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How to Calculate 1m3 of Bricks?

Published in Building materials 3 mins read

To calculate the number of bricks in 1 cubic meter (m³) of brickwork, approximately 500 standard bricks are required, including the space taken by mortar joints.

Understanding 1 Cubic Meter of Brickwork

When estimating bricks for construction, it's crucial to consider the brick's dimensions alongside the mortar joint, as this combined unit occupies the volume within a wall. The total volume of brickwork includes both the bricks themselves and the mortar that binds them together.

Standard Brick Dimensions

Brick dimensions can vary, but standard calculations often rely on specific sizes for both the brick itself and its effective size once mortar is applied.

Typical Brick Dimensions for Calculation:

Description Length Width Height
Standard Brick (without mortar) 19 cm (0.19 m) 9 cm (0.09 m) 9 cm (0.09 m)
Brick with Mortar (effective size) 20 cm (0.20 m) 10 cm (0.10 m) 10 cm (0.10 m)

The effective size of a brick with mortar (20 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm) includes a typical 1 cm mortar joint, which is added to the length, width, and height of the brick to account for the space it occupies within the wall.

Calculating Bricks per Cubic Meter

The most common method for calculating bricks per cubic meter uses the volume of a single brick including its mortar joint.

  1. Calculate the Volume of One Brick with Mortar:

    • Length = 20 cm = 0.20 m
    • Width = 10 cm = 0.10 m
    • Height = 10 cm = 0.10 m
    • Volume of one brick with mortar = 0.20 m × 0.10 m × 0.10 m = 0.002 m³
  2. Determine the Number of Bricks in 1 m³:

    • Total volume of brickwork needed = 1 m³
    • Number of bricks = Total Volume / Volume of one brick with mortar
    • Number of bricks = 1 m³ / 0.002 m³ per brick = 500 bricks

Therefore, a 1 cubic meter volume of brickwork requires approximately 500 bricks, a figure that inherently accounts for the mortar's volume.

Practical Considerations for Estimating Bricks

When ordering bricks for a project, it's wise to factor in additional considerations to ensure you have enough materials.

  • Wastage Allowance: Bricks can break during transport, handling, or cutting. It's standard practice to add a wastage factor, typically 5% to 10% of the calculated quantity.
    • Example: If you need 500 bricks for 1 m³, adding a 5% wastage would mean ordering an extra 25 bricks (500 * 0.05 = 25), totaling 525 bricks.
  • Mortar Volume Calculation: While the 500 bricks per m³ calculation includes mortar, you might need to determine the separate volume of mortar for material ordering (sand and cement).
    • Volume of 500 bricks (without mortar) = 500 × (0.19 m × 0.09 m × 0.09 m) = 500 × 0.001539 m³ = 0.7695 m³
    • Volume of mortar in 1 m³ of brickwork = Total brickwork volume - Volume of bricks (without mortar) = 1 m³ - 0.7695 m³ = 0.2305 m³
    • This indicates that roughly 23% of the total brickwork volume is mortar.
  • Wall Thickness and Bond: The thickness of the wall (e.g., half-brick, one-brick, or thicker) and the specific bonding pattern (e.g., stretcher bond, English bond) can influence how bricks are laid and potentially affect material consumption slightly, especially regarding cut bricks.
  • Openings: Always subtract the volume of any doors, windows, or other openings from the total calculated wall volume before determining the number of bricks required.

For further insights into construction material calculations, you can refer to detailed engineering resources.

Example Scenario:

Imagine you need to build a wall section that measures 4 meters long, 2.5 meters high, and is one standard brick thick (0.2 meters).

  1. Calculate the total volume of brickwork:
    Volume = Length × Height × Thickness = 4 m × 2.5 m × 0.2 m = 2 m³

  2. Calculate the base number of bricks needed:
    Number of bricks = Total Volume × Bricks per m³ = 2 m³ × 500 bricks/m³ = 1000 bricks

  3. Add a wastage allowance (e.g., 5%):
    Wastage = 1000 bricks × 0.05 = 50 bricks
    Total bricks to order = 1000 + 50 = 1050 bricks