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BPD 31003
CONSTRUCTION
COST
ESTIMATION
Ts. Dr. Norliana Sarpin
norliana@uthm.edu.my

BRICK WORK
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BRICKWORKS AND BLOCKWORKS
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CONTENT

1. Introduction
2. Brickworks & Blockworks
3. Materials
• Brick
• Mortar
• Wire mesh
• Damp Proof Membrane
• Cutting & Waste
4. Labour
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CONTENT

5. Blockworks
6. Sub-contractors’ Responsibilities
7. Calculation :
• Example 1 – Cement Mortar Mix
• Example 2 – Mortar
• Example 3 - Brickworks
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INTRODUCTION

The following are the items which normally states that prices
are included for:

“Plumbing angles, cutting, raking (the process of

cleaning mortar out of brickwork joints before pointing)
out joint, cutting holes for pipes, etc.”
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Brickworks and Blockworks

Factors involved in the build-up of a unit rate are:

a) Quantity of bricks / blocks per unit including
unloading.
b) Quantity & cost of mortar per unit.
c) Cutting & waste
d) Labour laying bricks / blocks
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Brickworks and Blockworks

Factors affecting the no. of bricks laid per hour (output):

a) Nature of work e.g. wall, isolated column.
b) Complexity e.g. large uncomplicated areas, circular
work.
c) Types of bond e.g. the more intricate (complex), the
lower the output.
d) Location e.g. ground floor, high level, confined space.
e) Weather e.g. hot, cold, wet.
f) Quality of work e.g. below ground level, facing work.
g) Height of the wall.
+ Material (Brick)
 Recommended brick size is 215 x 102.5 x 65mm with a
10mm joint.

 1m2 half brickwall consist of 63 pieces (pcs) brick.

Qty = (1000mm x 1000mm) / (225mm x 75mm) = 59.26pcs
+ 5% wastage = 3 pcs. So, total = 63 pcs
1m

1m

65mm + 10mm

215mm + 10mm
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Material (Brick)

 Cost of bricks includes delivery to site. The allowance for

unloading & stacking must be taken.

 Reasonable allowance for common bricks be in unloads &

stacks approximately 400 pcs/hour.

 Bricks are transported to the site from the stack by the

labourer attending the bricklayer.
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Material

Material required for 1m2 brick wall

Description Mortar (m3) No. of bricks

Half brick wall 0.025 63

One brick wall 0.050 125

1 ½ brick wall 0.075 188

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Material (Mortar)

 Mortars can be cement & sand (1:3) or cement, lime &

sand (1:1:6).

 The percentage of dry materials, shrinkage & general

mixed mortar wastage can be 1/3 or 33.33%.

 Mortar is commonly mixed by machine (mixer), which is

faster & produces a better mix compared to hand mixing.
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Material (Mortar)

 Mixing would required 2 hours/m3 labour for hand mixing

due to small quantities involved and 1.25m3/hour for
machine mixing.

 Amount of mortar required varies, being dependent on the

types of brick used.

 An allowance of 0.025m3 & 0.050m3 could be taken for each

m2 half-brick thickness & one brick wall respectively.
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Material (Wire Mesh)

 Normally apply in half brick wall at every 4 courses.

 An allowance for overlapping & wastage is 5%.

 1m2 half brickwall consist of 3.50m length of wire mesh.

Length of wire mesh

= [(1000mm x 1000mm) / (1000mm x 300mm)]+ 5%
wastage
= 3.50m
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Material (Wire Mesh)

 1m2 half brickwall consist of 3.50m length of wire mesh.

1m

1m

Wire mesh

(65mm + 10mm) /course

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Material (Damp Proof
Membrane/DPM)

 DPM not exceeding 225mm thick will be measured in meter

run (m) stating the thickness in description.

 DPM exceeding 225mm thick will be measured in m2.

 An allowance of 5% overlapping & wastage should take in

account.
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Material (Cutting & Waste)

 Waste on bricks varies dependent on the nature of

the brick site handling & stacking & the cutting involved in
the work.

 Reasonable allowance for common bricks is 7.5% & for

facing bricks is 10%.
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Labour

 General worker output for mixing mortar is 2.00hr/m3.

 Brick bonding output depends on the complexity of the

work, thickness of wall, types of mortar, etc. Allowance of
40 – 80 bricks / hour are usual.

 Assistance depends also on the complexity of the work.

Usually to have 1 labourer attending on two bricklayers.

 Work such as arches may have a labourer attending each

bricklayer.
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Labour

 An all-in gang rate may be built up & the production output

based on the gang rather than individual operatives.

