Estimated Notes
Estimated Notes
MODULE – 3 (a)
SPECIFICATION
3.1. Definition
Specification is a statement of particulars for execution of any item of work. It describes the nature
and the class of the work, materials to be used in the work, the workmanship and the tools and
plants which are required to complete an engineering project in accordance with its drawing and
details. Specifications are written by experts of a particular field.
The specification describes the quality and quantity of a materials, workmanship and
equipment required for execution of the project and hence it directly affects the cost of the
project. Moreover, it allows the contractor to make programs for their procurement beforehand.
Specification provides specific guidelines for the workmanship and the method of doing work.
Thus, it serves as a guideline for supervising staff to execute the work.
Specifications enable the employer to check the quality of the materials and workmanship.
The contractor bids the tender as per the specification and is paid as per the tendered price.
Any change in specification changes the tender rate.
Specifications form a part of contract document, without which the contract document
becomes invalid. On each page of the specifications both the parties i.e., owner and contractor
should sign so that these specifications, where clear instructions, regarding the quality and
procedure of works etc., are given will be binding on both the parties.
If any dispute arises between the parties, the specifications will help the arbitrator or the court
to settle the dispute. If the contractor‟s work deviates from the specifications, he will be liable
for penalty.
The specification also mentions the mode of measurements, quality and procedure of item,
which is binding on both the parties to adhere to it. The contractor cannot ask for extra
measurements or owner cannot give less measurements.
The general character and the scope of the work in illustrated and defined by the specifications
and signed by both parties. So it becomes a legal binding on both the parties to adhere strictly
to the agree specifications.
In the absence of complete specification, the contractor‟s obligation is limited to performance
of only what is called for in such incomplete specifications. As such great care has to be taken
in preparing specifications.
In general specifications nature and class of the work, names of materials, and the proportions that
should be used in the various items of the work are described. Only a brief description of each and
every item is given. It is useful for estimating the project without going through lengthy detailed
specifications general information for the quantities of the materials nature and class of the
work can be known from the general specifications, but they don‟t form a part of the
contract document.
The detailed specifications describe the item of work in details, accurately and complete in all
respects in relation to the drawings of the works. Detailed specification for a particular item
specify the qualities, quantities and proportion of the materials and the method of preparation and
execution and mode of measurements for that particular item of work in a project. The method and
duration of protection of finished works as required are specified in the detailed specifications.
The detailed specifications are arranged in the same sequence of order as the work carried out. The
detailed specifications form an important part of contract document.
1. Description of materials: The quality and size of materials required to do an item of work
shall be fully described for checking up at site according to the clauses provided in the
specifications. The proportion of mixing or treatment of materials if required before use
shall be really described.
3. Tools and Plant (T&P): The tools and plant to be engaged to carry out a work shall be
described. The method of operation and by whom to be supplied shall be stated.
4. Protection of New Work: The method of protection of new works against damage or the
method of curing if required, the test of completed work if necessary shall be described in
separate clauses.
6. Clauses of the specification: As far as possible, the clauses shall be arranged in the order
in which work shall be carried out. This does not mean to follow the works according to the
order of arrangement, but it facilitates references. While framing the clauses for quality of
materials, workmanship, tools and plants etc. practical possibilities should be realized.
Correct and complete but not repeated information shall be given so that the owner and the
contractor carryout the work following the specifications. Abbreviations which are familiar
can be used.
1. Foundation and plinth: Foundation and plinth shall be of first class brick work in 1:6
cement mortar over 1:4:8 cement concrete.
2. Damp proof course: DPC shall be of 25 mm thick cement concrete (1:1.5:3), mixed with
one kg of Impermo (or any water proofing material) per bag of cement.
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3. Superstructure: Superstructure shall be of 1 class brickwork with 1:6 cement mortar.
Lintels over doors and windows shall be of R.C.C.
4. Roofing: Roof shall be of 100 mm thick R.C.C. (1:2:4) slab with 100 mm lime terracing
above over RCC lab as required. Height of the room shall not be less than 3.5 m.
5. Flooring: Mosaic/Marble flooring shall be provided in all floors including staircase.
6. Finishing: Inside and outside wall shall be finised with 12 mm cement mortar plaster (1:8).
Inside shall be distempered over 2 coats of white wash. Outside shall be snowcem washed
two coats over one coat of white wash.
7. Doors and windows: Chaukhats shall be seasoned teak wood and shutters shall be 40 mm
paneled glazed. All fittings shall be provided with iron grills. All wooden and grills shall be
painted with enamel paint over one coat of priming.
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8. Miscellaneous: Rain water pipe shall be of cast iron. Building shall be provided with 1
class sanitary, water fittings and electrical installations.
The detailed specifications of any work consist of two sets of provisions: General provisions and
Technical provisions.
These are also known as conditions of contract and they apply to the work as a whole. In this
document, the conditions governing the contract are written. The following groups of conditions of
contract are generally accommodated under the general provisions.
b) Conditions relating to the general obligations of the contractor: These pertain to, Acts,
bye-laws and regulations, fencing, watching and lighting of the work spot, Insurance.
d) Conditions a relating to the execution of the work: These provisions are related to
Alterations, additions and omissions during the progress of work, Amount of extra items,
Damages, Defective work, Work at night and on holidays, Workmanship etc.
