Section 142 in West Bengal Municipal (Building) Rules, 2007
142. Structural feature.
(1) All structures shall be so designed, built and maintained that under the conditions of dead and live loading the stresses in any of the material of construction or in the material on which a structure rests shall be well within the safe limits.(2)In case there is a building or structure in the adjoining plot, all precautionary steps shall be taken by the plot owners against and flowing into the trenches from the sides before the execution of foundation is started. For that purpose, shorting shall be done in all excavation works. Shorting shall be of tongues and grooves type. The height of shorting shall be such that it may rise up to ground level by 2 feet and cover the depth to be excavated. The responsibility for any damages sustained by any existing building in the adjoining plots due to flowing of sand in the excavated trenches will be entirely on the plot owner(s) excavating the trenches.(3)The foundations of every building shall be so designed and constructed as to sustain the dead load of the building and the super-imposed load and transmit the load to and distribute them over the solid in such a manner that any pressure brought to bear on the soil by these loads shall not exceed the safe bearing capacity of the soil. With this end in view, the Engineer or Architects or Architect Engineering Firm will so design the foundation that the same may be safe in consideration of the normally varying bearing capacities of soils in different regions of the Salt Lake Township and the possibility of total settlement or any unequal settlement, a certificate as specified below shall be furnished by the Engineer or Architect or Architect Engineering Firm in the body of each plan of building furnished for sanction (provisions of rule 15 along with all sub-clauses as applicable shall be followed) :"Certified that the foundation and the superstructure of the building have been so designed by me/us will make such foundation and superstructure safe in all respect including the consideration of bearing capacity and settlement of soil etc.";Provided that pile foundation may be allowed for a Multi-storied Building. In this case Lessee shall submit an Indemnity Bond stating that he will be responsible for any damage in adjoining area, during or after pile driven and he will pay the entire cost of damage as will be assessed by the Authority.(4)(a)No construction shall be done except in masonry works. Every building, except in case of open building, shall have outer walls forming a part thereof constructed of brick, stone or other hard and incombustible substance approved by the Authority. All walls of masonry building shall be properly bonded;(b)Single brick thick, that is, 25 cm (10") load bearing wails, can be adopted up to three storied residential building if constructed in cement mortar of requisite proportion;(c)in the case of residential buildings or flats where maximum height of rooms measured from the surface of the floor to the ceiling is restricted to 2.75 m (9'-0"), load bearing walls of 25 cm (10') thick can be adopted up to four stories buildings, provided good bricks of 70 kg/cm strength are used with cement mortar as specified by the National Building Code;(d)every wall of masonry building which is exposed to external air shall, in no case, be less than 25 cm in thickness :Provided that where load-bearing walls of 25 cm (10" thick) has been specified, use of 20 cm thick modular brick work may also be adopted up to three storied buildings only. In case of outer wall (not being load-bearing), 20 cm thick modular brick work may be adopted in all cases.(5)Every wall of masonry building shall have a damp proof course at the level of the ground floor. Such damp proof course may consist of asphalt, cement concrete, or any other durable material impervious to moisture.(6)Unless otherwise specified in these rules, specification and methods of construction shall conform to the provisions made in the National Building Code.
