Unit - I
Building Estimate
Building Estimate:
The quantities like earth work, foundation concrete, brickwork in plinth and super structure etc.,
can be workout by any of following three methods:
a. Long wall - short wall method.
b. Centre line method.
c. Partly center line and partly cross wall method.
Long wall-short wall method
In this method, the wall along the length of room is considered to be long wall while the wall
perpendicular to long wall is said to be short wall. To get the measurement of materials and
works length of long wall or short wall, calculate first the center line lengths of individual walls.
Then the length of long wall, (out to out) may be calculated after adding half breadth at each end
to its center line length. Thus the length of short wall measured into in and may be found by
deducting half breadth from its center line length at each end. The length of long wall usually
decreases from earth work to brick work in super structure while the short wall increases. These
lengths are multiplied by breadth and depth to get quantities.
Center line method
This method is suitable for walls of similar cross sections. Here the total center line length is
multiplied by breadth and depth of respective item to get the total quantity at a time. When cross
walls or partitions or verandah walls join with main all, the center line length gets reduced by
half of breadth for each junction. Such junction or joints are studied carefully while calculating
total center line length. The estimates prepared by this method are most accurate and quick.
Partly center line and partly cross wall method
This method is adopted when external (i.e., around the building) wall is of one thickness and the
internal walls having different thicknesses. In such cases, center line method is applied to
external walls and long wall-short wall method is used to internal walls. This method suits for
different thicknesses walls and different level of foundations. Because of this reason, all
Engineering departments are practicing this method.
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Long wall-short wall method
5.2m
3.2m
• Simple method is to take the long walls and short walls separately and to find out the
centre to centre lengths of long walls and short walls from the plan.
• For symmetrical footing on either sides, the center line remains same for super structure,
foundation and plinth.
• Long wall length (out-to-out) = Centre to centre length + half breadth on one side + half
breadth on other side = centre to centre length + one breadth.
• Short wall length (in-to-in) = Centre to Centre length – one breadth.
• For long walls – Find the length of the foundation trench of the long wall (out-to-out) in
the same manner as explained.
• The length of the foundation concrete is the same.
• For the length of the first footing, subtract two offsets in foundation concrete from length
of the trench or concrete.
• For the 2nd footing subtract from the length of the 1st footing two offsets.
• For 3rd footing subtract from the length of the 2nd footing two offsets.
• For short walls – Follow the same method but instead of subtracting add two offsets to
get the corresponding lengths in-to-in.
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Center line method
• In this method, total length of centre lines of walls, long and short, has to be found out.
• Find the total length of centre lines of walls of same type, having same type of
foundations and footings and then find the quantities by multiplying the total centre
length by the respective breadth and the height.
• In this method, the length will remain the same for excavation in foundations, for
concrete in foundations, for all footings, and for superstructure (with slight difference
when there are cross walls or number of junctions).
• This method is quicker but requires special attention and considerations at the junctions,
meeting points of partition or cross walls.
• For rectangular, circular polygonal (hexagonal, octagonal etc.,) buildings having no inter
or cross walls, this method is quite simple.
• For buildings having cross or partition walls, for every junction, half breadth of the
respective item or footing is to be deducted from the total centre length.
• Thus in the case of a building with one partition wall or cross wall having two junctions,
deduct one breadth of the respective item of work from the total centre length.
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Estimate the quantities of following items of a single roomed building given in Figure 1.
a. Earthwork in excavation in foundation trench.
b. Lime concrete in foundation.
c. 1st class brick work in 1:4 cement mortar in foundation and plinth.
d. 1st class brick work in cement mortar superstructure
Figure 1. : Single Roomed Building
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Estimate the quantities of following items of a two roomed building given in Figure 2.
a. Earthwork in excavation in foundation trench.
b. Lime concrete in foundation.
c. 1st class brick work in 1:6 cement mortar in foundation and plinth.
d. 2.5 cm thick DPC (1:2:4) with water proofing compound
e. 1st class brick work in cement mortar superstructure
Figure 1: Two Roomed Building
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Unit - I
Building Estimate
Unit - I
Building Estimate
