---
title: "Brick masonry pier: brickwork and pointing"
subject: "Estimating and Costing"
chapter: 6
key: "semester_7/estimating_and_costing:brick-pier-quantity-pointing"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/brick-pier-quantity-pointing
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Brick masonry pier: brickwork and pointing

Estimating and Costing · Chapter 6: Detailed Estimate

- Asked in: 2081 Baisakh, 6+2 marks
- Video: [How to study brickwork drawing/brick masonary.Important point for brickwork.how to start brick work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luYWXXBkjUQ) — civil site knowledge
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/brick-pier-quantity-pointing
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/chapter-6

## Question

From the drawing attached of the brick masonry pier (Fig. 2), calculate the total quantity of brick work and also the pointing work.
[Figure 2 not included in the scanned paper]

## Short answer

Assuming a stepped pier with two footing steps, shaft, and cap, brickwork volumes are summed: total 3.216 m³. Pointing area is computed for exposed faces above ground: shaft faces, cap vertical faces, overhang underside, and top surface, totaling 10.67 m².

## Answer

The pier drawing is not available, so the method is shown for an assumed **stepped brick pier**: two footing steps, a square shaft and a projecting cap. Brickwork is the sum of the volumes of each prism; pointing is the exposed surface area only.

#### Assumed data
- Footing step 1: 1.50 m × 1.50 m × 0.30 m; step 2: 1.20 m × 1.20 m × 0.30 m (both below ground, so not pointed).
- Shaft: 0.90 m × 0.90 m × 2.40 m high; cap: 1.05 m × 1.05 m × 0.15 m. Brick in 1:6 cement mortar.

#### Brickwork
| Item | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Footing step 1: 1.50 × 1.50 × 0.30 | 1 | 1.500 | 1.500 | 0.300 | 0.675 |
| Footing step 2: 1.20 × 1.20 × 0.30 | 1 | 1.200 | 1.200 | 0.300 | 0.432 |
| Pier shaft 0.90 × 0.90 × 2.40 | 1 | 0.900 | 0.900 | 2.400 | 1.944 |
| Cap course 1.05 × 1.05 × 0.15 | 1 | 1.050 | 1.050 | 0.150 | 0.165 |
| **Total** | | | | | **3.216** |

#### Pointing (exposed faces above ground)
| Item | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaft, 4 faces | 4 | 0.900 | 2.400 | – | 8.640 |
| Cap, 4 vertical faces | 4 | 1.050 | 0.150 | – | 0.630 |
| Cap overhang underside (1.05² − 0.90²) | 1 | 0.292 | – | – | 0.292 |
| Cap top surface | 1 | 1.050 | 1.050 | – | 1.103 |
| **Total** | | | | | **10.665** |

**Answer:** Brickwork = **3.216 m³**; pointing = **10.67 m²** (assumed dimensions; for the actual figure take each step as length × breadth × height and each exposed face once).

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. How is the total brickwork of the stepped pier found?
   A. Sum of the volumes of each prism (steps, shaft, cap)
   B. Largest footing size x total height
   C. Shaft volume only
   D. Surface area x thickness
   Answer: A. Each footing step, the shaft and the cap are prisms (L x B x H) added: 3.216 m3. (Key point: Brickwork method)

2. Why are the footing steps not included in pointing?
   A. They are below ground and not exposed
   B. Pointing is only on the cap
   C. Their area is too small
   D. Steps are RCC
   Answer: A. Pointing applies only to exposed faces above ground. (Key point: Pointing only exposed)

3. How is the cap overhang underside area found?
   A. 1.05^2 - 0.90^2
   B. 1.05 x 0.15
   C. 4 x 0.90 x 2.40
   D. 1.05^2 only
   Answer: A. The exposed underside is the cap area less the shaft area resting on it. (Key point: Cap underside)

4. What is the pointing area of the four shaft faces?
   A. 4 x 0.9 x 2.4 = 8.64 m2
   B. 0.9 x 0.9 x 2.4
   C. 0.9 x 2.4 = 2.16 m2
   D. 4 x 1.05 x 2.4
   Answer: A. Four faces each 0.9 m wide and 2.4 m high. (Key point: Shaft pointing area)

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