Rate analysis of flat-brick soling.

 Overview

 

Let's first understand what soling is and its purpose.

After earthwork, the layers of bricks or rubble stones are arranged next to one another to provide strong support for the concrete placed over them. Such an arrangement of bricks or stones is called soling. For hand-packed stone soling, the thickness of the soling varies between 150 and 300 mm. Generally, on construction sites, the soling work is measured in square meters. Here we are about to discuss brick soling. We will discuss stone soling and its rate analysis in our next blog. As usual, we are following two basic norms.

1. Kathmandu District Rate: 079/80
2. DUDBC code

You can find details of the code in our previous blog: https://www.ieccc.com.np/2024/06/cost-of-m20-grade-concrete-in-nepal.html.

 

Rate analysis of flat brick soling

This calculation can be further divided into two steps.

1. Quantity of bricks per square meter

For this, you need to have an idea about the size of the brick. The standard size of brick in Nepal is 230 * 115 * 57 mm.

2. Cost

Here we calculate the cost of workers, bricks, tools, and plants, overhead, and profit per square meter.

 

Calculation

 Material Calculation

Size of bricks = 230 * 115 sq mm

We consider a 10 mm gap between the brick layers.

Size of brick with gap = 240 * 125 mm = 30000 sq mm = 0.03 sq m.

 

Then,

No. of bricks per sq m area = (1) / (0.03) = 33.33

Thus, for 1 square meter of soling work, you need 34 bricks.

Cost of materials as per Kathmandu District rate: 079/80

Bricks: 34 numbers at 15.121 = 34 * 15.121 = Rs. 514.114

So, the cost of materials = Rs. 514.114.

 

Cost of workers per sq m. as per KTM district rate. 079/80

Skilled Workers: 0.05 at 1185 = 0.05 * 1185 = Rs. 59.25

Unskilled Workers: 0.1 at 870 = Rs. 87.00

Total cost of worker per square meter = 59.25 + 87.00 = Rs. 146.25

 

Cost of tools and plants used

The cost of tools and plants is 3% of unskilled workers = 3% of 87.00 = Rs. 2.61.

 

Total Cost = Materials + Workers + Tools and Plants Used

                  = 514.114 + 146.25 + 2.61

Total Cost = Rs. 662.98

 

Calculation of the contractor's overhead and profit

Overhead and profit = 15% of the total cost

                                      = (15/100) * 662.98

Overhead and profit = Rs. 99.45

Total Cost with the Contract's Overhead and Profit = 662.98 + 99.45 = Rs. 762.43

 

Summery

Dry brick soling (flat)
Description	Type	Unit	Quantity	Rate	Amount(Rs.)	Remarks
Workers	Skilled	MDay	0.05	1185	59.25
	Unskilled	MDay	0.1	870.00	87.00
Materials	First Class Chimney Bricks	Numbers	34	15.121	514.114
Tools and equipment account for 3% of unskilled workers.					2.61
Sub-total					662.98
Contractor Overhead: 15%					99.45
Total					762.43

 

Others:

Similarly, you can calculate the rate per square meter for edge brick soling too. For the edge soling, the area of the stretcher and head shall be considered.

So the size of the brick becomes: 230 * 57 mm

Other calculation steps are similar.