1 brass = 100 cubic feet = 2.83168 m³ of sand. With standard 1:6 cement mortar that is roughly 2,330 sq ft of 12 mm plaster, or about 4,950 nine-inch bricks (≈ 510 sq ft of 9-inch wall) — using the same dry-volume method as the plaster and brick calculators on this site, with about 13.6 bags of cement per brass either way.
What 1 brass is
A brass is 100 cubic feet — a heap 10 ft long, 10 ft wide and 1 ft high. In metric that is 100 × 0.0283168 = 2.83168 m³. Sand, aggregate (khadi) and murum are all billed by the brass across Maharashtra and much of western India, so every quantity below starts from 2.83 m³ and works backwards to wall area.
Plaster: 1 brass of sand at 1:6
Plaster coverage per brass of sand (standard dry-volume method, ×1.27)| Plaster | Sand per 100 sq ft | Area per brass | Cement per brass |
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| 12 mm internal, 1:6 | 4.3 cft | ≈ 2,330 sq ft | ≈ 13.6 bags |
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| 15 mm external, 1:6 | 5.4 cft | ≈ 1,870 sq ft | ≈ 13.6 bags |
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| 20 mm rough, 1:6 | 7.1 cft | ≈ 1,400 sq ft | ≈ 13.6 bags |
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| 12 mm internal, 1:4 | 4 cft | ≈ 2,500 sq ft | ≈ 20.4 bags |
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The arithmetic for 12 mm, 1:6. 100 sq ft = 9.29 m². Wet volume = 9.29 × 0.012 = 0.111 m³. Dry volume = 0.111 × 1.27 = 0.142 m³. Sand = 0.142 × 6⁄7 = 0.121 m³ = 4.3 cft per 100 sq ft. So one brass covers 100 ÷ 4.3 × 100 ≈ 2,330 sq ft. Cement for that area = 0.142 × 1⁄7 ÷ 0.0347 ≈ 0.58 bags per 100 sq ft, about 13.6 bags per brass.
area per brass = 100 cft ÷ (sq m per 100 sq ft × thickness × 1.27 × sand share × 35.31)
Brickwork: 1 brass of sand in a 9-inch wall
A 10 × 10 ft 9-inch wall is 2.124 m³. Each 9″ × 4″ × 3″ brick with its 10 mm joint occupies 0.0023 m³, so the wall takes 972 bricks including 5% wastage. Mortar is the wall volume minus solid brick volume, 0.486 m³, which ×1.33 and split 1:6 gives 19.6 cft of sand and 2.7 bags of cement.
Brickwork laid by one brass of sand, 1:6 mortar, 10 mm joints, 5% brick wastage| Wall | Sand per 100 sq ft | Wall area per brass | Bricks per brass (incl. 5% wastage) | Cement per brass |
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| 9-inch (230 mm) wall | 19.6 cft | ≈ 510 sq ft | ≈ 4,950 | ≈ 13.6 bags |
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| 4½-inch (115 mm) wall | 9.8 cft | ≈ 1,020 sq ft | ≈ 4,950 | ≈ 13.6 bags |
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Scaling up: 100 cft ÷ 19.6 cft ≈ 5.1 such walls, i.e. about 510 sq ft of 9-inch wall and 4,950 bricks per brass. Half-brick walls use half the mortar per square foot, so the same brass goes about twice as far in area while laying a similar number of bricks.
Assumptions
- Standard Indian modular brick 9″ × 4″ × 3″ (230 × 100 × 75 mm) with 10 mm cement-sand joints; AAC blocks need far less mortar — see the AAC page.
- 1:6 cement : sand by volume unless stated; one 50 kg bag taken as 34.7 litres.
- Dry-volume factors 1.27 (plaster) and 1.33 (mortar) as in the site calculators; no allowance for sand bulking or wastage beyond the brick count.
- Loose, dry sand measured by volume on the truck. Wet sand bulks 20–30%, so a brass delivered wet is less sand than it looks.
Frequently asked questions
How many bricks can be laid with 1 brass of sand?
About 4,950 standard 9″ × 4″ × 3″ bricks (including the usual 5% wastage) in a 9-inch wall with 1:6 mortar and 10 mm joints — 10.8 m³ of brickwork, roughly 510 sq ft of wall. In a 4½-inch wall the same sand lays a similar number of bricks over about 1,020 sq ft, because the brick count per cubic metre is the same. Plan on 13.6 bags of cement with it.
How much plaster area does 1 brass of sand cover?
Roughly 2,330 sq ft at 12 mm (internal) in 1:6, 1,870 sq ft at 15 mm (external), and 1,400 sq ft at 20 mm rough plaster. A richer 1:4 mix uses more cement and slightly less sand, so 12 mm 1:4 stretches to about 2,500 sq ft but needs 20.4 bags of cement instead of 13.6.
How many cement bags go with 1 brass of sand?
At 1:6, cement is one-seventh of the dry mortar volume: 2.83 m³ ÷ 6 ≈ 0.47 m³ of cement, and at 34.7 litres per 50 kg bag that is about 13.6 bags. At 1:4 it is 2.83 ÷ 4 ≈ 0.71 m³, about 20.4 bags. Site practice of batching by the farma (box) tends to run a little richer, so round up.
How much does 1 brass of sand weigh, and how many trucks is it?
Dry river sand runs about 4.5–5 tonnes per brass; crushed (manufactured) sand 4.2–4.8 tonnes depending on moisture. A 6-wheel tipper carries 2.5–3 brass, a mini-truck about 1–1.5 brass. Check the box dimensions against the challan: 1 brass should measure 100 cft inside the body.
Why do the calculators show less coverage than my mason quotes?
These figures are theoretical quantities plus the standard dry-volume factors (1.27 for plaster, 1.33 for mortar). Real sites lose sand to uneven walls needing thicker plaster, bulking of wet sand, spillage and over-rich batching, so 10–15% less coverage than the table is normal. Order the table quantity plus wastage; do not expect the table quantity to be the last bag.
Reviewed on 6 October 2026. These are preliminary planning quantities from standard methods — actual consumption varies with workmanship, wastage and site conditions. VastuCalc does not provide structural design; sizes, grades and reinforcement must come from a qualified engineer.