 A bricklayer is not constantly laying bricks, but also setting

out, forming hole for plumbing, fixing lintels etc.
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Labour factor

Labour output for bricklaying

Description Bricklayer General

(hr/m2) Worker
(hr/m2)
Half brick wall common 1.00 0.35
brick
One brick wall common 1.75 0.70
brick
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Blockworks
+ Blockworks
Lightweight concrete and hollow clay blocks are in
common use.

Usual size is 450mm x 150mm.

Material required for 1m2 block wall

Block size 450mm x Mortar (m3) No. of block

150mm
100mm thick 0.010 16

215mm thick 0.022 16

+ Blockworks

Labour output for blocklaying

Block size 450mm x bricklayer Labour

150mm (hour/m2) (hour/m2)

100mm thick 0.75 0.35

215mm thick 1.50 0.50

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Sub-contractors’ Responsibilities

 Labour is usually subcontracted at a quoted rate per 1000

bricks or per block or per floor. This rate will usually include
for fixing related items such as DPC’s, lintols, etc.

 The labour rate must be checked to discover whether

scaffolding and/or mixing equipment is included in the
quote, or has to be provided by the contractor.

 Material is usually supplied by the contractor.

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CALCULATION
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Example 1: Cement Mortar Mix
Question:
Find the unit rate per m 3 for cement mortar mix (1:3).
(using a 5/3½ runner, continuously). A 5/3½ mixer takes 5 cubic feet
of dry materials and produces 3½ cubic feet of concrete per mix (i.e.
0.099m3) (1 cubic feet = 0.0283 cubic metre). Working continuously
at the rate of 12 mixes per hour, this produces approximately 1.20m3
of mixed concrete in an hour.
Assumption:
Cost of mixer (rental) = RM 100.00 per day
Cost of diesel for = RM 24.00 per day
mixer
Labour wages = RM 40.00 per day
No. of labour = 3 persons (1 filler, 2
wheelers)
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Example 1: Cement Mortar Mix

Assumption:
Cost of Ordinary Portland Cement =RM 18.00 per bag
(50kg)
inclusive unloading cost
Cost of sand = RM 120.00 per tonne
Density of Ordinary Portland Cement = 1420kg/m3
Density of sand = 1600kg/m3
Working hour per day = 8 hours
Shrinkage and wastage = 33.33%
+ Example 1: Cement Mortar Mix
RM RM/
m3
Material Cost
(a) 1 m3 Ordinary Portland Cement
Cement per tonne = 1000kg = (1000kg/50kg) =
20bag
Cement price per tonne =(RM18.00 x 20bags)=
RM360.00
1m3 cement = 1420kg/m3 at RM360.00 per tonne
= [(1m3 x 1420kg/m3) /1000kg ] x RM360.00/tonne = 511.20

(b) 3 m3 Sand
1 m3 sand = 1600 kg/m3 at RM120.00 per tonne
= [(3m3 x 1600kg/m3) / 1000kg ] x RM120.00/tonne = 576.00

Total Cost (1:3) =1,087.20

(c) Add shrinkage and wastage 33.33% = 362.36
Total Material Cost (1:3) = 1,449.56
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Example 1: Cement Mortar Mix
RM RM/m3
Material Cost
(d) Divide by part of mix (4 m3) = (RM1,449.56/4 m3) = 362.39
Cost of materials of 1 m3 = 362.39

Labour Cost
(e) 3 labours at RM40.00 per day
= 3 x (RM40.00 / 8 hour)
= RM15.00 per hour

Cost to produce = 1.20 m3 per hour at RM15.00/

hour
1 m3 = RM15.00 / 1.20m3 = 12.50
Cost of labour of 1 m3 = 12.50
+ Example 1: Cement Mortar Mix
RM RM/m3
Plant Cost
(f) Rental cost of a 5/3½ mixer = RM100.00 per
day
= 1 hour x (RM100.00 / 8 hour) = RM12.50 per
hour
Cost to produce = 1.20 m3 per hour at
RM12.50/ hour
Therefore, cost per m3 = RM12.50 / 1.20 m3 = 10.42

(g) Diesel = RM24.00 per day

= 1 hour x (RM24.00 / 8 hour) = RM3.00 per
hour
Therefore, cost per m3 = RM3.00 / 1.20 m3 = 2.50

Total Plant Cost = 12.92

Cost plant of 1 m3 = 12.92

Total Unit Rate per m3 = 387.81

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Example 2: Cement Mortar Mix
(by hand)
Question:
Find the unit rate per m 3 for cement mortar mix (1:3) mix by hand

Assumption:
Cost of cement = RM 10.50 per bag
Cost of sand = RM 30.00 per m 3

Labour wages = RM 40.00 per day

+ Example 1: Cement Mortar Mix
RM RM/
m3
Material Cost
(a) 1 m3 Cement
28bag x RM 10.50 = 294.00

(b) 3 m3 Sand
3m3 x RM30.00 = 90.00
= 384.00
(c) Add shrinkage and wastage 1/3 = 128.00
Total Material Cost for 4m3 = 512.00

Cost / m3 = RM512 / 4m3 = 128.00

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Example 2: Cement Mortar Mix
(by hand)
RM RM/m3

Labour Cost
(e) labour at RM40.00 per day
= 2 x (RM40.00 / 8 hour) = 10.00

= 138.00
Cost of mortar per m3
+ Example 3: Brickworks

Question:
110mm thick brickwall in strip foundations, in cement mortar 1:3
mix, laid in stretcher Bond. Determine the unit rate in m 2.

