PWD issues guidelines to ensure quality, durability of buildings in Delhi: Officials

New Delhi: The Public Works Department in Delhi has issued a set of guidelines to be followed during construction to ensure quality and durability of buildings, officials said on Friday.

It has also instructed officials to ensure that there was no use of substandard material in construction activity.

The move comes after the department found instances of deterioration in building structures in a very short period as compared to their designed life, it said in a circular.

Works department officials said the department had issued a circular asking executive engineers, assistant engineers, junior engineers and contractors to thoroughly inspect each building and other development works and prepare a list of building-wise deficiencies. They have been asked to attend to these deficiencies in a systematic manner to ensure quality.

"It is very important to ensure desired quality of the structures so as to live its designed life as well as to reduce the future maintenance expenditure," the works department said in the circular issued on Thursday.

The guidelines stated that it should be ensured that the structural design was based only on the site's soil investigation report and foundations rested on firm ground and not filled-up soil.

Along with the soil, the quality of water to be used in construction should be tested before start of work, it said.

For repair of minor honeycombing in concrete, the guidelines dissuaded dismantling and suggested that it be repaired after removing the loose portion, followed by injection grouting.

The circular stated that the honeycombed area should not be plastered before proper treatment.

Honeycombs are hollow spaces or cavities in concrete mass that may be dangerous for any building or flyover as it reduces structural strength, the officials said.

The circular also suggests locating floor traps for drainage in toilets in a corner to achieve proper sloping.

Flooring levels of wet areas should be lower than the

general floor, it said. The slope in wet areas (toilet, kitchen, bath etc.), verandah, roofs

and canopies should be checked by flooding.