Deciding the quota pricing attribution of substrate treatment in plastering works (spatterdash / bonding agent): contained in the plastering item, or taken as a separate item

Topic Positioning

In rate build-up for plastering works, deciding the quota attribution of substrate spatterdash (cement-splash roughening) and bonding (interface) agents - whether the "substrate treatment" step takes a separate item, or is already contained in the plastering item's work content or material make-up (the "contained versus charged separately" position).

Core Conclusions

1. The general decision method (the "three checks")

• Check the plastering item's work content: the work content bounds what the item contains (what is not listed is not separately charged unless auxiliary and necessarily included). Where the work content already lists "spatterdash / interface treatment", no separate charge; where not listed, apply a substrate-treatment item separately.
• Check for a dedicated item: quotas that list a "bonding agent / substrate treatment" item separately (e.g. Beijing A-12-28, A-13-8; railway FY-1375 / FY-1376; Shaanxi 12-25 / 12-26) allow separate application on the treated area (m2) where the design or code requires interface treatment.
• Check the item's material make-up: where the item's material column already contains the bonding agent (e.g. Beijing A-12-6 "DB mortar, board-joint treatment, without glass-fibre cloth", the material being the bonding agent itself), it is part of the item and must not be added again.

2. Beijing position (DB11/T 2382-2024 Construction Works Consumption Quota Standard, section 4.13)

• 4.13.1: "the construction consumption of general plastering shall be itemised and determined separately for substrate treatment, base-coat plastering and finish-coat plastering."
• 4.13.2: "the substrate treatment and base-coat plastering consumption of decorative plastering shall follow the corresponding general plastering items; the finish-coat consumption shall be itemised and determined separately."
• 4.13.6: "the substrate treatment and base-coat plastering under tile and stone finishes shall follow the corresponding general plastering items; the tile and stone finish consumption shall be itemised and determined separately." -> Substrate treatment (including bonding agent) and the finish coat are set apart in itemisation and need independent items. The annex lists bonding-agent items separately: A-12-28 "column (beam) face, bonding agent" (m2, work content: cleaning the substrate, mortar making, substrate treatment etc.); A-13-8 "polymer cement mortar, bonding agent" (ceiling plastering, m2); walls carry a further "wall general plastering substrate treatment" table (A.12.1-1.1).

3. Railway position (TB/T 10831-2024 Railway Works Budget Quota Manual, Volume 10 building works, chapter 2 decoration works)

• General plastering work content: "cleaning the substrate, patching and plugging holes, wetting the substrate, hauling, sweeping fallen mortar; multi-coat plastering and levelling, finish-coat trowelling (including plastering of door and window reveal sides)" - no interface treatment; bonding-agent details carry dedicated items: FY-1375 "wall and column decorative plastering, wall bonding agent", FY-1376 "wall and column decorative plastering, neat cement mortar bonding agent" (unit 10 m2), applied separately when occurring.
• Double meaning of "spatterdash": FY-1370 / FY-1371 "wall and column decorative plastering, spatterdash (brick face / concrete face)" contain red-earth powder in materials and are decorative finish-coat practices; substrate spatterdash / cement splash (neat cement slurry with glue, roughened) must take items of the FY-1376 "neat cement mortar bonding agent" class - the two must not be misapplied to each other.

4. Site-situation comparison

Site situation	Test	Treatment
Design / code requires bonding agent or spatterdash on concrete or block faces	Plastering item work content excludes it and the quota carries a dedicated bonding-agent item	Apply separately on treated area, m2
Item material column already contains the bonding agent	Contained in the item make-up	No separate charge
"Spatterdash" is a pigmented (red-earth powder) finish decorative practice	Decorative plastering finish process	Take decorative plastering items (railway FY-1370 / FY-1371); nothing to do with substrate treatment

5. Corroborating systems

• Shaanxi 2024 consumption quota (consultation draft): base coat and levelling (12-23 / 12-24), wall bonding agent (12-25), neat cement slurry bonding agent (12-26) as independent items; wall and column spatterdash and grooved finishes as supplementary items (12-214 to 12-217).
• Workmanship corroboration - DB11/T 1832.10-2022 clause 8.4.2: "before base-coat plastering the substrate shall receive interface treatment; for concrete substrates the interface mortar is preferably roller-applied at a thickness preferably not less than 1 mm, and the follow-up work is preferably completed within 24 h after rolling"; "plastering at joints between different wall materials shall take reinforcing mesh against cracking, the mesh lapping onto each side not less than 100 mm".
• SJG 14-2018 clause 7.1.14: before plastering masonry, the base surface shall receive a coat of polymer cement mortar or other bonding agent as a bonding layer; the roughened area shall be not less than 95% of the base surface area - roughening (spatterdash) is the typical interface treatment: neither omit the item nor list it twice.

Applicability Boundaries

• The "contained versus separate" decision must first check the work content, itemisation and material make-up of the quota actually used (region, discipline, edition); the conclusions above rest on current texts such as DB11/T 2382-2024 and TB/T 10831-2024 - other quota systems differ in item codes and splitting and must be checked item by item before application.
• The Shaanxi position comes from a 2024 consultation draft; the published edition may change - verify the current valid version before use.
• Whether interface treatment actually occurs follows the design requirements and the construction acceptance code; this card settles the "pricing attribution" question and does not replace the quantity measurement rules (for Beijing measurement rules see 4.13.21 to 4.13.28).
• "Spatterdash" may mean a decorative finish practice or a substrate interface practice across regional quotas; distinguish by work content and material make-up before applying items.

Further Reading

• DB11/T 2382-2024 Construction Works Consumption Quota Standard, section 4.13 (4.13.1, 4.13.2, 4.13.6; quantity computation 4.13.21 to 4.13.28); Annex A: A.12.1-1.1 wall general plastering substrate treatment (e.g. A-12-6), A.12.2-1.1 column (beam) face general plastering substrate treatment (A-12-28 column (beam) face bonding agent), A.13.1 ceiling plastering (A-13-8 polymer cement mortar bonding agent).
• TB/T 10831-2024 Railway Works Budget Quota Manual, Volume 10 building works, chapter 2, section 2 wall and column works: general plastering FY-1346 to FY-1358, decorative plastering FY-1359 to FY-1376 (notably FY-1375, FY-1376 bonding agents; FY-1370 / FY-1371 spatterdash).
• DB11/T 1832.10-2022 Construction Technology Code for Building Works, Part 10: decoration works, clause 8.4.2, ready-mixed mortar plastering.
• SJG 14-2018 Standard for Construction and Acceptance of Non-load-bearing Walls and Finishes in Shenzhen, clause 7.1.14.
• Shaanxi 2024 new consumption quota (consultation draft): 12-23 to 12-26, 12-214 to 12-217.