Technical Specification for masonry house in flood affected areas (seismic zone 2B and lower) up to two storey height.

No.
1.

2.

Description
Site

Specification
Construct on solid, flat and stable ground.

Shape

1. Square or rectangular shapes should be

used but length to width ratio should not
exceed 3:1.
2. Room Size.
Smaller room dimension should not be
more than 14 ft to avoid long roof spans.

3.

4.

Raised platform
(Thalla)

Foundation

1. Build platform1ft above to regular flood

level with compacted earth.
2. Extend the edges minimum 3ft away from
building footprint.
3. Slope:
i. Edge
Sandy soil; 1V:2H
Clayey soil; 1V:1.5H
ii. Platform:
Provide 2% slope outward from
building to drain water.
4. Platform protection:
Grow deep rooted edge plants, bushes or
grass on edge.
Or provide fired brick pitching.
Depth;
Soft soil; 4ft
Hard soil; 2ft.
Width;
Soft soil; 2 times of wall thickness but not less
than 2.5 ft.
Hard soil; 1.5 times of wall thickness but not
less than 2ft)
Material; stones, fired bricks, solid concrete
blocks, plum concrete.
1. Stone/fired brick/solid concrete blocks
masonry with cement sand (1:6).
2. Plum concrete (1:3:6) with 40% stones of
total volume.
3. Provide lean mix (1:4:8) 6 thick

Note
Avoid construction.
1. On steep slopes or loose filled sites.
2. On sites which are prone to land slides or
rock fall
3. Near/above river and canal banks.
4. Closer to fault.
5. On natural depressions, causing pond
during/after rains or flood.
1. Simple and regular shapes are preferred.
Complex shapes like H, U. T, L, etc. should be
avoided.
2. Compact plans help in energy gain and are
useful for colder regions while fractured plans
help energy loss which is useful for hotter
regions.
Earth consolidates and hence settle during time,
therefore height of platform should allow for
future settlement of soil.
Raise platform in thickness by compacting the
earth

Limitations/Exemptions

References

1. A projection of 8ft is acceptable.

Room size; PBC.IAEE
Room size in mud mortar.
Adopted from guidelines for J&k by A.S
Arya.
2. If mud mortar is used in masonry,
maximum room dimension should not be
greater than 15ft.
This is optional for occasional flooded areas.
Latrine should be built on the plate form

Dont use round stones.

Stone should be well packed, use bond element
@2ft vertical and 4ft horizontal.
Well burnt brick should be used in foundation.

Instead of lean mix compacted stone or

brick ballast is also recommended.

No.
5.

Description
Plinth

Specification
1. Construct plinth with any of the following
material:
i. Stone/fired brick/solid concrete blocks
masonry with cement sand (1:6).
ii. Plum concrete (1:3:6) with 40% stones
of total volume.
iii. If plinth is constructed with mud
mortar, plastering/pointing with
cement sand mortar is must.
2. Raise plinth 6 above the flood level 2010.
3. For regular flooded area min plinth height
should not be less than 2ft.

Note
If flood level is higher than 3 ft, limit the height
of plinth up to 3ft and raise the platform.

6.

7.

Doors and
Windows

Walls

For stone masonry use through stone @4ft

References
RCC plinth band is optional for hard soil.
(IAEE, PBC, )
Reinforcement. IAEE,PBC
2ft plinth height from NSL have been
recommended by A.S Arya

Plinth band is optional for

1. Foundation on hard soil
2. Occasional flooded area.
In this case Damp proof Course (DPC)
of any conventional method should be
applied.

4. RCC Plinth band:

Provide RCC (1:2:4) plinth band 3 thick with
two longitudinal bars 3/8 dia having 2/8 C
rings @6 C/C
Minimum width equals wall thickness.
Rich mix of 1:1.5:3 is recommended for
coastal areas.
Plinth Protection:
Provide plinth protection 3ft wide.(1.5 thick
toping of 1:2:4 laid on 3 thick 1:4:8 concrete
with a slop 3 outward)
Or
Provide Brick apron laid on compacted earth
and joints filled with cement sand mortar (1:3)
1. Location;
Keep the doors and windows min 2ft
way from inside corners.
2. Distance between two adjacent openings
should not be less than 2ft.
3. Length of individual opening should not
be larger than 5ft.
4. Total openings in the wall should not be
greater than the following.
Single storey; 50% of the wall length.
Double storey; 42% of the wall length.
5. Keep the head/lintel of all openings at
same level.
Stone.
Thickness=15
Unsupported Walls length Max=18ft
Height Max=10ft
Brick and blocks
Thickness; 9 and 8 respectively.
Unsupported wall length
(max) = 18ft.
Wall height (Max) =10ft
Mortar 1:4 with C/S.

