How much does a cube of solution weigh? How much cement do you need to purchase to prepare different grades of mortar? To obtain 1 m3 of cement mortar

In concrete, cement is the compound that binds all its components. The technical characteristics of the solution depend on its quantity and quality - strength, frost resistance, water resistance, corrosion resistance.

As part of the mixture, the price for it is the highest, so the issue of cement consumption per 1 cubic meter of concrete is acute - too much, the profitability of construction will decrease, cracks will appear after hardening, too little - the required technical and operational characteristics will not be achieved.

Cement consumption per 1 m3 of concrete (M100, M200, M300, M400, M500).

To calculate how much cement is needed per 1 cubic meter of concrete, you need to know what it will be used for. On average, 1 m3 of concrete will require from 240 to 320 kg of cement, depending on the brand of cement. Next, we will consider which brand of concrete should be chosen for what purposes and what cement consumption will be in the manufacture of each of them.

Calculation rules.

When performing calculations, it is necessary to take into account mobility ready solution. If the volume of cement is less than required, it will not be able to hold the binder and filler. As a result, after drying, concrete may crack under the influence of the external environment.

However, it is also not worth significantly exceeding the recommended value. This can also cause cracking. That is why in every cube ready mixture The hardener may contain only one kilogram less or more than that obtained as a result of the calculation.

Let's find out how much cement is needed per 1 m3 of M200 concrete.

As a rule, M200 concrete is used for floor screed and foundation construction. The reason is that this brand is characterized by high strength and frost resistance. In addition, the material combines perfectly with the reinforcement frame. If we consider concrete in terms of load perception, then M200 is considered a medium-strength material.

But to prepare a quality product, it is necessary not only to select all the components correctly, but also to combine them in the correct ratio. Let's give required amount all ingredients for M200 concrete.

How much cement and other components does it contain:

  • Portland cement – ​​265 kg;
  • sand – 860 kg;
  • gravel or crushed stone – 1050 kg;
  • water – 180 l;
  • plasticizer – 4.8.

If you decide to prepare a solution with my own hands, then using such a proportion is not convenient. It is best to use the parts ratio approach.

In this case, the required amount of ingredients will look like this:

  • cement – ​​1 part;
  • sand – 2.8 parts;
  • crushed stone - 2.8 parts;
  • 20% of the total mass of the mixture should be removed from the water.

We calculate how much cement is needed per 1 m3 of M300 concrete.

In order to get 1 cubic meter. of high-quality M300 concrete, you need to use 366 kilograms or 244 liters or 5.88 bags of M400 cement, and in the case of using M500 cement, respectively: 319 kilograms or 213 liters or 4.26 bags of M500 cement.

When performing calculations, it was taken into account that the density of cement is about 1500 kg/m3. This indicator corresponds to the average looseness of cement - typical for material supplied in 50 kg bags. Compliance with the specified proportions of the content and quality of cement in concrete during its preparation will allow us to obtain ready-mix concrete of the M300 grade, which meets all construction requirements.

Consumption of cement grades M400 and M500 per 1 cubic meter of concrete.

If to get the necessary technical characteristics you need to know the proportions of sand and crushed stone, then in order to calculate the financial costs of construction you need to calculate the cost of cement per 1 cubic meter of concrete. This data has been calculated and summarized in the appropriate tables:

For M400:

Concrete grade Weight of cement, kg
100 166
150 205
200 241
250 313
300 329
400 417
450 469

Similar reference data have been developed for M500; if necessary, this indicator is calculated using figures for the proportions of the components for preparing the mixture.

Drawing up proportions.

To calculate the amount of cement spent on a cube of concrete, you need to know the brand of the mixture; in addition, the brand of the binder used is also taken into account. The proportional ratio of the components is indicated in special tables. In construction, M400-M500 are more often used, and the proportion is calculated in mass parts.

