additional cost to the State for the additional width. If the Contract Documents or the Engineer do not require curb be placed across driveway entrances or there is no reference in the Contract Documents to placing curb across driveway entrances, the Contractor may continue placing curb across driveway entrances but the curb placed, excluding transitions, must be cut out and the concrete disposed in a manner approved by the Engineer. Any curb and curb & gutter placed outside the tolerance of 1/2 inch of the established line or 1/4 inch of the established grade shall be removed and replaced by the Contractor.
1.Crack Control Joints. Crack control joints shall be formed or saw cut to a width of 1/8 inch minimum, 1/4 inch maximum and to a depth of 1 1/2 inch. The cut or formed joints shall extend slightly below the surface of the adjacent pavement and shall be spaced at 10 feet intervals. When the curb, and curb & gutter is constructed next to concrete pavement, the curb and curb & gutter joints shall line up with the pavement joints or additional joints shall be provided in the curb and curb & gutter which line up with the pavement joints. The saw cut or formed joints shall be left unfilled.
2.Expansion Joints. Expansion joints shall be 11/16 inches wide and contain Premolded Resilient Joint Filler §705-07. The filler shall be cut to conform to the cross section of the curb and curb & gutter. The expansion joints shall be located at all immovable objects (bridge structures, etc.), adjacent to expansion joints in the pavement, where shown in the Contract Documents, or directed by the Engineer. Expansion joints shall not be required at regular intervals unless otherwise shown in the Contract Documents.
609-3.05 Setting Stone Traversable Sloped Curb. Stone traversable sloped curb (TRS) shall be set on
a continuous trapezoidal shaped wedge bed of dry concrete mix, with 12 inches of wet concrete mix at the front base and 6 inches at the back top as shown on the Standard Sheets. Stone traversable curb shall be set such that the front bottom arris line is at the top of pavement and is on a 1 on 3 slope.
A.Portland Cement Concrete (Rigid) Pavement.
1.Existing Pavement. The Contractor shall place the stone traversable sloped curb on a wedge bed of dry concrete mix, as above, on the edge of the existing pavement. The wet concrete mix backing shall be continuous. The minimum height of the concrete backing shall be 2 inches below top of curb, top front arris line, to allow topsoil and seeding or as shown on the plans. There shall be no wet concrete mix base.
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2.New Pavement. The Contractor shall place the stone traversable sloped curb after paving. The stone traversable sloped curb shall be placed on a wedge bed of dry concrete mix, as above, on the edge of the new pavement. The wet concrete mix backing shall be continuous. The minimum height of the concrete backing shall be 2 inches below top of curb, top front arris line, to allow topsoil and seeding or as shown on the plans. There shall be no wet concrete mix base.
B.Asphalt (Flexible) Pavement.
1.Existing Pavement. The Contractor shall sawcut 12 inches of the pavement and place the stone traversable sloped curb. The wet concrete mix backing shall be continuous. The minimum height of the concrete backing shall be 2 inches below top of curb, top front arris line, to allow topsoil and seeding or as shown on the plans. The wet concrete mix base shall be placed on the subbase course and finished flush with the top of the binder allowing the top course to be place over the concrete base. The wet concrete mix base shall be cured before placing of top course.
2.New Pavement. The Contractor shall place the stone traversable sloped curb after paving, decreasing the paving width, excluding the top course, by one foot where the stone traversable sloped curb is to be placed. The wet concrete mix backing shall be continuous. The minimum height of the concrete backing shall be 2 inches below top of curb, top front arris line, to allow topsoil and seeding or as shown on the plans. The wet concrete mix base shall be placed on the subbase course and finished flush with the top of the binder course allowing the top course to be placed over the concrete base. The wet concrete mix base shall be cured before placing of top course. Stone traversable sloped curb, with and without sawed ends, not on structure, shall be placed with joints of 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch but with a consistent joint width throughout. Grout conforming to §701-04 Concrete Repair Material or §705-21 Type M Masonry Mortar shall be placed in the joint formed between the curb lengths. The grout shall extend from the bottom to the top of the curb section completely filling the joint and struck flush with curb surface. Curb surfaces shall be cleaned of excess mortar to the satisfaction of the Engineer. Before proceeding with any further work adjacent to the curb, the curb shall be backfilled with material approved by the Engineer and the backfill material shall be thoroughly tamped.