Assumption:
No. of brick required per m2 = 63 pieces
Cost of brick = RM 0.30 per
piece
Mortar required per m2 (inclusive = 0.025m3
wastage)
Cost of cement mortar mix (1:3) = RM 387.81
per m3
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Example 3: Brickworks

Assumption:
Wages per day (Bricklayer) =RM 60.00
(General worker) = RM 40.00
Gang of labour = 1 + 1 (1 bricklayer, 1 labourer/general
worker)
Output of bricklayer = 120 pieces per hour
Allow 8 hour working per day
Profit and Overhead = 10%
+Example 3: Brickworks
RM RM/m2
Material Cost
(a) 1m2 of common brick = (63 pieces x = 18.90
RM0.30/piece)
(b) Mortar inclusive wastage = (0.025m3 x = 9.70
RM387.81/m3)
(c) Add Wire Mesh/exmet = 3.50m x RM 0.80 = 2.80
Cost of materials per m2 = 31.40

Labour Cost
(e) Cost of labours per hour;
1 bricklayer = (RM60.00 per day / 8 hours) = 7.50
1 labourer = (RM40.00 per day / 8 hours) = 5.00
Total cost of gang of labour per hour = 12.50

(f) Output of bricklayer = 120 pieces per hour

Cost of laying 1m2 (60 pieces) brick,
= (60 pieces / 120 pieces) x RM12.50 per hour = 6.25
+ Example 3: Brickworks

RM RM/m2
Labour Cost
Cost of Labour per m2 = 6.25

Total cost per m2 = 37.65

Add 10% Profit and Overhead = 3.77
Total Unit Rate per m2 = 41.42
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References

 Brook, M. (2004) Estimating & Tendering

for Construction Work, 3rd Edition. Elsevier/ Butterworth –
Heinemann.

 Dagostino, F.R., Feigenbaum, L., Kissoon, C. (2003) Estimating in

Building Construction, 6th Edition. Pearson/ Prentice Hall, p. 173-
197.

 Dagostino, F.R., Peterson, S. J. (2011) Estimating in Building

Construction, 7th Edition. Prentice Hall, p. 119-135.

 Peurifoy, R. L., Oberlender, G. D. (2002) Estimating Construction

Costs, 5th Edition. McGraw Hill, p. 327-346.
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Thank you
norliana@uthm.edu.my
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NEXT LECTURE

Finishes
+ Example 4: Cement Sand Block
Question:
Determine the unit rate in m2 for:
150mm thick wall in cement and sand blocks size 400mm x 100mm x 100mm thick for partition walling in
cement mortar (1:3) mix.

Assumption:
No. of block required per m2 = 22 pieces
Cost of block = RM 1.30 per piece

Wastage on material = 5%
Mortar required per m2 (inclusive wastage) = 0.011m3
Cost of cement mortar mix (1:3) per mix3 = RM 387.81
Wages per day (Blocklayer) = RM 60.00

(General Worker) = RM 40.00

Gang of labour = 1 + 1 (1 bricklayer, 1 labourer)

Hour of labour required for m2 = 0.45 hours

Allow 8 hour working per day Profit and

Overhead = 10%
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Example 4: Cement Sand Block
RM RM/m2
Material Cost
(a) Cement and sand hollow block
1m2 = 22 pieces x RM1.30 per piece = 28.60
(b) Waste on material 5% = (RM28.60 x 5%) = 1.43
(c) Mortar inclusive wastage = (0.011m3 x = 4.27
RM387.81/m3)
Cost of materials per m2 = 34.30

Labour Cost
(d) Cost of 1 blocklayer = (RM60.00 per day / 8 hour) = 7.50
Cost of 1 labourer = (RM40.00 per day / 8 hour) = 5.00
Total cost of gang of labour per hour = 12.50
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Example 4: Cement Sand Block

RM RM/m2
Labour Cost
(e) Cost of labour per m2 = 0.45 hours
1m2 = (0.45 hours x RM12.50 per hour) = 5.63

Total cost of gang of labour per m2 = 5.63

Total cost per m2 = 39.93
Add 10% Profit and Overhead = 3.99
Total Unit Rate per m2 = 43.92