Tutorial: How Many Wheelbarrows Of Cement, Sand And Granite Are In 1m³ Of Concrete

Today we would love to make it easy for those on site thinking about How many wheelbarrows of sand, granite and bags of cement makes up 1 cubic meter (1m³) of Concrete. This is going to be very useful because i am also going to let you know the value of one Head Pan. This is very important because i know that here in Nigeria where i am from, many construction sites cannot afford the cost of renting a Mixer, thus, they make use of manual labor which means laborers will be made to carry head pans or wheel barrows filled with sand in order to achieve the day’s task.

concrete cubes dimension

 
So Lets Begin…!
 

What is the Volume of a head pan?

The Volume of a head pan is 0.017m³
 

How Many Head pans Makes one wheel barrow?

4 head pan loads of sand makes a wheelbarrow…
 
Now lets assume your Volume of concrete is 1m³
 
Lets also assume you’re using a mix ratio of 1:2:4
 
Wait!
 

What Does 1:2:4 Mean in Concrete?

Its simply means for every bag of cement, there should be 4 head pans of sand and 8 head pans of granite.
 

How Many Head Pans Of Cement Makes 1 Bag?

We have exactly 2 Head Pans of Cement In One Bag Of Cement
 

How Do I Calculate The Volume Of A Beam, Foundation Or Slab?

If You know the length, breadth and Depth, Multiply all 3 dimensions.
That’s it.
 
Now, Total Volume = 1m³
 
The Volume of cement in 1m³ Will be
 
1/7 x 1.54 = 0.22m³. Now Divide this by The Volume of a bag of cement (0.035m³) we will have 6.2 Bags
 
For Sand
 
2/7 x 1 = 0.29m³. Diving by the volume of 1 head pan (0.0175) we will have 16 head pans. But 4 Head Pans Equals 1 Wheelbarrow. So 16/4 = 4 Wheelbarrows of sand
 
For Granite
 
4/7 x 1 = 0.57m³. Dividing by the 0.0175 (Volume of a head pan) we will have 32.8 head pans which is equal to 8 wheel barrows when divided by 4
 
I will Present these in a tabular form…

 
Table 1: Showing Corresponding Values For Materials In 1m³ Of Concrete In Head pans And Wheel Barrows  

 
Value In 1m3
Value In Bags
Value In Head pan
Value In Wheel Barrows
Cement
0.22
6.2
12
3
Sand
0.29
N/A
16
4
Granite
0.57
N/A
32.8
8
Total
1
Source: Author’s Experience….

 
Now You have a clue on the quantity of granite, sand and bags of cement that makes up one cubic meter (1m³) of concrete. Please share With Others to spread the knowledge.
 
I Hope You found this useful on site!
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Written by admin

Hi, I'm Richard Nwachukwu! It is my job to handle the content aspect of this great organization and I'm determined to ensure you get it all right as long as you're handling a construction project in Nigeria!

28 Comments

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  1. Thanks for your work but it's not very accurate. Firstly, 1:2:4 when batching by head pans means 1 headpan of cement ( not bag) to 2 of sand to 2 of granite. Secondly, you did not consider the fact that a portion of the mix of sand, cement and water will fill up voids in the granite. Meaning that you'll need more of the cement and sand to obtain the desired volume

  2. In fact I was expecting that contradictor to mention the factor of safety that was left out for the wet concrete which is 1.54 to 1.57. that means: 1/7*1m3*1.54 =0.22m3 instead of 0.14
    Then that volume of 0.22m3*1440kg density of cement gives 316.8kg/50kg gives 6 bags of cement.

  3. 1:2:4 is a rough ratio of volumes or weight, but don't mix it up as the Density of each are different.
    ASSUME:Concrete Density is 2400kg/m3 and a head pan is 25kg max carrying weight.
    A ratio of 1:2:4 gives 7 parts.
    Cement is 1 part therefore 1/7 of 2400 = 342kg = 6.8 x 50kg bags.
    Sand is 2 parts, therefore 2/7 of 2400 = 684kg. (27 head pans)
    Stone is 4 parts, therefore 4/7 of 2400 = 1368kg.(55 head pans)
    THIS IS ALL TO MAKE 1 meter cube of CONCRETE.

  4. 1/7 means 1 portion of cement divided by total portion of mix (1:2:4=7)

    1.54 means 1 c.m of concrete + 34%bulkage &20% wastage(total 0.54)

    I hope this helps regards

  5. Using the ration 1:2:4 If 1 bag of cement is 2 head pans,it means that 1 bag of cement will be for 4 head pans and 8 head pans of gravel,therefore for 6bag of cement will require 24 head pan I.e 6 wheelbarrow,nd 48 head pan for gravel I.e 12 wheel barrow

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