For M400:

Concrete grade
100 1/4.6/7
150 1/3.5/5.7
200 1/2.8/4.8
250 1/2.1/3.9
300 1/1.9/3.7
400 1/1.2/2.7
450 1/1.1/2.5

For M500:

Concrete grade Proportion by weight cement/sand/crushed stone
100 1/5.8/8.1
150 1/4.5/6.6
200 1/3.5/5.6
250 1/2.6/4.5
300 1/2.4/4.3
400 1/1.6/3.2
450 1/1.4/2.9

This means that to prepare M300 concrete from M400 cement you will need to take 10 kg of cement, 19 kg of sand, 37 kg of crushed stone. The result will be 66 kg finished material. The average density of the mixture is 2200 kg/m³, so the mass of the binder component consumed is 2200/66*10≈330 kg. Such calculations have already been compiled into special tables to facilitate the work of designers and builders.

Selecting the required class of concrete.

The required grade of concrete must be indicated in project documentation to the construction site. If the construction is carried out independently, you should decide on the brand of the mixture, since this will decisively affect the strength and cost of the building or structure being constructed.

The purpose of the most common grades of concrete is given below:

  • M100– used for constructing concrete footings, installing parquets, small architectural forms;
  • M150– used for constructing paths and sealing fence supports;
  • M200– for the construction of walls, porches;
  • M250– manufacturing monolithic foundations, grillages, foundation slabs, lightly loaded floor slabs, stairs, retaining walls;
  • M300– for any loaded structures: walls, floors, foundations;
  • M350– load-bearing walls, columns, ceilings, beams, monolithic foundations.

Additives for concrete mortar.

  • Modifiers. Designed to increase the strength and frost resistance of concrete.
  • Plasticizers. Increases the mobility and water resistance of the mixture.
  • Mobility regulators. Allows you to extend the setting period and maintain mobility during transportation.
  • Anti-frost additives. Ensure normal setting of the solution when negative temperatures, down to minus 20 degrees.
  • Setting accelerators. Increases setting speed ensuring maximum speed dial strength in the first day.

When using additives, the consumption of materials per 1 m3 of concrete should be determined taking into account the manufacturer’s recommendations. Violation of the instructions for use can have the completely opposite effect.

Looking at bags of cement and a pile of sand, not every developer feels calm and confident. He is tormented by the question: what proportion should be chosen for the solution so that it turns out strong enough and does not “eat up” extra money?

Sprinkling “by eye” is stupid and dangerous, especially if we're talking about about those responsible concrete works on foundation or brickwork. Following the principle “the more the merrier” is also not an option. When it comes to cubes, such a rule can ruin the developer.

Another question that arises in this regard: how to control the work of the builders who are tasked with preparing the mortar and concrete? You can’t keep track of everything, so there is no guarantee that it won’t go “to the left”, and the foundation and masonry will not soon collapse.

If the customer knows exactly what standard flow rate cement and sand for mortar, it is easier for him to control his costs and monitor the use of purchased materials.

“Old-father method” or current SNiP?

Experience is a good thing, but we should not forget about building regulations. They take into account all the factors associated with the preparation of mortars and concrete (purity, coarseness, moisture content of sand and crushed stone, cement activity and water quality).

Therefore, when preparing for work on pouring a foundation, screed or laying walls, do not be lazy to look at the GOST tables. You only need one or two lines in them. They clearly describe what the cement consumption per cube of mortar should be to obtain the required strength (grade).

Here is a simple “squeeze” from SNiP that will help you prepare high-quality mortar for masonry and screed. After studying it, remember that the given consumption rates differ slightly from practical values.

The reason is that they are produced from standard preparation conditions (air temperature +23C, medium-grained sand, ideally clean, its humidity no more than 7%, etc.). It is not realistic to ensure standard parameters for mixing at a construction site, so it is better to purchase cement with a small reserve (10-15%).

The answer to the question of how much cement and sand you need per cube of concrete will be given by the following standards:

Concrete grade

Cement consumption M500 kg/1m3

When making concrete, it is important to know not only the amount of cement, but also the standard volume of sand and crushed stone. The following table will be useful for calculations.

Volume proportions for various brands concrete

Concrete, brand

Ratio of cement/sand/crushed stone in liters

cement M 400

cement M 500

The required sand consumption per 1 m3 of solution is 1 cubic meter. Some developers are mistaken in believing that the volume of cement increases the volume of the finished mixture. This is wrong. The cement is very finely ground, so it is distributed in the voids between the sand, without increasing the total volume of concrete and mortar. Therefore, for 1 m3 of sand we can add 200 and 400 kg of cement, obtaining the same 1 cubic meter of solution.