Limitations/Exemptions

Apron is optional in case:

A. Roof gutter has been provided.
B. Roof with Cornice.
C. Area where annual rain fall is less than
200 mm.
1. Distribute the openings evenly in all walls,
and preferable locate windows Southward to
get maximum day light and ventilation.
2. Locate openings in opposite direction in high
wind area ie, coastal area.
Avoid arches especially flat arches.

In case of mud mortar in masonry, keep the

openings as follows.
3ft away from corner.
3ft distance between two openings.
Max 4t wide individual opening.
Total length of opening for;
1. Single storey 42%
2. Double storey 33%

Limitations for cement sand masonry refer

to PBC, IAEE,

Wall thickness is also important for damp

penetration and thermal insulation.
Avoid arches and if unavoidable dont interrupt
lintel band. 2.

1. if stone masonry is in mud mortar:

H=9ft
L=15
Wall thickness 18
2. If larger than 15ft required provide
buttresses no more than 12ft apart and
both surfaces should preferably be
plastered with 1:4 Cement sand or 1:3
pointing.
3. For 13.5 thick brick wall height may be
13ft.
Hollow block are permitted in single

IAEE and PBC for all masonry with cement

sand mortar.

Limitations for Mud mortar refer to

Guidelines for J&K by A.S Arya.

Room size;
PBC.IAEE
Room size in mud mortar.
Taken from guidelines for J&k by A.S Arya.

No.

8.

9.

Description

Specification
horizontally and 2ft vertically.

Note

Seismic
horizontal bands

3 thick continues Seismic bands of RCC 1:2:4

and steel reinforcement 2Nos of 3/8 dia mild
steel deformed bars tied with 1/8 dia Crings
@6 C/C. band width is kept equal to wall
thickness.
Bands are provide at;
1. Lintel level
2. Roof level.
3. Gable band if gable masonry could
not be avoided.
4. Rich mix of 1:1.5:3 is recommended
for coastal area.

1. Wooden bands for stone masonry with mud

mortar made of ladder type also could be used
if RCC band is not affordable. In this case two
parallel wooden pieces of size 3x1.5 are nailed
by cross pieces of wood size 2x1.25 @18C/C.

Roof

Flat roof; (shorter span 14ft max)

1. Light weight mud.
i.
Fix I section of steel girder of 6 web
@6ft spacing for 12ft span and 8
web@6ft spacing for less than 15ft span
on roof band with the help of2/8 dia bar
already embedded in roof band.
ii.
Lay courses of brick masonry to the
girder top level.
iii. Lay the wooden runners (batten) 4 x2
@2ft C/C. or 2 dia bamboo @1.5 ft c/c.
iv. Tie the each batten/bamboo at mid by GI
wire with girder and batten ends with
roof band by driving nail on bottom side
roof band.
v.
Lay available thin branches perpendicular
to runners.
vi. Place chick 3/8 (approximate dia of
reed)
vii. Place polythene sheet on chick, overlap
pieces 12 minimum.
viii. Raise the masonry (cornice) 9 above the
polythene surface. Extended brick tile
may be used as drip course.
ix. Lay earth layer of 6 thick (crushed and
sieved without grit) forming a slope of
12% towards spout. Sprinkle small
amount of water.
x.
Compact the earth unless it reduce to
4.leave it for 2-3 days.
xi. Prepare mud by using wheat husk and
plaster the roof surface 1 thick.
xii. Either fix 1.5 ft extended spout purnala
or make vertical drop (cemented purnala)
with 1:3 to drain rain water.

2. Bands could be made by Reinforced Brick (RB)

work in cement mortar 1:3. In brick masonry.
In RB work band thickness of bed joint should be
increased to accommodate mortar cover
around the bars and in this case dia of C rings
should be 1/8.

Steel girders shall always be placed along with

smaller span of room.

