iti 4 April 2025

ITI Mason (Building Constructor) Trade Syllabus (English)

The ITI Mason (Building Constructor) trade is a one-year vocational training program under the Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS), governed by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). This course equips trainees with skills in constructing, repairing, and maintaining building structures using bricks, stones, concrete, and other materials, along with plastering, flooring, and finishing techniques. The syllabus integrates theoretical knowledge, practical masonry skills, and employability skills to prepare students for roles such as masons, construction workers, or supervisors in the construction industry, or as self-employed contractors.

Course Overview

Duration: 1 year (2 semesters, each 6 months)
NSQF Level: Level 4
Eligibility: Minimum 8th grade pass (or equivalent)
Objective: To train individuals in masonry techniques for constructing safe, durable, and aesthetically pleasing building structures.

Detailed Syllabus Breakdown (English)

1. Trade Theory (Theoretical Knowledge)

Covers principles of masonry, construction materials, and building techniques.

Semester 1
- Introduction to Masonry
  - Overview: role of masons in construction, types of buildings (residential, commercial).
  - Construction industry: career scope, safety regulations, site organization.
  - Safety: PPE (helmets, gloves, boots), handling tools, scaffolding safety.
- Construction Materials
  - Materials: bricks, stones, cement, sand, aggregates, lime, mortar types.
  - Properties: strength, durability, water absorption, bonding.
  - Storage: stacking bricks, protecting cement, preventing wastage.
- Tools and Equipment
  - Hand tools: trowel, plumb bob, spirit level, chisel, mason’s square.
  - Measuring tools: tape, line and pins, water level.
  - Equipment: mixers, wheelbarrows, scaffolding, vibrators.
- Brick and Block Masonry
  - Types: burnt clay bricks, fly ash bricks, concrete blocks, AAC blocks.
  - Bonds: English, Flemish, stretcher, header bonds, their applications.
  - Mortar: cement-sand ratios, mixing, curing for strength.
- Foundations and Walls
  - Foundations: types (strip, raft, pile), purpose, load distribution.
  - Walls: load-bearing, partition, cavity walls, reinforcement basics.
  - Openings: arches, lintels, sills, their construction methods.
- Concrete Technology
  - Concrete: ingredients, mixing ratios, workability, slump test.
  - Reinforcement: steel bars, placement, binding techniques.
  - Curing: methods, importance for strength, preventing cracks.
Semester 2
- Stone Masonry
  - Types: rubble, ashlar, coursed, uncoursed masonry.
  - Tools: chisels, hammers, pitching tools for stone dressing.
  - Construction: bonding, pointing, finishing stone walls.
- Plastering and Finishing
  - Plastering: cement, lime, gypsum plaster, single/double coat.
  - Techniques: surface preparation, applying plaster, curing.
  - Finishing: pointing, whitewashing, distemper, painting basics.
- Flooring and Tiling
  - Flooring: cement, terrazzo, marble, ceramic, vitrified tiles.
  - Installation: bedding, leveling, grouting, polishing.
  - Skirting: purpose, types, fixing techniques.
- Waterproofing and Repairs
  - Waterproofing: materials (bitumen, membranes), methods for roofs, basements.
  - Repairs: patching cracks, rebuilding damaged walls, strengthening.
  - Damp-proofing: DPC layers, chemical treatments, ventilation.
- Construction Drawings
  - Blueprints: reading plans, elevations, sections, symbols.
  - Measurements: calculating areas, volumes for materials estimation.
  - Layout: marking foundations, walls, columns on-site.
- Professional Skills
  - Estimation: calculating material quantities, labor costs.
  - Site management: coordinating with laborers, supervisors, engineers.
  - Entrepreneurship: starting a masonry contracting business, tendering.

2. Trade Practical (Hands-On Skills)

Focuses on practical masonry tasks in workshops and simulated construction sites.

Semester 1
- Safety Practices
  - Using PPE: wearing helmets, gloves, safety shoes in labs.
  - Handling tools: practicing safe use of trowels, chisels, mixers.
  - Scaffolding: erecting, inspecting, dismantling mock setups.
- Tool Handling
  - Measuring: using tape, spirit level, plumb bob for accuracy.
  - Mixing: preparing mortar, concrete in correct ratios.
  - Cutting: breaking bricks, shaping stones with chisels in labs.
- Brick Masonry
  - Laying bricks: constructing stretcher, header, English bond walls.
  - Building corners: forming right angles, checking plumb.
  - Openings: constructing lintels, arches in mock walls.
- Concrete Work
  - Mixing: preparing concrete for slabs, beams in labs.
  - Pouring: casting mock foundations, columns, curing properly.
  - Reinforcement: tying steel bars, placing in formwork.
- Foundation Practice
  - Marking: laying out foundations using line and pins.
  - Excavating: digging mock trenches, leveling base.
  - Constructing: building strip foundations with bricks, concrete.
- Project Work
  - Building a wall: constructing a brick wall with openings.
  - Report: documenting materials used, time taken, challenges.
Semester 2
- Stone Masonry
  - Dressing stones: shaping rubble, ashlar stones with tools.
  - Building: constructing stone walls, pillars in mock setups.
  - Finishing: pointing joints, polishing stone surfaces.
- Plastering Practice
  - Preparing surfaces: cleaning, wetting walls for plaster.
  - Applying plaster: single/double coat, leveling with trowels.
  - Finishing: whitewashing, applying distemper in labs.
- Flooring and Tiling
  - Laying floors: installing cement, tile flooring in mock rooms.
  - Tiling: fixing ceramic, vitrified tiles, grouting joints.
  - Skirting: installing along walls, ensuring alignment.
- Waterproofing and Repairs
  - Waterproofing: applying bitumen, membranes to mock roofs.
  - Repairing: patching cracks, rebuilding damaged mock walls.
  - Damp-proofing: installing DPC in mock foundations.
- Drawing and Estimation
  - Reading plans: interpreting mock building blueprints.
  - Estimating: calculating bricks, cement for a small structure.
  - Layout: marking walls, columns on mock sites.
- Project Work
  - Constructing a structure: building a small room with walls, plaster, flooring.
  - Portfolio: presenting work photos, material estimates, site report.

3. Workshop Calculation and Science

Supports masonry with mathematical and scientific concepts.

Semester 1
- Arithmetic: calculating areas, volumes for bricks, mortar, concrete.
- Ratios: mixing cement, sand, aggregates for mortar, concrete.
- Science: properties of materials (cement setting, brick strength).
Semester 2
- Geometry: angles for arches, slopes for floors, roofs.
- Calculations: estimating material costs, labor charges.
- Science: effects of moisture, heat on concrete, plaster curing.