How to calculate cement consumption per 1 m2 (1 cube, 1 m3) of brickwork

One of the most crucial stages in bricklaying project planning is figuring out how much cement you’ll need. If you get this right, there won’t be any waste or delays and you’ll have enough material to finish the job. Gaining a basic understanding of cement consumption will make your budgeting and work more effective.

Precise cement calculations for bricklaying require the consideration of multiple variables. There are three main factors to consider: the kind of bricks you use, the mortar’s thickness, and the total area you plan to cover. By dissecting these components, you can more accurately calculate how much cement you’ll need, avoiding excess or shortages that might affect your project.

We’ll walk you through a simple method in this article to figure out how much cement you’ll need for your brickwork. To help make the calculation as easy as possible, we’ll include helpful hints and examples. Whether you’re an experienced builder or a do-it-yourselfer, this guide will give you the skills you need to tackle your brickwork with assurance.

Types of mortars for brickwork

For brickwork, various kinds of mixtures are employed. Cement is the primary ingredient in binders most of the time; other ingredients and additives are added. The type of solution is chosen before the volume of building materials is computed.

• Ordinary (so-called "cold") mortar – prepared from sand and cement, water. This is a classic recipe for a mixture that after hardening provides good strength and sufficient load-bearing capacity of the wall. The proportions of the components can be different – much depends on the brand of cement used and the brand of concrete that needs to be obtained. Most often, they take M400 / M500 cement and prepare it in a proportion of 1 to 4.
• A mixture of Portland cement and lime – in this case, you can save on cement, but not on the quality of the masonry, which turns out to be moisture-resistant, strong enough. Often, dry components are additionally introduced into the solution, allowing to increase the viscosity, water / frost resistance.
• Lime mortar – quicklime here acts as a hardener and is used instead of cement. The main advantage of the solution is the plasticity of the composition, which lasts for a long time. The main disadvantage is that lime strongly absorbs moisture, so many insulation materials cannot be used with it, and over time this property can cause the composition to be washed out of the masonry under the influence of precipitation and external negative factors.
• A solution with a plasticizer – special polymer additives are added to sand and cement to increase the plasticity of the mixture. Such a solution is usually mixed dry, and then water is added in accordance with the instructions.

The requirements are nearly the same for all mixtures, regardless of the composition selected or the amount of masonry mortar used. All parts need to be completely free of debris, lumps, and contaminants. The liquid lime also needs to be filtered.

The solution is prepared by slowly adding water at a temperature of +20 degrees while stirring constantly to achieve a homogenous consistency. All of the component powders must be thoroughly mixed. While mixing concrete in a mixer is much faster, mixing by hand takes longer. A perforator with a specific nozzle can be used.

If the decision was made to use a cement-lending solution, it’s also important to take into account a few details. While the mixture can work for approximately five hours, it is best to use it sooner in the summer, when the temperature is above 25 degrees (in certain situations, the solution can become unsuitable in just one hour). For one cubic meter, 190 kilograms of cement (brand name M400/M500) are used. 160 kg of hydrate lime, 5 m3 of sand, and roughly 470 liters of water. Therefore, one cubic meter of masonry requires roughly 46 kilograms of cement.

However, masonry cement mortar is more preferred in contemporary construction. The technology is thoroughly examined before it is prepared, as even small departures from the standard can cause the mixture to become excessively delicate and susceptible to moisture, crack propagation, etc.

Factors affecting the consumption

All the elements that directly impact the volumes of mortar used must be considered in order to calculate the amount of cement needed for every cubic meter of brickwork. Specialized calculators and tables are used for this; these typically show the consumption per square meter and do not account for all the subtleties that are important to remember.

• The thickness of the walls of the building – here the location and requirements for the load-bearing capacity of the wall are usually taken into account. Partitions and buildings with a minimum load are usually erected with a thickness of 1 brick. The construction of garages, outbuildings and other structures that require the need to withstand the roof and have a certain strength is carried out from walls one and a half bricks thick. Most of the mortar is spent on the construction of thick walls.
• The type of brick that is used in construction – thus, the consumption of cement for brickwork from a material without voids will be much less than when erecting a building from hollow blocks.
• The thickness of the inter-row seams – the thicker, the greater the consumption.
• Binder in the mortar – to reduce the consumption of cement for brickwork, lime and clay are added to the mixture.
• Professionalism of the master – despite the fact that the masonry itself and the preparation of the cement mortar do not require so much special knowledge and skills, in the absence of experience, the consumption of the mortar can be too high. Sometimes part of the mixture is lost, the seams are very thick, etc.. To avoid this, it is worth involving experienced craftsmen in the work or at least watching in advance how professionals do it.

When facing, the square meters of the wall are used to calculate the cement consumption per cubic meter of brickwork. Here, a number of factors include the material’s water absorption capacity, porosity and emptiness, and the time of year the work is being done.

You must keep in mind that more mixture will be needed for 1 m2 of masonry the more pores and voids there are in the building material. However, there will be less consumption the larger the brick. Ceramic/silicate double brick is thought to be the most cost-effective in terms of mortar consumption; up to 20% less mortar is used during construction.

For effective construction planning, the cement consumption per cubic meter of brickwork must be calculated. Knowing how much cement is required will help you ensure sturdy, long-lasting constructions without wasting money or creating extra problems. For the ideal mortar for your project, follow these easy steps to measure and combine the appropriate amounts of cement, sand, and water. Anyone can easily complete these calculations correctly the first time by following this guide, which will walk you through the process.

Consumption of mortar per 1 cubic meter

Building codes presuppose a specific cement consumption indicator for every m3 of brickwork. You can, at the very least, approximate calculations based on them, which are then modified in light of the previously mentioned considerations.

