Indian Standards (IS Codes) provide specifications and guidelines for reinforcement steel, reinforced concrete design, prestressed concrete, reinforcement detailing, seismic detailing, and special concrete structures. The following is a useful reference list for civil and structural engineers.
1. Reinforcement Steel — Primary Standards
| IS Code | Year / Edition | Subject / Application |
|---|---|---|
| IS 432 (Part 1) | 2026 | Mild steel and medium tensile steel bars for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 432 (Part 2) | 1982 | Hard-drawn steel wire for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 1566 | 1982 | Hard-drawn steel wire fabric for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 1786 | 2008 | High-strength deformed steel bars and wires for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 10790 (Part 2) | 1984 | Sampling of reinforcing steel |
| IS 9417 | 1989 | Recommendations for welding cold-worked bars for reinforced concrete construction |
| IS 13620 | 1993 | Fusion-bonded epoxy-coated reinforcing bars |
| IS 2502 | 1963 | Code of practice for bending and fixing of bars for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 5525 | 1969 | Recommendations for detailing of reinforcement in reinforced concrete works |
| SP 34 | 1987 | Handbook on concrete reinforcement and detailing |
2. RCC Design and Detailing Codes
| IS Code | Year | Main Use |
|---|---|---|
| IS 456 | 2000 | Plain and reinforced concrete — Code of Practice |
| IS 13920 | 2016 | Ductile detailing of reinforced concrete structures subjected to seismic forces |
| IS 2502 | 1963 | Bending and fixing reinforcement |
| IS 5525 | 1969 | Recommendations for reinforcement detailing |
| SP 34 | 1987 | Handbook on concrete reinforcement and detailing |
| IS 9077 | 1979 | Corrosion protection of reinforcement |
| IS 15916 | 2010 | Building design and construction using prefabricated concrete |
| IS 16700 | 2023 | Criteria for structural safety of tall concrete buildings |
IS 456 is the fundamental Indian Standard used for the design of plain and reinforced concrete structures.
For seismic RCC structures, IS 456, IS 1893 and IS 13920 are commonly used together.
3. Prestressed Concrete — Important IS Codes
| IS Code | Year | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| IS 1343 | 2012 | Prestressed concrete — Code of Practice |
| IS 1785 (Part 1) | 1983 | Plain hard-drawn steel wire for prestressed concrete — cold-drawn stress-relieved wire |
| IS 1785 (Part 2) | 1983 | Plain hard-drawn steel wire for prestressed concrete — as-drawn wire |
| IS 2090 | 1983 | High-tensile steel bars for prestressed concrete |
| IS 6003 | 2010 | Indented wire for prestressed concrete |
| IS 6006 | 1983 | Uncoated stress-relieved strand for prestressed concrete |
| IS 14268 | 1995 | Uncoated stress-relieved low-relaxation seven-ply strand for prestressed concrete |
| IS 10790 (Part 1) | 1984 | Sampling of prestressing steel |
IS 1343 is the principal code for the design and construction of prestressed concrete structures.
4. Earthquake-Resistant Reinforcement Detailing
| IS Code | Subject |
|---|---|
| IS 1893 (Part 1) | Criteria for earthquake-resistant design of structures — General provisions and buildings |
| IS 13920 | Ductile design and detailing of reinforced concrete structures subjected to seismic forces |
| IS 4326 | Earthquake-resistant design and construction of buildings |
| IS 15988 | Seismic evaluation and strengthening of existing reinforced concrete buildings |
| IS 16700 | Structural safety of tall concrete buildings |
For seismic RCC design, the commonly used combination is:
IS 1893 + IS 456 + IS 13920
5. Concrete and Material Standards Related to Reinforcement
| IS Code | Subject |
|---|---|
| IS 383 | Coarse and fine aggregates for concrete |
| IS 456 | Plain and reinforced concrete |
| IS 10262 | Concrete mix proportioning |
| IS 269 | Ordinary Portland Cement |
| IS 455 | Portland Slag Cement |
| IS 1489 | Portland Pozzolana Cement |
| IS 8112 | Ordinary Portland Cement |
| IS 16415 | Composite Cement |
| IS 516 Series | Methods of tests for strength of concrete |
| IS 1199 Series | Methods of sampling and analysis of concrete |
| IS 4926 | Ready-mixed concrete |
| IS 9103 | Concrete admixtures |
These standards are important because concrete grade, durability, cover, bond, materials and construction quality directly affect reinforced concrete design.
