15CV81-MODULE 3

SPECIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF

RATES
SPECIFICATIONS

Specification is an important document attached with a tender form/contract agreement

which in most cases controls the quality of materials and works. Sometimes, specifications may
be used to describe matters which could not be explained clearly by drawings/sketches. This
chapter explains the different types of specifications and their necessity.

Definition

3. Specifications help the owner to check and satisfy with the works, during
execution.
4. In case of disputes between the owner and contractor with respect to the method
of construction, quality and quantity of materials used, equipments and machineries used etc, the
specifications play the major role in solving the disputes and arriving at a settlement.

Importance of Specifications
Drawings and Specifications form two important contract documents. Information such
as dimensions, type of construction, etc. Which can be easily expressed graphically is
put up on the drawings. On the other hand, instructions which can be easily expressed well in
writing are written in the specifications. But generally, the provisions in the specifications are
given more legal strength and most of the contracts state that in case of discrepancy between the
drawings and specifications, the provisions of the specifications shall be the final.

Types of Specifications

The specifications are broadly divided into three categories as

1. General or brief specifications,

2. Detailed Specifications
The detailed specifications form a part of the contract document. The detailed
specification of an item of work specifies the qualities and quanitites of materials, the proportion
of mortar, whorkmanship, the method of preparation and execution and the method of
measurement. The detailed specifications of different items of work are prepared separately
which describe what the work should be and how they should be executed and constructed.
Detailed specifications are written to express the requirements clearly in concise form avoiding
repetition and ambiguity. The detailed specifications are arranged as for as possible in the same
sequence or order as the work is carried out.
 The following provisions are made in the detailed specifications.

a. General provisions

b. Technical provisions.
a. General 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.

i. Conditions a relating to documents

iii. Conditions a relating to labour and personnel These

pertain to

Accidents to workmen

Contractors representative

Rates of wages paid to the employees

Removal of the employees of the contractor

 iv. 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.

v. Conditions a relating to measurements and payments

Jurisdiction of court etc. b.

Technical Provisions

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.

i. Specifications for materials and workmanship

 For materials the following properties should be included in the
specifications.

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

Commercial products which are standardized or patented are called proprietory

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 favouritism, it is general practice to specify the
selected brand and then it is followed by the phrase “or equal”.

3. Standard Specifications
 Specifications are seldom written completely for all items of the work. It is possible to
standardize specifications for most of the items occurring in works of similar nature. Hence
every engineering department prepares the detailed specifications of the various items of works
and gent them printed in book form under the name “Detailed Standard Specifications”. When
the work, or a structure or project is taken up0, instead of writing detailed specification every
time, the printed standard specifications are referred in the contract document and other
documents pertaining to the work. Tamilnadu Public Works Department following the
“Tamilnadu Building Practice”. The clauses of Indian Standards
(Code of Practice). National Building Code (NBC), Hand book by National Building

The style and tense should remain the same throughout.

3. Selection of works

While writing specifications, only suitable works with desired meaning should be used.
Unfamiliar works of works having more than one meaning should never be used in the
specifications.

4. Accuracy
 The information given in the specifications should be complete and correct, otherwise the
contractor may claim for any extra cost due to damage occurred to him by the misleading
information supplied by the specifications.

5. Practical limits and commercial sizes

The specifications should be framed keeping in view the practical limitations of materials and
workmanship and they should not specify practical impossibilities. Also, the specifications
should specify use of commercial sizes and patterns of the material.

6. Fairness

Brevity

Points to be Included in the Specifications

ii. Quantity of materials to be used and the methods of measurements to be

followed.

iii. Method of mixing when different materials are used.

iv. Construction methods to be followed mentioning the equipment and machinery to be

used.

v. Dimensions of works such as breadth, thickness etc.,

 vi. Methods of measurements of works for payments.

The points to be included in the specifications of some of the civil engineering

construction work are given below.

1. Specification for lime mortar concrete, surkimortar concrete and cement mortar
concrete

Specifications for lime, cement, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate – quality and
quantity of water – specification for lime mortar and surkimortar – volume batching or weigh
batching and proportion of ingredients – method of mixing – hand mix ding or

bricks in water – setting of bricks in mortar – thickness of joints – bond – raking joints for plaster
– uniform raising – maximum height for a day’s work – scaffolding – throating corbelling and
cornices – rounding off corners – plinth offsets – brick on edge coping – curing unit of
measurement and payment.

