How to calculate the amount of brick for masonry basement?

Considering constructing a basement? Finding out how many bricks you’ll need for the masonry is one of the crucial steps. Correctly calculating this amount is essential to preventing material shortages mid-project and unnecessary brick purchases.

We’ll walk you through a quick method to figure out how many bricks your basement walls will require. You will save time, money, and hassle with this method. You’ll discover how to take into account elements like mortar gaps, brick size, and wall dimensions.

These guidelines will help you estimate the number of bricks your masonry basement will require with confidence, leading to a more seamless and effective building process. Now let’s get going!

Base brick – sizes, types, terminology

The choice of building material for the masonry should be made when organizing the construction of a building’s base. For these uses, solid brick is advised by skilled builders and offers the following benefits:

• increased resistance to mechanical loads;
• resistance to the effects of high humidity.

Let us ascertain the varieties of bricks that are available:

• ceramic, for the production of which clay and quartz sand are used. The manufacturing technology involves high-temperature annealing, which increases the strength properties and moisture resistance of ordinary clay bricks;
• silicate, which is easily distinguished by its white color. It is produced by autoclave processing in chambers where high humidity and temperature are maintained. Strongly absorbs moisture and is not used for basements and basement foundations;
• fireproof, which maintains integrity when heated to 1.5 thousand degrees Celsius. Refractory brick has a yellowish tint and is made from fireclay. The material is used in the construction of furnaces and retains its structure during repeated heating and subsequent cooling.

If you are building a masonry structure, it is recommended that you use the ceramic bricks with the M250 mark, which are made by firing clay at a high temperature. This building brick has a standard size of 25x12x6.5 cm and can withstand a force of 250 kg per square centimeter of area. The product has an external shape resembling a rectangular parallelepiped, with names assigned to each side:

• bed. This is the largest part in area, having dimensions of 25×12 cm;
• spoon part. Spoon – larger end with a size of 25×6.5 cm;
• butt plane. Poke – reduced end with dimensions 6.5×12 cm.

The following are the varied dimensions of various brick product types:

• for a single brick – 25x12x6.5 cm;
• for one and a half – 25x12x8.8 cm;
• for double brick block – 25x12x13.8 cm.

It is simple to determine the number of bricks needed for each plinth on your own if you know the dimensions of the blocks used in plinth masonry.

Getting ready to calculate the amount of bricks for the plinth – preparatory work

You should choose the plinth’s design before calculating the brick. It might vary:

• protruding beyond the contour of the wall;
• corresponding to the width of the wall;
• recessed 50–70 mm relative to the wall of the building.

You must first prepare the necessary initial data in order to calculate the brick for the plinth accurately:

• base thickness. In most cases, the width can be 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 or 2.5 bricks;
• height of the basement wall. The height dimension is determined according to the requirements of the project, taking into account climatic factors and must exceed 50 cm;
• perimeter of the basement foundation. It is calculated by adding the doubled length and width of the building being erected;
• the dimensions of the brick used to build the basement. The amount of building material depends on the dimensions of the basement brick;
• the dimensions and number of openings. If there are openings located in the basement of the building, then the need for building material for masonry is reduced;
• the thickness of the mortar joint. The correctness of the calculation of the amount of material depends on the consideration of mortar joints;
• the type of masonry used. The calculation of bricks for the basement differs depending on the features of the brickwork.

With the required data, you can carry out the computation in a few different ways:

• using an online calculator or programs posted on specialized sites;
• manually when independently performing the necessary calculations using a regular calculator.

Let’s go into more detail about how calculations can be done on your own.

How to calculate the amount of bricks per plinth based on the volume of masonry

Finding the number of bricks required for the base is simple when one knows the volume of brickwork. This is accomplished by calculating the basement wall’s volume and dividing the result by the volume of a single brick block. The quantity of construction materials needed to construct the basement base will be determined by accurately completing the calculations. Let’s examine the calculation algorithm with a particular illustration.

First information needed to do calculations:

• dimensions of the building"s basement are 5×6 m;
• height of the base – 0.6 m;
• wall thickness in the basement part – 0.25 m;
• size of the connecting seam – 10 mm;
• type of masonry performed – one brick;
• dimensions of the building material used – 0.25×0.12×0.065 m.

