BRICKS The following non-modular sizes of the bricks may also be used:

Types of Brick/Blocks

• Clay Bricks - Un-burnt, burnt

• Fly ash Bricks

For obtaining proper bond arrangement and modular dimensions for
• Hollow Clay Bricks the brick work, with the non-modular sizes, the following sizes of the
bricks may also be used:
• Concrete Blocks (Solid and Hollow)

• Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks

• Cellular Light weight Concrete (CLC) Blocks

Tolerances

The common burnt clay bricks are classified on the basis of average The dimensions of bricks when tested in shall be within the following
compressive strength. limits per 20 bricks:

General Quality
Bricks shall be hand-moulded or machine-moulded and shall be
made from suitable soils.

They shall be free from cracks and flaws and nodules of free lime.

Hand-moulded bricks of 90 mm or 70 mm height shall be moulded

with a frog 10 to 20 mm deep on one of its flat sides; the shape and
size of the frog shall conform to either Fig. IA or Fig.1B (see 6.1.1
for L, Wand II).

Bricks of 40 mm height as well as those made by extrusion process

may not be provided with frogs.

The bricks shall have smooth rectangular faces with sharp corners
and shall be uniform in colour.

Dimensions
The standard modular size of common building bricks shall be as
follows:
DETERMINATION OF COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
METHODS
4.1 For Solid Bricks
4.1.1 Apparatus
A compression testing machine, the compression plate of which shall
have a ball seating in the form of portion of a sphere the centre of
which coincides with the centre of the plate, shall be used.
4.1.2 Preconditioning
Remove unevenness observed in the bed faces to provide two smooth
and parallel faces by grinding. Immerse in water at room temperature
for 21 hours. Remove the specimen and drain out any surplus
moisture at room temperature. Fill the frog ( where provided ) and all
voids in the bed face flush with cement mortar ( 1 cement, clean
coarse sand of grade 3 mm and down ). Store under the damp jute
bags for 24 hours followed by immersion in clean water for 3 days.
Remove, and wipe out any traces of moisture.
4.1.3 Procedure
Place the specimen with flat faces horizontal, and mortar filled face
facing upwards between two 3-ply plywood sheets each of 3 mm
thickness and carefully centered between plates of the testing
machine. Apply load axially at a uniform rate of 14 N/mm* ( 140
kgf/cm2 ) per minute till failure occurs and note the maximum load at
failure. The load at failure shall be the maximum load at which the
specimen fails to produce any further increase in the indicator reading
on the testing machine.
NOTE - In place of plywood sheets plaster of Paris may be used to
ensure a uniform surface for application of load.
4.1.4 Report
The report shall be as given below:
Compressive strength in N/mm2
For Perforated Bricks
4.2.1 Apparatus
4.2.2 Preconditioning
Immerse the specimen in water at room temperature for 24 hours.
Remove the specimen from water and drain out any surplus water.
No mortar shall be filled in perforations and no mortar capping shall
be provided.
4.2.3 Procedure
Place the perforated faces of the brick between two 3-ply plywood
sheets each of 3 mm thickness and carefully centered between the
plates of the testing machine. Apply the load axially at uniform rate
of 14 N/mm2 ( 140 kgf/cm2 ) per minute till the failure occurs and
note the maximum load at failure. The load at failure shall be the
maximum load at which the specimen fails to produce any further
increase in the indicator reading on the testing machine.
NOTE - In place of plywood sheets plaster of Paris may be used to
ensure a uniform surface for application of load.
4.2.4 Report
The report shall be as given below:
Compressive strength in N/mm2
CEMENT
Cement is one of the most important constituents of concrete used all
over the world. The word ‘Cement’ generally refers to ordinary
Portland cement (OPC) although other cements are available for
specialized applications (discussed in subsequent sections). For
general construction applications, there are three types of OPCs
available namely, 33, 43 and 53 grade ordinary Portland cement.
Specifications for these different grades of cement shall conform
to IS 269:2013, IS 8112:2013, IS 12269:2013 respectively. The
specifications for physical and chemical requirements of these
cements as mentioned in their respective IS Code are provided in
Table 1. Other requirements of OPC 33,43 and 53 cements shall be as
given below:
1. Testing of cement
Different Characteristics of cement shall be determined in accordance
with IS 4031 ( Methods of physical tests for hydraulic cement)
and IS 4032 (Method of chemical analysis of hydraulic
cement).Important physical characteristics for OPC shall be
determined in accordance with following test standards:
a. IS 4031 Part 2: Determination of fineness by
specific surface by Blaine air permeability
method
b. IS 4031 Part 3: Determination of soundness
c. IS 4031 Part 4: Determination of consistency of
standard cement paste
d. IS 4031 Part 5: Determination of initial and final
setting times
e. IS 4031 Part 6: Determination of compressive
strength of hydraulic cement (other than masonry
cement
f. IS 4031 Part 7: Determination of compressive
strength of masonry cement
g. IS 4031 Part 8: Determination of transverse and
compressive strength of plastic mortar using
prism
h. IS 4031 Part 9: Determination of heat of
hydration
i. IS 4031 Part 10: Determination of drying
shrinkage
j. IS 4031 Part 11: Determination of density of
hydraulic cement
k. IS 4031 Part 12: Determination of heat of
hydration
 l. IS 4031 Part 13: Determination of air content of
hydraulic cement mortar