These specifications describe the technical requirements of each type of constructions. The
technical provisions contain detailed instructions regarding the desired quality of the final product.
The technical provisions are of three types.
Physical properties such as size, shape, grade, strength, hardness etc., Chemical
composition of the material, Electrical, thermal and acoustical properties, Appearance of the
material
A clear statement regarding the inspection and procedure of test of the material.
For workmanship, the following important features should be included in the specifications;
the results desired, the tools and plants to be engaged, detailed description of the construction
method for each item, Instructions regarding the protection of the finished work as well as of
the adjacent property.
These specifications are written for the overall performance of the finished product and hence
they are written if the contract is for the supply of equipment and machinery such as pumps,
motors etc. In these specifications, general description, design and installation and guarantee
etc., of the equipment are specified.
Commercial products which are standardized or patented are called proprietary commodities.
The specifications written for such materials should include the name of a particular brand or
firm. (eg. Sun brand, Everest brand etc.) However, it is not desirable in case of public works to
specify certain trade names or brands. To avoid monopoly and favoritism, it is general practice
to specify the selected brand and then it is followed by the phrase “or equal”.
The earth used for molding the bricks shall be free from organic matters salts and chemicals. The
size, weight and colour of the burnt bricks should be uniform. The adjacent faces of the bricks are
to be right angles to each other. The bricks shall be free from cracks, flaws and lumps. They
should not break where dropped, from 1 meter height, on the ground. They should not absorb
water by more 15 % of their self-weight when immersed in water for one hour. The average
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compressive strength of the bricks shall be not less than 7.5 N/mm . The dry weight of one brick
shall not be less than 3 kg.
Ordinary Portland cement or rapid hardening Portland cement confirming to IS: 269 – 1989 and
IS:8041 – 1990 shall be used. The fineness of the cement shall not be less than 30 minutes and the
final setting time shall not be greater than 10 hours. The average compressive strength, after 7 days
curing, of 1:3 cement mortar cubes shall be not less than 33 N/mm2 (33 grade).
The sand used for mortar shall be clean, sharp, heavy and gritty. It should be free from clay, salt,
mica and organic impurities. It shall not contain harmful chemicals in any form. Medium and fine
sand are to be used in mortars. Coarse sand shall be sieved through 600 micron sieve and used in
mortars for plastering works.
The aggregate to be used in reinforced cement concrete shall be of blue granite stone, machine crushed
and well graded with a nominal size of 20 mm. It shall be hard, dense, durable strong and free from
flakes. The aggregate shall not contain harmful materials such as coal, mica clay, shells, organic
impurities etc. The compressive strength, crushing value etc. of the aggregate shall be in accordance
with the requirements of IS: 383 – 1970.
Water used for mixing and curing concrete shall be clean and free from injurious amounts of oils,
acids, alkalis, salts, sugar, organic materials or other substances that may be deleterious to concrete
or steel. Potable water may be used for mixing concrete. The suspended organic solid matter in the
water shall not exceed 200 mg/l and inorganic solid matter shall not exceed 3000 kg/l, the pH
value of water shall be not less than 6. Water sued for curing should not produce any objectionable
stain or unsightly deposit on the concrete surface. The presence of tannic acid or iron compounds
in the water is objectionable.
The reinforcement shall be of high strength deformed steel bars confirming to IS: 1786 – 1985. It
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should be bendable, wieldable and have the modulus of elasticity not less than 200 kN/mm . The
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yield strength of the steel used shall not be less than 415 N/mm . All reinforcement bars shall be
free from loose mill scales, loose rust and coats of paints, oil, mud or other coatings which may
destroy or reduce bond.
The wood shall be teak, well-seasoned and dry. It should be free from cracks, knots, defects and
disease. It should be sawn in the direction of grains so that the edges are perfectly straight and
square. The dimensions of the frames/scantlings/planks shall be as prescribed in the drawings.
Patching or plugging of any kind is not permitted.
[Sequence: Leveling the surface; Dimensions; Shoring; Fencing; Dumping the soil; Water in
foundation; Treatment of the bottom; Trench filling; Measurement]
The whole area of construction is to be cleared of tees, grass, roots of trees etc., complete and
leveled horizontally to enable easy marking of centre line of the building.
b) Dimensions
The excavation shall be done in accordance with dimensions of trenches shown in the
working drawings.
c) Shoring
Department of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 61
Quantity Surveying & Contract Management (15CV81)
The sides of the trenches should be vertical and the bottom of the trenches should be flat. In
the case of loose soils the sides of the trenches should be shored with steel sheets.
d) Fencing
Suitable temporary fencing is to be provided around the site of excavation to avoid any
accidental fall into the trenches.
f) Water in Foundation
Water, if any accumulated in the trench, should be pumped out without any extra payment
and necessary precaution shall be taken to prevent surface water to enter into the trench.
h) Trench filling
After the concrete has been laid and masonry has been constructed the remaining portion of
the trench shall be filled up with earth free from rubbish and refuse materials, in layers of 15
cm and watered and well rammed.
i) Measurement
The measurement of the excavation shall be taken in cu. m. as for rectangular trench bottom
width of the concrete multiplied by the vertical depth of the foundation from the ground level
and multiplied by the length of trench even though the contractor might have excavated with
slopping side for his convenience. The rate shall be for complete work for 30 m lead and 1.5
m lift, including all tools and plants required for completion of the works.