Limitations/Exemptions
storey.
If two storey stone masonry, without
cement mortar is intended; it is preferable
to adopt Bahatar technique.
1. Roof band could be exempted if roof is
made of either RCC slab or Reinforced Brick
slab (RB work) and it rests on full walls
thickness.
2. Lintel band could be exempted if height
of roof from lintel level is less than 2ft. In
this case doors/windows lintel should be
integrated with roof band.

References

IAEE recommends mild steel3/8 for bands.

Lintel band exemption/integration taken
from PBC, IAEE.

No.

Description

Specification
2. RCC Slab.
i.
RCC slab 4 thick projecting 1.5 ft
outwards should rest on all walls. In case
of no projection slab shall cover full wall
thickness or minimum of the wall
thickness.
ii. Provision for Rain water collection should
be made in areas subjected to normal
rain fall.
3. Reinforced Brick (RB) Slab.
RB slab thickness=6(4.5+1.5)
Min load=0.5
Concrete= 1:2:4
4. Girder T iron and brick tiles roof.
Min 6 web girder for 12ft span and 8
web girder for span less than 15ft with T
irons 1.5 laid at 12 C/C and brick tiles
of 1.5 thick should be provided.

Note

Limitations/Exemptions

Minimum slab thickness = 4, but not less than

slab perimeter/180.

Height of parapet wall is limited to 3ft.

B. Pitched Roof;
1. CGI roofing (hipped 15 ft span).
i. CGI Sheets 26 SWG gauge.
ii. angle 25-35 degree.
iii. king post trusses @5ft c/c
iv. tie beam and rafters 3x4
v. king post 3x3
vi. purlins 3x2
vii. Longitudinal slop (1:300) should be
provided in one side to harvest rain water.
viii. Projection up to 1.5 ft.
2. Thatching with mud mortar (gable roof).
i. Trusses made of bamboo 3dia or babool
wood well tied with each other and with
walls.
iI. Ridge pole is laid over post at the gable
ends.
iiI. Bamboo of 1.5 dia or wood is provided in
lieu of purlin.
iv. Provide local mating and plaster it with
mud.
3. Thatching without mud mortar (gable
roof).
Similar as above but grass bundles are laid
from eave to ridge in increasing order.

4.

Anchor bolts dia pre laid in masonry and

passed through roof band.(1.5 ft
embedded).
All joints and connection must be strapped.
Joints should be strapped with non corrodible
metal of thickness 1/8 and 1.5 wide.
Verandah should be well tied with walls and
anchored with ground.
5.

Ceilings provides structural stability to the

roof and hence improves building seismic
performance, it also helps thermal
efficiency. It should be well fixed with walls
and tie beam. Suspended ceiling should be
avoided. Ceiling should be air sealed.

For high wind area 22-30* angle is

appropriate.

References

No.
10.

Description
Quality
Assurance

Specification
Workmanship

Layout with right angled insured.

Masonry units should be laid with good

bonding and interlocking pattern by
breaking the vertical joints.

No deviation of concentricity/verticality of
vertical members.

Accurate proportioning and mixing of

mortar.

Use of cement within 45 minutes after

adding water.

Adequate concrete cover maintained.

Corner detailing and lapping.

Uniform thickness of mortar in crosses

and bed joints.

Uniform brick bond maintained

throughout the masonry.

Roof anchoring insured.

Simultaneous construction of all walls.

Curing and of cement work and soaking

of brick insured.

14 days curing for concrete work.

Material
Coarse sand free of any organic material.
i. 1:6 cement mortar for masonry.
ii.1:3 C/S for pointing and RB work
iii. 1:2:4 for concrete
iv. 1:1.5:3 concrete for coastal areas.
V. mild steel deformed bars grade 40.
vi. Corrugation not shallower than inch.
vii. Well seasoned heart wood or debarked
poles.
viii. Class A bricks. Crushing strength>700 Psi
ix. Hollow block; Ratio of Net to gross area >
75.% Crushing strength> 700Psi
WC ratio no more than 0.6.
Clean water fit for drinking should be used in
cement and concrete work.
The area where water availability for curing is
uncertain, mud mortar should be encouraged.

Note
Skilled artisans with additional training of hazard
specific are prerequisite of quality assurance and
workmanship.
Stepped construction starting from corners.

Limitations/Exemptions

References