4. Specification for Stone masonry in lime mortar, surki mortar or cement mortar

Requirements of building stone – size and dressing of stones – hammer dressing chisel
dressing – bond stones – methods of laying stones – wetting of stones before placing
– specification of mortar – thickness of mortar bed and thickness of joints of filling the voids –
uniform raising – scaffolding – curing – methods of measurements and payment.

5. Specification for Plastering stone masonry or brick masonry with lime mortar, surki
mortar or cement mortar

Preparation of surcase – cleaning the surface – wetting and washing the surface –
specification of mortar – mix ratio – thickness of plaster – number of coats – application of
mortar on the surface – finishing – curing measurement and payment.

6. Specification for pointing stone masonry, brick masonry with lime mortar,

bricks.

iii. Super Structure: Brickwork in cement mortar 1:6 using 7.5 gradebricks.

iv. Flooring: Mosaic flooring over a base of 100 mm thick cement concrete 1:5:10
using 40 mm size brick bats.

v. Roofing: 120 mm thick R.C.C. roof in 1:2:4 concrete using 20 mm size blur
granite broken stone.
 vi. Finishing: Plastering the walls and ceilings with cement mortar 1:3, 12 mm
thick and finishing the same with three coats of white washing.

vii. Doors and Windows: Country wood doors and windows painted two coats with
ready mixed paint over a primer coat.

2. General specifications of few items of works involved in the laying of avillage road

i. Sub grade: Leveling and compacting the surface with a camber of 1:48 for 8 metre
width, uniform along the full length, with watering.

iii. Spreading of Chips: Spreading 12 mm size stone chips uniformly, 20 mm thick.

iv. Rolling: Rolling 6 to 8 trips with 8 ton power roller.

Examples of Detailed Specifications of Materials

1. Detailed Specification for sand for mortar

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 sifted through 600
micron sieve and used in mortars for plastering works.

2. Detailed Specification for first class bricks:

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 metre 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 compressive strength of the bricks shall be not less than

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.

5. Detailed Specification for water for concrete:

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.

6. Detailed Specification for coarse aggregate:

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

Leveling the surface

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.
Dimensions

The excavation shall be done in accordance with dimensions of trenches shown in the
working drawings.

Shoring

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.

Fencing

2. Detailed Specification for lime concrete in foundation

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.
 Broken Bricks

The overburnt 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.

Fine aggregate

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.

Proportioning

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.

Curing

The lime concrete, so laid, is to be kept wet for atleast 7 days.

3. Detailed specification of random rubble masonry in foundation and basement

 Stone

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.

Mortar

Cement mortar 1:6 to be used.

Method of Laying

The stones are to be laid on broadest face which gives better opportunity to fill the

cracks and with sharp and square edges. Bricks shall be uniform in shape and shall be of

standard size and shall give clear ringing sound when struck with each other.

Bricks shall e well soaked in water for atleast 12 hours before their use, preferably in a
tank provided at site of work.
 The proportion of mortar shall be one part of cement to five parts of sand by volume and
shall be prepared as per standard specification for cement mortar. The cement and sand shall
confirm to the standard specification.

Broken bricks shall not be used except as closers. All corners shall be truly to plumb.
Mortar joints shall break for bonding and shall not exceed 10
mm in thickness. Only skilled masons shall be employed on the work and the work shall be kept
well watered for atleast 15 days. All brickwork shall be carried out in such a way that no portion
is raised unduly above another.

The length and height shall be measured as on site. The thickness of walls shall be

Precast tiles of 200 mm x 200 mm x 20 mm size are to be used. They shall be

manufactured under hydraulic pressure of not less than 14 N/mm2 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.

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.

Curing, Polishing and Finishing

Materials

Portland cement of initial setting time not less than 30 minutes and medium size clean
sand free from organic matters and salts are to be sued for making mortar. The water to be used
shall be clean and potable.

Mixing Mortar
 The sand and cement shall be first mixed dry in the required proportion thoroughly to get
a uniform colour. The required amount of water shall be added slowly and gradually and the
mortar mixed wet to give a uniform paste.
Application of Mortar

The surface to be plastered shall be cleaned and wetted with water before the mortar is
applied. Plastering shall be started from the top and proceeded 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.

