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IS 13356:1992 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for precast ferro cement water tanks up to 10000 litres capacity. This standard specifies the requirements for precast ferrocement water tanks of cylindrical and rectangular shape, with or without a cover, up to a capacity of 10,000 litres. It covers materials, construction details, dimensions, performance tests, and marking criteria for these tanks.
Precast Ferro cement water tanks up to 10000 litres capacity
ACI 549.1R-18American Concrete Institute (ACI), USA
HighCurrent
Guide for the Design, Construction, and Repair of Ferrocement
Provides general design and construction principles for ferrocement, the core technology used in IS 13356.
ASTM C913 / C913M - 19American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), USA
LowCurrent
Standard Specification for Precast Concrete Water and Wastewater Structures
Covers precast tanks for water but for conventional concrete, not the specific thin-wall ferrocement material.
Key Differences
≠IS 13356 is a prescriptive product specification for a single application (tanks up to 10,000L), defining fixed dimensions and materials. ACI 549.1R is a performance-based design guide applicable to a wide range of ferrocement structures without prescriptive limits.
≠The Indian standard mandates specific acceptance tests for the finished product, including a 24-hour leakage test and a physical drop test for smaller tanks. The ACI guide discusses material testing principles but leaves product-specific acceptance testing to the project specifier.
≠IS 13356 specifies reinforcement by the number of layers of a given mesh type. ACI 549.1R defines and designs based on engineering parameters like the volume fraction of reinforcement and its specific surface area.
≠The scope of IS 13356 is strictly limited to precast water tanks of up to 10,000 litres capacity, whereas ACI 549.1R covers diverse applications such as boats, roofing, and silos with no inherent capacity limitations.
Key Similarities
≈Both standards are founded on the use of the same composite material: a rich cement-sand mortar matrix reinforced with multiple layers of fine steel wire mesh.
≈Both advocate for a rich cement-sand mortar mix (e.g., IS 13356 suggests 1:2 to 1:3) to ensure good workability for mesh penetration and high density for water-tightness.
≈The fundamental concept of creating thin, durable, and lightweight structural elements is central to both standards, leveraging ferrocement's high tensile strength-to-weight ratio.
≈Both emphasize the critical importance of achieving full encapsulation of all reinforcement layers by the mortar to prevent corrosion and ensure composite action.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Wall Thickness
25 mm to 30 mm (prescribed based on capacity)
Not specified; determined by structural design calculations based on loads.
ACI 549.1R-18
Minimum Mortar Cover over Reinforcement
Minimum 2 mm over the outermost mesh layer.
Typically 1.6 mm to 5 mm (1/16 to 3/16 in.).
ACI 549.1R-18
Mortar Mix (Cement:Sand by volume)
Not leaner than 1:3 (typically 1:2 to 1:3).
No specific ratio given; mix is designed based on a sand-to-cementitious materials ratio of 1.5 to 2.5 by weight.
ACI 549.1R-18
Water Absorption Limit (finished product)
Shall not exceed 10% by weight after 24-hour immersion.
Not specified as an acceptance criterion; permeability is controlled via mix design.
ACI 549.1R-18
Leakage Test Requirement
No visible leakage or sweating after being filled for 24 hours.
Water-tightness testing is recommended, but method and duration are left to project specifications.
ACI 549.1R-18
Reinforcement Quantity
Specified by the required number of mesh layers (e.g., 4 layers for a 2000L tank).
Specified as a design parameter 'Volume Fraction (Vf)', typically 1% to 8%.
ACI 549.1R-18
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values6
Quick Reference Values
Maximum capacity10000 litres
Minimum cement sand ratio for mortar1:3 by volume
Maximum water-cement ratio0.45 by mass
Minimum curing period14 days
Seepage test duration24 hours
Seepage test acceptance criteriaNo visible signs of leakage on the outer surface