FORMBLOCK - Estimating constuction costs

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Estimating Construction Costs

The approximate material cost using nine parts earth : one part cement can range between $AUD2-50 to $AUD5-00*per block depending on cost of the earth and cement.

One square metre of wall equals 5.5 'Formblock' blocks. The equivalent wall comparison is a standard double brick wall which requires 100 bricks per square metre plus mortar.

To calculate how many blocks you will need to produce a wall follow these steps;

1. Find the overall area of the wall to be constructed by multiplying the length by the height.

2. Subtract the area of any openings from the overall area.

3. Multiply the net area by 5-5 to find the number of blocks required. (To compare this to a double brick wall, multiply the net area by 100.)

4. To calculate the amount of earth needed divide the number blocks by 18. (One cubic metre of earth equals approximately 18 blocks. The volume of one full block equals .054m³)

5. To estimate the number of cement bags (40kg) needed for using anone part cement, to nine parts earth) divide the number of blocks by 4.

One Pallet of cement ( 36 bags ) will produce approximately 140 blocks, or 26 square metres of wall, or a wall 2.4 metres high and 10 metres long.

The overall cost of your walls can vary according to the design of the project, the source of materials and the form of labour used.

* Figures quoted are based on average Australian retail prices and are subject to variation and change.