How To Estimate Building Materials For Home Construction?

Material estimation for constructing a building plays a major role because they act as the foundation of the entire procedure. The cost price depends on the quantity and quality of material used and therefore for a rough idea of making a budget – it is important to prepare a list of required building materials.

However the cost price estimation on many different factors such as labour cost, total surface area, raw materials, plumbing, wood, iron, bricks and other unique factors that may vary from work to work.

The process of estimating various quantities such as cost and amount of material used in a particular construction project is known as ‘Estimation’

For building a home, RCC work plays a crucial role and all of the construction work depends on RCC quantity estimation.

Step 1 Survey of the constructional location by civil engineer and experts

  • To evaluate the necessary matter for building a home, the location needs to be examined properly.
  • This way the engineer can decide the further elements required in the construction.
  • Experts check the topography of the site and determine the natural factors, sources and applications present nearby.
  • All the required data is recorded for future estimations and architecture purpose.

Step 2 Excavating surface to make the foundation

  • Excavation is done at the very beginning of a constructional work to remove the unwanted presence of things from the surface and to loosen the soil.
  • Vegetation, trees, rocks, stumps, pipes, and extra objects need to be cleared before excavation for making a smooth & strong base for the structure
  • The ground level filling with the required type of soil is done according to the square feet area of a site.
  • Heavy machinery may be required if a particular area has an open and larger area.

Step 3 Construction of Footing for building the base for a building

The next step for establishing the base for a building is known as ‘Footing. This is the bottom of a building on which the whole part rests. For this you need –

  • Manpower for labour work
  • Machinery for construction and digging purpose
  • Sand, Reinforcement, cement
  • Aggregates and Concrete

The amount of given data depends on the total constructional area and the structural design of a home.

Step 4 Level the foundation for a proper base settlement

  • Once cleaning and excavation are done – level the surface by adding an extra amount of needed soil.
  • In many cases, clay, gravels, sand and cobbles can be utilized for making the surface harder and stable.

Step 5 Beams and Columns

  • Beams and columns form the pillars of the home and from the total number of beams, you can make a usual estimate related to the material of construction.
  • Beams and columns require reinforcement, concrete, aggregate, slabs and soil.
  • At the bottom part, a more thick and massive material may be required and by going with the height the size of each item keep on varying.

Step 6 The estimation for Binding Materials

  • Another main factor that contributes to deciding the number of materials used is – the binding process. This refers to connecting the constructed portions of the block to block.
  • Here, boulders, cobbles, cement, mortar, gypsum, water, gravel and lime mortar are the main elements used as binding materials.
  • Each element depends on the atmospheric conditions and structural design of a building as used as per requirement.

Step 7 The process of Shuttering

  • The next important step in constructing a building is shuttering which gives a structure to the building and it must be well built to withstand the load of external building matter.
  • Precast concrete, timber, steel, fibreglass, aluminium are primary materials that are used in the process of shuttering.

We have read all the factors that need to be considered for estimating the cost and quantity of construction work for building not only a home but any kind of structural design. These are the basics steps followed by every builder.

Building Layout and Drawing for a Structure

If you have a detailed drawing of the complete structure including

  1. Flooring Plan
  2. Center Line layout
  3. Slab beam drawing
  4. Exterior and interior wall sections
  5. Elevation points
  6. Trade drawings
  7. Utility structure and plans

These factors help to a greater extent for making an idea to have a clear estimate for the cost and material type and quality.

BOTTOM LINE

The cost and quantity estimation cannot be conveyed to a customer or builder 100 per cent accurately. However, a rough idea can be made by using various logical and basic techniques. Location type, constructional surface area, size and time contribute to making an entire calculation for building a home or any other kind of structural design.

What is PCC in Construction?

Are you wondering what could be the use of PCC in construction, how does PCC used in construction, and how does PCC work in construction?

Let us know all the details about PCC construction, Advantages of PCC used in construction and the materials need to form the fine paste of PCC!

PCC Work in Construction?

If you ever visited a working sit, you must have seen builders, masons, as well as engineers making the paste of PCC.

The term is often used in construction and plays an important role in making the building material. Today, we will know more about it.

What is PCC in Civil Engineering?

  • PCC in construction refers to Plain concrete cement.
  • It is formed by a fine mixture of cement, concrete, and aggregate. Besides, the paste is known as Cement Concrete.
  • The concentration of cement is way lesser than that of other substances.

The goal is to make a smooth and plain layer with the more quantity of water and concrete.

It cannot lift heavy loads – the main purpose of adding a coat of PCC is to detach the soil from steel.

Importance of  PCC used in Construction

In construction and the world of civil – builders deal with a variety of materials each with special features.

Foundation of a structure becomes even stronger with plain concrete cement or PCC.

PCC protects the building from any unfortunate damage, fall, or displacement.

In brief, corrosion restricts if PCC is done firmly on the surface!

Let us discuss the top 5 advantages of PCC in the construction.

The absence of PCC work in construction results in the direct contact of the upper soil and the base reinforcement.

Direct linkage between both the elements can result in various chemical reactions.

In a long term, it could eat the iron present at the foundation of a structural building.

Corrosion can happen if builders skipped the use of PCC in construction.

Subsequently, it will eat the entire material.

And therefore, the consequences of this practice can be unimaginably dangerous for the safety of the building.

Additionally, direct RCC can weaken the strength of steel and iron.

To enhance the productivity of each material and substance added during the construction of footing – plain concrete cement or PCC work should be done without the second thought.

Materials Used in PCC Construction

So, till now we have discussed many important facts about PCC.

Let’s move to the specification of such an incredible mixture.

Cement

Portland Pozzolana Cement (P.P.C) acts as a bonding material in plain concrete. All the required tests and examinations must be performed before adding them to the mixture.

Always remember to use PPC as per specifications and in limited quantity to make the resultant layer smooth and a bit rough.

Coarse Aggregate

A clean combination of stones added to the mixture without dust, clay, organic matter, coal residue mica and unwanted particles.

The size of each stone must be a maximum of 20 mm in size and each stone should be smashed finely for better result.

Bricks and stones of all kinds can be possibly used for adding extra durability.

Fine Aggregate

Sand is the main ingredient for making a fine aggregate mixture. Remember to use clean, clear, rock-free sand.

Hard, sharp and angular grains of sand must be passed through a screen of 5mm square mesh.

Prefer organic sand over sea sand for good mixing.

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Water

For mixing aggregate and cement to plain concrete cement, the portable water having less acidity.

Water must be free and filtered out from unwanted elements such as oils, solvents, salts, acids, etc.

Easy Steps to Make Layer of PCC Work

  1. Dig a pit with the required depth and height
  2. Level the sand by using a leveler from all the sides, corners, and bottom.
  3. Check and examine the soil and fill the gaps – make the surface more even.
  4. Mix all three elements of PCC in correct proportions and add layer by layer to the pit.
  5. Try not to exceed the thickness of 150 mm.
  6. Let it dry for 24-48 hours and continue the further process.

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Bottom Line

PCC used in construction is of a great use for the longevity, and great functionality of any building. In short, PCC construction contributes to the principle that makes the base powerful.

We read about the important materials that makes the effective paste of Plain Concrete Cement. Thus, the use of PCC in construction ensures the safety and strength of a structure.

Do give a precise attention to each ingredient while making the paste and layers of PCC.