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Brickwork Quantity Calculator — Significance & IS 1905 Notes

Translating wall area into bricks and mortar — modular vs non-modular, clay vs AAC, with the wet-to-dry mortar factor that procurement forgets.

Why this calc exists

Brickwork quantity is a per-m² to per-m³ conversion with two unknowns: brick size and mortar thickness. Get the size wrong and you over-order by 10–25 %. Get the mortar thickness wrong and the sand-and-cement estimate is off by the same.

Standard modular clay bricks are 200 × 100 × 100 mm with 10 mm mortar joints, giving 500 bricks per m³ of wall (with 1:6 mortar). Non-modular sizes (230 × 110 × 70, 230 × 110 × 110) change the count. AAC blocks run 600 × 200 × 200 mm etc., giving ~42 blocks per m³ — almost an order of magnitude fewer. The Brickwork Quantity calculator takes wall dimensions, brick type, and mortar ratio, and outputs both the brick count and the cement/sand volumes for the mortar.

Code references (with provenance)

  • IS 1905 — Code of practice for structural use of unreinforced masonry. Mortar grades, joint thickness, brick absorption limits.
  • IS 1077 — Common burnt clay building bricks — specifications (modular 200×100×100).
  • IS 12894 — Fly ash-lime bricks.
  • IS 2185 (Part 3) — Autoclaved cellular (AAC) concrete blocks.

Worked: 10 m³ of 230 mm modular brickwork in 1:6 mortar

Brick count: 1 m³ / (0.20 × 0.10 × 0.10) = 500 bricks. With 10 % wastage → 550 bricks/m³ including breakage.

Mortar volume: 1 − (500 × 0.002) = 1 − 1.0 = 0 m³ nominal. Real mortar volume (with 10 mm joints) is ~25–30 % of wall → 0.30 m³/m³ wet.

Dry mortar volume: 0.30 × 1.33 = 0.40 m³ dry.

1:6 ratio (cement:sand): total parts 7 → cement = 0.40/7 = 0.057 m³ → 0.057 × 1440 = 82 kg = 1.65 bags/m³. Sand = 6 × 0.057 = 0.343 m³ loose.

For 10 m³: 5,500 bricks, 16.5 bags cement, 3.4 m³ sand.

Field notes (what trips people up)

  • Modular vs non-modular confusion. Many 'standard' bricks in India are actually non-modular (230 × 110 × 70). Always measure a sample of 10 bricks before calculating.
  • Wastage 5–10 %. 5 % on a controlled site, up to 10 % for new masons or rough handling. AAC blocks are brittle and crack at corners — use 5–8 %.
  • Sand bulking at moisture. Damp sand occupies 15–20 % more volume. Order by weight, not loose volume, when possible.
  • Mortar grade vs exposure. IS 1905 mortar designations (H1, H2, M1, M2, L1, L2) are selected by exposure. Coastal / severe: M2 (1:1:6 cement-lime-sand) or richer; moderate: M1 (1:1:6); mild: L2 (1:2:9 or 1:3:12).

Worked example

Site: 240 m² of 230 mm brickwork in a Pune residential block.

Inputs: brick 230 × 110 × 75 mm, mortar 1:6, wastage 8 %.

Output: volume 55.2 m³ · bricks 6,800 · cement 91 bags · sand 19.6 m³ (order 22 m³ loose).

FAQ

How many bricks in 1 m³ of standard modular brickwork?

500 bricks nominally; 525–550 in practice with 5–10 % wastage.

Can I use this for AAC blocks?

Yes — the calculator supports AAC dimensions (e.g. 600 × 200 × 200 mm) and outputs blocks per m³ automatically.

What's the difference between cement mortar and cement-lime mortar?

Cement mortar (cement + sand) is stronger but less workable. Cement-lime mortar (cement + lime + sand) is more workable and less prone to cracking, used for plaster and masonry in seismic zones. IS 1905 Table 4 gives grades for both.

Related reading & tools

Indicative tool — not a substitute for engineering judgement. Results are computed from formulae and reference values cited to Indian Standards and other published codes as named on this page, using nominal default assumptions; clause and table references are given in good faith for study and preliminary checks. Always verify the current edition and amendments of any cited standard in the BIS catalogue before relying on it. Final mix proportions, structural checks and construction decisions must be confirmed by a qualified engineer against the project design brief, drawings and site conditions. ConcreteInfo accepts no liability for design, procurement or construction decisions taken on the basis of these tools. Code references & rights: Indian Standards are the property of the Bureau of Indian Standards (© BIS) — official PDFs at bis.gov.in. Shared in good faith as technical reference for the civil engineering fraternity — always verify against the official publication.