50 Basic Formulas in Civil Engineering

As you explore these formulas, you’ll enhance your practical knowledge and improve your efficiency and
effectiveness on-site. So, let’s dive in and strengthen your understanding of the critical formulas that
shape the field of civil engineering.

Here is a list of the 50 basic formulas that are helpful for civil site engineers and supervisors:

1. Concrete Calculation:

Volume of Concrete = Length × Width × Height (L × W × H)

Total Concrete Quantity = Volume of Concrete × 1.54 (to account for voids in aggregates)

Cement Quantity = (Total Concrete Quantity × Cement Ratio) / Sum of Ratios

Sand Quantity = (Total Concrete Quantity × Sand Ratio) / Sum of Ratios

Aggregate Quantity = (Total Concrete Quantity × Aggregate Ratio) / Sum of Ratio

2. Area Calculation:

Rectangle: Area = Length × Width

Triangle: Area = 0.5 × Base × Height

Circle: Area = π × Radius²

3. Volume Calculation:

Cube: Volume = Side³

Rectangular Prism: Volume = Length × Width × Height

Cylinder: Volume = π × Radius² × Height

Sphere: Volume = (4/3) × π × Radius³

4. Slope Calculation:

Slope (as a percentage) = (Vertical Distance / Horizontal Distance) × 100

Slope (as a ratio) = Vertical Distance: Horizontal Distance

Volume of Cut or Fill = Average Cross-sectional Area × Length

Average Cross-sectional Area = (Area 1 + Area 2) / 2

6. Steel Quantity Calculation:

Steel Quantity = (Length of Bar × Number of Bars × Weight of Steel per Unit Length) / 1000

Weight of Steel per Unit Length = (Diameter² × π) / 162.198 (for steel bars in kg/m, where diameter is
in mm)

7. Unit Weight:

Unit Weight of Steel = 7850 kg/m³

Unit Weight of Concrete = 2400 kg/m³

Unit Weight of Brick = 1600-2000 kg/m³ (depending on type)

8. Load Bearing Capacity:

Bearing Capacity = (Ultimate Bearing Capacity × Factor of Safety) / Unit Weight of Soil

9. Slab Load Calculation:

Slab Load = Dead Load + Live Load

10. Cantilever Beam Deflection:

Deflection = (Point Load × Length³) / (3 × Elastic Modulus × Moment of Inertia)

11. Moment of Inertia:

Circle: I = (π × Diameter⁴) / 64

12. Section Modulus:

Rectangle: Z = (Width × Height²) / 6

13. Bending Moment:

Simply Supported Beam: M = (Point Load × Length) / 4

14. Shear Force:

Simply Supported Beam: V = Point Load / 2

15. Bricks Calculation:

Number of Bricks = (Wall Volume × 1000) / (Brick Volume + Mortar Volume)

16. Dry Material Quantity for Mortar:

Cement Quantity = (Mortar Volume × Cement Ratio) / Sum of Ratios

Sand Quantity = (Mortar Volume × Sand Ratio) / Sum of Ratios

17. Wet Mortar Volume:

Wet Mortar Volume = Dry Mortar Volume × 1.3 (approximately)

18. Excavation Calculation:

Excavation Volume = Trench Length × Trench Width × Trench Depth

Retaining Wall Stability:

Factor of Safety against Sliding = (Resisting Force × Wall Length) / (Driving Force × Wall Height)
20. One-way Slab Thickness:

Thickness = (Span / Ratio) + (Clear Cover + Main Bar Diameter / 2)

21. Two-way Slab Thickness:

Thickness = (Shorter Span / Ratio) + (Clear Cover + Main Bar Diameter / 2)

22. Pile Load Capacity:

Load Capacity = (End Bearing Capacity × Pile Tip Area) + (Skin Friction × Pile Surface Area)

23. Compaction Factor:

Compaction Factor = (Loose Soil Volume – Compacted Soil Volume) / Loose Soil Volume

24. Soil Settlement:

Immediate Settlement = (Applied Load × Thickness × Poisson’s Ratio) / (Elastic Modulus × (1 – Poisson’s
Ratio²))

25. Modulus of Elasticity (E):

Concrete: E = 4700 × √(Concrete Compressive Strength)

26. Modulus of Subgrade Reaction:

k = (Subgrade Modulus × Width of Foundation) / (1 + m × Width of Foundation)

27. Safe Bearing Capacity (SBC):

SBC = Ultimate Bearing Capacity / Factor of Safety

28. Factor of Safety against Overturning:

29. Reinforcement Cover:

Nominal Cover = Design Cover – Deviation (specified in relevant codes)

30. Concrete Mix Proportions:

Water-Cement Ratio = Water Content / Cement Content

1. Bar Bending Schedule:

Development Length = Bar Diameter × Development Length Factor (specified in codes)

32. Coefficient of Permeability:

Darcy’s Law: Q = (Coefficient of Permeability × Area × Hydraulic Gradient) / Length

33. Total Stress in Soil:

Total Stress = Effective Stress + Pore Water Pressure

34. Consolidation Settlement:

Settlement = (Initial Void Ratio × Height of Compressible Layer × Change in Effective Stress) / (1 +
Initial Void Ratio)

35. Modulus of Rupture:

Modulus of Rupture = (3 × Load × Span) / (2 × Width × Thickness²)

36. Axial Load Capacity of Column:

37. Effective Length of Column:

Effective Length = Unsupported Length × K (K = effective length factor, depending on the end
conditions)

38. Slenderness Ratio:

Slenderness Ratio = Effective Length / Least Radius of Gyration

39. Radius of Gyration:

Rectangle: r = √(Width² + Height²) / 12

40. Axial Load Capacity of Wall:

Load Capacity = Area of Wall × Allowable Axial Stress

41. Modulus of Elasticity of Steel (Es):

Es = 200,000 N/mm² (approximately for mild steel)

42. Moment Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Beam:

Moment Capacity = As × fy × (d – a/2) (Where As = area of steel reinforcement, d = effective depth,

43. Neutral Axis Depth (c):

44. Total Surface Area of a Cylinder:

Surface Area = 2 × π × Radius × (Radius + Height)

45. Wet to Dry Soil Volume Shrinkage:

Shrinkage Volume = (Wet Soil Volume × Shrinkage Factor) / (1 + Shrinkage Factor)

46. Unit Weight of Water:

Unit Weight of Water = 1000 kg/m³

47. Fluid Pressure:

Pressure = Density × Acceleration due to Gravity × Depth

48. Required Number of Foundation Piles:

Number of Piles = (Total Building Load + Pile Load Capacity – 1) / Pile Load Capacity

49. Flexural Strength of Concrete:

Flexural Strength = Modulus of Rupture × (Moment of Inertia / Distance from the extreme fiber to the
neutral axis)

50. Tensile Strength of Concrete:

Tensile Strength = 0.7 × √(Concrete Compressive Strength)