[Sequence: Lime; broken bricks; fine aggregate; proportioning; mixing; laying and compacting;
curing; measurement]
a) Lime
The lime used for the concrete shall be freshly burnt and slaked. It should be free from clayey
particles and ashes. Unslaked stone particles should be removed by shifting.
b) Broken bricks
The over burnt bricks and the pieces of well burnt bricks are to be broken to sizes ranging
from 20 mm to 40 mm and stacked for easy measurement. The brick bats shall be free from
dirt, dust, rubbish, leaf etc.
c) Fine aggregates
Department of Civil Engineering, MIT Mysore Page 62
Quantity Surveying & Contract Management (15CV81)
Surki made from well burnt brick bats is to be used as fine aggregate. It should pass through
I.S. sieve no.48 and free from dust and dirt.
d) Proportioning
Lime, surki and broken bricks are to be mixed in the proportion of 1:2:5 by volume. The
materials are to be measured loose without shaking or ramming.
e) Mixing
The mixing shall be done only by mechanical mixer. The broken bats are to be soaked in
clean water for at least 2 hours before mixing. The materials are first mixed to get uniform
distribution and then water is gradually added. The mixing process is to be continued till all
the brick bats are coated with mortar uniformly and a workable concrete is obtained.
The concrete shall be laid to the required thickness, not more than 200 mm and a time, and
compacted by ramming with rammers weighing 4.5 to 55 kg.
g) Curing
h) Measurement
The measurement shall be taken in cu. m. for the finished concrete. The length and breadth
shall be measured correct to 1 cm and depth correct to 05 cm.
3.11.3. Detailed specification of random rubble masonry in foundation and basement [Sequence:
a) Materials
The stone shall be obtained from the approved queries. It shall be sound, free from cracks and
decay and shall have a specific gravity of not less than 2.5. [Include detail specification for
cement and sand]
b) Preparation of mortar
The materials (cement and sand), with ratio 1:6, shall be first mixed dry thoroughly till
uniform colour is obtained and then shall be mixed wet adding water slowly and gradually for
at least turning three times to give uniform consistency.
c) Method of laying
The stones are to be laid on broadest face which gives better opportunity to fill the spaces
between stones by the mortar. The stones are laid layer by layer with sufficient mortar in
between them for better binding. The outer face of the basement should be vertical and the
joints are to be staggered. There shall be no gap, between the stones, unfilled by mortar.
d) Curing
The masonry should be kept in we condition by sprinkling water thrice daily for at least 7
days after construction.
e) Measurement
The measurement shall be taken in cu. m. for the finished concrete. The length and breadth
shall be measured correct to 1 cm and depth correct to 05 cm.
[Similar Items: Detail specifications for random rubble masonry in super structure]
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3.11.4. Detailed specification for 1 class brickwork in super structure
a) Materials
[Include detail specification for first class brick, cement, and sand]
b) Preparation of mortar
c) Soaking of bricks
Bricks shall be well soaked in water for at least 12 hours before their use, preferably in a tank
provided at site of work.
d) Method of laying
Bricks shall be well bonded and laid in English bond unless specified. Every course shall be
truly horizontal and shall be truly in plumb. Broken bricks shall not be used except as closers.
All corners shall be truly in plumb. Mortar joints shall break for bonding and shall not exceed
10 mm in thickness. Only skilled masons shall be employed on the work. Brick shall be laid
with frogs upward except in the top course. Brickwork shall be carried out not more than 1 m
height at a time. When one part of the wall has to be delayed, stepping shall be left at an
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angle of 45 . All joints shall be racked and faces of the wall cleaned at the end of each days‟
work.
e) Curing
f) Scaffolding
Necessary and suitable scaffolding shall be provided to facilitate the construction of brickwork. It
shall be sound and strong enough to sustain all loads likely to come upon them.
g)Measurement
The measurement shall be taken in cu. m. The rate shall be for the complete work inclusive of
scaffolding and all tools and plants.
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[Similar items: Detailed specifications of 1 class brick work in foundation and plinth, 2 and 3
class brick work, brickwork in mud mortar and Reinforced Brick (R.B.) work.]
[Sequence: Materials; form work; proportioning; mixing of concrete; laying of concrete; curing;
formwork; measurement]
a) Materials
[Include detail specification for cement, sand, course aggregate, water and reinforcement]
Reinforcement shall be hooked and bent (cold) and placed in position as per design and drawing
and bound together tight with 20 S.W.G binding steel wire.
