CHAPTER 2

METHOD OF BUILDING
ESTIMATE

EXAMPLE-1: Estimate the quantities of brickwork and

plastering required in a wall 4 m long,3 m high and 30
cm thick.

Quantity of brickwork=L*B*H=4 m* 3m * .3 m = 3.6 cu m.

Quantity of plastering (We have to plaster two faces of the
wall,2*plastering of single wall)=2*L*H=2*4 m*3 m=24 sq.
m.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS USED IN ESTIMATION

Foundation concrete shall be of lime concrete.

Foundation and plinth wall shall be of 1 st class
brickwork in lime mortar
DPC(Damp proof Course)-2.5 mm c.c. (DPC is
a layer provided on the top of plinth wall to
prevent the seepage of water)
Superstructure-1st class brickwork in lime
mortar.
Wall finishing Inside wall 12 mm Cement
plastered 1:6 and white wash 3 coats

EXAMPLE 2-Prepare a detailed estimate of part of a wall of

a building from the given plan and section and general
specifications.

METHODS OF BUILDING
ESTIMATE
Method 1-Long wall or Short wall
method.
Method 2-Centre line method.

Long wall or Short wall

method

Centre line method

In this method the

external lengths of
walls are calculated.
Walls running in
longitudinal direction
are generally long
walls and walls
running in the
transverse direction
are short walls.

In this method the

center-line length of
the walls are
calculated.

LONG WALL AND SHORT WALL

METHOD
Procedure:

Long walls and short walls are separately considered while

estimation.
First find out the Centre to Centre length of long walls and
short walls from the plan.
Find out the length of long wall by adding Centre to Centre
length to one breadth of the wall.
Multiply this length with breadth and height to get the
Long wall length=Centre to Centre length + one
quantities.
breadth

Short wall length=Centre to Centre length -one

breadth

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER

The length of long walls will be
gradually decreasing in length from
foundation to superstructure, while
short walls will be increasing in
length.
The wall which is taken first is to
be treated as long wall though
its

Example 3- The picture in the next slide

represents the plans of superstructure
wall of a single room building of 5 m *4 m,
and Sections represent cross-sections of
the walls with foundation. Estimate the
quantities of
1- Earthwork in excavation in
foundation,2-Concrete in foundation,3Brickwork in foundation and plinth,4Brickwork in superstructure.

Tips to solve the previous

problem:
The plan shows the foundation footings.
Long walls and short walls imagined to be
constructed separately i.e. first long walls
and then short walls.
From elevation it will be clear that the
length of each successive footing of long
walls is reduced in length and that of short
walls in each footing is increased in length
The corresponding breadth and height can
be obtained from the cross-section of wall

Solution
Length of long wall Centre to
Centre=5+.5*.3+.5*.3=5.30 cm.
Length of short wall Centre to
Centre=4+.5*.3+.5*.3=4.3 cm.

Example 4-Estimate the quantities of the

following items of a two roomed building from
the given plan and section.

Earthwork in excavation in
foundation
Lime concrete in foundation
1st class brickwork in cement mortar
1:6 in foundation and plinth.
2.5 cm c.c. DPC
1st class brickwork in lime mortar in
superstructure.

Solution

ASSIGNMENT:1-Estimate the quantities of the

following items of a residential building from the
given drawings

Earthwork in excavation in
foundation
Lime concrete in foundation
1st class brickwork in cement mortar
1:6 in foundation and plinth.
2.5 cm c.c. DPC
1st class brickwork in lime mortar in
superstructure.

Note-First practice LONG WALL AND SHORT WALL

method. After getting acquainted with this method then
only shift to CENTRE LINE method.

CENTRE LINE METHOD

Procedure :
1-In this method sum-total length of Centre lines of walls (long
& short) has to be find out.
2-First find the Centre lines of walls of same type of foundation
and footing.
3-Finally find the quantities by multiplying the total Centre
length by the respective breadth and the height.
4-the length must be kept same for excavation in foundation,
for concrete in foundation ,for all footing and for
superstructure.
5-This method is quick as compared to LONG WALL AND
SHORT WALL method.

POINTS TO REMEMBER
For buildings having partition walls, for every
junction of partition walls with main walls half
breadth of the respective footing is to be
deducted from the total Centre length.
Building with one partition wall having two
junctions, for earthwork in foundation deduct
one breadth.
For building having different types of walls ,each
set of walls shall have to be dealt separately.
At the corner of the building where two walls are
meeting no subtraction or addition is required.

Example 5-Estimate by Centre line

method the quantities of the
following item of a single room
building. (Use the cross section
from the previous example)
Earthwork in excavation in
foundation
Concrete in foundation
Brickwork in foundation and plinth
Brickwork in superstructure

SOLUTION
Total Centre length of
walls=AB+BC+CD+DA=5.30+4.30+5.30+4.30=1
9.20 m
Note-If the total length is multiplied by the
breadth and the depth we get the quantity of
earthwork in excavation.
Note-Portions P,Q,R and S marked with double
hatch lines come twice while portions K,L,M an N
left blank do not come at all, but these portions
being equal in magnitude, we get the correct
quantity.

Example 6- estimate by Centre

line method the quantities of the
following items of a two roomed
building.
Earthwork in excavation in
foundation.
Lime concrete in foundation
1st class brickwork mortar 1:6 in
foundation and plinth.
2.5 cm c.c. DPC.
1st class brickwork in lime mortar in
superstructure.

Solution

In this problem there are two junctions of the inner wall

with the main wall.
Total Centre length of wall=2* c.c. of long wall+3* c.c. of
the short wall = 2*10.60 + 3*6.30 = 40.10 m .
If the total Centre length is multiplied by the breadth and
depth, at the junction the portions A and B shown by hatch
lines come twice, and we get the excess by these portions,
and these excess shall have to be deducted.
Thus the quantity of earthwork in excavation[Total Centre length-(2*.5*breadth)]*breadth*depth
(40.10-2*.5*1.10)*1.10*1.00=39.00*1.10*1.00=42.00 cu m.

ASSIGNMENT 2:Estimate by Centre line

method the quantities of the following
items of a residential building. Use the
figure of example 6.

Earthwork in excavation in
foundation.
Lime concrete in foundation
1st class brickwork mortar 1:6 in
foundation and plinth.
2.5 cm c.c. DPC.
1st class brickwork in lime mortar in
superstructure.

ASSIGNMENT 3