Follow the provided calculation sequence to complete the calculation:

• Determine the perimeter of the base by doubling the sum of the sides – 2x(5+6)=22 m.
• Calculate the volume of the masonry by multiplying the perimeter by its thickness and height – 22×0.25×0.6=3.3 m 3 .
• Calculate the volume of a brick block by multiplying the dimensions – 0.25×0.12×0.065=0.00195 m 3 .
• Determine the need for material by dividing the total volume of masonry by the volume of brick used – 3.3:0.00195=1692 bricks.

The thickness of the joint, whose size has little bearing on the quantity of building materials required, is not taken into account by the provided calculation algorithm. The volume of the openings must be deducted from the masonry volume if they are to be made in the building’s basement. It is simple to ascertain whether brick blocks are required by performing the streamlined computations again.

How to calculate bricks for a basement based on the dimensions of the basement part of the building

We will look at an alternate calculation process that considers the dimensions of the basement base using the initial data provided in the previous section. Let’s assess the accuracy of the computations by comparing the resultant value with the previously established material requirement.

The calculation algorithm first calculates the amount of building material needed at one brickwork level before calculating the overall amount needed. Compute the following in the order given:

• Calculate the total length of the base of the future building by adding the dimensions 5 + 6 + 5 + 6 = 22 m.
• Determine the number of brick blocks in one row by dividing the result by the length of the end part (for masonry performed in one brick) – 22: 0.12 = 183 pieces.
• Calculate the number of horizontal rows by dividing the height of the base by the thickness of a standard brick block – 0.6: 0.065 = 9.2 rows.
• Determine the need for material by multiplying the number of blocks in a row by the number of rows rounded to 9 – 183 x 9 = 1647 bricks.

The area of the walls as calculated (1647) is slightly different from the volumetric method’s estimate of material required (1692). The one-centimeter thickness of the binder mortar was ignored in both situations. The thickness of the seam must be considered, taking into account the masonry’s configuration, if more precise measurements are required.

Calculation of stairs – general information

The staircase structures are calculated during the design stage, following the specification of the basement’s dimensions and an examination of the interior space layout. Prior to beginning the basement construction, it is important to determine the location of the internal staircases and whether the size and shape of the building’s basement portion will need to be changed.

During the design phase, the subsequent considerations are made:

• the dimensions and area of ​​the interior space;
• the difference in height between the floor and the ceiling;
• features of the interior layout;
• coordinates of the location of doorways;
• location of internal partitions.

The following are crucial elements in the construction and binding of staircases:

• angle of inclination of the flight of stairs. The optimal value for safe use and comfortable operation is 28-34 degrees;
• size of the supporting part of the step. The specified value is 25–30 cm, which ensures ease of movement;
• height difference between adjacent steps. The requirements of the state standard provide for the value of this parameter to be 18–20 cm;
• staircase width. This characteristic is 0.9–1.1 m, which ensures comfortable operation.

Safety, dependability, and a larger safety margin should be your top priorities when choosing a staircase’s design.

A successful project depends on accurately estimating how much brick your basement masonry will require. Measure the walls you want to build’s length, height, and thickness first. To determine the total volume of the wall space, multiply these measurements.

Next, think about how big you want your bricks to be. Typical dimensions of a standard brick are 8 inches by 2.25 inches by 3.75 inches. To find the total number of bricks required for the volume of your wall, use these dimensions to find the number of bricks that fit into a cubic foot.

The number of bricks needed will be slightly lowered if the mortar joints between the bricks are taken into account. Mortar joints are typically 3/8 of an inch thick. To make sure you order the right quantity of materials, make the appropriate adjustments to your calculations.

In order to account for any breakage or cutting, it is advisable to add a small percentage of extra bricks to your final count. In this manner, you’ll have adequate bricks to finish the masonry in your basement quickly. Your project will operate more smoothly and effectively if it is properly planned and the calculations are correct.

The entire wall area must be measured, the brick size must be taken into account, and mortar gaps must be taken into account when estimating the quantity of brick required for a masonry basement. This guarantees that you purchase the appropriate number of materials, prevent waste, and maintain your project’s budget. You can efficiently and economically build your basement by estimating the number of bricks needed by following a few easy steps.

Video on the topic

FOUNDATION. BASE . Brick layout (1 part). Part 15.

Lesson #1.Base markings.

Markings for laying the first row of a brick plinth//Laying a plinth with your own hands

Base markings. I mark the base using a tape measure and fishing line.

How to calculate facing bricks for a house? Example of calculation of facing brick

How not to lay a brick! Dangerous mistakes when laying bricks and their correction