Tamil Nadu — Pwd Building Practice Standard Data Book Exclusive

The Data Book standardizes earthwork classification into three types:

| Surface | Thickness | Mix | Remarks | |---------|-----------|-----|---------| | Internal wall | 12mm | CM 1:6 | Single coat | | External wall | 15mm | CM 1:5 | With weatherproof additive | | Ceiling | 6mm | CM 1:3 | Neat finish |

| Location | Cover (mm) | |----------|-------------| | Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam (coastal) | 50 mm | | Inland (Coimbatore, Salem) | 40 mm | | Foundation | 75 mm | | Location | Cover (mm) | |----------|-------------| |

Desperate, Raghav drove to the PWD headquarters in Chepauk. After hours of navigating corridors and filling forms, he found himself in the archives. An old clerk pointed to a thick, dust-covered volume bound in a navy blue hardcover.

Inside, it wasn't just numbers. It was a meticulously organized hierarchy of construction elements: Desperate, Raghav drove to the PWD headquarters in Chepauk

Raghav realized this wasn't just a data book; it was a translation device. It translated the chaotic reality of construction into the clean, auditable language of the government.

| Building type | Concrete (m³/m²) | Steel (kg/m³) | |---------------|----------------|---------------| | G+1 office | 0.28 | 85 | | G+2 hostel | 0.32 | 95 | | School (G) | 0.22 | 70 | | Hospital (G+2) | 0.38 | 110 | material consumption factors

The Tamil Nadu PWD Standard Data Book (often abbreviated as the SD or SPD Book) is the official technical compendium published by the Building Centre & Organisation (BCO), PWD, Chennai. It is not merely a rate list; it is a catalog of construction methodologies, labor outputs, material consumption factors, and cost analysis.