How to calculate the number of bricks or blocks? – Brick work calculation

Calculating the number of bricks

Estimating the number of required bricks or blocks for a construction is one of the major confusing parts among many of us. We have to estimate the number of items in a right way by keeping in mind that to be free from the both situations, excess of item and scarcity of item. For that we usually allow a percentage for wastages and that allowance could be 10% will be added for our calculation. Now, everything we need is to calculate the volume of a brick/block that we going to use and the volume of the item to be build. When calculating the volume of a brick we have to consider the measurement of motar joints. Normally 10mm is allowed for the motar joints.

Volume = Length X Breadth X Height

Volume of brick or block = Length of a brick or block  X  Breadth of a brick or block  X  Height of a brick or block

Volume of the item to be build  = Length X Breadth X  Height

Number of bricks or blocks needed = Volume of the item to be build / Volume of brick or block

Finally, the estimated number of brick or blocks could be, Number of bricks or blocks needed + 10%

Standard size of a metric brick is 215 x 102.5 x 65mm and a 10mm is allowed for the mortar joints. If the wall is half brick wide then it requires 60 bricks per square metre. So, now you just need to find the area of the wall to be build in square metre and then multiply it by 60. So the total number of bricks needed for the wall could be;

Height of wall (metres) x Length of wall (metres) x 60

As the same, one brick wide wall requires 120 bricks per square metre. Modify the same formula with 120 instead of 60 to find out the number of bricks needed for the one brick wide wall. A standard metric block size could be 450 x 215 x 100mm and a 10mm is allowed for the mortar joints. A single block wall requires 10 blocks per square metre. So the total number of blocks needed for the wall could be;

Height of wall (metres) x Length of wall (metres) x 10

Finally, we could derive that Number of blocks needed for a wall = Area of wall / area of a brick or block.