Question

Which IS code is used for general construction of steel?

• A. IS 456
• B. IS 256
• C. IS 800
• D. IS 100

Hint:

Always remember: IS 456 → Concrete, IS 800 → Steel, IS 875 → Loads.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Each major IS code is remembered by its associated material: IS 456 pairs with concrete, and IS 800 pairs with steel.

1. IS 456: this is the concrete design code, not steel.
2. IS 256: not a recognized primary structural design code for steel.
3. IS 800: the recognized general code of practice for steel structures.
4. IS 100: not associated with structural steel design.

So the code used for general construction in steel is IS 800.

Answer 2

A third way is to think about how the Bureau of Indian Standards has historically grouped its major structural design codes into their own dedicated three-digit numbers, each reserved for one material family, rather than relying on memory alone.

1. IS 456: occupies its own dedicated slot reserved specifically for plain and reinforced cement concrete design, a different material family from structural steel.
2. IS 256: this number does not correspond to any of the major dedicated structural-material design code slots (concrete, steel, timber); it lies outside that family of numbers.
3. IS 800: this number is the one specifically reserved by BIS for the general design and construction of steel structures, occupying its own dedicated slot the same way IS 456 does for concrete.
4. IS 100: this number is too far outside the range used for the major dedicated structural-material codes to correspond to any of them, let alone steel specifically.

Matching each number to its dedicated material-specific code slot confirms only one of them is reserved for steel structures.

Therefore, the correct answer is IS 800.