Water is added to the mixture according to a simple proportion - half of the total weight (not volume!) of cement. In this case, you need to take into account the actual moisture content of the sand and pour water in small portions so that the solution or concrete does not turn out to be too liquid.

The consistency of the solution according to the standards is determined by the amount of sediment of a standard metal cone lowered into the mixture. You are unlikely to be able to conduct such a test on a construction site. Therefore, just remember that the thickness of the masonry mortar should be such that it is not too hard, but rather flexible and does not leak out of the seams. For the screed, the mortar and concrete must be of medium thickness so that they can be easily compacted and leveled according to the rule.

What determines cement consumption?

Intuitively, everyone understands that the consumption of this binder depends on the degree of strength of the structure that we are going to build. Therefore, for the foundation we will need concrete of a grade not lower than M300, and for the screed a mortar with a strength of 150 kg/cm2 (M150) will be sufficient.

The brand of cement that will be used also matters. The higher it is (as can be seen from the tables), the lower the binder consumption will be.

Cement consumption for plaster

"Classical" plaster mortar consists of three parts sand and one part cement (1:3).

If the average layer thickness does not exceed 12 mm, then 1.6 kg of M400 cement or 1.4 kg of M500 cement should be weighed per 1 m2 of plaster. The volume of solution per 1 m2 is not difficult to calculate: 1 m2 x 0.012 m = 0.012 m2 or 12 liters.

Cement consumption for masonry

Cooking cement-sand mortar For brickwork, please take into account that the construction of 1 m2 of a wall with a thickness of 1 brick (250 mm) will require at least 75 liters of M100 grade mortar. The proportion of cement (M400) - sand here is 1:4. Cement consumption for bricklaying with this ratio will be 250 kg per 1 cubic meter of sand.

Water, as we have already said, is taken at the rate of 1/2 of the total weight of the cement used.

Translating into “bucket standards” that everyone can understand, let’s say that for one 10-liter bucket of cement (M500) we need four buckets of sand and 7 liters of water. We calculate the amount of water based on the weight of the cement in the bucket (10 liters x 1.4 kg x 0.5 = 7 liters).

To quickly determine the need for cement masonry mortar for walls of different thicknesses (per 1 m3), you can use the following table:

Type of brick

Wall thickness in bricks

(250x120x65mm)

Brick, pcs.

Solution, m3

Modulated

(250x120x88mm)

Brick, pcs.

Solution, m3

How many bags of cement should I buy?

Before things get to the point of mixing, it is important for the developer to know how many bags of cement will have to be purchased. Here you should also build on standard consumption rates.

Let's say we need to calculate the cement consumption for floor screed. The optimal proportion to ensure high strength is 1:4. For this work we will need ¼ cubic meter of cement. To convert cubes to kilograms, use the average bulk density binder: 1 liter – 1.4 kg of cement.

1/4 of a cube is 250 liters. Multiplying them by 1.4 kg, we get 350 kg of cement. So, in total we will have to purchase 350/50 = 7 bags of cement (50 kg each) or 14 bags of 25 kg each.

You can calculate the binder consumption per 1 m2 of screed using the “reverse motion”. With a thickness of 10 cm, filling one “square” will require 0.1 m3 of solution. It contains 10 times less cement than 1 cubic meter: 350 kg/10 = 35 kg. For a screed 5 cm thick we need 35/2 = 17.5 kg of M500 cement.

The rate of cement consumption is greatly influenced by its activity. It is determined experimentally by mixing control samples and testing them for strength. This method is not suitable for the average developer. Practical method, which must be used upon purchase and before use - shelf life.

The loss of activity by cement can reach 20% in one month. Therefore, after keeping this material in the garage for three months, instead of the 500 grade indicated on the label, you will receive a 400 grade. Using this binder material for mortar or concrete, take the consumption rate specifically for this (reduced) brand. If cement waits for its “finest hour” for six months, then it is not suitable for anything other than disposal to a landfill.

Vigilance should also be exercised when purchasing binders, requiring the seller to provide a certificate for the purchased batch, which indicates the factory production date.

Cement is a building material whose importance is rivaled by few other things. It is used in the production of dry mixtures, building materials, pouring the foundation. But when we take it, do we know its consumption? But this is very important.

