🧱 Estimating Brilliance: How to Calculate Construction Quantities Using the Long Wall and Short Wall Method
Are you a budding civil engineer or a seasoned professional looking to sharpen your estimation skills? Welcome to a hands-on example that brings your engineering textbooks to life!
In this post, we walk you through the Long Wall and Short Wall Method of Estimation using a real-world residential plan. 📏 From the drawing board to quantity take-off, let’s dive into how civil engineers bring structure to structure!
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🏠 Project Overview: A Simple Residential House
We begin with a straightforward single-storey house plan that includes:
🛏 Room-1: 3.0m × 4.0m
🛏 Room-2: 5.0m × 4.0m
🛋 Hall: 4.0m × 3.0m
🍳 Kitchen: 2.0m × 3.0m
🌤 Verandah: 2.0m × 3.0m
The structure is laid out with brick masonry walls (0.30 m thick) and a plinth height of approximately 0.60 m.
🗂 Reference Sections
Section AA’ and BB’ show detailed footing layers, ranging from 0.90 m width at the base to the superstructure rising up to 3.0 m.
Estimations cover excavation, concrete, and brickwork.
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📐 Why Use Long Wall and Short Wall Method?
The Long Wall – Short Wall Method is:
🔄 Simple and systematic.
🧮 Ideal for rectangular/symmetrical layouts.
🎯 Accurate for small to medium buildings.
You calculate outer dimensions for long walls and inner dimensions for short walls — accounting for wall thickness variations.
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📊 Breakdown of Estimation Works
🔨 1. Excavation of Foundation
Calculated for 2 rooms, hall, kitchen, and verandah.
Walls categorized into long and short with clear dimensions.
Quantity computed using:
Quantity = Length × Width × Depth
> 📌 Total Excavation Volume: ~26.07 m³
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🧱 2. Cement Concrete in Foundation
Same lengths as excavation.
Depths adjusted to concrete layer thickness.
> 📌 Total Concrete Volume: ~8.69 m³
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🧱 3. Brickwork in Footing & Plinth
🏗 First Footing
Done in 0.60 m height with specific wall counts.
🧱 Second Footing
0.50 m × 0.20 m thick layer over first.
🧱 Plinth Wall
Final 0.40 m thick wall rising to plinth height.
> 📌 Total Brickwork Volume: ~18.98 m³
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🧮 Example Calculation: First Footing (Long Wall)
Let’s walk through a sample:
Length = 9.2 m
Breadth = 0.60 m
Height = 0.20 m
So,
Volume = 9.2 × 0.60 × 0.20 = 1.10 m³
Multiply by number of walls = Total volume.
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✅ Benefits of Estimating with This Method
1. 🔍 High Accuracy in Quantity
2. 📑 Easy Documentation
3. 📉 Cost Optimization
4. ⏱ Saves Time
5. 👷♂️ Better Site Planning
6. 💸 Prevents Budget Overruns
7. ⚖️ Balanced Material Use
8. 🧾 Useful for DPRs (Detailed Project Reports)
9. 📏 Helps Cross-Verification on Site
10. 🛠 Trains You for Real-World Challenges
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🎯 Conclusion
Estimation is not just about numbers — it’s about visualizing the structure, predicting needs, and planning efficiently. The Long Wall and Short Wall method remains a tried-and-tested technique for engineers who want clarity, precision, and confidence in their costings.
By mastering this method and applying it to simple plans like this one, you’re laying a strong foundation — both on-site and in your professional journey.
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