Foreword

TCVN 9421:2012 was compiled by the Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning, proposed by the Ministry of Construction, appraised by the General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality, and announced by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

1. Scope of application

1.1. This standard is applicable to the design of new or renovated graves and tombstones in public cemeteries (hereinafter referred to as cemeteries) that meet the requirements of land use, architecture, landscape, and environment.

NOTE: Military cemeteries and national cemeteries are not within the scope of regulation of this standard.

1.2. The objects of application are graves and tombstones used for burial, to store corpses or remains underground in the forms of temporary burial, permanent burial, single burial, and ground cremation.

NOTE: After cremation, the remains of the deceased can be stored in cremation columbaria.

2. Referenced documents

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this standard. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.

TCVN 6696:2009, Solid waste – Sanitary landfill sites – General requirements for environmental protection

TCVN 7733:2007, Water quality – Effluent standards for solid waste landfills

TCVN 7956:2008, Urban cemeteries – Design standards

3. Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions apply:

3.1. Grave plot/Grave section

A place for storing or burying the corpses or remains of the deceased, including the grave and the surrounding static land area.

3.2. Static land

The land area of the grave plot surrounding the grave.

3.3. Temporary burial grave

A place for burying the corpses of the deceased underground (earth burial) for a specified period of time (from 3 to 5 years).

3.4. Single burial grave

A place for burying the corpses of the deceased underground permanently without going through the exhumation stage.

3.5. Permanent burial grave

A place for burying or storing remains underground after temporary burial.

3.6. Ground cremation

A form of storing cremated ashes underground after cremation.

3.7. Cremation columbarium

A place for storing cremated ashes.

3.8. Tombstone

A stone (concrete, etc.) slab engraved with the name, age, hometown, and date of death of the deceased, placed on the grave.

NOTE: Depending on the requirements, the tombstone may also include a portrait and information about the academic degree and position of the deceased.

3.9. Cenotaph

A grave section with only a tombstone placed on it without the remains of the buried person inside.

4. General provisions

4.1. Use the land properly, effectively and ensure the requirements of aesthetics, landscape and environmental sanitation.

4.2. The division of functional zones, grave plots, grave groups, grave rows, and the distance between graves must facilitate the implementation of burial rituals.

4.3. The size and style of graves and tombstones must ensure the dimensions specified in 6.7 of this standard and be approved by the local authorities according to the management decentralization.

4.4. There must be a system for collecting and treating wastewater and waste from burial areas to avoid flooding as well as leakage of cemetery water to the surrounding areas.

4.5. There must be solutions for planting trees, flower gardens, and lawns in the cemetery.

4.6. The criteria related to the requirements for cemetery planning and design refer to the provisions in TCVN 7956:2008 and the regulations on urban technical infrastructure [1].

5. Requirements and design styles for graves and tombstones

5.1. The maximum land area for an individual grave plot is specified as follows:

– Land area used for each temporary and single burial grave: adults: not larger than 5.0 m²; children: not larger than 3.0 m²;

– Land area used for each permanent burial and ground cremation grave: not larger than 3.0 m².

– Volume of a cremation urn compartment: ≤ 0.125 m³/compartment

5.2. A grave plot includes the grave, a place for incense offering, a tombstone, trees on and around the grave.

5.3. Each temporary or single burial area is divided into lots. Each lot must not exceed 200 graves. For permanent burial and ground cremation areas, each lot must not exceed 400 graves. The spatial layout should be symmetrical and suitable for the land characteristics.

5.4. When arranging grave areas, grave lots, grave rows, and grave lines, attention must be paid to wind and sun direction, and they must be clearly functionally zoned in the organizational structure diagram of the planning spatial design. Meet well the relationship between immediate construction and future expansion requirements. The requirements for general layout arrangement refer to TCVN 7956:2008 and Appendix A of this standard.

5.5. The grave lots are delimited by walking paths. Each grave lot is divided into grave groups. In each grave group or lot, there are grave rows.

5.6. The grave rows must be arranged along the main axes in the cemetery, spaced evenly and staggered. It is recommended to arrange so that the rear height is higher than the front (refer to Appendix B). The arrangement of grave rows and lots must be suitable to the terrain conditions of each area.

5.7. The location of graves is determined by the grave area/lot/row/number. The naming of grave areas uses uppercase Latin letters (A, B, C…). The grave rows are numbered consecutively following the natural number series (1, 2, 3…).

NOTE: For existing grave plots in cemeteries that are not constructed in rows or lines, the above regulations can be referred to for zoning and numbering graves.

5.8. The maximum dimensions of grave plots and graves are in accordance with the regulations on urban technical infrastructure and specified in Table 1.

Table 1 – Dimensions of graves, tombstones, and columbaria in cemeteries

Dimensions in millimeters

5.9. Within each burial lot, there must be uniform regulations on the direction of graves and tombstones, colors, building materials, size and style of graves. The direction, size and style of grave plots and tombstones must comply with the regulations of the cemetery management unit.

The style and size of graves and tombstones can be referred to in Appendix C, Appendix D and Appendix E.

5.10. The tombstone placed on permanent burial plots should have a worship wall, a portrait wall, an incense burner, etc. The tombstone has basic information about the deceased engraved on it (refer to Appendix G).

