DEPARTMENT OF ARHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

BL501 – QUANTITY SURVEYING & ESTIMATING IV

Learning Pack No. 5 – MEASUREMENT OF MASONRY WORKS

Masonry refers to constructing buildings of bricks and blocks. The following is an example
of the calculating Unit Rate of the Blockwork.

Note: What is the unit weight of cement?

Cement weighs about: 1,400 kg per m3.

Volume of a 50 kg cement bag

Density = mass/volume (ρ=m/V)
So, V = m/ρ
V = 50 kg ÷ 1440 kg/m3
V = 0.0347 m3

Volume of a 40kg cement bag

Density = mass/volume (ρ = m/V)
So, V= m/ρ
V = 40 kg ÷ 1440 kg/m3
V = 0.0277 m3

Masonry
Example of Unit Rate analysis

Example 16 Masonry Works

8. Blockwork in 400 x 200 mm standard hollow concrete blocks in cement
mortar (1: 4)
8.1 200mm walls including pointing to both faces.........................................M2

Materials
Area (in elevation) of a block (400 x 200mm block) is 0.4 x 0.2 that is 0.08m2
1 1
Therefore 1m2 wall requires that is 12 blocks
0.08 2
Standard 400 x 200 x 200mm thick hollow blocks cost K188.00 per pallet of 100 blocks
Purchase price of 100 blocks ------------------------ K188.00
Delivery to site say ----------------------------------- K20.00
Offloading and stacking say ------------------------ K5.00
Price per 100 delivered and offloaded ------------ K213.00
213.00
Therefore price per block, = K2.13
100
1
For 1m2 of wall, 12 blocks @K2.13 ---------------------------------------- K24.75
2

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Waste on blocks, 7.5% ---------------------------------------------------------- K1.86

Mortar;
See Table 3 in Concrete Works handout
0.40 tonnes of cement required, therefore No. of 40kg bags = (400/40) = 10 bags
1.12m3 of concreting sand is required

Price of 40kg cement per tonne cost K300.00

Cost per bag is K300.00/25 bags = K12.00

Cost of 10 cement bags @ K12.00------------------ K120.00

Stockpile waste on cement, 2.5%-------------------- K3.00
1.12m3 of sand @ K45.00/m3------------------------ K50.40
Stockpile waste on sand, 5%------------------------- K2.52
Cost of mortar per M3 K175.92

Note: Based on Block & Brick Manual, 64m2 of wall will require 1m3 of mortar. Therefore
1m2 of wall will require 0.015625m3 of mortar.

Cost of mortar per M2 required is (0.016m3/m2 x K175.92/m3)------------ K2.81

Cost of materials per M2 -------------------------------------------------------- K29.42

Labour
Gang of 1 blocklayers: 2 labourers
That is 1 blocklayer: 2 labourer
In every hour, 1 blocklayer @ K4.50 = K4.50
2 labourer @ K3.60 = K7.20
Gang cost per hour-------------------- -K11.70

Output: Laying of blocks is 0.80m2/hr

Pointing of of block wall is 2.5m2/hr

Cost of laying 0.8m2 is (K11.70/hr ÷ 0.8m2/hr)------------------------------ K14.63

Cost of pointing 2.5m2 is (K11.70/hr ÷ 2.5m2/hr----------------------------- K4.68
Net Unit Rate per m2 -------------------------------------------------------------K48.73
Profit + on-cost, 10%--------------------------------------------------------------K4.87
Unit Rate per M2------------------------------------------------------------------ K53.60

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Example 17 Masonry Works
8. Blockwork in 400 x 200 mm standard hollow concrete blocks in cement
mortar (1: 4)
8.2 Rough raking cutting to 200mm hollow----------------------------------------M

Materials
Waste of blocks due to raking cutting 1 metre, say 2 blocks @ K2.13 -- K4.26

Labour
Gang cost per hour (as before) K11.70
Output is 3m of cutting per hour
Cost of raking cutting 1m is (K11.70/3)--------------------------------------- K3.90
Net Unit Rate per M ------------------------------------------------------------ K8.16
Profit + on-cost, 10%----------------------------------------------------------- K0.82
Unit Rate per M------------------------------------------------------------------ K8.98

Example 18 Masonry Works

8. Blockwork in 400 x 200 mm standard hollow concrete blocks in cement
mortar (1: 4)
8.2 20mPa concrete filling to 200mm hollow block wall (1:2:4)---------------M2

NOTE: Calculation is based on 100m2 of block wall

Consider 100m2 of 200mm wall to be filled with concrete corefilling

1 block (0.08m2) requires 0.01m3 of filling (practical approach)
Total No. of blocks = (100/0.08) = 1250 blocks
Volume of concrete filling = (1250 x 0.01) = 12.5m3 = 13m3

Volume of wall is 100m2 x 200mm thick = 20m3

About 65% of wall is hollow (to be filled)
Therefore Volume of concrete filling, 65% of 20m3 =13m3

NOTE: From these two calculations, it can be concluded that 100m2 of block wall will
require 13m3 of concrete filling (corefilling)

