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IS 13613:1992 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for recommendations for modular coordination in the building industry: location of structural walls and floor slabs. This standard provides recommendations for the dimensional positioning of structural walls and floor slabs within a modular coordination framework. It establishes principles for aligning these key structural elements with planning and structural grids to promote standardization, industrialization, and the efficient use of prefabricated components in the building industry.
Recommendations for modular coordination in the building industry: Location of structural walls and floor slabs
Overview
Status
Current
Usage level
Specialized
Domain
Architectural — Planning, Housing and Pre-fabricated Construction
BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.
Practical Notes
! This code is essential for architects and engineers working on projects involving precast concrete or other prefabricated systems.
! It establishes the critical difference between the planning grid (defining spaces) and the structural grid (defining load-bearing element locations), which must be coordinated.
! The entire system is based on the fundamental 100mm 'M' module, which simplifies design, manufacturing, and on-site assembly.
ISO 21723:2019ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Switzerland
HighCurrent
Building construction — Modular coordination — Module
Establishes the fundamental modules and principles of modular coordination that IS 13613 applies specifically.
ISO 1040-1:2018ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Switzerland
HighCurrent
Building construction - Co-ordination of dimensions - Part 1: Vocabulary and basic principles
Provides the foundational vocabulary and principles for dimensional coordination, which IS 13613 implements.
ISO 6511:1982ISO (International Organization for Standardization), Switzerland
HighWithdrawn
Building construction — Modular coordination — Reference planes for horizontal controlling dimensions
Directly addressed the location of elements relative to reference planes on a grid, the core topic of IS 13613.
BS 6750:1986BSI (British Standards Institution), United Kingdom
MediumWithdrawn
Specification for modular co-ordination in building
Provided a comprehensive national framework for modular coordination, including rules for positioning elements.
Key Differences
≠IS 13613 is a specific 'Recommendation' standard focused on applying modular principles to walls and floors, whereas modern ISO standards like ISO 21723 consolidate multiple older standards into a single, principle-based document.
≠The Indian standard provides explicit dimensional examples and diagrams for common Indian construction sizes (e.g., 200 mm walls), making it more of a practical application guide. International standards are more abstract, providing rules for a generic thickness 't'.
≠IS 13613 is structured as a standalone document for a specific application. The international approach divides the topic into a series of standards covering principles (ISO 21723), vocabulary (ISO 1040-1), etc.
≠The terminology, while conceptually similar, can differ slightly. IS 13613 refers to 'controlling lines' and 'controlling planes', while ISO standards more commonly use 'modular lines' and 'reference planes'.
Key Similarities
≈Both IS 13613 and its international counterparts are fundamentally based on the basic module of M = 100 mm as the standard unit of size.
≈The core concept of using a three-dimensional orthogonal grid of reference lines as the basis for locating and dimensioning building elements is identical.
≈Both systems use the principle of locating structural elements by defining the position of their reference plane (e.g., centre-plane or face) relative to a grid line.
≈Both frameworks emphasize the use of multi-modules (n x M) for key 'controlling dimensions' like structural grid spacing and storey heights to ensure coordinated fit of components.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Basic Module (M)
100 mm
100 mm
ISO 21723:2019
Primary Grid System
Grid of 'controlling lines' in horizontal and vertical planes.
Orthogonal three-dimensional grid of 'modular lines'.
ISO 1040-1:2018
Wall Axial Location
The centre-plane of a structural wall should preferably coincide with a controlling line.
The reference plane (often the axis) of a load-bearing element should coincide with a modular line.
Principle from ISO 6511:1982
Floor Level Reference
The horizontal controlling line for a floor should coincide with the finished floor level.
The controlling reference plane for a floor is the finished upper surface.
What is the basic module 'M' in modular coordination?+
The basic module 'M' is the fundamental unit of size, defined as 100 mm (Clause 3.1).
How can a structural wall be positioned relative to a grid line?+
A structural wall can be positioned either with its centreline coinciding with a grid line, or with one of its faces on a grid line (Clause 6.1).
What is the purpose of this standard?+
To establish a rationalized basis for positioning structural elements in a building, thereby facilitating dimensional coordination and the use of standardized components.
What is the recommended multi-module for horizontal planning grids?+
The preferred horizontal multi-module is 3M, which is equal to 300 mm (Clause 4.2.1).