5.11. The width of the traffic routes in grave areas, grave lots and grave rows must meet the following requirements:

– Main traffic axis to separate grave areas: not less than 7.0 m;

– Roads separating grave lots (lot roads, branch roads): not less than 3.5 m;

– Paths inside grave lots (group roads): not less than 1.2 m;

– Path between two consecutive grave rows: not less than 0.8 m;

– Distance between 2 consecutive graves in the same row: about less than 0.6 m.

5.12. The main road in the cemetery separating grave areas needs to ensure the requirements for mechanical vehicles to circulate quickly, safely and conveniently. Depending on the cemetery scale, there may be sidewalks and green strips on both sides of the road.

5.13. The road surface separating grave areas and grave lots should be made of concrete, brick or gravel. The paths inside grave lots, grave rows and between graves should be paved with bricks or cemented depending on the conditions of each locality and have a slope of not less than 2% towards the drainage ditch.

5.14. To isolate and define the boundary between residential areas and cemeteries, it is necessary to build fences and plant green buffer zones around the cemetery. Trees planted in cemeteries must be species that can absorb organic substances and have the effect of neutralizing toxic gases and must not affect or damage grave plots, not endanger users and surrounding areas. The density of planted trees is from 4 m²/tree to 6 m²/tree and the height is not less than 15 m.

NOTE: When designing greenery, it is necessary to select trees with year-round green leaves, without fruits that attract flies and mosquitoes, without sharp thorns, unpleasant flower and fruit odors, and suitable to the natural conditions of the locality.

5.15. Around the static land area of the grave plots, grass should be planted close to the ground.

5.16. In the area of grave plot construction, there must be solutions for collecting and treating cemetery waste. Solid waste in cemeteries must be collected and transferred to treatment sites to ensure environmental sanitation, in accordance with TCVN 6696:2009.

5.17. The location for collecting wastewater from temporary burial and single burial areas must be placed downstream of the wastewater receiving source, at the lowest terrain of the cemetery for treatment before being discharged into the environment. The wastewater standard must comply with TCVN 7733:2007 and relevant regulations [2].

5.18. In grave areas and grave lots, there must be a lighting system suitable to the cemetery’s power supply system. The lighting standard meets the standard of D-class roads, with a brightness on the road surface from 0.2 cd/m² to 0.4 cd/m² and an illuminance from 5 lux to 8 lux, to meet the need for exhumation at night.

6. Requirements for work completion

6.1. The form of grave plots in a grave area or lot must be uniform, suitable to the architectural style and specific customs of each region.

6.2. Building materials for grave plots and tombstones in a grave area or lot should be of the same type and color, and especially suitable for the hot and humid climate conditions in Vietnam, with the effect of resisting ultraviolet rays, acids, high temperatures, high humidity, non-staining, good waterproofing, easy to wash off, mold resistant and durable over time.

6.3. There must be a periodic regime for preserving, renovating, maintaining grave plots, structures, trees and lawns in cemeteries.

NOTE: The renovation and maintenance regime for grave plots needs to be suitable to the customs of each locality.

Appendix A (Informative) Functional zoning of grave areas

LEGEND:

A: Administration building, cemetery management
B: Service building
C: Funeral home
D: Parking lot
E: Memorial stele
F: Single burial area
G: Temporary burial area
H: Permanent burial area
I: Cremation remains storage area

Figure A1 – General layout of functional zoning of grave plots in cemeteries

LEGEND

A: Administration building, cemetery management
B: Service building
C: Funeral home
D: Parking lot
E: Memorial stele
F: Single burial area
G: Temporary burial area
H: Permanent burial area
I: Cremation remains storage area

Figure A2 – General layout of functional zoning of grave plots in cemeteries

Appendix B (Informative) Method of arranging grave rows in a grave area or lot

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure B1. Distance between grave plots and grave lines

Appendix C (Informative) Form, style and dimensions of temporary burial grave plots

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure C1. Plan and elevation of a typical temporary burial grave

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure C2. Plan and elevation of a temporary burial grave sample

Figure C3 – Typical temporary burial grave plot sample

Figure C4 – Temporary burial grave plot sample

Appendix D (Informative) Form, style and dimensions of permanent burial (or ground cremation) grave plots

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure D1. Plan and elevation of a typical permanent burial (or ground cremation) grave

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure D2. Plan and elevation of a permanent burial (or ground cremation) grave

Figure D3 – Typical permanent burial (or ground cremation) grave plot sample

Figure D4 – Permanent burial (or ground cremation) grave plot sample

Appendix E (Informative) Form, style and dimensions of single burial grave plots

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure E1. Plan and elevation of a typical single burial grave

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure E2. Dimensions and style of single burial graves in highland areas with sloping mountainous terrain

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure E3. Dimensions and style of single burial graves

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure E4. Dimensions and style of single burial graves (can be applied for permanent burial graves with smaller dimensions)

Figure E5 – Typical single burial grave plot sample

Figure E6 – Single burial grave sample for highland areas with sloping mountainous terrain

Figure E7 – Single burial grave sample

Figure E8 – Single burial grave sample (can be applied for permanent burial graves with smaller dimensions)

Appendix G (Informative) Shape and dimensions of tombstones

Figure G1. Some typical tombstone samples

Appendix H (Informative) Shape and dimensions of cremation remains columbaria

Dimensions in millimeters

Figure H1. Typical cremation remains columbarium sample

REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY

[1] QCVN 07:2010/BXD – National technical regulation on urban technical infrastructure works

[2] QCVN 25:2009/BTNMT – National technical regulation on wastewater of solid waste landfills