Code &Commentary IS:1905

PROVISIONS COMMENTARY
0. – Foreword C0. – Foreword
0.1 –
This Indian Standard (Third Revision) was
adopted by the Bureau of Indian Standards on
30 August 1987, after the draft finalized by the
Structural Safety Sectional Committee had
been approved by the Civil Engineering
Division Council.
This draft revision of IS: 1905 is prepared as a
project entitled “Review of building codes and
Handbook” awarded to IIT Kanpur by GSDMA,
Gandhinagar through World Bank Finances.

0.2 –
Structural adequacy of masonry walls depends
upon a number of factors, among which
mention may be made of quality and strength
of masonry units and mortars, workmanship,
methods of bonding, unsupported height of
walls, eccentricity in the loading, position and
size of openings in walls: location of cross
walls and the combination of various external
loads to which walls are subjected.

0.3 –
This code was first published in 1961. In its
revision in 1969, basic compressive stresses
and stress factors for slenderness were
modified resulting in increased permissible
stresses in load bearing brick and block walls.
Subsequently two more revisions were
published in 1980 & 1987. The following major
changes were made in its second revision:
a) Use of stones (in regular sized units),
concrete blocks, lime based blocks and
hollow blocks were included as masonry
units;
b) Mix proportions and compressive strengths
of mortars used in masonry were revised;
c) Optimum mortar mixes for maximum
strength of masonry for units of various
strengths were indicated;
d) Provisions for lateral supports to walls had
been amplified so as to include stability
requirements;
e) Conditions of support for calculation of
effective height of masonry walls and
columns, and effective length of masonry
walls were spelt out more clearly;
f) Maximum allowable slenderness ratio for
load bearing walls was increased;
g) In case of free-standing walls, height to

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