Centering and shuttering shall be made of timber and tight with necessary wedges and
sufficiently strong and sable not to yield under laying of concrete. A coat of oil washing or a thin
layer of paper shall be spread to have a smooth finished surface preventing adherence of
concrete.
c) Proportioning
Proportions of cement, sand and course aggregate shall be 1:2:4 for slab, beam and lintels and
1:1.5:3 for columns unless otherwise specified. The sand and course aggregate shall be measured
by volume with boxed and cement by number of bags.
d) Mixing of concrete
Concrete shall be mixed by concrete mixture. Cement, sand and course aggregate shall be put
into the as per the required proportions for one batch. The total quantity shall not exceed the
manufactures rated capacity. The machine shall be revolved to mix materials dry and then water
shall be added up to the required quantity. After 2 minutes rotation for through mixing, the mixed
concrete shall be discharged on a masonry platform or iron sheet.
e) Laying of concrete
Concrete shall be laid gently in layers not exceeding 150 mm and compacted by wooden
thapi or some mechanical vibrator until a dense concrete is obtained. While concreting, steel
bars shall be given side band bottom covers of concrete by pacing the precast concrete blocks
of 1:2 cement mortar 25x25 mm in section and thickness of specified cover. Concreting shall
be laid continuously. If laying is suspended for rest or the following day, the end shall be
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slopped at an angle of 30 and made rough for future jointing. When the work is resumed, the
previous slopped surface shall be roughened, cleaned and a coat of neat cement paste shall be
applied and then the fresh concrete shall be laid.
f) Curing of concrete
Freshly laid concrete shall be protected from rain by suitable covering. After 24 hrs of laying
of concrete the surface shall be cured by flowing with water of above 25
mm depth or with covering by wet gunny bags. The curing shall be for a minimum period of
14 days or otherwise specified.
The centering and shuttering shall be removed after 14 days of casting. It shall be removed
slowly and carefully so that no part is disturbed.
h) Measurement
The measurement shall be taken in cu. m. The rate shall be for the complete work inclusive of
form work and all tools and plants but excluding steel.
a) Materials
Damp Poof Course shall be of plain cement concrete of 1:2:4 mix and 30 mm thickness. 12
mm size hard and dense stone chips shall be used as coarse aggregate and river sand of 5 mm
nominal size shall be used as fine aggregate. The aggregate shall be clean and free from dust,
dirt, mud, organic matter etc. The coarse aggregate is to be washed well before mixing. Fresh
port land cement of I.S.I. approved brand of 43 grades is to be used as the binding material.
Potable water, free from harmful salts, shall be only used for mixing the concrete.
b) Preparation of mortar
The coarse aggregate and sand are to be measured separately by volume and mixed dry in a
clean and stable platform to get a mixture of uniform colour. This mixture is stacked to a
uniform height and the cement of required quantity is spread over the stack, turned over in
dry state first, and with water twice to get a workable and uniform concrete.
c) Application of DPC
The brickwork in basement is stopped at plinth level, cured will for 7 days, top surface
cleaned well for dust by wire brushes. Form work is provided along the two sides of wall by
wooden planks, to the required height. Gauge plates are to be provided at one metre interval,
connecting the two side planks by nails, keeping at a clear distance equal to the width of wall
at plinth level. The concrete, mixed as mentioned above, shall be placed and compacted well
by tamping rods to have a net thickness of 30 mm. Damp proof course shall not have any
joints, the whole concreting be completed without any break, and it need not be provided
over door openings. The top surface of concrete, when starts to dry, shall be roughened to
provide bondage with the super structure. The side planks shall be removed on the next day
and the concrete shall be cured for 7 days by keeping the surface constantly wet.
d) Measurement
The measurement shall be taken in sq. m. The rate shall be for the complete work inclusive of
all tools and plants.
a) Materials
b) Preparation of mortar
[Similar to 5.11.3, but the ratio of cement to sand is 1:4 for inner wall and 1: 6 for outer wall
or as specified.]
Mortar for plastering shall be prepared at a time of such amount which can be used within the
initial setting of cement.
c) Preparation of surface
The joints of brick work shall be racked out a depth of 18 mm and the surface shall be
brushed, cleaned, watered and kept wet for two days before plastering. In case of cement
concrete surface, the face shall lightly roughen, cleaned, washed and wetted.
d) Application of mortar
Plastering shall be started from the top and proceed towards the bottom. The plastered surface
shall be made level and flush with wooden straight edges and rubbed thoroughly with
wooden floats to ensure smooth and even surface.
e) Curing
f) Measurement
The measurement shall be taken in sq. m. The rate shall be for the complete work inclusive of
all tools and plants.
3.11.8. Detailed specification for form work and centering to R.C.C. Roofing
a) Strutting
Props used for strutting shall be of casuarinas posts of 100 to 130 mm diameter. The props
are to be vertical and rest on firm ground or on wooden sole plates of thickness not less than
40 mm. All props shall be provided with double wedges to facilitate tightening and loosening
of shuttering. The horizontal spacing of props in both directions shall not exceed 750 mm.
When the height of strutting exceeds 3.5 m, suitable horizontal bracings should be provided.
