What is the number of standard modular bricks required to make 1 m³ of masonry?

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This question was previously asked in

JKSSB JE (Civil) Official Paper (Held On: 19 Nov, 2023)

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Answer 1

Explanation:

A standard modular brick has nominal dimensions of 190 mm × 90 mm × 90 mm.
With 10 mm mortar thickness, the overall size becomes 200 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm (0.2 m × 0.1 m × 0.1 m).
Volume of one brick with mortar = 0.2 × 0.1 × 0.1 = 0.002 m³
Number of bricks per m³ = 1 / 0.002 = 500 bricks

Additional Information

Standard Modular Brick:

Defined by BIS (IS 1077), with actual size 190×90×90 mm and nominal size 200×100×100 mm.
The extra size accounts for the mortar joint thickness (10 mm) on all faces.
In masonry, mortar occupies 20–25% of the total volume.
Calculations include mortar to estimate gross volume of brickwork.
For conventional bricks (actual size: 230×110×76 mm), about 500–520 bricks are used per m³ depending on mortar thickness.
IS Code Reference:
- IS 1077:1992 – Common Burnt Clay Building Bricks – Specification.
- IS 2212:1991 – Code of practice for brickwork.