• When laying in half a brick – the consumption is 0.189 m3
• When laying in a brick – 0.221 cubic meters
• In one and a half blocks – 0.234 m3
• In two bricks – 0.24 m3
• In 2 and a half bricks – 0.245 m3

According to the standards, one solid brick requires around 0.0006305 cubic meters of mortar. It turns out that one brick requires 75 liters of mortar for every square meter of wall masonry. There are other standards followed when laying blocks.

When hollow blocks are utilized, the amount of cement used during bricklaying is 15-20% more than what is recommended. It is sufficient to determine the masonry’s area and multiply the result by the typical material costs to determine the necessary volume. Cement for masonry is typically measured in cubic meters of mortar and according to the mixture’s recipe (i.e., the amount of cement needed to make one m3 of mortar).

Cement consumption

The amount of cement used per square meter of brick depends on the dry mix brand and the final concrete brand required. Typically, 1.5–2 grades higher than the necessary grade of concrete mortar are used with cement. It is preferable to round up and add 5–10% to computations to account for unforeseen work, subtleties, and other factors.

• If a 1 to 3 mixture is prepared, to determine the volume of cement, you need to divide 1 m3 by 4 (this is how much dry mix is ​​spent). It turns out 0.25 m3 of cement per cube.
• When a 1 to 4 mixture is used, 0.2 m3 of cement is used.
• In a solution where lime also acts as a binder (usually a third is added), the proportions of the mixture look like this: part cement, 0.3 parts lime, 3 parts sand. Then you need to divide 1 m3 by 4.3 – comes out 0.232 m3.

The amount of cement required for every 1 m3 of solution is calculated in a similar manner, but with different ratios. However, keep in mind that cement is measured in mass rather than cubic meters, so this number needs to be converted.

You will need an indicator of the material’s standard specific gravity (density) to accomplish this. The type of cement and level of compaction play a major role. On average, 1300 kg/m3 is the value.

• In a mixture of 1 to 3: 0.25 m3 x 1300 kg/m3 – it turns out 325 kilograms. This is exactly how much cement is needed to mix 1 m3 of mortar according to this proportion. To determine the volume of cement per 1 cubic meter of masonry, the number is multiplied by the standard consumption of masonry mortar. If a single wall is placed, it turns out: 325 x 0.221 = 71.823 kilograms = 72 (if rounded) = 75 (if we add error). It turns out that in a 1 to 3 mixture, 75 kilograms of cement are used per 1 m3 of mortar.
• In a 1 to 4 solution, the calculations are as follows: 0.2 m3 x 1300 kg/m3 = 260 kilograms, 260 kg x 0.221 = 57.46 = 58 = 60 kilograms of dry cement is needed per cubic meter of masonry.

To simplify the computations, figure out how much cement is required for one square meter of masonry using a square meter.

• For half-brick masonry, you will need: 51 bricks x 0.0006305 = 0.0321 m3 of mortar. 0.0321 m3 / 4 = 0.008025 m3 of cement x 1300 kg/m3 = 10.43 = 11 kilograms of cement.
• For masonry in brick – 102 pieces x 0.0006305 m3 = 0.0643 / 4 = 0.0161 m3 x 1300 kg/m3 = 20.9 = 21 kilograms of cement will be required to lay a square meter of wall one brick thick.
• For one and a half bricks – 153 pieces x 0.0006305 = 0.0965 m3 / 4 = 0.0241 m3 x 1300/m3 = 31.35 = 32 kilograms of cement to lay a square meter of wall one and a half bricks thick.

You can multiply the value for a wall one brick thick by the required number (if the thickness is two bricks, then by two, if it is three, then by three, etc.d.) or use the same formula to perform additional calculations. The GOST and SNiP provisions provide the starting values for the computations.

Consumption rates

Building codes and regulations can tell you how much cement is needed for 1 m2 of masonry. Here, we are discussing a single, solid brick. But since different materials are frequently utilized in construction, the volume might vary. Here, it is imperative to consider the properties of the substance.

• Wall thickness in half a brick – 0.223 m3
• In a brick – 0.235 m3
• In one and a half bricks – 0.242 m3
• Wall thickness in two bricks – 0.247 m3

• Half masonry – 0.160 m3
• Single masonry – 0.2 m3
• One and a half masonry – 0.216 m3
• Double wall – 0.222 m3
• Two and a half bricks – 0.227 m3

The mixture costs for the brick must be determined in order to determine the volume of mortar per 1 m3 of masonry. All calculations should then be made using the previously described algorithm.

Determining the appropriate cement dosage for bricklaying is essential to guaranteeing a sturdy and long-lasting construction. You can calculate the precise amount of cement needed for your project by knowing the mix ratio, brick size, and mortar joint thickness. This aids with budgeting as well as waste reduction and construction quality assurance.

Using a 1:4 or 1:6 mix ratio (cement to sand) is typical for standard brickwork. These proportions offer good strength and workability for the majority of brickwork types. The total volume of mortar required will depend on the size of the bricks and the thickness of the mortar joints, which will ultimately determine the quantity of cement needed.

Determine the amount of mortar required for one cubic meter of brickwork before calculating the cement consumption. Next, calculate how much cement there is in that volume using the selected mix ratio. A 1:4 ratio, for instance, would require one part cement to every four parts sand. You can be sure you have the proper ratios for a robust and long-lasting mix by doing this quick calculation.

Precise estimation of cement usage facilitates planning and guarantees the effectiveness of the building procedure. You can use your resources most efficiently and produce a high-quality brickwork project by adhering to these guidelines. Always measure carefully and mix thoroughly to ensure that your materials provide the best possible results.

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Calculation of bricks – [© masterkladki]