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Complete Guide to Building Materials in India

Practical insights and expert guidance to help you choose the right construction equipment

Plain-English guides to the materials an Indian building is actually made of: cement, steel, blocks, sand and aggregate. What each type is for, how to read the markings on a bag or bundle, and what to check before you pay.

Latest guide
Buying guide

Best Cement in India: How to Choose the Type, Grade and Brand

If you are standing at a counter choosing between two cement brands for a roof slab, the brand name is not what decides how strong that slab turns out. The type and…

· 11 min read· Parinita Kedia
Read guide
Overview

AAC Blocks: Sizes, Weight, Density and Where to Use Them

Almost every AAC block sold in India has the same face: 600 mm long and 200 mm tall,…

· 10 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Buying guide

Best TMT Bar in India: Grades, Brands and How to Choose

Pick the grade first and the brand second. For most houses going up in India today that means…

· 9 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

How to Calculate Building Materials: Cement, Sand, Aggregate and Steel

One cubic metre of M20 concrete takes roughly 8 bags of cement, 0.42 cubic metres of sand and…

· 3 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Overview

GST on Building Materials in India: Rates and HSN Codes

Cement is taxed at 18 per cent. Sand is 5. Bricks sit at 12 per cent, or 6…

· 12 min read· Parinita Kedia
Price guide

Concrete Admixture Types in India: Uses, Dosage and Price per Litre

A concrete admixture is a chemical added to concrete while it is being mixed, to change how the…

· 7 min read· Avi Saraf
Overview

Cover Block Size in India: Slab, Beam, Column and Footing

Indian drawings call for concrete cover of anywhere between 20 mm and 75 mm, and the cover block…

· 9 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Price guide

Cement Price in India: What Sets the Per-Bag Rate

Six things set the price of a 50 kg cement bag in India, and the brand printed on…

· 11 min read· Parinita Kedia
Types

Curing Compound for Concrete: Types, Coverage per Litre and How to Apply It

One litre of curing compound covers roughly 3.5 to 5 square metres (about 38 to 54 sq ft)…

· 12 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Overview

GGBS in Concrete: Full Form, IS Code and Replacement Limit

GGBS is ground granulated blast furnace slag: the glassy material that forms alongside molten iron in a blast…

· 13 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Cement Bag Weight in India: 50 kg, 25 kg, Tolerance, Volume and Size

A standard bag of cement in India holds 50 kg of cement, and the Indian Standards also allow…

· 10 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Comparison

Shotcrete: Process, Dry vs Wet Mix, Rebound and Uses

Spray concrete at a rock face or a tunnel roof and, if the mix and the speed are…

· 11 min read· Parinita Kedia
Types

Waterproofing Chemicals: Which Type for Terrace, Bathroom, Basement and Water Tank

Choosing waterproofing chemicals comes down to where the water is attacking, not to a brand. A terrace needs…

· 13 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Comparison

AAC Blocks vs Red Bricks: Strength, Weight, Cost and Which to Choose

If the wall sits on an RCC frame above the plinth, an AAC block usually beats a red…

· 11 min read· Parinita Kedia
Types

Types of Construction Chemicals: What Each Does and Where It Goes on Site

The types of construction chemicals sold in India come down to eleven families, and the easiest way to…

· 11 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Comparison

RMC vs Site Mix Concrete: Quality, Cost Drivers and When Each Wins

If your pour is a slab, a column run or a raft of M20 or stronger concrete, and…

· 11 min read· Parinita Kedia
Comparison

Fly Ash Bricks vs Red Bricks: Strength, Water Absorption, Size, Weight and Which to Use

When you choose between fly ash bricks and red bricks for a house wall, the strength class on…

· 12 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Types

Tile Adhesive Types: IS 15477 Type 1 to Type 5, Which Tile and Surface Needs Which, and Bed Thickness

There are five tile adhesive types under IS 15477, the Indian Standard for tile adhesive, numbered Type 1…

· 10 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Honeycombing in Concrete: Causes, Grades, Repair and How to Prevent It

Strip the shuttering off a fresh column and sometimes the bottom of it looks like a broken biscuit:…

· 13 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Types

Slump Test of Concrete: Procedure, Types of Slump and IS 456 Values

The slump test of concrete gives a site its answer in under three minutes: fill a 300 mm…

· 12 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Water Cement Ratio: What It Is, IS 456 Limits, M20 to M30 Values and Litres per Bag

Twenty-five litres of water mixed with one 50 kg bag of cement gives a water cement ratio of…

· 12 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Overview

Cube Test of Concrete: Procedure, 7 and 28 Day Strength, Sampling Frequency and IS 456 Acceptance

Three 150 mm concrete cubes, cast from the same batch that went into your slab and crushed in…

· 15 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Unit Weight of Building Materials: Cement, Sand, Aggregate, Concrete and Steel (IS 875)

Cement weighs 1,440 kg per cubic metre, dry sand 1,540 to 1,600 kg, plain concrete 2,240 to 2,400…

· 11 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Applications

Types of Bricks Used in Construction in India: Classes, Sizes and Uses

The types of bricks used in construction in India come in about fifteen kinds, and the Indian Standards…

· 10 min read· Parinita Kedia
Comparison

PCC vs RCC: Difference, Mix Ratio and Where Each Is Used in a House

If a piece of concrete only has to sit on the ground, fill a gap or give a…

· 12 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Comparison

Non-Shrink Grout: Grades, Flowable vs Pourable, and How to Pour It Under a Base Plate

A pump or crusher that keeps shaking its anchor bolts loose often has a thin air gap under…

· 12 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Binding Wire Consumption: How Much for 1 Ton of Steel, Which Gauge and IS 280 Rules

CPWD's Delhi Analysis of Rates allows no more than about 0.9 kg of binding wire per 100 kg…

· 12 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Overview

Damp Proof Course (DPC): Thickness, Mix Ratio, Materials and How It Is Laid

Indian houses usually get a damp proof course of 40 mm (about 1.5 inches) of 1:2:4 cement concrete,…

· 13 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Standard Door and Window Sizes in India: Size Chart in mm and Feet

Doors in Indian houses follow a 100 mm module, and the standard door size in India for a…

· 11 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Comparison

Gypsum Plaster vs Cement Plaster: Setting, Curing, Weight and Where Each Works

For the inside walls and ceilings of an Indian house, gypsum plaster gives a smooth, paint-ready finish in…

· 12 min read· Parinita Kedia
Overview

Setting Time of Cement: Initial and Final Setting Time, Vicat Test and IS Limits

Ordinary Portland cement sold in India must not start to set before 30 minutes and must be fully…

· 12 min read· Saurav Agarwal
Overview

Solid Block Size in India: 4, 6 and 8 Inch Blocks in mm, Weight and Count per Sq Ft

Ask a block yard in India for solid blocks and you will usually get a 400 x 200…

· 12 min read· Parinita Kedia

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