86 Civil Booster (Civil Ki Goli Publication 9255624029)

Building Laws 16
• In Rural areas, these bye-Laws are directed by Revenue authorities
1. Building Lines:
(a) Set back or front building line: The line upto which the plinth of a
building adjoining a street or an extension of street or on a future
street may lawfully extened.
• This line is laid parellel to the plot boundries by the authority beyond
which nothing can be constructed.
(b) Control line: Certain buildings such as cinemas, business. centre
factories etc which attract large number of vehicles should be further
setback a further distance. apart from building line. This line which
accounts for extra-margin is called as control line.
(c) General building line: Sometime a line is fixed called general building
line & no building or its portion should project beyond this building
line.
Distances of building line & control line:
Type of road In open & River develop- Actual limit in
Agricultural ment along urban area.
country approach
Building control Building Control Building Control
Line Line Line Line Line Line
1. National & State
Highways 30 m 56 m 18 m 30 m 30 m 45 m
2. Major District
Roads 24 m 45 m 9m 15 m 15 m 24 m
3. Other District
Roads 15 m 24 m 6m 9m 9m 25 m
4. Village Roads 12 m 18 m 6m 9m 9m 25 m
National building code published in 1970, current version (2005)
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Special point:
(i) Generally in urban areas, the distance of control line is taken as one
& half times that of building line.
(ii) These distances are measured from centre of Roadway.
(iii) National building code specifies a minimum frontage of 6m on any
street.
Advantages of fixing such building lines:
(i) It facilitates future widening of street.
(ii) It keeps away the noise & dust of street.
(iii) It prevents formation of blind corners at intersection of streets and
provides open spaces.
2. Built- up (or covered Area) Limitation:
Total covered Area of all Floors
Floor Area Ratio (F.A.R) = 100
plot Aera
Floor Space Index (F.S.I)/Plan Efficiency/FAR
• FAR is used in classifying type of construction.
• FAR values are specified in Natinal Building code for different
occupancies and types of construction.
• The covered area is governed by F.A.R or F.S.I.
• Following limitations for bult-up area have been Recommended
(i) In a buisness area, the covered area shall not exceed 75% of the area
of site. provided sufficient space for parking, etc is available on the
same site.
(ii) In an industrial area the built - up area or covered area shall not
exceed 60% of the site areas.
(iii) In Residential areas, the covered areas are indicated as below.

Area of the plot Maximum permissible

built-up area
Less than 200 sq.m 66% with two-storeyed structure
200 sq.m to 500sq.m 50% of the site
500 sq.m to 1,000 sq.m 40% of the site
More than 1,000sq.m 33.33% or 1/3 rd of site.
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3. Open space Requirement around building:

• These are required for lighting & ventilation requirements of the rooms.
• The national building code recommends the following open space
requirements for varying heights of building.
(i) for buildings height less than 10m the following values for front, rear
& side yards are recommended as integral part of site:
(a) Front yard or open space width = 3m, when building fronting a
street.
Front yard or open space width = 3m, average & in no case less
than 1.8 m when building fronting two or more sides.
(b) Rear yard or open space width = 3m, average & is no case less
than 1.8 m, subject to condition of free ventilation.
(c) Side yard or open space width = 3m, minimum for every semi
detached or detached building.
(d) The minimum distance for construction of any Building from the
centre line of any street shall not be less than 7.5 m as determined
by authority.
(ii) For buildings with height more than 10m less than 25 m, the values of
open spaces (minimum), requied for height of 10m, are increased at
the Rate of 1m for every 3m or fraction the roof, for heights above 10
m.
(iii) For building with heights more than 25 m But less than 30m there
shall be a minimum open space of 10 m.
(iv) for building with heights above 30m the minimum open space of 10 m
requied for heights of 30m, shall be increased at the rate of 1m for
every additional height of 5m or fraction, subjected to a maximum of
16 m.
(v) The one side of one or more rooms intended for human habitation on
interior open space having width not less than 3m.
4. Provision to size, height and ventilation of rooms & appartments:
(A) Size : From the view of heat and ventilation, certain absolute minimum
areas for individual rooms & appartments have been laid by national building
code as follows:
(a) Habitable Room:
(i) If there is only one room, the minimum area = 9.5 sq.m with width
(minimum) of room =2.4 m.
(ii) It there are two rooms, the minimum area of one room = 9.5 sq.m
and area for other room shall be equal to 7.5 sq.m with minimum
width of 2.4m.
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(b) Kitchen:
(i) For kitchen - cum- store room, the minimum area = 5. sq.m with
minimum width of kitchen =1.8m
(ii) For kitchen having separate store, the minimum area for kitchen =
4.5 sq.m.
(iii) For kitchen having separate store, the minimum area = 9.5 sq.m
with minimum width of 2.4 m.
(c) Bathrooms & water - closets:
(i) For bathroom minimum size = 1.5 x 1.2 or area = 1.8 sqm.
(ii) Minimum area of floor = 2.8 sq.m
with a minimum width = 1.2 m
(iii) For water closet, minimum floor area = 1.1 sq.m.
(d) Mezzanine floor : It is an intermediate floor in a building which is
partly open to the Double-height ceiling floor below or which does not
extend over the which floor space of a building.
(i) The minimum area of mezzanine floor, which to be used as a
living room = 9.5 sq.m.
(ii) The total area of such mezzanine floor, in a building should not
exceed 1/3 rd of plinth area of a building.
(e) height of building & rooms.
• Height of the building is decided by two factors.
(i) Either by the width of street on which it fronts
(ii) The minimum width of rear space.
Maximum height limits of building
Width of street Height of the building
Say W-m height =1.5 W + front open space
(In general)
upto 8 m 1.5 times the width of street
8m to 12 m not more than 12 m
Above 12m Not more than width of street in
no case more than 24 m
Note: No plinth or building portion or out house shall be less than 30 cm
above any portion of around within 3 m distance of such a building.
• Minimum heights of individual rooms as specified by national building
code of India are as followed:
(a) For habitable rooms = 2.75m
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(b) For habitable room under row housing schemes = 2.6m

