[05-Building

bye-laws]

[Building & town

planning ]

[civil engineering]
 Building bye laws:

 Rules & Regulation framed by town planning authorities by covering the requirements of
buildings, ensuring safety of the public through open spaces, minimum size of room and
height and area limitation are known as Building Bye-laws.
 Formulated to get disciplined growth of building and the better planned development of
Towns and cities.
 Building requirements to protect inmates living in the house, neighbors & public passing by
side of the building against structural failure, fire accidents & insanitary conditions.
 Fundamental principles behind bye-laws are safety, comfort, Aesthetics & conformity.

National building code (NBC):

 A comprehensive building code, providing guideline for regulating the building

construction activities across the country.
 Serve as a model code for adoption by all agencies such as government construction
departments, local bodies & other private construction agencies.

The code contains:

 Administrative regulation,
 Development control rules & general building requirements,
 Fire safety requirements,
 Stipulation regarding materials,
 Structural design & construction including safety,
 Building & plumbing services,
 As a culmination of the project, the revised NBC has now been brought out as a National
building code of India 2005 (NBC 2005),
 NBC 2005 contains 11 parts and further divided into sections totaling 26 chapters.

Different sections in NBC are as follows:

 Integrated approach
 Development control rules & general building requirements,
 Building material
 Structure design
 Constructional privacy & safety
 Fire & life safety
 Building services, i.e. lighting, ventilation, electricity & allied installations, noise control,
etc…

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 Plumbing services, i.e. water supply, drainage & sanitation, gas supply etc.
 Landscaping, sign & outdoor display structures.

Objectives/Necessity of Building bye-laws:

 Provide guidance to Architects & Engineers to plan building activities,

 Prohibit & Prevent haphazard & irregular growth of the city,
 It specifies the type of material to be used.
 Provide easy approach, health & comfort to the inmates of building.
 Provide safety to the inmates & minimize impact on neighborhood against fire, noise,
health, hazard &structural or seismic failure.
 Provide easy access to utilities as water supply & drainage pipe for maintenance purpose.
 Growth of Township is streamlined by maintaining uniform height of building and uniform
frontage.

Applicability of Building bye-laws:

 New construction:
Any proposed building to be constructed on a particular size should be designed and
constructed as per building bye-laws, so proposed building plan should be approved by
urban development authorities or municipal body before commencing construction work.

 Additions & Alteration to building:

If owner desire to make certain additions, alterations, modifications or extensions of an
existing building, plans of proposed modifications in the building should be approved by
concerned authority

 Occupancy of building changed:

(e.g. Residential building used as educational building), bye-laws apply to all parts of the
building affected by change.
Where any part or whole of the building is demolished, bye-laws apply to the remaining
part of the building & to the work involved in demolition.

Scope of Building bye-laws:

 Building frontage line & minimum Plot size,

 Built-up area of building,
 Height of building,
 Open spaces around the building,
 Provision for means of access,
 Minimum standard dimensions of building elements,
 Provision for opening for proper light & ventilation,
 Provision for safety for fire & explosion

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 Provision for water supply & Drainage,
 Provision for safety of workers against hazard or accidents
 Requirements for off street parking spaces,
 Requirement for Green belt & landscaping,
 Special requirement for low income housing
 Size of structural elements.

Figure 5.1 Plot area

Building bye-laws terminology:

1. Built up area (Covered area): Open space

Open space

Open space

 Area covered by the building Area of

immediately above plinth level (Ground construction
floor)
 Built up area = Plot area – Area of open
space Open space

Figure 5.2 Built up area

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 Following not includes built-up area:

 Compound wall, Gate, Uncovered staircase, Area

covered by Chajja
 Drainage conduit, Catch pit, Gully pit, Chamber
gutter
 Garden, Well structure, Plant, Nursery, Water
pool, Swimming pool, Platform around a tree,
Tank, bench, Chabutra with open top etc…
 Watchman’s booth, Pump house, Garbage shaft,
Electric cabin, Sub-station, etc…

Figure 5.2(a) Built up area

example with plan
2. Plinth area:

 Built-up covered area measured at floor level of basement or of any “storey”.