2. Packing of cement

(As per IS 269:2013, IS 8112:2013, IS 12269:2013 ) Jute sacking

bag, multi-wall paper sacks, light weight jute, jute synthetic union
bags or any other approved composite bags conforming to IS 2580,
11761, 12154, 11652 or equivalent may be considered for packing
cement.

3. Storage

The cement shall be stored in such a manner as to permit easy access

for proper inspection and identification, and in a suitable weather-
tight building to protect the cement from dampness and minimize
warehouse deterioration (In accordance with IS 4082).If other types
of cements are to be used for construction then they shall conform to
the specifications as per following codes:

a. IS 455: Portland Slag Cement – Specification

b. IS 1489 Part 1: Specification for Portland

pozzolana cement, Part 1: Flyash based

c. IS 1489 Part 2: Specification for Portland SAND

pozzolana cement, Part 2: calcined clay based
Sand for Plaster
d. IS 6909: Specification for Supersulphated
cement Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely
divided rock and mineral particles. Sand is underrated. It provides the
e. IS 8041: Specification for Rapid Hardening structure of plaster, and the quality of your sand can make the
Portland cement difference between success and failure. So, a good plaster sand
should be sharp, with a diversity of particle sizes, and clean.

The specification for Sand for Plaster shall conform to IS 1542:

1992, which is given below as:
Table 1: Physical and Chemical Requirements for Hydraulic
Cement 1. Quality of Sand:

The sand shall consist of natural sand, crushed stone sand or crushed
gravel sand or a combination of any of these. The sand shall be hard,
durable, clean and free from adherent coatings and organic matter
and shall not contain clay, silt and dust more than a specified amount
mentioned below.

Deleterious Materials: The sand shall not contain any harmful

impurities, such as, iron pyrites, alkalis, salts, coal, mica, shale or
similar laminated materials, soft fragments, sea shells and organic
impurities in such quantities as to affect adversely the hardening, the
strength, the durability of the appearance of the plaster or applies
decoration, or to cause corrosion of metal lathing or other metal in
contact with the plaster.

Limits of Deleterious Materials: Unless found satisfactory as a result

of further tests as may be specified by the engineer or architect, or
unless evidence of such performance is offered which is satisfactory
to him, the maximum quantities of clay, fine silt, fine dust and
organic impurities in the sand shall not exceed the following limits:

The average compressive strength, determined by the standard
procedure detailed in Appendix A of IS 2250: 1981, of mortar cubes
composed of one part of cement and six parts of sand conforming to
gradation in Table 1 shall be not less than 3 N/mm2 at 28 days.
The amount of water for gauging shall be that required to give a flow
between 110 to 115 with 25 drops in 15 seconds, as determined in IS
1727: 1967.
2. Grading of Sand:
The particle size grading of sand for plaster work for internal as well
as external walls and ceiling as analyzed by the method described
in IS 2386(Part 1): 1973 shall be as specified in Table 1. Where the
grading falls outside the limits of the grading zones of sieves other
than 150, 300 and 600 micron IS Sieve by a total amount not
exceeding 5 percent, it shall be regarded as falling within the grading.
Table 1-Grading of Sand for Internal Wall or External Wall or
Ceiling Plaster (As per IS 1542: 1992)
NOTE - For crushed stone sands and crushed gravel sands, the
permissible limit on 150 micron IS Sieve is increased to 20 percent.
This does not affect the 5% allowance permitted.
The fineness modulus of sand shall be not less than 1.4 in case of
crushed stone sands and crushed gravel sands and not less than 1.5 in
case of naturally occurring sands.
The various sizes of particles of which the sand is composed shall be
uniformly distributed throughout the mass.
The required grading may often be obtained by screening and/or by
blending together either natural sands or crushed stone screenings,
which are by themselves of unsuitable grading.
3. Sampling and Testing:
Sampling: The method of sampling shall be in accordance with IS
2430: 1986. The amount of material required for each test shall be as
specified in relevant parts of IS 2386 and as per the requirements of
mentioned earlier (1.Quality of Sand).
Testing: Any test which the purchaser or his representative may
require in connection with this standard shall be carried out in
accordance with the provisions of various clauses in the standard.
Unless otherwise stated in the enquiry or order, duplicate tests shall
be made to all cases and the results of both tests reported.
Sand for Masonry Mortar
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind building blocks such as
stones, bricks, and concrete masonry units together, fill and seal the
irregular gaps between them, and sometimes add decorative colors or
patterns in masonry walls. Mortars are typically made from a mixture
of sand, a binder, and water. Usually importance of sand is
overlooked but sand actually deserves considerable attention, for it
affects the compressive strength, bond strength, workability, board
life, drying shrinkage, and appearance of mortar.
The specification for Sand for Masonry Mortar shall conform to IS
2116: 1980 which is given below as:
1. Quality of Sand:
The sand shall consist of natural sand, crushed stone sand or crushed
gravel sand or a combination of any of these. The sand shall be hard,
durable, clean and free from adherent coatings and organic matter
and shall not contain the amount of clay, silt and fine dust more than
a specified amount mentioned below.
Deleterious Material: The sand shall not contain any harmful
impurities such as iron pyrites, alkalis, salts, coal or other organic
impurities, mica, shale or similar laminated materials, soft fragments,
sea shells in such form or in such quantities as to affect adversely the
hardening, strength or durability of the mortar.
Limits of Deleterious Material: Unless found satisfactory as a result
of further tests as may be specified by the engineer-in-charge, or
unless evidence of such performance is offered which is satisfactory
to him, the maximum quantities of clay, fine silt, fine dust and
organic impurities in the sand shall not exceed the following limits:
a. Clay, fine silt and fine dust when determined in
accordance with IS: 2386(Part II)-1963: In
natural sand or crushed gravel sand - Not more
than 5 percent by mass
In crushed stone sand - Not more than 5 percent
by mass
b. Organic impurities when determined in
accordance with IS: 2386 (Part II)-1963: Colour
of the liquid shall be lighter than that indicated by
the standard solution specified in IS: 2386(Part
II)-1963.
2. Grading of Sand:
The particle size grading of sand for use in mortars shall be within
the limits as specified in Table 1.
Table 1-Grading of sand for use in masonry mortars(IS 2116:
1980)
A sand whose grading falls outside the specified limits due to excess
or deficiency of coarse or fine particles may be processed to comply
with the standard by screening through a suitably sized sieve and/or
blending with required quantities of suitable sizes of sand particles.
Based on test results and in the light of practical experience with the
use of local materials, deviation in grading of sand given earlier may
be considered by the engineer-in-charge. The various sizes of
particles of which the sand is composed shall be uniformly
distributed throughout the mass. The required grading may often be
obtained by screening and/or by blending together either natural
sands or crushed stone screenings, which are, by themselves Table 1: Limit of Deleterious Materials
unsuitable.

3. Sampling and Testing:

Sampling - The method of sampling shall be in accordance with IS:

2430-1969. The amount of material required for each test shall be as
specified in relevant parts of IS: 2386-1963.
Testing - Any test which the purchaser or his representative may
require in connection with this standard shall be carried out in
accordance with the relevant parts of IS: 2386-1963. Unless
otherwise stated in the enquiry or order, duplicate tests shall be made
to all cases and the results of both tests reported.
If further confirmation as to the satisfactory nature of the material is
required, compressive test on cement mortar cubes (1:6) may be
made in accordance with IS: 2250-1981 using the supplied material
in place of standard sand and the strength value so obtained shall be
compared with that of another mortar made with a sand of acceptable
and comparable quality.

Table 2: Mechanical properties of Aggregates

AGGREGATE Mechanical Property Maximun(%)