Peculiarities

First, let's look at the subtleties and unusual features of the solution and its components. Let's start with the main component - cement. In its primary form, this building material is represented by astringent mineral powder. When mixed with water, it becomes viscous and dark gray in color. Another obvious feature of cement is that it hardens quickly in air. The powder itself is obtained by grinding clinker and adding gypsum and different types minerals.

To obtain a high-quality solution, it is necessary to observe not only the proportions of cement, but also all other materials, otherwise the future of a particular structure is called into question.

Before we begin to analyze the actual cement consumption per 1 cubic meter of solution, we should understand the types and brands of mixtures that each of us may encounter.

Types and brands of mixtures

Information on concrete grades and their scope of application is presented in the following table:

Concrete marking

Usage

Material used for preparatory activities.

It has sufficient strength parameters suitable for solving various types of construction problems.

An option more suitable for pouring the base.

Concrete of a wide range, which is characterized by a high strength index.

Material with average performance. It is mostly used for the construction of hydraulic structures.

According to the specifications, this material is used for the construction of skyscrapers, bridges, and underground structures.

Arbolit (M5-M100)

In this table it has the lowest strength indicators. Wood concrete can be used to make elements for low-rise, industrial and agricultural buildings.

But if it is necessary to give the solution more plasticity and elasticity, then PVA glue should be added to it. It is an aqueous emulsion of vinyl acetate polymer with special additives that contribute to such unusual qualities of the mixture.

PGS

Among the huge amount of materials on construction market One of the highest places is occupied by gravel-sand mixture (GSM). Indeed, in terms of production volumes and areas of application, it surpasses all other rocks. From of this material you can prepare concrete High Quality.

Composition of ASG

If you ask any person about its composition, he will answer you without much thought that it consists of sand and gravel. And he will turn out to be absolutely right. In addition to the main components mentioned above, the mixture also includes clay lumps (no more than 1%) and dust inclusions (no more than 5%).

Types of PGS

  1. Marine view. The composition is homogeneous and has practically no foreign inclusions. Features a rounded shape. Contains almost no clay particles.
  2. Mountain-ravine view. Characterized by the acute angular shape of the particles. Contains remains of parent rock.
  3. Lake-river view. It has quite a lot of similarities with the marine species, but if we highlight the features, then in the lake-river species there are much more foreign residues and organic substances, such as silt and the like.

Scope of application of ASG

The scope of application of this mixture is quite high. It can be used for leveling construction site, when filling pits and trenches or even when laying communications.

If you want to get fairly high strength and which will not shrink over time, even under heavy load, then you should pay attention to the ratio of the main components: 30% gravel and 70% sand.

Consumption rate

First of all, you need to know how the concrete will be used and for what. If you need to obtain a solution of high quality and strength, then you should adhere to a clear technology. Also, the consumption per 1 m3 largely depends on the brand of concrete itself. It is for this reason that you should know for what purposes it will be used.

The process of preparing the solution can be made much simpler by buying cement in bags that come in 50 kg bags. This way you will make the calculation easier for yourself. Construction is of greatest importance brick structures, so let’s look at some of the subtleties associated with this masonry.

Methods for preparing the mixture

The quality of the masonry is determined not only by the characteristics of the brick that is used, but also by the method of preparing the mixture itself. Let's look at the most popular and effective ways preparations cement mortar:

  1. The most popular recipe is a solution to which you add sand and cement. It is quite durable, but when preparing it, you must strictly observe the proportions: even the slightest deviation from the norm can result in the formation of a large number of cracks.
  2. Solution lime based(lime). Its advantage lies in its high ductility. The disadvantages are that it is not waterproof, so if you intend to use it on the outside of a structure, be prepared for it to simply wash away in the rain.
  3. The next type is called mixed. And this is exactly the case when they took all the best and combined them together. It has excellent strength combined with good ductility.
  4. Solution with cement in the base and additives in the form of plasticizers. This composition is characterized by improved qualities of the previous type, that is, a mixed solution. And thanks to the presence of plasticizers, working with it is much more convenient and faster.