(c) For kitchen = 2.75m
(d) For bathroom & water closet=2.2m.
Note: The height of the building is measured upto the the room in case
of pitched roof & up to the surface of the roof in case of flat roof. In case
of pitch roof the pitch is not expected in exceed 45 degree or the height of
parapet by 3 ft in case of flat roof.
• The height at the building with respect to rent space is fixed by the
Imaginary lines i) Horizontal line ii) diagonal line.
• The Horizontal line is draw in the direction of the building at 63 1/2
degree from where horizontal line meets the rear boundry.
• No part of the building is allowed to project beyond the diagonal line
except that for minor port such as smoke chimney etc.
(c) Lighting & ventilation : Area of window opening exclusive of doors &
inclusive of frames is as specified below:
(i) 1/10th of the floor area for dry hot climate &
(ii) 1/6th of the floor area for wet hot climate.
• The average area of door & window shall not be less than 1/7th of the
floor area.
• For ventilating the spaces for w.c and bath rooms if not opening on the
front side, rear and interior open spaces, shall open onto ventilating shaft.
• The minimum size of such shaft are as given below:
Height of Building Minimum area of Minimum side
(in m) ventilating shaft of shaft (in m)
upto 12m 3 1.5
18 m 4.5 1.8
20m 6 1.8
• No portion of the room should be assumed as lighted, if it is more than
7.5m away from the opening assumed for lighting that portion.
5. Water supply & sanitary conveniences:
(A) Residences:
(i) Dwelling with individual conveniences should have atleast.
(I) One bathroom with lap
(II) One water closet (w.c), and
(III) One resink.
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• When only one w.c is provided in a dwelling the bathroom and the
water closet should be separataly accommodated.
(ii) Dwellings without individual - conveniences should have at least
following:
(I) One tap with draining arrangement in each terement.
(II) One w.c and one bath for crazy two terements &
(III) Water taps in common bathrooms & commom w.c.
(B) Building other than residence:
(i) For public building meant for offices, schools, colleges etc. should
be provided is determined on the basis of one person for each 5
sq.m of floor area of each room.
• For every 25 persons , there should be a w.c.
• For every 100 persons there should be an urinal.
• The sanitory unit for either six should be separate.
(ii) For buildings meant for cinemas, theaters and public assembly
halls one w.c for every 200 males or females there should be
provided urinals ,should be provided at the rate of one for 100
parsons.
(iii) For factory & workshop buildings there should be an absolute
minimum one w.c. for either six & total number of w.c. and uri-
nals are provided at following rate.
• One water closet for every 40 persons &
• One urinal for every 100 persons
Note: The number of persons in factory are decided on the basis of one
person per sq.m of grass floor area
6. Structural design or sizes & sections
(A) Depth of foundation should be taken as Below:
(i) For single- storeyed building =0.75 to 1.0m below finished G.L
(ii) For Double- storeyed building = 1.0m to 1.30m below finished G.L
(B) Width of foundation -The thickness of the wall in spread foundation
or stepped footings is extended by an offset on each side equal to half
brick width i.e. 5 cm
• The thumb rule to deternine the width of foundation is to Double
the thickness of wall in superstructure (just above plinth) and add
30cm
• The thickness of concrete in foundation should nearly be equal to
5/6 of the thickness of wall in superstructure .
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(C) Plinth : This portion of the building is in between the surface of the
overounding ground level
• The plinth level of the building is generally kept higher (generally
30 cm or more) than the surounding ground level such that ad-
equate drainage of site is assured.
• In case that the plinth is 20cm or less, then there is no need to
provide any step.
(D) Damp- proof course: D.P.C is provided to prevent moisture rising up
the wall.
• The horizontal D.P.C is usually 4.0cm thick of cement concrete
(3:2:4) is provided about 10 to 20 cm above final ground level.
• Materials used for D.P.C
(i) Flexible materials : Hot bitumen, bituminous felts, plastic sheet,
metal sheets of lead copper etc, bituminous sheet
(ii) Semi-Rigid materials, mastic asphalt, or combination of materials
or layers.
(iii) Rigid materials: use of classic brick, stones, slates etc in course;
cement concrete layer,