Aggregates
Aggregate Crushing Value 45
Aggregates are inert materials (such as sand, gravel or crushed
stones) that are used in addition with cement and water in concrete to Aggregates Impact Value 45
make it economically feasible for construction gives volume stability
to the hardened concrete. Aggregates are typically devided into two Aggregate Abrasion Value 50
types: coarse and fine aggregates. Specification for coarse and fine
aggregates to be used in general concrete construction shall conform
with IS 383 which are as given below:
2. Size and shape of Aggregates
1. Quality Requirements and Testing of Aggregates
1. Fine Aggregates
As aggregates are generally considered as an inert material,
aggregates are not supposed to take part chemically during the The grading of fine aggregates, when determined as described in IS
hydration of cement. Aggregates shall not contain any harmful 2386 (Part I): 1963 shall be within the limits as specified in Table 4.
materials such as pyrites, coal, lignite, mica, shale or similar Tolerance of 5% is allowed in case if grading falls outside the limits
laminated material, clay, alkali, soft fragments, sea shells and organic of any particular grading zone of sieves. This tolerance shall not be
impurities in such quantity as to affect the strength or durability of applied to percentage passing the 600µ sieve or any other sieve size
the concrete. To determine the quality of aggregates, the aggregates on the coarse limit ef Grading Zone I or the finer limit of Grading
shall be tested in accordance with IS 2386 (Part 1 to 8). Description Zone IV.
of different tests and quality requirement of aggregates (for general
construction purposes) are as follows: 2. Coarse Aggregates

The shape and size of coarse aggregates is very crucial as it many

a) IS 2386 Part 1: Particle Size and Shape
times governs both fresh properties (like workability) as well as the
b) IS 2386 Part 2: Estimation of deleterious materials and organic
long term properties of concrete. The nominal size of coarse
impurities (Refer to Table 4 for Limit of Dleterious materials)
aggregates shall be as per Table 3.
c) IS 2386 (Part 3): Specific gravity, density, voids, absorption and
bulking Table 3: Grade size distribution for different nominal sizes of
d)IS 2386 (Part 4): Mechanical Properties (Refer to Table 5 for Coarse Aggregates
Specification of Mechanical Properties)
e) IS 2386 (Part 5): Soundness
When tested the average loss of weight after 5 cycles shall not exceed
the following:
Table 4: Grading of Fine Aggregates
3. All-in-Aggregates
The grading of the all-in-aggregate, when analyzed, as described in
IS 2386 (Part I): 1963 shall be in accordance with Table 5:
Table 5: Grading of All In Aggregates
4. Marginal Aggregates:
IS 456 suggests that in case of marginal aggregates/ other types of
aggregates ( such as slag and crushed overbumt brick or tile), which
may be found suitable with regard to strength, durability of concrete
and freedom from harmful effects may be used for plain concrete
members, but such aggregates should not contain more than 0.5
percent of sulphates as SO3 and should not absorb more than 10
percent of their own mass of water.
WATER
Water is the key ingredient in concrete, which when mixed with
cement, forms a paste that binds the aggregate and forms a
conglomeration known as ‘Concrete’. Water used for mixing and
curing 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. Therefore, it is advised to use potable
water in concrete for concrete based construction. Different
requirements for suitability of water for concrete based construction
are given in IS 456 which are as follows:
1. Chemical Requirements
Following criteria should be followed in order to assess the suitability
of water for construction:
a. The pH value of water shall be not less than 6.
b. To neutralize 100 ml sample of water, using
phenolphthalein as an indicator, it should not
require more than 5 ml of 0.02 normal NaOH.
The details of test are given in clause 8.1 of IS
3025 (Part 22).
c. To neutralize 100 ml sample of water, using
mixed indicator, it should not require more than
25 ml of 0.02 normal H$O,. The details of test
shall be as given in clause 8 of IS 3025 (Part 23).
d. Permissible limits for solids shall be as follows:
Table 1 Permissible Limit for solids in water for construction (As
per IS 456)
In case of doubt regarding development of strength, the suitability of
water for making concrete shall be ascertained by following tests:
e. Test for compressive strength- Average 28 days
compressive strength of at least three 150 mm
concrete cubes prepared with water proposed to
be used shall not be less than 90 percent of the
average of strength of three similar concrete
cubes prepared with distilled water. The cubes
shall be prepared, cured and tested in accordance
with the requirements of IS 516.
f. Test for Initial Setting Time- The initial setting
time of test block made with the appropriate
cement and the water proposed to be used shall
not be less than 30 min and shall not differ by&
30min from the initial setting time of control test
block prepared with the same cement and
distilled water. The test blocks shall be prepared
and tested in accordance with the requirements
off IS 4031 (Part 5).
The sample of water taken for testing shall represent the water
proposed to be used for concreting, due account being paid to
seasonal variation. The sample shall not receive any treatment before
testing other than that envisaged in the regular supply of water
proposed for use in concrete. The sample shall be stored in a clean
container previously rinsed out with similar water.
Water for curing
Water found satisfactory for concrete mixing is also considered
suitable for curing of concrete. However, water used curing should
not produce any objectionable stain or unsightly deposit on the
concrete surface. It is not recommended to use water for curing which
has tannic acid or iron compounds dissolved.