Sand Calculator for Concrete, Plaster and Brickwork
1 m³ of M20 concrete needs 0.42 m³ of sand (14.8 cft). 100 sq ft of 12 mm plaster in 1:6 needs 0.146 m³ (5.2 cft), with 15% for unevenness, and 1 m³ of brickwork in 1:6 mortar needs 0.256 m³ (9.1 cft).
Choose the work below for sand in m³, cft, brass and tonnes, with the cement bags. The figures match our concrete, plaster, brick and cement calculators.
Calculate sand in m³, cft, brass and tonnes
- Sand
- 1.701 m³
- Sand in cft
- 60.1 cft
- Sand in brass
- 0.601 brass
- Weight, dry sand
- 2.62–2.72 t
- Cement (50 kg bags)
- 32.66 bags (1,633 kg)
- Wet concrete
- 4.05 m³
Dry volume = wet volume × 1.54, split 1:1.5:3 (cement : sand : aggregate). No ordering allowance is added. Tonnes use dry, clean sand at 1,540–1,600 kg/m³ (IS 875 Part 1); wet sand weighs more. The concrete calculator gives the same sand for these inputs.
Apply your quantity to the dated sand prices, with source dates, units and delivery terms.
For measured sand volume or a brass conversion, use the CFT calculator.
For coarse stone in the same concrete mix or gravel fill, use the aggregate calculator.
Sand per m³ of concrete, per 100 sq ft of plaster and per m³ of brickwork
Leaner concrete takes more sand: 0.42 m³ per m³ for M20, rising to 0.47 m³ for M7.5. Plaster rows include the 15% allowance; brickwork rows are mortar sand before any wastage.
| Work | Sand (m³) | Sand (cft) | Brass | Cement (bags) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete, per 1 m³ | ||||
| M7.5 (1:4:8) | 0.474 | 16.73 | 0.167 | 3.41 |
| M10 (1:3:6) | 0.462 | 16.32 | 0.163 | 4.44 |
| M15 (1:2:4) | 0.440 | 15.54 | 0.155 | 6.34 |
| M20 (1:1.5:3) | 0.420 | 14.83 | 0.148 | 8.06 |
| Plaster, per 100 sq ft | ||||
| 6 mm, 1:4 (ceiling) | 0.068 | 2.41 | 0.024 | 0.49 |
| 12 mm, 1:6 (internal) | 0.146 | 5.16 | 0.052 | 0.70 |
| 12 mm, 1:4 | 0.136 | 4.82 | 0.048 | 0.98 |
| 15 mm, 1:6 | 0.183 | 6.45 | 0.065 | 0.88 |
| 20 mm, 1:4 (external) | 0.227 | 8.03 | 0.080 | 1.64 |
| Brickwork, per 1 m³ | ||||
| 230 × 110 × 75 mm bricks, 1:6 | 0.256 | 9.05 | 0.091 | 1.23 |
| 230 × 110 × 75 mm bricks, 1:4 | 0.239 | 8.45 | 0.084 | 1.72 |
| 190 × 90 × 90 mm bricks, 1:6 | 0.263 | 9.28 | 0.093 | 1.26 |
Concrete rows are nominal mixes by volume, which IS 456 allows up to M20. M25 and above are design mixes; the RCC cost calculator takes them at about 0.45 m³ (15.9 cft) of sand per m³. Brickwork uses the brick calculator's geometry: the mortar is the wall volume less the bricks, with 10 mm joints.
Brass, cft, m³ and tonnes: sand conversion table
1 brass of sand is 100 cft, or 2.832 m³, and weighs about 4.36–4.53 tonnes when dry. Brass is the unit many sand and aggregate suppliers quote in, especially in Maharashtra.
| Quantity | Brass | cft | m³ | Tonnes, dry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 brass | 1 | 100 | 2.832 | 4.36–4.53 |
| 1 m³ | 0.353 | 35.31 | 1 | 1.54–1.60 |
| 1 cft | 0.01 | 1 | 0.0283 | 0.044–0.045 |
| 1 tonne of dry sand | 0.221–0.229 | 22.1–22.9 | 0.625–0.649 | 1 |
Tonnes use dry, clean sand at 1,540–1,600 kg/m³, from IS 875 (Part 1):1987, Table 1. The same table gives river sand at 1,840 kg/m³ and wet sand at 1,760–2,000 kg/m³, so weight varies with moisture. Damp sand also bulks: it takes up more space than the same sand when dry, so a measuring box of damp sand holds less sand than it seems. IS 2386 (Part 3) has a field test for bulking.
Worked example: sand for a 6 m × 4.5 m M20 slab, 150 mm thick
The slab needs 1.701 m³ of sand: 60.07 cft, or 0.60 brass. These are the calculator's default inputs, so you can check each step above.
- Wet volume = 6 × 4.5 × 0.15 = 4.05 m³.
- Dry volume = 4.05 × 1.54 = 6.237 m³.
- M20 is 1:1.5:3, or 5.5 parts. Sand = 6.237 × 1.5 ÷ 5.5 = 1.701 m³.
- In cft: 1.701 × 35.3147 = 60.0703 cft; ÷ 100 = 0.60 brass.