Curing

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.

8. Detailed specification for painting new wood work

Paint

Ready mixed paint of approved quality and colour shall be used.

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.

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

Pitch
The slope of the roof shall be not flatter than 1 vertical to 5 horizontal and not
steeper than 1 vertical 1 horizontal.

Fixing
The sheets shall be fixed to the purlins from the top of corrugation by 8
mm dia G.I. hooks and nuts. The holes shall be drilled and not punched. Each hook shall have
a bitumen washer and metal washer placed over the sheet before the nut is screwed.
 Ridges and Hips
Ridges and hips shall be of the same brand of the sheets and have the same patern of
corrugations. They shall be free from cracks and damages. The ridge capping shall be screwed to
the ridge purlins by same type of bolts used for fixing the sheets.

10. Detailed specification for form work and centering to R.C.C. Roofing

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

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.

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.

11. Detailed specification for damp proof course (D.P.C.)

Damp Poof Course wil 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

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
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.

12. Detailed specification for cement concrete flooring

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. (For
method of mixing refer item number 11). 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 atleast 3 days before the tope laying being laid over it.

13. Detailed specification for providing and fixing A.C. Rain Water pipes

The asbestos cement pipes shall be of 100 mm internal diameter, 2.0 m length, weighing
12 kg each and free from cracks, flaws etc. The wall thickness is to be uniform and the surfaces
shall be smooth. Galvanished iron bat
clamps are to be provided at 1.0 m interval to fix the pipe with the wall in vertical position.
The clamps are to be rigidly fixed to the wooden plugs by 75
mm long screws. The spigot end of the upper pipe shall be centrally placed into the socket end of
the lower pipe, with uniform gap alround which shall be filled with spun yarn soaked in
bitumen to one-third depth and with cement – mortar 1:2 to the remaining two – third depth, the
top being finished smooth
with 450 slopes. The joints shall be cured for at least seven days by tying pieces of gunnies
around them and keeping them we. A.C. Shoes are to be fitted at the bottom end of each pipe
with a clear gap of 150 mm above the ground.

metal shall not be less than 17 and the attrition number shall be between 7 and 8. In impact

test, the road metal shall withstand a height of 180 to 200 mm and in cementation test, it shall
withstand 100 blows.

The road metal shall be placed on the existing soling in two layers, each layer being
consolidated so that the final thickness of two layers will be 10 mm IRC 50 mm size and IRC 40
mm size stones are used in equal proportions.

Each layer of the road metal shall be rolled dry so that a dense and properly interlocked
surface is obtained. Rolling shall be continued till the stoens do not move under the weight of the
roller.
 The finishing coat shall consist of sand blindage and then the required amount of water
shall be spread over the surface. The rolling shall then be started and continued till a loaded cart
goes over the finished surface without making any mark. The road shall then be opened for
traffic.

The payment shall be made for the actual work done on superficial area
basis.

Factors affecting cost of civil works:

Various factors influence the cost estimation of a construction project. Preparation of a

construction cost estimate for any project is a very complex process which consists of many
variable factors. Every variable has to be correctly estimated based on proper study, past
experience and research to calculate total project cost of construction.

There are many factors which affect the construction cost estimate and have significant
impact on project cost and they are as following:

1. Similar Construction Projects

For the construction estimate, the best reference will be similar construction projects. The
final cost of those similar projects can give the idea for the new construction project cost
calculation. The final cost of past project needs to be factored with current construction cost
indices.

2. Construction Material Costs

Construction material cost consists of material cost, shipping charges and taxes
applicable if any. So, it is important consider all these variations while calculating construction
material cost.

3. Labor Wage Rates

Labor wages varies place to place. So, local wage rate should be considered in
calculation. If the project has to be started after several months of estimating the project cost, the
probable variation in wage rates has to be considered in the calculation.

4. Construction Site Conditions

Project site conditions can increase construction costs. Site conditions such as poor soil
conditions, wetlands, contaminated materials, conflicting utilities (buried pipe, cables, overhead
lines, etc.), environmentally sensitive area, ground water, river or stream
crossings, heavy traffic, buried storage tanks, archaeological sites, endangered species habitat
and similar existing conditions etc. can increase the project cost during construction phase if
these variations are not considered during estimation.