609-3.06 Optional Curb. Under Optional Curb, the Contractor shall have the option of placing precast
concrete curb, or cast-in-place concrete curb, or stone curb. Precast concrete curb or stone curb shall be placed in accordance with the requirements of §609-3.02. Cast-in-place curb shall be placed in accordance with the requirements of §609-3.04. No intermixing of curb will be allowed without the Engineer's written permission. Optional Lean Back Stone Curb shall be at the contractor’s option.
609-3.07 Resetting Curb. Care shall be taken in removing the curb to be reset so that there will be no
unnecessary breakage. All curb damaged in removing, hauling, storing, or resetting shall be replaced by the Contractor. The curb shall be reset, in accordance with the requirements of §609-3.02 or §609-3.03 for resetting bridge type curbs, to the lines and grades specified in the Contract Documents.
609-4 METHOD OF MEASUREMENT. All curb and curb & gutter placed, and curb reset under these
specifications will be measured by the number of linear feet, rounded to the nearest foot. The measurement will be taken along the top front arris line of full height, transition and terminal sections. The measurement will be taken along the top front arris line of curb reveals across driveway entrances only when placed and not removed.
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609-5 Basis of Payment
609-5.01 Concrete Curb, Curb & Gutter, Stone Curb, Optional Curb. The unit price bid per foot
shall include the cost of all labor, materials, equipment, curb anchors, saw-cutting and excavation to place, backfill, concrete, grouting and caulking, curb & gutter in accordance with these specifications. When select backfill is specified, the select backfill will be paid under its respective item. No additional payment will be made to the Contractor when more than the minimum width of curb is placed. No additional payment will be made to the Contractor when curb (including bedding) is removed and replaced across driveway entrances to facilitate concrete machine forming operations.
609-5.02 Stone Curb - Bridge Type. The unit price bid per foot shall include the cost of furnishing all
labor, equipment, and materials including concrete bedding, mortar for stone curbs, chemically curing anchoring materials, and stone curb anchors required to bed and place stone bridge curb, in accordance with these specifications.
609-5.03 Resetting Curb. The unit price bid per foot shall include the cost of furnishing all labor,
equipment, and materials to remove, haul, store and reset curb, in accordance with these specifications. In addition, the unit price shall also include any re-dressing of tops and joints of bridge type curb, as directed by the Engineer, and replacement of curb damaged by the Contractor's operations. Payment will be made under: Item No. Item Pay Unit 609.0212 Stone Curb – Near Vertical Face (NVF) Foot 609.0213 Stone Curb - Optional Lean Back (LB) for HMA pavement Foot 609.0214 Stone Curb – Mountable (MT) Foot 609.0215 Stone Curb – Light Duty (LD) Foot 609.0216 Stone Curb – Traversable Sloped (TRS) Foot 609.0217 Stone Curb – Traversable (TR) Foot 609.0218 Stone Curb – Roundabout (RD) Foot 609.0301 Stone Curb – Bridge (Type A) Foot 609.0302 Stone Curb – Bridge (Type F1) Foot 609.0350 Stone Bridge Curb (As Detailed) Foot 609.04 Cast-in-Place Concrete Curb (As Detailed) Foot 609.04XX Cast-in-Place Concrete Curb (Various Types as indicated) Foot 609.05 Cast-in-Place Concrete Curb & Gutter (As Detailed) Foot 609.05XX Cast-in-Place Concrete Curb & Gutter (Various Types as indicated) Foot 609.08XX Precast Concrete Curb (Various Types as indicated) Foot 609.0901 Optional Curb (Precast Concrete Type PVF6 or Cast-In-Place Concrete Type VF6 or Stone Type NVF) Foot 609.0902 Optional Curb (Precast Concrete Type PM4 or Cast-In-Place Concrete Type M4 or Stone Type MT) Foot 609.0903 Optional Curb (Precast Concrete Type PT4 or Cast-In-Place Concrete Type T4) Foot 609.0904 Optional Curb (Precast Type Pm6 Or Cast-In-Place Type M6 ) Foot 609.15 Resetting Existing Curb Foot
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NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Section 600 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS (USC) January 1, 2026 VOLUME 3
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Source: Standard Specifications (US Customary Units), 2026 (Jan) Edition. Pages 729–735 of 1,489. View official source ↗