But on what factors does the cement consumption per 1 m2 of brickwork depend? Below are the most important of them:

  1. Worker's choice. This factor plays one of the most important roles. After all, how much of the mortar will be used for its intended purpose, how much will go to waste, and how smoothly the brick will be laid depends on his level of qualifications.
  2. Brick. He plays an important role. For example, for hollow brick it will take much more material than for a full-bodied one.
  3. And, of course, this is the thickness of the seam. This value should be between 10 and 12 mm.

Let's take a closer look at the consumption cement composition depending on the type of brick used. So, when applying the mixture to a solid brick base, this parameter will have the following values:

  • if the masonry is carried out in half a brick (width -12 cm), then the consumption will be 0.19 m3;
  • when installed in one brick, 0.22 m3 of mortar will be required;
  • with a wall width of 38 cm, approximately 0.234 m3 of composition will be needed for high-quality application.

In case of solid brick The flow parameters will be different:

  • when laying half a brick, 0.160 m3 of cement mixture will be consumed;
  • if application is carried out on a base of one stone, 0.200 m3 of solution will be required;
  • when laying one and a half bricks, the consumption will increase to 0.216 m3.

Now let's move on directly to the cooking standards. And for this purpose, below is a table indicating the brand and ratio of all components included.

When the work itself begins, you must first deal with dry materials, and only then start adding liquid ones (water and other fillers). This is done to ensure that the solution is homogeneous and does not contain lumps. Also, to avoid an unfavorable result, you need to mix everything thoroughly.

Do not make too much cement mortar. After all, do not forget that the mixture hardens very quickly in air. Of course, if you want to save your time and effort, you can go to the store and buy everything ready-made, but here it all depends on whether you can afford it.

And now a small digression for those who work with solutions in cold seasons. Many people are faced with the fact that when all the standards have been met and fulfilled preparatory work, the structure of the composition is still broken. The thing is that the water used for kneading froze and destroyed the entire structure. Therefore, to avoid such adverse effects, salt or other antifreeze additives are added to the solution.

We have sorted out all the aspects related to the work, but there is still a lot left useful tips, which can make your work not only simpler, but also of high quality, and maybe even not too financially expensive.

The most important thing is to find out whether the solution is prepared well. To do this, you can resort to a simple method: you need to write several letters or numbers on the laid surface. If they do not float or, conversely, do not crumble inside, then this means that the solution is prepared correctly and can be applied to the surface.

3999 09/18/2019 6 min.

Cement is a building material that has a wide range of applications. It can be used when pouring foundations, producing building materials and dry mixtures. But when choosing this product, it is very important to know its consumption. It will not be possible to determine it so easily, because this parameter is influenced by various factors, which will be discussed below.

Required amount

Concrete is the most popular material from the entire range that is used in construction. It is based on crushed stone, and an aqueous solution of cement and sand acts as a binder. To calculate the required amount of concrete per m3, you should know for what purpose it will be used. On average, consumption per 1 m3 of concrete will be 240-320 kg. This greatly simplifies the calculation if the area is large. But here everything depends on the brand of concrete.

If you want to obtain high quality material that can serve you for a long time, then you must strictly adhere to the established proportions during the preparation of the composition. The amount of cement used affects the workability of concrete. For this reason, during the preparation of concrete, it is necessary to ensure the accuracy of laying the ingredients as follows:

  • cement – ​​up to 1 kg;
  • sand – up to 3 kg;
  • crushed stone – up to 5 kg.

If all the specified proportions are met, then you will receive a high-quality product that will have high strength, rigidity and ductility.

The video shows cement consumption per 1 cubic meter of solution:

If a large error is allowed, for example, in the direction of decreasing volume, the binder component will not be able to hold the filler, resulting in concrete under the influence of external negative factors will become unusable in a very short period of time.

The consumption for pouring 1m3 of material also depends on what brand of concrete mixture you will receive. And this depends on the purposes for which the concrete will be used. In the field of domestic low-rise construction, the following grades of concrete are most often used:

The grade used to obtain the material should always be 2 times the grade of the resulting concrete.

The required amount of binder material per 1 m3 of concrete is reference data, which can be found in the following table.

Table 1 - Consumption for obtaining various grades of concrete

To make the preparation process more convenient, you need to buy cement in bags of 50 kg. With this measurement solution it will be possible to easily obtain concrete mixture. For example, to obtain 1 m3 of the most popular M200 concrete, you need to take 4 bags and 41 kg of M300 or M400 cement.