5. Inflation Factor

A construction project can continue for years before completion. During the construction
period, the cost of materials, tools, labors, equipments etc. may vary from time to time. These
variation in the prices should be considered during cost estimation process.

6. Project Schedule

Duration of construction project is affects the cost. Increase in project duration can
increase the construction project cost due to increase in indirect costs, while reduction in
construction cost also increases the project cost due to increase in direct costs. Therefore,
construction project schedules also need to be considered during project cost estimation.

7. Quality of Plans & Specifications

Good quality construction plans and specifications reduces the construction time by
proper execution at site without delay. Any vague wording or poorly drawn plan not only causes
confusion, but places doubt in the contractor’s mind which generally results in a higher
construction cost.

8. Reputation of Engineer

Smooth running of construction is vital for project to complete in time. The cost of
projects will be higher with sound construction professional reputation. If a contractor is
comfortable working with a particular engineer, or engineering firm, the project runs smoother
and therefore is more cost-effective.

9. Regulatory Requirements

Approvals from regulatory agencies can sometimes be costly. These costs also need to be
considered during cost estimate.

10. Insurance Requirements

Cost estimation for construction projects should also need to consider costs of insurance
for various tools, equipments, construction workers etc. General insurance requirements, such as
performance bond, payment bond and contractors general liability are normal costs of
construction projects. In some special projects, there can be additional requirements which may
have additional costs.

11. Size and Type of Construction Project

 For a large construction project, there can be high demand for workforce. For such a
requirements, local workmen may not be sufficient and workmen from different regions need be
called. These may incur extra costs such projects and also for the type of construction project
where specialized workforce is required.

12. Location of Construction

When a location of construction project is far away from available resources, it increases
the project cost. Cost of transportation for workmen, equipments, materials, tools etc. increases
with distance and adds to the project cost.

13. Engineering Review

Sometimes it is necessary to carry out technical review of construction project to make

sure the project will serve the required purpose with optimum operational and maintenance cost.
This review cost shall also be added to the project cost.

14. Contingency

It is always advisable to add at least 10% contingency towards the total project costs for
unforeseen costs and inflation.

Types of Construction Project Costs – Direct and Indirect Costs

Any construction project consists of direct and indirect costs which forms the total costs
and expenses resulting from the use of principal components for implementing construction
projects.

Different classification of construction project costs and their features are explained
below.

Types of Construction Project Costs

Before moving into the main classification of project costs, some of the specific costs
encountered in construction projects are explained below.

1. Fixed Cost

This is defined as the cost spent once for a particular point of time. The purchase of
equipment, machinery etc comes under fixed cost assets.

2. Time-Related Cost

Time-related cost is the cost spend for a particular activity for a given duration. The cost
spent on wages, equipment and building rents etc comes under this category.

3. Quantity -Proportional Cost

 This type of cost will vary based on the quantities. Materials costs are examples of
quantity-proportional costs.

Major classification of construction projects costs are:

Project direct costs

Project Indirect Costs

Total Project Cost = Project Direct Costs + Project Indirect Costs Direct

Costs of Construction Project

The costs and expenses that are accountable directly on a facility, function or product are
called as direct costs. In construction projects, the direct costs are the cost incurred on labor,
material, equipment etc.

These costs for a construction project are developed as estimates by means of detailed
analysis of the contract activities, construction method, the site conditions, and resources.

Different direct costs in construction projects are material costs, labor costs,
subcontractor costs, and equipment costs.

Indirect Costs of Construction Project

The costs, unlike direct costs, is not directly accountable for a particular facility, product
or function. Indirect costs can be either variable or fixed.

The main sections coming under indirect costs are personnel costs, security costs, and
administration costs. These costs do not have a direct connection with the construction project.

The indirect cost can be classified as:

1. Project Overhead Costs

In a construction project, the cost of some of the items cannot be directly allocated for a
specific activity. Most of the site related costs come under this section and are categorized as
project overhead costs.

Project overhead costs can either be fixed or time-related costs. Different costs coming
under overhead costs are the costs of stores, safety facilities, workshops, offices, staffs and
parking facilities. All those plants that are required to support the working crews will come under
this cost.