- Weight, dry: 1.701 × 1,540 = 2,619.54 kg, and × 1,600 = 2,721.6 kg, so 2.62–2.72 t.
- Cement = 6.237 ÷ 5.5 = 1.134 m³; × 1,440 = 1,632.96 kg; ÷ 50 = 32.66 bags.
The same steps for a 4 m × 3 m brick wall, 230 mm thick, less 2 m² of openings, in 1:6: (12 − 2) × 0.23 = 2.3 m³ of brickwork leaves 2.3 × 0.2249 = 0.517 m³ of wet mortar (the space between bricks with 10 mm joints); × 1.33 = 0.688 m³ dry; × 6 ÷ 7 = 0.590 m³ of sand (20.8 cft) and 2.83 bags of cement. The brick calculator gives the same figures for this wall.
River sand or M-sand?
Either works for concrete if it meets IS 383:2016, which accepts natural sand and manufactured sand (M-sand, crushed from rock) as fine aggregate. IS 383 sorts sand into four grading zones, from Zone I (coarsest) to Zone IV (finest). Most concrete specifications ask for Zone II, a medium sand that passes 35–59% through the 600-micron sieve.
- Ask each source for a sieve analysis, not just a name. The zone decides how the mix is designed.
- M-sand is angular and carries more fine dust. Buy washed M-sand and check the fines against the IS 383 limit.
- Plaster and masonry sand have their own standards: IS 1542 for plaster sand and IS 2116 for masonry mortar sand.
- The volumes on this page apply to either sand. Tonnes do not, because M-sand density differs from river sand; use the plant's figure.
Common mistakes
Most errors come from skipping the dry-volume factor or mixing up units.
- Splitting the wet volume instead of the dry volume. 1 m³ of concrete needs 1.54 m³ of dry material, so skipping the factor understates sand by about 35%.
- Using the concrete factor 1.54 for mortar. Plaster and brickwork mortar use 1.33.
- Treating 1 brass as 1 m³. It is 2.83 m³.
- Converting tonnes with one fixed density. Wet sand is heavier, so a tonne of it is less sand.
- Batching damp sand by box without allowing for bulking.
- Adding wastage twice. The plaster allowance already covers unevenness and wastage.
- Using floor area for plaster. Plaster is measured on each wall and ceiling face.
Related: concrete calculator · cement calculator · plaster calculator · brick calculator · house construction cost calculator · all calculators
Frequently asked questions
How much sand is needed for 1 m³ of M20 concrete?
About 0.42 m³ (14.8 cft, or 0.15 brass) for a nominal 1:1.5:3 mix, with 8.06 bags of cement. The dry volume is 1.54 m³, and sand is 1.5 parts of 5.5. That is 0.65–0.67 tonnes of dry sand.
How much sand is needed for 100 sq ft of plaster?
About 0.146 m³ (5.2 cft) for 12 mm internal plaster in 1:6, and 0.227 m³ (8.0 cft) for 20 mm external plaster in 1:4. Both include 15% for unevenness and wastage. The cement is 0.70 and 1.64 bags.
How much sand is needed for 1 m³ of brickwork?
About 0.256 m³ (9.1 cft) in 1:6 mortar and 0.239 m³ (8.4 cft) in 1:4, for 230 × 110 × 75 mm bricks with 10 mm joints. The richer 1:4 mix takes less sand and more cement: 1.72 bags against 1.23.
How many cft are in 1 brass of sand?
100 cft. 1 brass = 100 cft = 2.83 m³, and 1 m³ = 35.31 cft = 0.35 brass.
How many tonnes is 1 brass of sand?
About 4.36–4.53 tonnes of dry sand, at 1,540–1,600 kg/m³ from IS 875 (Part 1). Wet sand weighs 1,760–2,000 kg/m³ in the same table, so a wet tonne holds less sand. Note the moisture when you check a load.
How many cft of sand are in 1 tonne?
About 22.1–22.9 cft (0.625–0.649 m³) of dry sand. Some M-sand plants bill by the tonne; ask the plant for its bulk density and convert with that figure.
How much sand is needed for a 1,000 sq ft house?
About 1,302 cft (13 brass) for a 1,000 sq ft ground-floor RCC house with brick walls and plaster, from our house cost estimate. A G+1 house of 1,000 sq ft a floor needs about 2,236 cft (22.4 brass). That estimate uses the house calculator's site-mixed M25 and CPWD-based mortar quantities, so it is not a sum of the per-unit figures on this page.
How much sand is used per bag of cement?
1.84 cft for nominal M20 concrete, 4.9 cft for 1:4 mortar and 7.36 cft for 1:6 mortar. A 50 kg bag is about 34.7 litres (1.23 cft) of loose cement, and the ratios are by volume.
Does this match the concrete, plaster and brick calculators?
Yes. It calls the same functions with the same factors: 1.54 for concrete, 1.33 for mortar, 1,440 kg/m³ loose cement and 50 kg bags. For the same inputs, the sand and cement are identical; this page adds cft, brass and tonnes.
Should I use river sand or M-sand for concrete?
Either, if it meets IS 383:2016. Ask for a sieve analysis showing the grading zone (Zone II is the usual specification for concrete). For M-sand, also check that it is washed and that its fine dust is within the IS 383 limit.
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