The later parts of IS 1200 handle the fittings and the metalwork that finish a building. Part 7 covers hardware: bolts, hinges, latches, locks, and the rest of the ironmongery that goes on doors, windows, and cupboards. Part 8 covers steelwork and ironwork: rolled sections, tubular structures, cables, ductwork, expanded metal, weld mesh, reinforcement, gates, railings, louvres, and cast iron. Together they decide how a large share of the finishing and structural steel budget is measured and billed. The same discipline that drives structural verification, such as the pile integrity test methods applied to deep foundations, applies to the arithmetic of a hardware schedule.
Both parts share a simple philosophy: measure net, round consistently, and describe every item so completely that the bill leaves nothing to interpretation.
What IS 1200 Parts 7 and 8 Cover
Part 7 covers the method of measurement of hardware in buildings and civil engineering works. Part 8 covers steelwork and ironwork in buildings and civil engineering structures, including the pipes, ductwork, and mesh that move air, water, and loads.
Scope of Part 7: Hardware
The scope is wide: hinges, bolts, latches, locks, catches, fasteners, stays, pivots, sockets, brackets, door handles, hat pegs, hooks, hasps, staples, springs, and door closers. Each item has its own measuring rule because each one is priced by a different dimension.
Scope of Part 8: Steelwork and Ironwork
Part 8 covers measured steel work, tubular structures, cables and guy wires, pipes for flues, M.S. ductwork, expanded metal work, weld meshwork, reinforcement, gates, railings, louvres, slotted pipes, and cast ironwork. The part also sets the booking rules that keep the measurement book readable. Every construction project management approach depends on these quantities, because procurement, fabrication, and progress billing all start from the measured tonnage.
IS 1200 Part 7: Hardware Measurement Rules
Part 7 opens with three clauses that frame everything else: the scope, the limits of measurement, and the bills of quantities.
Limits of Measurement
Dimensions are measured net in the decimal system to the nearest 0.01 m. That is the same precision as the trade parts, so a hardware schedule can be merged with the main bill without unit conflicts.
Bills of Quantities Requirements
The bills of quantities must fully describe the materials and workmanship and accurately represent the work to be executed. A line item that reads hinge is not enough; the bill must state the type, the size, and the finish so the contractor prices the exact article. The same logic applies to mechanical fittings throughout the building, from the largest steel beam to the smallest ceiling fan installation, where the description decides the price.
What the Description Must Include
For each fitting the description names the material, the measurement dimension, and the fixing. A flush bolt is described by the length of the faceplate; an ordinary bolt by the length of the shoot. Get the dimension wrong and the bill is wrong.
| Fitting | How it is measured |
|---|---|
| Bolts | Length of the faceplate for flush bolts, or length of the shoot for ordinary bolts |
| Hinges | Length of the joint or knuckle for butt hinges; width between flanges and height for parliament hinges; leaf length for tee and strap hinges |
| Latches | Dimensions of the plate and the size number for Suffolk or Norfolk latches |
| Rim latches | Horizontal length of the face across the body, excluding the box staple or striking plate |
| Knobs and lock furniture | Maximum diameter of the knob |
| Door handles | Grip length |
| Hat and coat hooks | Measured diagonally from the top of the fixing plate to the top of the knob |
| Hasp and staples | Overall length including the hinged plate for the wire type, or from the center of the hinge to the end of the hasp for the plate type |
Door closers appear in the same table. A hydraulic door closer is measured by the length of its cylinder and the fixing pattern, because the cylinder size controls the closing force. The same rule applies to spring hinges, where the length of the spring cylinder is the measured dimension. Small items such as screwed eyes state the overall length and the wire diameter, so the description carries the information the supplier needs to price the article.
IS 1200 Part 8: Steelwork and Ironwork Measurement
Part 8 begins with the booking of dimensions and the rules for measured steel work. The section defines how each category of steel is measured so that the tonnage in the bill matches the tonnage on the weighbridge.
Booking of Dimensions
Dimensions are booked in a fixed order so that anyone can read the measurement book. Length, width, and thickness are recorded consistently, and each member is identified by its position in the structure.
Units for Different Steel Members
- Rolled steel sections and plates: measured by weight, in tonnes or kilograms.
- Tubular structures: measured by length, with the section size stated.
- Cables and guy wires: measured by length, with the diameter stated.
- Pipes for flues: measured by length, with the diameter stated.
- M.S. ductwork: measured by area of the developed surface.
- Expanded metal work and weld meshwork: measured by area, with the mesh size stated.
Tubular Structures and Cables
Tubular structures and cables are priced by length because the section is uniform. The description must state the tube diameter and wall thickness or the cable diameter and construction, so the length alone does not hide a change in material. Steel frames bear their loads through foundations, and the ground response follows the shrinkage parameters in soil engineering, which the designer accounts for before the steel is ordered.
Reinforcement and Foundation Steelwork
Reinforcement is the most measured item in Part 8 because it appears in every concrete member. The rules for measuring it are strict, and the same applies to the ancillary steelwork that holds the structure together.
How Reinforcement Is Measured
Reinforcement is measured by weight, calculated from the nominal diameter and the length of each bar, including laps and bends. The description states the bar diameter, the grade of steel, and the spacing. Stirrups and ties are counted and weighed from the standard tables.
Gates, Railings, and Louvres
Gates for compound walls and railings are measured by the unit or by length, with the section and the infill described. Steel louvres are measured by area, and the description states the pitch and the profile of the blades. Before any foundation steel is fixed, the ground conditions are checked; teams rely on non-destructive geophysical soil investigation methods to confirm bearing capacity without excavation.
Foundation Steel and Ground Conditions
Ground beams and pile caps carry the frame, and the steel in them is measured to the same rules as any other reinforcement. The soil report determines the size of the foundations, and the measurement follows the drawings that come out of it.
Cast Ironwork and Pipes for Flues
Cast ironwork and flue pipes have their own rules because they are sold by weight and by length in ways that differ from rolled steel.
Cast Ironwork Rules
Cast ironwork is measured by weight, and the description states the pattern, the class, and the finish. Manhole covers, gratings, and pipe fittings fall in this category, and the bill must name the standard to which they are made.
Slotted Pipes and Louvre Units
Slotted pipes are measured by length, with the slot pattern and the diameter stated. Louvre units are measured per unit or by area, depending on how they are supplied. Each rule exists so the contractor and the client measure the same thing.
Weight Versus Length
The trap in steel measurement is mixing weight items with length items in one line. Part 8 keeps them separate, and the bill should too.
Using IS 1200 for Accurate Billing
The final part of the discipline is the bill itself. A steelwork bill built on IS 1200 rules is complete, consistent, and auditable.
Building the Bill
- Book all dimensions in the measurement book as the work proceeds.
- Convert the booked dimensions to weights using the standard tables.
- Group the items by category: sections, tubes, cables, ductwork, mesh, reinforcement.
- Describe each item fully, including the finish and the fixing.
- Check the totals against the fabrication drawings and delivery dockets.
Common Mistakes in Steel Measurement
- Pricing sections by length instead of weight.
- Omitting laps and wastage from the reinforcement weight.
- Describing fittings without the size or the finish.
- Double-counting members that appear in two drawings.
The measured steelwork becomes the record of the building. The as-built drawings carry the final positions and sizes, and the early quantities prepared from the concept drawings feed the approximate estimate that sets the budget before detailed design. A bill measured to IS 1200 is a bill that both sides can defend.