The overhead cost is estimated by a detailed analysis of the site-related activities and
their cost. Hence an accurate cost estimate is obtained. Most of the companies make
 use of forms and checklist developed by them to estimate these costs. The site overhead costs
account for 5 to 15% of the total project costs.

2. General Overhead Costs

The general overhead costs cannot be directly charged for a specific project. These form
the costs that are used to support the overall activities of the company. The general overhead
costs will include the cost of the design engineers, expenses of head-office, cost of directors and
managers, schedulers etc.

The general overhead expense and cost are found reasonable through continuous
monitoring of the company expenses. The general overhead costs account for 2 to 5 % of the
contract direct costs.

The amount of the general overhead that should be allocated to a specific project equals:

Rate Analysis for Reinforced Concrete Construction

First step to rate analysis is the estimation of labour, materials, equipments and
miscellaneous items for particular quantity of reinforced concrete. The second step is to
determine the component of structure for which the RCC rate analysis is required, as the quantity
of reinforcement steel varies with slabs, beams, columns, foundation, RCC Roads etc., though
the quantity of other materials like sand, coarse aggregate and cement remain the same with the
same mix design (mix proportion) of concrete.

Labour rates for reinforcement work changes with type of structural component as the
quantity of reinforcement steel changes. The Quantity of materials like sand, cement and coarse
aggregates vary with mix design such as M15 (1:2:4), M20 (1:1.5:3), M25, M30 etc..

Here we will see the rate analysis for 1m3 of reinforced concrete.

Data required for RCC Rate Analysis:

1. Estimation of materials:

Material estimation include sand, cement, coarse aggregate and steel for a particular mix
design. Let us consider a mix design of 1:1.5:3 for our estimation practice. The dry volume of
total materials required is considered as 1.54 times the wet volume of concrete, due to voids
present in sand and aggregates in dry stage. Therefore, for our calculation, we
will consider the total volume of materials required as 1.54 m3 for 1 m3 of wet concrete.

d) Estimation of Reinforced Steel:

Quantity of steel required depends on components of structure, i.e. slabs, beams,

columns, foundations, roads etc. To estimate the steel required, there are two methods.

First method is, when we have the drawing available, we can calculate the total weight of
steel required divided by total volume of concrete for different components. This will give us the
weight of reinforcement steel per cubic meter of concrete.

Second method is assuming the percentage of reinforcement for different components.

Following are the percentage of reinforcement steel generally required per different components.
Its values can vary from structure to structure, and can be assumed from past experiences of
similar structure.

For slabs = 1.0 % of concrete volume.

For Beam = 2 % concrete volume.

For column = 2.5 % of concrete volume.

For RCC Roads, 0.6% concrete volume.

Lets take example of RCC Column, where reinforcement required is 2.5% of concrete
volume, weight of steel required will be:
 2. Labour Requirement for 1m3 of RCC:

Labours required are presented in terms of days required by particular labour to complete
its work for the given quantity of concrete. Following are the various labours required:

a) Mason: As per Standard Schedule of Rates and Analysis of Rates, One mason is
required for 0.37 days.

b) Labours: One Unskilled labours required for 3.5 days.

c) Water carrier: One water carrier required for 1.39 days.

d) Bar Bender: Bar bender requirement depends on weight of reinforcement. Lets

consider one bar bender required for 100 kg of steel as for 1 day.

e) Mixer Operator: One mixer operator required for 0.0714 days.

f) Vibrator Operator: One vibrator operator required for 0.0714 days.

3. Equipments and sundries:

Equipment and other charges, such as water charges, miscellaneous items, tools and
tackles etc can be assumed as some percentage of total cost of materials and labours. Lets say it
as 7.5%.

4. Contractor’s Profit:

Contractor’s profit depends on place to place, organization to organization and work to

work. It varies from 10 – 20%. For our case lets assume it as 15% of total cost of materials,
labours and equipments.

We have calculated the quantity of every item in above 1 – 3 steps. For rate analysis of
RCC, we need to multiply each quantity with their rates to get the amount for every item of
work. Rates vary from place to place and time to time. It is advisable to assume local rates or
standard rates of the place.

The sum total of all the four items above will give the rate or cost for 1m3 of concrete.