Quantity per brick laying

The quality of the masonry is determined not only by the characteristics of the brick, but also by the mixture used. This composition can be prepared according to various recipes; we will consider only the most popular ones:

  1. Based on sand and cement. This product is characterized by high strength indicators, however, when preparing it, it is very important to accurately observe the proportions. Even if you deviate a little from the proportions, cracks will form on the brickwork.
  2. Lime based mortar. The resulting solution is characterized by high plasticity, but it can be used for external masonry unacceptable, as it is simply washed away by rain.
  3. Mixed type of solution, which involves the use of both cement and lime. Thanks to this combination, it is possible to obtain a durable and plastic composition.
  4. Cement-based mortar with added plasticizers. Thanks to the introduction of additional components, it becomes possible to improve the quality of the solution, give it strength, ductility, and most importantly, it is very easy to apply.

If you are going to finish the facade, you can use various colored pigments in the solution. Then the seams and the masonry itself will have a spectacular appearance.

When making mortar for bricklaying, the same requirements are always met: stir thoroughly so that the mixture does not contain lumps. As a result, you should get a solution of a homogeneous structure. To achieve this effect, you must first mix the dry ingredients and then add the liquid. It is not worth preparing the mixture in large quantities, since under the influence of air it begins to set quickly.

For masonry load-bearing walls it is necessary to use cement, the grade of which is higher than in the construction of self-supporting structures. Proportions are determined taking into account what brand of cement is used. Let's look at all this with an example:

  1. For binder material M500, it is worth using the proportion in which cement relates to sand as 1:4.
  2. For M300, a proportion of 1:2.5 is applicable.
  3. For M400 – 1:3.

Of course, you don’t have to waste your time preparing the solution, but go to a store where all these products are presented in finished form. In this case, information about consumption will be present on the packaging.

During self-cooking The mixture needs to use cement, the grade of hardness of which is 2 times higher than the grade of hardness of the resulting product. If you need to get a mixture of grade M100, then the cement must be grade M200 or higher.

Looking at bags of cement and a pile of sand, not every developer feels calm and confident. He is tormented by the question: what proportion should be chosen for the solution so that it turns out strong enough and does not “eat up” extra money?

Sprinkling “by eye” is stupid and dangerous, especially when it comes to critical concrete work on the foundation or brickwork. Following the principle “the more the merrier” is also not an option. When it comes to cubes, such a rule can ruin the developer.

Another question that arises in this regard: how to control the work of the builders who are tasked with preparing the mortar and concrete? You can’t keep track of everything, so there is no guarantee that the cement will not go “to the left”, and the foundation and masonry will not soon collapse.

If the customer knows exactly what the standard consumption of cement and sand is for the mortar, it is easier for him to control his costs and monitor the use of purchased materials.

“Old-father method” or current SNiP?

Experience is a good thing, but we should not forget about building regulations. They take into account all the factors associated with the preparation of mortars and concrete (purity, coarseness, moisture content of sand and crushed stone, cement activity and water quality).

Therefore, when preparing for work on pouring a foundation, screed or laying walls, do not be lazy to look at the GOST tables. You only need one or two lines in them. They clearly describe what the cement consumption per cube of mortar should be to obtain the required strength (grade).

Here is a simple “squeeze” from SNiP, which will help you prepare a high-quality mortar for masonry and screed. After studying it, remember that the given consumption rates differ slightly from practical values.

The reason is that they are produced from standard preparation conditions (air temperature +23C, medium-grained sand, ideally clean, its humidity no more than 7%, etc.).

It is not realistic to ensure standard parameters for mixing at a construction site, so it is better to purchase cement with a small reserve (10-15%).

The answer to the question of how much cement and sand you need per cube of concrete will be given by the following standards:

Concrete grade

Cement consumption M500 kg/1m3

When making concrete, it is important to know not only the amount of cement, but also the standard volume of sand and crushed stone. The following table will be useful for calculations.

Volumetric proportions for various grades of concrete

Concrete, brand

Ratio of cement/sand/crushed stone in liters

cement M 400

cement M 500

The required sand consumption per 1 m3 of solution is 1 cubic meter. Some developers are mistaken in believing that the volume of cement increases the volume of the finished mixture. This is wrong.