Splicing of props shall be as per the approved drawings. The props shall be constantly
watched, by a carpenter, during the process of concreting and immediate remedial measures
are to be taken in any of them get loosened.
b) Form Work
The formwork shall be of stiff and strong wood, easily workable with nails and light in
weight. The form work shall be true to shape and size specified in the structural drawings and
strong enough to with stand the forces caused by vibration of concrete and the incidental
loads imposed on it during concreting. The unsupported length of the planks, particularly of
the side plates shall not exceed 1.0 m to avoid buckling. The levels of the form work are to be
checked before placing the reinforcement bars in position.
c) Centering
Well-seasoned wooden planks or steel sheets are to be used for the shuttering work. The
joints shall be water tight to avoid leakage of cement slurry during compaction. The surfaces
of planks and sheets which would come into contact with concrete shall be cleaned well and
coated with oil of approved quality to the prevent adhesion of concrete. The complete
centering work shall be assembled so that it can be removed, on completion of the specified
period, easily without causing any demand to the concrete surfaces and edges.
a) Bottom Layer
The base shall be of cement concrete of 1:2:4 mix, 25 mm thick. The coarse aggregate, 12
mm size stone chipping, shall be hard, durable strong and free from dust and organic matters.
The fine aggregate, 5 mm size river sand, shall be also free fromdirt, clay, mud etc. Fresh
Portland cement having initial setting time not less than 30 minutes and of grade 33 shall be
used. Portable water, free from harmful substances shall be used for mixing and curing. The
concrete mixed as mentioned above shall be spread over the well prepared base, to a uniform
thickness of 25 mm, compacted and leveled using wooden floats. The top surface shall be
roughened with 2 mm deep lines at 100 mm intervals, with scratching sticks, to provide bond
to the top layer. The bottom layer shall be cured for at least 3 days before the tope laying
being laid over it.
b) Top Layer
The top layer is of 1:3 cement mortars, 12 mm thick finished with a floating coat of neat
cement. Find sand, sifted through 5 mm size mesh and free from clay and dust shall be used.
To have a red coloured finish, 3 kg of red oxide of approved quality may be mixed with 50
kg of cement and is used in preparing the mortar. The cement with red oxide is mixed with
sand in the ratio 1:3 by volume in dry state to obtain a uniform colour. Water is then added
slowly; a paste of uniform consistency is prepared and laid over the base layer to a uniform
thickness of 12 mm. It is leveled and smoothened by wooden floats. In the process of
finishing cement slurry mixed with enough red oxide is sprayed on top of cement mortar
layer. The surface should be covered with a thin layer of water constantly from next day for
at least seven days for better curing.
c) Measurement:
The measurement shall be taken in sq. m. The rate shall be for the complete work inclusive of
all tools and plants.
a) Base Course
The basic course shall be of 25 mm thick cement concrete of a 1:2:4 mix using 12
mm size granite stone chips as coarse aggregate and sand as fine aggregate. The top
of flooring concrete or R.C.C. slab shall be cleaned well and applied with cement slurry of 2
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kg/m before placing the chips concrete. The base course is to be compacted, leveled and
smoothed by wooden floats.
b) Mosaic Tiles
Precast tiles of 200 mm x 200 mm x 20 mm size are to be used. They shall be manufactured
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under hydraulic pressure of not less than 14 N/mm and given the first grinding with machine
before laying. The proportion of cement to sand in the backing of the tiles shall not be leaner
than 1:3 by weight. Similarly the proportion of cement to marble power to marble chips in the
wearing layer of the tiles shall be not leaner than 3:1:7. The marble chips shall be hard, dense
sound and homogeneous in texture.
c) Laying of Tiles
The bedding for the tiles shall be with cement mortar 1:3. The average thickness of the
bedding mortar shall be 20 mm and the thickness at any place shall be not less than 10 mm.
Cement bedding shall be spread, tamped and corrected to proper levels and allowed to harden
before the tiles are set. Neat cement slurry of honey like consistency shall be spread over the
bedding at the rate of 4.4 kg/m2. Tiles shall be washed clean and shall be fixed in this grout
one after another, each tile being gently tapped with a wooden mallet till is properly bedded
and in level with the adjoining tiles. The joints shall be kept as thin as possible not exceeding
1.5 mm and in straight lines.
The day after the tiles are laid, all joints shall be cleared of the grey cement grout with a wire
brush to a depth of 5 mm and all dust and loose mortar removed and cleaned. Joints shall then
be grounded with whit e cement mixed with pigment to match the shade of tiles. The same
cement slurry shall be applied to the entire surface of the tiles in a thin coat. The floor shall
then be kept wet for a minimum period of 7days. The surface shall thereafter be grounded
evenly with the polishing machine fitted with coarse grade grit blocks, adding required water
during the process. After grinding, the surface shall be washed clean and covered with thin
coat of cement slurry with pigment. The surface shall be again cured and polished with
machine fitted with medium grade grit blocks. Similarly a third grinding shall be done by fine
grade grit blocks. After the final polish, the surface shall be cleaned using diluted oxalic acid
and wiped with a soft cloth. The measurement shall be taken in sq. m. The rate shall be for
the complete work inclusive of all tools and plants.