Following included in plinth area

 Area of walls at all floor level excluding plinth offset or column projections beyond
cladding.
 Internal shaft of sanitary installations, air-conditioning duct, lifts
 Porches & others provided
 Area of “Barasati” and “mumty” at terrace level

Following not included in plinth area

 Area of lofts
 Uncovered balconies
 Vertical sun breakers, box louvers projection out etc..
 Architectural band, cornices etc.

 “Barasati”: covered space open at least on one side, constructed on a terrace & used for
shelter during rain.
 “mumty” : cabin like structure with a covering roof over a staircase & landing

3. Floor area:

 Usable Built-up area of building at any floor level excluding area of walls.
 Floor area = Plinth area – Wall area

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 Following included in wall area Following not included in wall area
 Door & other opening in the  Fire place projecting beyond
wall the wall in living or bed room
 Internal pillars & supports  Platform projecting beyond the
 Plaster along the walls wall in kitchen
 Flues within the walls

4. Carpet area:

 It is floor area of the usable rooms at any floor level,

 Not include the space covered by common areas such as
lobby, lifts, stairs, play area etc.
 Area that can be covered by a carpet.

Following not includes carpet area:

 Sanitary accommodation
 Veranda
 Staircase & mumty
 Corridors & passages
 Shaft for lifts
 Stores in domestic building
 Barasati
 Entrance hall & porches Figure 5.3 Carpet area example with plan
 Garages
 Air conditioning ducts & plant rooms
 canteens

5. FSI (Floor space index):

 The ratio of total floor is inclusive of walls (Total built-up area of all floors) to the area of
land on which the building stands is known as the Floor space index (FSI).
 It is also known as Floor area ratio (FAR).
 The value of FSI/FAR is determined by local authority and it is different for different area
and for different building of the town.

−
FSI = FAR =

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 Figure 5.4 FSI criteria

 FSI criteria control the development activity on the plot and thus can be used as a measure
to check density of population.
 It limits the total built-up area of building in relation to the area. A FSI 1.6 means that the
total area of all floors in a building can not be greater than 1.6 times the area of plot.

Sr.
Area FSI Remark
no.
1. Scheme area 1 Maximum allowed on ground floor – 0.4
2. City area 4 Facing street of more than 12m width
3. City area 3 Facing street of less than 12m width
4. Scheme area 1.5 Maximum allowed on ground floor – 0.5
5. Scheme area 1.33 Maximum allowed on ground floor(G.F.) – 0.4

6. Set back:

 It is front margin or open space to be

left beyond the extreme to be left beyond the
extreme edge of the road to the front line of
the building (including excavations for
foundations & projections of sun shades of
balcony of super structure.
 Land contained in setback Belong to
owner of the property but he is prohibited
from putting any structure in the set back
portion.
 This land can be used by authority in
future.
Figure 5.5 Set back
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 Sr. Width of Road Set back
no. (m) (m)
1. Width up to 12 1.5
2. Width > 12 2.0
3. Width < 3 & Length <30 No set back

Advantages:
 Better condition of Air, Light & Ventilation,
 Availability of Land for load widening
 Availability of parking vehicles.
 Improve visibility & impact safety to traffic
 Protection of building against street nuisance like noise
 Reduce danger of fire by increasing distance between two opposite building
 Improve appearance of the road
 Provide privacy

7. Set back line:

 A line parallel to the plot boundaries & lay down by authority beyond which nothing can be
constructed.

Figure 5.6 Setback line

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8. Building line & Control line:

 The line up to which the plinth of the building

adjoining a street or load or on Future Street may
lawfully extend.
 Also refers to line of building frontage & generally
buildings are allowed to be constructed up to this
line.
 Certain building like cinema commercial centers,
which required additional space for parking of
large number of vehicles. So such kind of the
building is set back a further distance apart from
building line. The line up to which such buildings
can be constructed is known as Control line. Figure 5.7 Control line

LOT line

Rear yard Building area Required

set back yard

Building area or Foot

Side yard print building line
set back

Front yard
Front LOT line
set back
Street R.O.W
Stree

Figure 5.8 Building line & set back

9. Consolidated open plot:

 For a particular development of site, certain % of land area is kept as a open space & it is
known as consolidated open plot (C.O.P).
 C.O.P. = 30% of total land area
 At C.O.P., projections like weather shed of 0.6m width, gallery of 1.2m width & steps are
permitted.