6. Liquid-Retaining Concrete Structures
For water tanks, reservoirs and other liquid-retaining structures, the following standards are particularly useful:
| IS Code | Application |
|---|---|
| IS 3370 (Part 1) | Concrete structures for storage of liquids — General requirements |
| IS 3370 (Part 2) | Reinforced concrete structures |
| IS 3370 (Part 3) | Prestressed concrete structures |
| IS 3370 (Part 4) | Design tables |
These codes are useful for the design of:
- Underground water tanks
- Overhead water tanks
- Reservoirs
- Water-treatment structures
- Sewage-treatment structures
- Liquid-retaining walls
- Pumping stations
7. Most Useful Codes for RCC Reinforcement Detailing
For practical RCC reinforcement detailing, the following references are particularly important:
1. IS 456
Used for general reinforced concrete design requirements.
2. IS 13920
Used for seismic and ductile reinforcement detailing.
3. IS 2502
Used for bending and fixing of reinforcement bars.
4. IS 5525
Provides recommendations for reinforcement detailing in RCC structures.
5. SP 34
A practical handbook covering reinforcement detailing and arrangement.
8. Recommended IS Code Library for Structural Engineers
A structural design engineer can organise the IS Codes into the following categories.
A. RCC Design
- IS 456
- IS 13920
- IS 16700
- IS 2502
- IS 5525
- SP 34
B. Reinforcement Steel
- IS 432
- IS 1786
- IS 1566
- IS 13620
- IS 9417
- IS 10790 Part 2
C. Prestressed Concrete
- IS 1343
- IS 1785
- IS 2090
- IS 6003
- IS 6006
- IS 14268
- IS 10790 Part 1
D. Concrete
- IS 383
- IS 456
- IS 10262
- IS 516
- IS 1199
- IS 4926
- IS 9103
E. Earthquake Engineering
- IS 1893
- IS 13920
- IS 4326
- IS 15988
- IS 16700
F. Special RCC Structures
- IS 3370 — Liquid-retaining structures
- IS 4995 — Design criteria for RCC overhead/underground water tanks
- IS 15916 — Building design and construction using prefabricated concrete
- IS 16700 — Tall concrete buildings
How to Make a Summary Paragraph from an IS Code
A good IS Code summary should not simply copy the clause.
Use this five-part structure:
1. What?
What does the clause deal with?
2. Why?
Why is this requirement necessary?
3. Requirement
What is the main requirement/formula/limit?
4. Application
Where is it used in practical design?
5. Design Check
What should an engineer verify?
Simple Formula
Clause Topic + Requirement + Purpose + Application + Design Check
| IS 432-1 (pdf) | 1982 | Mild Steel and Medium Tensile Steel Bars and Hard-Drawn Steel Wire for Concrete Reinforcement, Part 1: Mild Steel and Medium Tensile Steel Bars |
| IS 432-2 (pdf) | 1982 | Mild Steel and Medium Tensile Steel Bars and Hard-Drawn Steel Wire for Concrete Reinforcement, Part 2: Hard-Drawn Steel Wire |
| IS 1566 (pdf) | 1982 | hard-drawn steel wire fabric for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 1785-1 (pdf) | 1983 | plain hard-drawn steel wire for prestressed concrete, Part 1: Cold drawn stress-relieved wire |
| IS 1785-2 (pdf) | 1983 | Plain hard-drawn steel wire for prestressed concrete, Part 2: As drawn wire |
| IS 1786 (pdf) | 2008 | High strength deformed steel bars and wires for concrete reinforcement |
| IS 2090 (pdf) | 1983 | High tensile steel bars used in prestressed concrete |
| IS 6003 (pdf) | 2010 | INDENTED WIRE FOR PRESTRESSED CONCRETE – |
| IS 6006 (pdf) | 1983 | Uncoated stress-relieved strand for prestressed concrete |
| IS 9417 (pdf) | 1989 | Recommendations for welding cold-worked bars for reinforced concrete construction |
| IS 10790-1 (pdf) | 1984 | Methods of sampling of steel for prestressed and reinforced concrete, Part 1: Prestressing steel |
| IS 10790-2 (pdf) | 1984 | Methods of sampling of steel for prestressed and reinforced concrete, Part 2: Reinforcing steel |
| IS 13620 (pdf) | 1993 | Fusion bonded epoxy coated reinforcing bars – |
| IS 14268 (pdf) | 1995 | Uncoated stress-relieved low-relaxation seven-ply strand for prestressed concrete – |