The distemper shall be of the approved colour and quality. Water shall be added as prescribed
by the manufacture, stirred well often during use, to maintain uniform colour and
consistency.
The plastered surface of the wall is scraped and cleaned with wire brushes and rubbed smooth
with sand papers. Distemper shall not be applied in wet weather. It shall be applied with good
brushes, first horizontally and then immediately crossed off vertically which together shall
constitute one coat. The second coat will be also applied in the same manner after the first
coat has dried. The finished surface shall be even and uniform and shall show no brush
marks. The measurement shall be taken in sq. m. The rate shall be for the complete work
inclusive of all tools and plants.
[Similar Items: Detail specifications for white wash and colour wash]
The joints of the brickwork shall be raked out to a depth of 20mm (3/4”) and the surface of
the wall washed and cleaned and kept wet for two days before pointing.
The materials of mortar cement and sand, or lime and surkhi or sand, or kankar lime as
specified, shall be of standard specification. The materials of mortar shall be first dry mixed
by measuring with boxes to have the required proportion as specified (1:2 or 1:3 for cement
sand mortar, 1:1 for lime surkhi mortar or kankar lime mortar), and then mixed by adding
water slowly and gradually and thoroughly mixed.
Mortar shall then be applied in the joints slightly in excess and pressed by a proper tool of the
required shape. Extra mortar if any is removed and surface finished. Mortar shall not spread
over the face of bricks, and the edges of the bricks shall be clearly defined to give a neat
appearance. After pointing the surface shall be kept wet for seven days.
Flush pointing
The mortar shall be pressed into the ranked, cleaned and wet joints and shall be finished off
flush and level with edges of brick to give a smooth appearance. The edges shall be neatly
trimmed with a trowel and straight edge.
Ruled pointing
The mortar shall be passed into the ranked, cleaned and wet joints and a groove of shape and
size of 5 to 6mm deep shall be formed running a forming tool of steel along the center line of
the joints. The vertical joints also shall be finished in a similar way at right angles to the
horizontal line. The finished work shall give a neat and clean appearance with straight edges.
The mortar shall be applied on the cleaned and wet joints and horizontal joints shall be
pressed and finished with a pointing tool so that the joints is sloping from top to bottom. The
vertical joint shall be finished as ruled pointing.
The mortar shall be applied in raked, cleaned and wet joints in excess to from raised bands.
The mortar shall be pressed and run with proper tool to from bands of 6mm(1/4”) raised and
10mm (3/8”) width or as directed.
3.11.13. Detailed specification for wood work for door and window frames
a) Materials
Timber shall be of teak, sal, deodar etc., as mentioned, well-seasoned, dry, free from sap,
knots, crack or any other defects or diseases. It shall be sawn in the direction of the grains.
Sawing shall be truly straight and square. The scantling shall be planned smooth and accurate
to the full dimensions, rebates, rounding and mouldings as shown in the drawing made,
before assembling. Patching or plugging of any kind shall not be permitted except as
provided.
b) Joints
These shall be mortise and tenon type, simple, neat and strong. Mortise and tenon joints shall
fit in fully and accurately without wedging or filling. The joints shall be glued framed, put
together and pinned with hardwood or bamboo pins not less than 10 mm dia. after frames are
put together pressed in position by means of a press.
c) Surface Treatment
Wood work shall not be tainted, oiled or otherwise treated before it has been approved by the
Engineer-in-Charge. All portions of timber abutting against masonry or concrete or
embedded in ground shall be painted with approved wood primer or with boiling coal tar.
d) Gluing of Joints
The contract surface of tenon and mortise joints shall be treated before putting together with
bulk type synthetic resin adhesive of a make approved by the Engineer-in-Charge.
e) Fixing in position
The frame shall be placed in position truly vertical before the masonry reaches half the
highest of the opening with iron clamps or as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge. In case of
door frames without sills, the vertical members shall be embedded in the flooring to a depth
of 40 mm or as directed by the Engineer-in-Charge. The door frames without sills while
being placed in position shall be suitably strutted and wedged in order to prevent warping
during construction. The frames shall also be protected from damage, during construction.
3.11.13. Detailed specification for wood work for door and window shutters
a) Materials
Specified timber shall be used, and it shall be well seasoned, dry, free from sap, knots crack
or any other defects or disease. Patching or plugging of any kind shall not be permitted
except as provided.
b) Joinery work:
All pieces shall be accurately cut and planned smooth to the full dimension. All members of
the shutters shall be straight without any warp or bow and shall have smooth, well planned
faces at right angles to each other. In case of panelled shutters the corners and edges of panels
shall be finished as shown in drawings, and these shall be feather tongued into styles and
rails. The panels shall be framed into groovers to the full depth of the groove leaving an air
space of 1.5 mm and the faces shall be closely fitted to the sides of the groove. In case of
glazed shutter, sash bars shall have mitred joints with styles. Styles and rails shall be properly
and accurately mortised and tenoned. Rails which are more than 180 mm in width shall have
two tenons. Styles and end rails of shutters shall be made out of one piece only. The tenons
shall pass through styles for at least 1 th of the width of the style. When assembling a leaf,
styles shall be left projecting as a horn. The styles and; rails shall have 12 mm groove in
panelled portion for the panel to fit in.