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 Margins & approaches to building inclusive in C.O.P.
 If area of C.O.P. exceed 500 sq.mt. The C.O.P. may be permitted to be subdivided into two
units, with one such unit being of minimum size 15m x 15m.

10. Light plane:

 In city area it is known the construction is allowed

on the full area without the provisions of margins on
any side.
 In such cases it becomes necessary to check that the
height of one building does not obstruct ventilation
of the property on the other side of road.
 For this purpose a light plane is market at a suitable
angle from the edge of road on others & the height
of building is suitably curtailed off to allow the light
plane to pass as shown in fig. 5.9 (a).
 The angle of light plane is 45o to 63.5o, the latter is most Figure 5.9 (a) Light plane
common.
 The rule states that no part of the tall building should cut the light plane drawn from the
boundary of the plot at an angle either 45o or 63.5o to the horizontal.
 The ratio of height of building to width of road will be 1:1 in case of 45o light plane and 2:1
in case of 63.5o light plane.
Common Common
boundary boundary
S

45o 45o 63.5o

Figure 5.9 (b) Light plane Figure 5.9 (c) Light plane

11. Loft:

 It is an intermediate floor between two floors with a maximum height of 1.5m. It is

constructed for storage purpose.

12. Porch or Portico:

 It means a roof cover supported on pillars or cantilever projection for the purpose of
pedestrian or vehicular approach.

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13. Mezzanine floor:

 It is intermediate floor between two floors overhanging a floor beneath.

 The minimum height of mezzanine floor shall be 2.2m.
 The minimum size of mezzanine floor, if it is to be used as a living room shall not less than
9.5 sq.mt.
 The aggregate area of such mezzanine floor in a building shall in no case exceed 1/3 the
plinth area of the building.

Figure 5.10 understanding of different types of area

Building bye laws for residential area:

1. Size of plot & frontage

2. Area limitation
3. Margin or open space
4. Minimum standard dimensions of building elements
I. Height of building
II. Plinth height
III. Parapet wall height
IV. Compound wall
V. Basement or cellar
VI. Minimum area of rooms

1. Size of plot & frontage:

 Frontage is a space between adjoining street and plot.

 Each plot shall have a minimum size/frontage corresponding to the type of
development as given below:

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 Sr.
Type of development Plot size Frontage
no.
1 Detached building Above 250 m2 Above 12 m
2 Semi- detached building 125 - 250 m2 8 to 12 m
3 Row type building 50 -125 m2 4.5 to 8 m

2. Area limitation:

 It is achieved by satisfying FAR / FSI.

 FAR / FSI is specified into account the following aspect:
o Occupancy class
o Type of construction
o Width of street fronting the building & traffic load
o Locality where the building is proposed & the density
o parking facilities
o local fire fighting facilities
o water supply & drainage facilities

Sr.
Area of plot Maximum permissible built up area
no.
66.67% of plot area on ground floor & first floor. Nothing is
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1 Less than 200 m allowed on second floor except barasati not exceeding 25% on
ground floor
2 201 to 500 m2 50% plot area or 133 m2 whichever is more
3 501 to 1000 m2 40% plot area or 250 m2 whichever is more
4 More than 1000 m2 33.33% plot area or 400 m2 whichever is more
3. Margin or open space:

 The open spaces inside and around the building particularly residential type, have to
be provided to cater for lighting & ventilation requirements.

a. Front margin
 Every building fronting a street shall have a front space, forming an integral part of
the site as below:
Sr. Min front open Width of street
no. space fronting the plot (m)
1. 1.5* m Up to 7.5 m
2. 3.0 m 7.5 to 18 m
3. 4.5 m 18 to 30 m
4. 6.0 m Above 30 m
*For a building up to a maximum height of 7m

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  In case a building abuts two or more streets, the average width of front open space
is based on average width of street and at nowhere less than 1.8m
 For street less then 7.5m in width, the distance of building line shall be at least 5m
from the center line of the street.

