Bar Bending Schedule (BBS) Preparation
Every bar, marked, measured and weighed.
A bar bending schedule is the document your site actually builds from. We prepare BBS that a bar bender can cut to and a QS can bill from: correct shape codes, correct cutting lengths with bend deductions applied, and weight summaries that reconcile against the drawing.
Why this goes wrong.
Most BBS problems are not arithmetic. They are lap positions guessed at, bend deductions ignored, and shape codes chosen to suit the spreadsheet rather than the detail. The error surfaces on site as short bars, and by then it is a cutting loss you cannot recover.
Deliverables.
Issued in your format — Excel, PDF, DWG or your own template.
- Bar bending schedule in Excel, PDF or your in-house template
- Shape codes with cutting lengths and bend deductions applied
- Bar marks cross-referenced to the placing drawing
- Diameter-wise and member-wise weight summaries
- Lap and splice schedule with development lengths
- Couplers and mechanical splice schedule where specified
- Revision-tracked reissues against drawing revisions
BS 8666 shape codes.
The profiles that cover most RCC work, with the cutting-length formula for each. Free to use — no sign-up.
- Shape 00Straight bar
L = A
No bends, so no deduction.
- Shape 11Single 90° bend
L = A + B − 0.5r − d
- Shape 21Two bends, one plane
L = A + B + C − r − 2d
- Shape 22Three bends
L = A + B + C + D − 1.5r − 3d
- Shape 31Crank / offset
L = A + B + C + D − 1.5r − 3d
- Shape 33Closed link
L = 2A + 1.7B + 2C − 4d
C is the 135° hook leg at each end.
r is the internal bend radius and d the bar diameter; both come from Table 2 of BS 8666:2020, which sets the minimum scheduling radius by bar size. The standard defines many more shape codes than the six above — these are simply the ones that cover most RCC work. Always schedule against the current edition of the standard your project is contracted to.
Outcomes.
Cutting waste
Schedules optimised for stock lengths before they reach the yard.
Site queries
Bar marks that match the drawing, so the bar bender is not calling the office.
Billing
Weight summaries that reconcile to the BOQ without a second exercise.
Standards
We detail to the code your project is contracted to, not to a house default.
- IS 2502
- IS 456
- IS 1786
- IS 13920
- BS 8666:2020
- ACI 315
- Eurocode 2
Software
Native files on request, so your team can pick the work up directly.
- RGS
- AutoCAD
- Excel
- Rebar XLS
Common questions.
Which code do you prepare bar bending schedules to?
Whichever your project specifies. We work routinely to IS 2502 and IS 456 for Indian projects, BS 8666:2020 for UK and Gulf work, and ACI 315 for US-standard projects. If your client has an in-house BBS template, we prepare to that format rather than asking you to adopt ours.
How do you calculate cutting length?
Cutting length is the sum of the straight lengths plus hooks, minus the bend deduction for each bend. The deduction depends on the bend angle and the mandrel diameter, which is set by the bar diameter and the governing code. We apply the deduction table from the code your project is built to, not a generic rule of thumb.
What do you need from us to start?
Structural drawings in PDF or DWG, the reinforcement specification or general notes, and any client BBS template. If lap positions or coupler locations are set by a method statement rather than the drawings, we need that too.
How quickly can you turn a BBS around?
A single slab or footing set is usually same-day to next-day. A full tower floor cycle is typically two to four working days depending on drawing quality. We will give you a firm date before we start, not after.
Shop Drawings
Drawings the site can build from without a phone call.
Quantity Take-Off
Measured once, traceable to the drawing.
BOQ Preparation
A bill every bidder prices the same way.
Need bbs preparation on a live job?
Send the drawings. You get scope, price and a delivery date back — not a brochure.