Following are few general points to remember for civil site engineers to make

theconstruction work easier while maintaining quality of construction.

Lapping is not allowed for the bars having diameters more than 36 mm.
Chair spacing maximum spacing is 1.00 m (or) 1 No per 1m
2
.
For dowels rod minimum of 12 mm diameter should be used.
Chairs minimum of 12 mm diameter bars to be used.
Longitudinal reinforcement not less than 0.8% and more than 6% of gross C/S.
Minimum bars for square column is 4 Nos and 6 Nos for circular column.
Main bars in the slabs shall not be less than 8 mm (HYSD) or 10 mm (Plain bars) and
the distributors not less than 8 mm and not more than 1/8 of slab thickness.
Minimum thickness of slab is 125 mm.
Dimension tolerance for cubes + 2 mm.
Free fall of concrete is allowed maximum to 1.50m.
Lap slices not be used for bar larger than 36 mm.
Water absorption of bricks should not be more than 15 %.
PH value of the water should not be less than 6.
Compressive strength of Bricks is 3.5 N / mm
2.

In steel reinforcement binding wire required is 8 kg per MT.
In soil filling as per IS code, 3 samples should be taken for core cutting test for every
100m
2
.

Density of Materials:
Material Density
Bricks
1600 1920
kg/m
3

Concrete block 1920 kg/ m
3

Reinforced concrete
2310 2700 kg/
m
3

Curing time of RCC Members for different types of
cement:
Super Sulphate cement: 7 days
Ordinary Portland cement OPC: 10 days
Minerals & Admixture added cement: 14 days
De-Shuttering time of different RCC Members
RCC Member De-shuttering time
For columns, walls, vertical form
works
16-24 hrs.
Soffit formwork to slabs
3 days (props to be refixed after
removal)
Soffit to beams props 7 days (props to refixed after removal)
Beams spanning upto 4.5m 7 days
Beams spanning over 4.5m 14 days
Arches spanning up to 6m 14 days
Arches spanning over 6m 21 days
Cube samples required for different quantity of concrete:
Quantity of
Concrete
No. of cubes required
1 5 m
3
1 Nos
6 0 15 m
3
2 Nos
16 30 m
3
3 Nos
31 50 m
3
4 Nos
Above 50 m
3

4 + 1 Nos of addition of
each 50 m
3




Brick Masonry Construction Tips
1. Good brick masonry should utilize bricks which are
sound, hard, well burnt and tough with uniform colour
shape and size.
2. The bricks should be compact, homogeneous, free from holes, cracks, flaws, air-bubbles
and stone lumps. These bricks should be properly soaked in water for at least two hours
before use.
3. In the brick work, the bricks should be laid on their beds with the frogs pointing upwards.
4. The brick courses should be laid truly horizontal and should have truly horizontal and
should have truly vertical joints.
5. As far as possible the use of brick-bats should be discouraged.
6. As far a possible the brick walls should be raised uniformly with proper bond. Generally
the height of brick masonry construction in a day should be less than 1.5m. The maximum
difference in rise of the wall between the different portions should not be more than one
meter.
7. When the mortar is green, the face joints should be raked to a depth of 12 to 19mm in
order to have a proper key for plastering or pointing. The mortar joints should be stuck
flush and finished if no plastering or pointing is to be done.
8. In order to ensure continuous bond between the old and the new, the walls should be
stopped with a toothed end.
9. Finished brickwork in lime mortar should be cured for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. This
period can be reduced to 1 to 2 weeks in case of brickwork with cement mortar.
10. In order to carry out the brickwork at higher level, a single scaffolding is used.



Minimum Thickness of Structural Concrete members and Concrete embedded
Elements
Structural concrete member sizes should be as per Design Requirements. However,
minimum dimensions of structural members can be considered as given below:

Sl.
No.
Structural Element
Minimum
Thickness
1 Pile cap 600mm
2
Levelling concrete below liquid
retainingstructures
100mm
3
Levelling concrete for other RCC
foundations
75mm
4
Footings (All types including raft
foundation without beams)
300mm
5 Grade slabs 150mm
6
Underground pit / reservoir (below
ground water table) walls and slab
200mm
7
Underground pit (above water table)
walls and slab
200mm
8 Columns and pedestal length
250mm width,
250mm depth
9 Beams
250mm width,
300mm depth
10 Floor / roof slab walkway 150mm
11 Parapet wall 100mm
12 Chajja 100mm
13 Cable / pipe trench walls and base slab 125mm
14 Precast trench cover 125mm
15 Insert plate 12mm
16 Corner angle 6mm