Concrete and Brick Take-off for Nepali Brick Sizes

Estimating construction materials accurately saves money and prevents project delays. In Nepal, estimating the number of bricks, cement, and sand can be tricky because local brick sizes often differ from international standards. This guide covers the basics of taking off materials for concrete works and brick masonry.

Understanding Nepali Brick Sizes

While international textbooks use standard metric bricks (like 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm), bricks manufactured in Nepal generally follow different dimensions. A common standard size for a Nepali brick is 9" × 4.5" × 2.25" (approx. 230 mm × 115 mm × 55 mm), though this can vary slightly by kiln and region.

When calculating the number of bricks for a wall:

• You must account for the mortar joint (typically 10 mm or about 0.4 inches).
• A single-brick wall (4.5" thickness) and a double-brick wall (9" thickness) will have vastly different brick requirements per square foot of wall area.

Concrete Mix Design Basics

For concrete works (pillars, slabs, footings), the volume is calculated in cubic meters (m³) or cubic feet (cu ft). The dry volume of concrete is usually taken as 1.54 times the wet volume to account for voids in the dry materials.

Common nominal mixes in Nepal include:

• M15 (1:2:4): Used for normal structural works. 1 part cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts aggregate.
• M20 (1:1.5:3): Used for slabs, beams, and columns requiring higher strength.

To estimate the materials, you first find the total volume, convert to dry volume, and then divide it proportionally according to the mix ratio.

Use the Concrete & Masonry Calculator

Manually calculating the exact number of bags of cement, cubic feet of sand, and number of local Nepali bricks can be tedious and prone to errors. We have developed a tool that handles these calculations, incorporating the standard Nepali brick size and standard mix ratios.