Planks for batten shall be 20 mm thick unless otherwise specified and of uniform width of
125 to 175 mm. These shall be planned and made smooth, and provided with minimum 12
mm rebated joints. The joint lines shall be chamfered. Unless otherwise specified the battens
for ledges and Braces shall be 30 mm thick and fixed with the battens on the inside face of
shutter with minimum two number 50 mm long wood screws per batten. The ledges shall be
225 mm wide and braces 175 mm wide, unless otherwise specified. The braces shall incline
downwards towards the side on which the door is being hung.
The contact surfaces of tenon and mortise joints shall be treated before putting together with
bulk type synthetic resin adhesive of a make approved by the Engineer-in-Charge.
Shutters shall not be painted, oiled or otherwise treated, before these are fixed in position and
passed by the Engineer-in-Charge.
For glazed shutters, mounting and glazing bars shall be tub-tenoned to the maximum depth
which the size of the member would permit or to a depth of 25 mm, whichever is less.
e) Fittings:
Details of fittings to be provided shall be as per the schedule of fittings supplied by the
Engineer-in-Charge in each case. The cost of providing and fixing shutters shall include the
cost of hinges and necessary screws for fixing the same. All other fittings shall be
enumerated and paid for separately. The fittings shall conform to their respective IS
specifications. Where fittings are stipulated to be supplied by the department free of cost,
screws for fixing the fittings shall be provided by the contractor and nothing extra will be
paid for the same.
a) Paint
b) Preparation of surface
The surface to be painted shall be rubbed down smooth with medium and fine sand papers
and cleaned off any dust. Knots, cracks holes etc., shall be filled with putty made of 2 parts of
whiting. 1 part of white lead mixed together in linseed oil and leveled to the surface. A
primer coat is applied to the surface with ready mixed wood primer of best quality.
c) Application
Painting shall be carried out at the driest season of the year. Paint shall be applied with
brushes, smoothly spread without any visible brush mark. The second coat shall be applied
when the first coat is perfectly dried. The paint shall be stirred often with stick so that it does
not settle down.
CHAPTER 3 (b)
RATE ANALYSIS
The process of determining rate per unit of any work in Civil Engineering project like
earthwork, concrete work, brickwork, plastering, painting etc. is known as Analysis of Rates
or simply Rate Analysis. The rates of materials and labour vary from place to place and hence
the rates of different items of works also vary from place to place. The rates of these works
further help in determining cost of particular work and in turn cost of the project.
• To work out the economical use of materials and processes in completing the
particulars item.
• To calculate the cost of extra items which are not provided in the contract bond, but
are to be executed as per the directions of the department.
• To revise the schedule of rates due to increase in the cost of material and labour or due
to change in technique.
The various factors that are involved in determining rate of any item, process or work are
mentioned below:
• Specifications of works and material about their quality, proportion and constructional
operation method.
• Location of site of work and the distances from source and conveyance charges.
The analysis of rates is worked out for the unit payment of the particular item of work under
two heads: Materials and Labour.
The cost of items of work = Material cost + Labour cost
Other costs included to the above cost of items of work are:
The rate of various materials as per specifications for the items under consideration can be
chalked out from market survey. The costs of materials are taken as delivered at site of work.
This is inclusive of:
The first cost (cost at origin),
a) Lead statement
The distance between the source of availability of material and construction site is known as
"Lead” and is expressed in Km. The cost of conveyance of material depends on lead. This
statement is required when a material is transported from a distant place, more than 8kms (5
miles). The lead statement will give the total cost of materials per unit item including first
cost, conveyance loading-unloading, stacking charges etc.
The length of time required to do a certain piece of the work may vary according to the skill
and mental development of the workmen and working conditions to the particular job.
This is the quantity of work which can be done by an artisan or skilled labour (with the help
of semiskilled and unskilled labours) of the trade working for 8 hours a day. The out-turn of
work per artisan varies according to the nature, size, height, situation, location etc. Out-turn is
more in larger cities, as the more specialized and experienced labours are available, than the
small cities and country sides.
The recommendation of All India Standard Schedule of Rates and various other govt. reports
are used to work out approximate quantity of labour required to prepare the analysis of rates.
IS: 7272 (part 1)-1974, provides recommendations for labour output constants for building
work which can be used to fix up the labour cost.
The cost of equipment and ordinary tools and plats and miscellaneous petty items (sundries)
are added to the specific item rate as lump-sum. A provision of 2.5 to 3 % of the labour cost
is made for such items. In certain tools and plants if it is difficult to allocate their use for a
particular item of rate; then the cost of such tools or plants may be allocated to the over-head
expenditure.
For big works and projects where it becomes necessary to use special types of equipment like
batching plants or WMM plant or dumpers or cranes for transportation of concrete mix,
provisions of an amount 1% to 1.5% of the estimated cost is provided in the estimate under
the head “special tools and plants”.
b) Water charges
For drinking purpose of the workers and for the work, arrangement of water is made sinking
tube well; bore well or from temporary connection from municipality. For this purpose a
provision of 1.5 to 2 % of total cost (Material + Labour+ Sundries) is made in the estimate.