Data:
Price of 40kg cement per tonne cost K300.00 (ii) Delivery to site cost K10.00 (iii) Unloading
and storing i.e. 1.5 hours labourer @ K3.61 (iv) Stockpile waste, - Cement (2.5%), Sand
(10%) (v) Sand cost K45.00 per m3 (vi) Aggregates cost K50.00 per m3 (vii) Blocklayer @
K4.50/hr and Labourer @ K3.00/hr

Materials
Price of cement per tonne of 25 bags ------------------------ K300.00
Delivery to site ------------------------------------------------- K10.00
Off loading and storing, 1.5 hrs labourer @ K3.61 -------- K5.42
Price per tonne, off loaded and stored ----------------------- K315.42

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Therefore price per bag, K315.42 / 25 = K12.62

Refer to Table 4 in Concrete Works handout

0.32 tonnes of cement required, therefore No. of bags = (320/40) = 8 bags
0.43m3 of sand and 0.86m3 of aggregates are required

Cement, 0.32 tonne i.e., 8 bags @ K12.62 ----------------------------------- K100.96

Stockpile waste, 2.5% ----------------------------------------------------------- K2.52
Concreting sand, 0.43m3 @ K45.00/m3 --------------------------------------- K19.35
Stockpile waste, 10 % ---------------------------------------------------------- K1.94
Aggregates, 0.86m3 @ K50.00/m3----------------------------------------------K43.00
Stockpile waste, 5 % ------------------------------------------------------------ K2.15
Cost of Materials per m3 -------------------------------------------------------- K169.92

Labour
Placing 1m3 of concrete in hollow blocks
1 Blocklayer @ K4.50/hr
1 labourer @ K3.60/hr
Total labour/hr = (4.50 + 3.60) = K8.10
Assume Output is 1.2m2 per hour
Cost of laying (K8.10/hr ÷ 1.2m2/hr) ------------------------------------------ K6.75

Total cost per m3 concrete in hollow walls ----------------------------------- K176.67

Filling 100m2 of block wall will require 13m3 of concrete @ K176.67--- K2296.71

Net Unit Rate per m2 is (K2296.71 / 100m2)-----------------------------------K22.97

Profit + on-cost, 10%--------------------------------------------------------------K2.30
Unit Rate per M2-------------------------------------------------------------------K25.27

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Example 19 Masonry Works
8. Blockwork in 400 x 200 mm standard hollow concrete blocks in cement
mortar (1: 4)
8.3 200mm lintel blocks including pointing to both faces................................M

Materials
Overall length of lintel block of 400mm x 200mm
Standard 400 x 200 x 200mm thick hollow lintel blocks cost K280.00 per pallet of 100 blocks

Purchase price of 100 blocks ------------------------ K280.00

Delivery to site say ----------------------------------- K20.00
Offloading and stacking say ------------------------ K5.00
Price per 100 delivered and offloaded ------------ K305.00

Therefore price per block = K305.00 / 100 ------- K3.05

1m length of wall, i.e:, 5 blocks @ K3.05--------------------------------- K15.25
Waste on blocks, 7.5% ------------------------------------------------------ K1.14

Mortar
1m2 (12.5blocks) of block wall = 0.015625m3 of mortar
1 block = (0.015625m3 / 12.5 blocks) = 0.00125m3 of mortar

Mortar, for 1m, ie, 5 blocks x 0.00125m3 @ K175.92/m3 --------------- K1.10

Waste on mortar, 10% -------------------------------------------------------- K0.11
Cost of materials per M ------------------------------------------------------- K17.60

Labour
Gang of 1 blocklayers: 1 labourers
That is 1 blocklayer: 1 labourer
In every hour, 1 blocklayer @ K4.50 = K4.50
1 labourer @ K3.60 = K3.60
Gang cost per hour-------------------- -K8.10

Assume Output is 1.20m per hour

Cost of laying (K8.10 / 1.2m)---------------------------------------------- K6.75

Pointing both faces

Assume Output is 2.5m of wall per hour
Cost of pointing (K8.10 / 2.5m)------------------------------------------- K3.24
K27.59
Profit and on-cost, 10%------------------------------------------------------ K2.76
Unit Rate per M -------------------------------------------------------------- K30.35

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Class Activity 1: Calculate the unit cost of the following and allow for 20% as profit

For Data, refer to Examples

(a) Block in 200 x 200mm standard hollow concrete blocks in cement mortar (1:4) to
200mm walls including pointing to both faces.................................................................m2

(b) Rough raking cutting to 200mm hollow ----------------------------------------------------per m

(if the output is 4m of cutting per hour.)

(c) 20mPa concrete filling to 200mm hollow block wall ------------------------------------per m2

(if the rate of 2 x Mason is K5.00 per hour and rate of 3 x Labourers @ K3.00/hr)

(d) 200mm lintel blocks including pointing to both faces.......................................................m

(if the rate of 1 x Mason is K5.00 per hour and rate of 2 x Labourers @ K3.00/hr)

Class Activity 2: Calculate the unit cost of item C but include the use of Mixer (as per
previous activity) and allow for 20% profit

Class Activity 3: From these four (4) items, create a spreadsheet approach with cost
break-up (include a column for profit as well)

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