The cement is very finely ground, so it is distributed in the voids between the sand, without increasing the total volume of concrete and mortar. Therefore, for 1 m3 of sand we can add 200 and 400 kg of cement, obtaining the same 1 cubic meter of solution.

Water is added to the mixture according to a simple proportion - half of the total weight (not volume!) of cement. In this case, you need to take into account the actual moisture content of the sand and pour water in small portions so that the solution or concrete does not turn out to be too liquid.

The consistency of the solution according to the standards is determined by the amount of sediment of a standard metal cone lowered into the mixture. You are unlikely to be able to conduct such a test on a construction site.

Therefore, just remember that the thickness of the masonry mortar should be such that it is not too hard, but rather flexible and does not leak out of the seams.

For the screed, the mortar and concrete must be of medium thickness so that they can be easily compacted and leveled according to the rule.

What determines cement consumption?

Intuitively, everyone understands that the consumption of this binder depends on the degree of strength of the structure that we are going to build. Therefore, for the foundation we will need concrete of a grade not lower than M300, and for the screed a mortar with a strength of 150 kg/cm2 (M150) will be sufficient.

The brand of cement that will be used also matters. The higher it is (as can be seen from the tables), the lower the binder consumption will be.

Cement consumption for plaster

The “classic” plaster solution consists of three parts sand and one part cement (1:3).

If the average layer thickness does not exceed 12 mm, then 1.6 kg of M400 cement or 1.4 kg of M500 cement should be weighed per 1 m2 of plaster. The volume of solution per 1 m2 is not difficult to calculate: 1 m2 x 0.012 m = 0.012 m2 or 12 liters.

Cement consumption for masonry

When preparing cement-sand mortar for brickwork, take into account that the construction of 1 m2 of a wall with a thickness of 1 brick (250 mm) will require at least 75 liters of M100 grade mortar.

The proportion of cement (M400) - sand here is 1:4. Cement consumption for bricklaying with this ratio will be 250 kg per 1 cubic meter of sand.

Water, as we have already said, is taken at the rate of 1/2 of the total weight of the cement used.

Translating into “bucket standards” that everyone can understand, let’s say that for one 10-liter bucket of cement (M500) we need four buckets of sand and 7 liters of water. We calculate the amount of water based on the weight of the cement in the bucket (10 liters x 1.4 kg x 0.5 = 7 liters).

To quickly determine the need for cement masonry mortar for walls of different thicknesses (per 1 m3), you can use the following table:

Type of brick

Wall thickness in bricks

(250x120x65mm)

Brick, pcs.

Solution, m3

Modulated

(250x120x88mm)

Brick, pcs.

Solution, m3

How many bags of cement should I buy?

Before things get to the point of mixing, it is important for the developer to know how many bags of cement will have to be purchased. Here you should also build on standard consumption rates.

To convert cubes into kilograms, use the average bulk density of the binder: in 1 liter - 1.4 kg of cement.

1/4 of a cube is 250 liters. Multiplying them by 1.4 kg, we get 350 kg of cement. So, in total we will have to purchase 350/50 = 7 bags of cement (50 kg each) or 14 bags of 25 kg each.

You can calculate the binder consumption per 1 m2 of screed using the “reverse” method. With a thickness of 10 cm, filling one “square” will require 0.1 m3 of solution. It contains 10 times less cement than 1 cubic meter: 350 kg/10 = 35 kg. For a screed 5 cm thick we need 35/2 = 17.5 kg of M500 cement.

The rate of cement consumption is greatly influenced by its activity. It is determined experimentally by mixing control samples and testing them for strength.

This method is not suitable for the average developer. A practical method to follow when purchasing and before using is the shelf life.

The loss of activity by cement can reach 20% in one month. Therefore, after keeping this material in the garage for three months, you will receive a 400 grade instead of the 500 grade indicated on the label.

When using such a binder for mortar or concrete, take the consumption rate specifically for this (reduced) grade. If cement waits for its “finest hour” for six months, then it is not suitable for anything other than disposal to a landfill.

Vigilance should also be exercised when purchasing binders, requiring the seller to provide a certificate for the purchased batch, which indicates the factory production date.

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