b. Rear margin
 Every residential building shall have a rear open space, forming an integral part of
the site, of an average width of 3m & at no place measuring less than 3m thought.
 In case of back to back site, the width of rear opening shall be 3m thought.
 For plot of depth less than 9m, for building up to 7m in height, the rear open space
may be reduced to 1.5m.

c. Side margin
 Every semi detached & detached residential building shall have a side open space,
forming an integral part of the site as below:

Sr. no. Type of building Min. side open space

1 Detached building 3 m on both sides
2 Semi- detached building 3 m on one sides
3 Row type building Not required
The above criteria are applicable to buildings up to maximum height of
10m.

 Margin open space

 Exemption to open space

Projection in open space:

 Cornices, roof or weather shade not more than 0.75m wide.
 Sunshades over windows, ventilators not more than 0.75m wide.
 Projection balconies at higher floors width not more than 0.9m wide.

4. Minimum standard dimensions of building elements:

Accessory building:
 In an existing building, sanitary block of 2.4m in height & maximum 4m2 area shall be
permitted in the rear margin at a distance of 1.5m from the rear boundary.

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 I. Height of building:
 The height and number of storey for a building are related to FAR. Where the
building height is not covered by FAR or open space requirement, the maximum
height shall be limited according to the width of street as below:
 The maximum height of building shall not exceed 1.5 times width of road abutting
plus the front margin.

Height exemption:
 The following appurtenant structures shall not be included in the height of the
building unless the aggregate area of such structures including pent-houses, exceed
one-third of the area of the roof of building upon which they are erected:
 Roof tank and their supports
 Ventilating, air-conditioning, lift-rooms
 Roof structures other than pent-house
 Chimney and parapet walls not exceeding 1m in height

II. Plinth height:

 The plinth shall be located with respect to the surrounding ground level that
adequate drainage of the site is assured.
 The height of the plinth shall not be less than 45cm from surrounding ground level.

III. Parapet wall height:

 Parapet walls & handrails provided on the edge of roof terraces, balcony, verandah,
etc. shall be not less than 1.05m and not more than 1.20m in height from finished
floor level.

IV. Compound wall:

It is provided at outer side of building, the requirement of compound wall are as

below:
 Except with the special permission of the authority, the maximum height of
compound wall shall be 1.5 m above the center line of the front street. Compound
wall up to 2.4 m height may be permitted if the top 0.9 m is of open type
construction of a design to be approved by authority.
 In case of a corner plot, the height of boundary wall shall be restricted to 0.75 m for
length of 10 m on the front and side of the intersections and the balance height of
0.75m if required in accordance with (a) may be made up of open type construction
(through railing) and of design to be approved by the authority.

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V. Basement and cellar:

 The basement shall not be used for residential purpose.

 The basement to be constructed within the prescribed set-backs and building lines
subjected to maximum on entrance floor may be put to only the following uses:
1. Storage of households
2. Strong rooms, bank cellars
3. Air-conditioning equipment and other machines
4. Parking places

The basement shall have following requirements:

 The height of basement from the floor to the underside of the roof slab or ceiling
shall not be less than 2.4 m.
 The minimum height of the ceiling of any basement shall be 0.9 m and maximum 1.2
m above the average ground level.
 Adequate arrangement shall be made such that the surface drainage does not enter
the basement.
 The walls & floors of the basement shall be watertight.
 The access to the basement shall be separate from the main and alternative
staircase providing access and exit from higher floor.
 Open ramps be permitted if they are constructed within the building line.

VI. Minimum area of rooms:

 Habitat rooms, bed room, living room, drawing room, dining room, study room =
min. area 9.5 m2
 Kitchen = 5 m2
 Kitchen + dining = 7.5 m2 min. width 2.1 m
 Bathroom = 1.8 m2 min. width 1.2 m
 Water - closet = 1.1 m2 min. width 0.9 m
 Bathroom + Water - closet = 2.8 m2 min. width 1.2 m
 Store room = 3 m2
 Staircase = min. width 1.0 m, Tread = 0.25 m, Riser = 0.15 m

Thank you
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