---
title: "Building: excavation, brick 1:4, wood work"
subject: "Estimating and Costing"
chapter: 6
key: "semester_7/estimating_and_costing:building-k-fig1"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/building-k-fig1
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Building: excavation, brick 1:4, wood work

Estimating and Costing · Chapter 6: Detailed Estimate

- Asked in: 2075 Chaitra, 4×3 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/building-k-fig1
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/estimating_and_costing/chapter-6

## Question

Prepare detailed estimate of the following items of work for a building from the attached Fig. 1.
i) Earthwork in excavation in foundation
ii) First class brick work in (1:4) cement mortar in foundation and plinth.
iii) Wood work in door and window frame.
[Fig. 1 not included in the scanned paper]

## Short answer

For assumed room 4.0×3.6 m: earthwork excavation 14.51 m³, first class brickwork in 1:4 mortar in foundation and plinth 6.30 m³, and woodwork for frames 0.141 m³.

## Answer

Fig. 1 is not available, so the method is worked on an assumed room 4.0 m × 3.6 m clear with 230 mm walls. Centre-line length = 2(4.0 + 3.6 + 2 × 0.23) = 16.12 m.

#### Assumed data
- Trench 0.90 m × 1.00 m; PCC 1:3:6 200 mm; first class brick footings 0.69 m and 0.46 m wide (150 mm each); 230 mm wall to plinth (0.45 m above GL), wall height from the last step = 0.95 m.
- Door D 1.0 × 2.1 (1 no.); windows W1 1.2 × 1.2 (1 no.), W2 1.0 × 1.2 (2 nos.); frames 100 × 75 mm.

#### i) Earthwork in excavation in foundation
| Item | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trench, all walls (centre-line) | 1 | 16.120 | 0.900 | 1.000 | 14.508 |
| **Total** | | | | | **14.508** |

#### ii) First class brickwork (1:4) in foundation and plinth
| Item | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brick footing step 1 (0.69 m wide) | 1 | 16.120 | 0.690 | 0.150 | 1.668 |
| Brick footing step 2 (0.46 m wide) | 1 | 16.120 | 0.460 | 0.150 | 1.112 |
| Wall up to plinth | 1 | 16.120 | 0.230 | 0.950 | 3.522 |
| **Total** | | | | | **6.303** |

#### iii) Wood work in door and window frames
| Frame | No. | L (m) | B (m) | H/D (m) | Qty (m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door frame D (2×2.1 + 1.0) | 1 | 5.200 | 0.100 | 0.075 | 0.0390 |
| Window frame W1 (2×1.2 + 2×1.2) | 1 | 4.800 | 0.100 | 0.075 | 0.0360 |
| Window frame W2 (2×1.2 + 2×1.0) | 2 | 4.400 | 0.100 | 0.075 | 0.0660 |
| **Total** | | | | | **0.1410** |

**Answer:** Excavation 14.51 m³; brickwork 6.30 m³; timber for frames 0.141 m³ (assumed dimensions).

## Check yourself

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

1. Trench is 1.00 m deep, PCC 0.20 m, two steps of 0.15 m each, plinth 0.45 m above GL. What is the wall height from the last step?
   A. 0.95 m
   B. 0.50 m
   C. 1.45 m
   D. 0.65 m
   Answer: A. Height = 1.00 - 0.20 - 0.15 - 0.15 + 0.45 = 0.95 m. (Key point: Wall height from last step)

2. Which parts make up the first class brickwork of 6.303 m3 in foundation and plinth?
   A. PCC bed, brick footings and wall
   B. Two brick footing steps plus the wall up to plinth
   C. Only the wall up to plinth
   D. Two footing steps plus the superstructure wall above plinth
   Answer: B. The item covers brick footings (0.69 and 0.46 m wide) and the 230 mm wall to plinth; the PCC is a separate concrete item. (Key point: Components of brickwork item)

3. What is the frame length for window W2 (1.0 m wide x 1.2 m high) with a sill?
   A. 2.2 m
   B. 4.8 m
   C. 4.4 m = 2 x 1.2 + 2 x 1.0
   D. 5.2 m
   Answer: C. A window frame has two jambs and a head and sill: 2 x height + 2 x width = 2.4 + 2.0 = 4.4 m. (Key point: Window frame length)

## Related in Estimating and Costing

- [Building: excavation, PCC, brick, wood work](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-f-fig3-four-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: excavation, brick, paneled door, plaster](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-p-four-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: excavation, PCC foundation, brick](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-q-three-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Building: excavation, soling, PCC, brick to plinth](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-o-framed-4-items) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [RCC frame building: excavation, brick, plaster](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Arcc-frame-two-room-e) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6
- [Two-room building: excavation, PCC, brick, plaster](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Festimating_and_costing%3Abuilding-h-two-room-fig1) — Estimating and Costing, chapter 6

## Related in other subjects

- [Detailed specification of brick work in 1:4 mortar](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-brick-1-4) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 5×
- [Detailed specification of brick work in 1:6 mortar](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-brick-1-6) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 5×
- [First class brickwork in 1:6 mortar numerical](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fbuilding_technology%3Amortar-first-class-1to6) — Building Technology, chapter 3
- [Detailed specification of cement sand mortar 1:4](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fconstruction_management%3Adetailed-spec-cs-mortar-1-4) — Construction Management, chapter 12, asked 2×