Overhead charges include general office expanses, rents, taxes, supervision and other cost
which are indirect expanses on the job. Expanses for small tools such as planks, ladders,
ropes and other hand tools are also included in the over-head charges. A provision of 2.5% to
5% is made in the rate analysis as overhead charge. Overhead charges can be divided under
two categories: General Overhead and job overhead.
General overhead:
These are the expanses made throughout the year irrespective to running works in hand.
These include:
o Travelling expanses
Job overhead:
These are the expanses indirectly incurred for the job or the project. These include:
o Salaries of personnel engaged for the work (Site engineers, Surveyors or site office
staff)
o Rent of temporary site office space, electricity, telephone and water bills
o Handling of materials
o Interest on investment
c) Contractor’s profit
Generally a provision of 10% is made in the rate analysis as contractor’s profit for ordinary
contracts. For small jobs 15% profit and for large jobs 8% profit may be considered as
reasonable. Contractors profit is not included in rate analysis if material is supplied by the
department.
3.5.2. First class brickwork in super structure with cement mortar (1:6)
a) Estimation of Materials
Nominal size of modular brick = 10 cm×10 cm× 20 cm Hence, the number of bricks required
=
The remaining space is filled by mortar, hence the volume of mortar required for 10 cum =
10 – (5000 × 0.09 ×0.09 × 0.19) = 2.3 cu m.
Additional mortar required for frog filling, brick bonding and wastages @ 15%.
But, 1.25 cu m of dry volume of mortar materials produces 1.0 cu m set mortar.
Hence, volume of dry materials required for 2.64 cu m of set mortar = 1.25 × 2.64 cu m =
3.30 cu m.
[Note: As a thumb rule, dry volume of mortar materials is 30% of brick work] Sum of
proportion of cement and sand = 1+6 = 7 Hence, volume of cement = 3.3/7 = 0.47 cu m.
[Mass = 50 kg; Density =1440 kg/m3; Thus, Volume = 50/1440 = 0.0347 cu m] [Thumb rule:
1 cu m of cement = 30 bags of cement.]
b) Rate Analysis
a) Estimation of Materials
Add 30 % more to the above volume for filling of joints, for making un uniform surface well
and for wastages
Thus total set volume of mortar including wastages and joint filling etc.
As, 1.25 cu m of dry volume of mortar materials produces 1.0 cu m set mortar;
b) Rate Analysis
6.5.4. Cement Concrete (1:2:4) for RC work excluding reinforcement and form work
a) Estimation of Materials
1.54 cu m dry volume of concrete making materials produces 1.0 cu m set concrete
b) Rate Analysis
3.5.5 Lime Concrete in foundation with 25 mm down brick chips (or jhama chips) with
lime surki mortar (1:2:5½)
a) Estimation of Materials
Therefore volume of dry materials required for 10 cu m of set lime concrete is 15.4 cu m.
b) Rate Analysis
Note: In case of cement concrete in foundation, the labours and T&P will be same as this
item. The materials like cement, sand and course aggregate can be calculated by the example
21.5.6 and accordingly rate analysis can be made.
3.5.6 Providing cold twisted steel reinforcement in R.C.C. slab including bending,
binding and placing in position complete.
a) Estimation of Materials
If bar bending schedule is available, then reinforcement quantity may be estimated from the
schedule. Alternatively, reinforcement steel for beams and slabs may be taken as @ 1% of
volume of concrete and for columns @ 2% of volume of concrete. The weight of 1 cum of
steel is 78.5 quintals.
b) Rate Analysis
Note: R.C.C. works are paid separately for cement concrete work; for steel reinforcement and
for centering and shuttering as per the PWD practices.
Following example 21.5.4, the quantity of cement, sand and course aggregates required for
2.5 cu m concrete are estimated as:
= 3% of 16½×50 kg = 25 kg.
b) Rate Analysis
Assume, area of DPC = 100 sq m.
Particulars Qnty/Nos. Rate (Rs.) Cost (Rs.)
Material Charges
1. Cement 16½ bags 320.00 per bag 5280.00
2. Sand 1.1 cu m 350.00 per cu m 385.00
3. C. aggregate 2.2 cu m 800.00 per cu m 1760.00
4. Water proof 25 kg 25.00 per kg 625.00
compound
Labour Charges
3.5.8. Random Rubble Masonry in cement mortar (1:6) in foundation and plinth.
a) Estimation of Materials
11.7 cu m of undressed stone and 0.80 cu m of through stone (header) is required for 10 cu m
of RR masonry. Further, 4.2 cum of dry mortar materials (cement and sand) are required for
same volume of RR masonry work.
b) Rate Analysis
a) Estimation of Materials
An empirical quantity of 0.63 cu m (dry) mortar is required for 100 sq. m of Rule and Tuck
pointing. In case of Flush pointing 75% of above quantity is required.
b) Rate Analysis