7 Must have IS Code for Engineers

Civil Engineers are working really hard and making efforts to get better results, whether they are casting a RCC column or constructing a wall. But, as a civil engineer how will you ensure optimal level of quality? How will you convince your client and non engineering people that you have done 100% quality construction work?
For this you should have written documents which define the specific criteria of any job or task. These documents are especially being written to thoroughly analyze the subject with respect to test, design and experiments.
In India, Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) is the apex body which is responsible to set the guidelines for engineering design, materials and working procedures. For civil engineering activity it has been publishing the IS codes with the joint approval of civil engineering council. We ought to follow the IS guidelines while carrying out the construction activity.
Below is a list of 7 must have IS Codes which are useful for construction professionals, civil engineers and students.

IS code 456

IS Code 456 is an important code for Civil Engineering professionals and students. This Indian standards code was first published in the year 1953. Since then, It has been revised on many occasions in the year 1957, 1964, 1978 and 2000. The BIS released the latest version of IS 456: 2000 PLAIN REINFORCEMENT CONCRETE– CODE OF PRACTICE (FOURTH EDITION) in the year 2000, further it reaffirmed in 2010. It is also commonly named as an IS 456.
The latest edition of IS code 456 contains 5 sections and 8 annexures. In the section IS 456: 2000 following major points have been covered;

• Cement 33, 43 and 53 grades, Mineral Admixtures, Aggregates, Reinforcement, Water and Admixtures.
• Construction material strength, properties, behaviour, testing and workmanship inspection.
• Concrete Design methods, acting loads & forces, fire resistance, bending moment, shear force, reinforcement and all types of RCC structure specifications and design criteria of beam, slab, columns etc.

IS code 456 is must have civil engineering code book to carry out any kind of RCC and cement concrete related structure work.

IS code 800

Latest version of IS code 800 General construction in steel – code of practice has been reaffirmed in the year 2007. It was first published in 1984 and revised in 1993. IS code 800 dedicatedly serve the purpose of general steel structure design in construction. The major changes made in the latest edition of IS Code 800: 2007 are as follows;

• All previous versions of codes are written considering the working stress methods or allowable working stress methods. But, IS code 800 published in year 2007 has been especially addressing the limit stress method.
• Major changes are made to increase the partial safety factors, fabrication factors, gross capacity and net capacity of steel structure. It has been reassessed considering the other major countries practice codes.

IS code 383

IS code 383 has been especially written for giving upper most priority to constituents of concrete other than cement.  BIS released the IS 383-1970 Coarse and Fine aggregates from the natural sources for concrete, and revised twice since it was first published. Further it was reaffirmed in the year 2010 and has superseded  the previous version of IS code 515.
IS code 383 contains the following major points;

• Fine and coarse aggregates – Quality of aggregates with respect to all major tests such as impact, abrasion and soundness.
• Size and grading of aggregates, sampling and testing

IS code 1786

 IS code 1786 High strength deformed steel bars and wires for concrete reinforcement was first published in the year 1985 and again republished in the year 2008,  and it is the latest edition of the IS code 1786.
This code contains the guidelines for the manufacturers to produce the quality and long lasting steel bars and wire using the process of hot rolling.

IS code 875

IS code 875 has total 5 parts which are mainly addressing the imposed, dead,  wind, snow and special loads except the Earthquake  for building and structures. This code was first introduced in the year 1987 and all the parts were reaffirmed in 2007. Following are the complete list of  IS code 875;

1. Code of Practice For Design Loads (Other Than Earthquake) For Buildings And Structures Part 1 Dead Loads - Unit Weights of Building Material And Stored Materials (Incorporating IS 1911 : 1967)
2. Code of Practice for Design Loads (Other Than Earthquake) For Buildings and Structures: Part 2 Imposed Loads
3. Code of Practice for Design Loads (Other than Earthquake) for Buildings and Structures - Part 3 : Wind Loads
4. Code of Practice For Design Loads (Other Than Earthquake) For Buildings And Structures Part 4 Snow Loads
5. Code of Practice For Design Loads (Other Than Earthquake) For Buildings And Structures Part 5 Special Loads And Combinations

IS code 2502 

 IS code 2502 - Code of Practice for Bending and Fixing of Bars for Concrete Reinforcement is an IS code which helps professionals to understand the steel reinforcement behaviour in bending and fixing. It was first introduced in the year 1963 and latest version of IS code 2502 for civil engineering was reaffirmed in the year 1999.  As we all know, concrete is weak in tension, therefore steel needs to be provided to maximize the tensile strength of RCC. In this IS code 2502 following contains are provided to help Engineers to ensure placement and fixing of Reinforcement in concrete;

• Bend dimension & symbols, Reinforcement schedule, Spacing, bending and cutting tolerance
• Measurement of bending structure, binders, links and stirrups bar. 

IS code 1200

IS code 1200 named measurement of building and civil engineering works has total 28 separate parts which contains single copy for every item.  These all standard codes are cover the important information about the measurements and deductions of building and civil engineering works.
Bureau of Indian Standard has been keeping an eye on the construction scenarioon a day to day basis and necessary changes/modification are made as per the suggestions from various civil engineering bodies all across the country. Below is a complete list of all IS code 1200 with their latest publications

1. IS 1200-1-1992 Methods of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 1 – Earthwork
2. IS 1200-2-2003 Method of measurement of building and engineering works Part 2 - concrete works
3. IS 1200-3-1997 Method of Measurement of Building and Civil Engineering Works Part 3 – Brickwork
4. IS 1200-4-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 4 stone masonry
5. IS 1200-5-2003 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works part 5 form work
6. IS 1200-6-2003 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 6 refractory work
7. IS 1200-7-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 7 hardware
8. IS 1200-8-2002 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering work Part 8 steel work and iron work
9. IS 1200-9-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering work Part 9 roof covering (including cladding)
10. IS 1200-10-2003 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works part 10 ceiling and linings
11. IS 1200-11-2003 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering work Part 11 paving, floor finishes dado
12. IS 1200-12-1997 Method of Measurement of Building and Civil Engineering Works Part 12 Plastering and Pointing
13. IS 1200-13-2002 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 13 Whitewashing, colour washing
14. IS 1200-14-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 14 glazing
15. IS 1200-15-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 15 painting, polishing, varnishing
16. IS 1200-16-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 16 laying of water and sewer lines
17. IS 1200-17-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 17 road work including air field pavements
18. IS 1200-18-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 18 demolition and dismantling
19. IS 1200-19-1999 Method of Measurement of Building and Civil Engineering Works Part 19 Water Supply, Plumbing
20. IS 1200-20-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 20 laying of gas and oil pipelines
21. IS 1200-21-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 21 wood-work and joinery
22. IS 1200-22-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 22 materials
23. IS 1200-23-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 23 piling
24. IS 1200-24-2003 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 24 well foundations
25. IS 1200-25-2003 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 25 tunnelling
26. IS 1200-26-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 26 Acid resistant lining
27. IS 1200-27-1997 Method of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 27 Earthwork done by mechanical
28. IS 1200-28-1997 Methods of measurement of building and civil engineering works Part 28 Sound insulation works

Apart from the above, I would suggest you to do not download IS code provided by many website as it violates the copy rights of Bureau of Indian Standard. You can buy Indian standard codes online from BIS website at www.standardsbis.in or  grab them visiting BIS office located at New Delhi. 

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