In the construction of a single room in Nigeria, you will need an estimate of about 420 to 600 blocks. These figures are however dependent on various factors which will be broken down into sections as you read through this article. However, whichever method, plan of structure, or type of block ratio you decide to use, it will fall under or within this range.
So as we proceed many questions or curiosity may arise so make sure you follow each section accordingly to get a better understanding, and I will try to be brief.
How many Blocks can Build a Single Room in Nigeria?
To build a single room in Nigeria, you need at least 420 blocks. This is because rooms are built in different sizes – some big, others small, depending on the budget of construction. Nevertheless, it usually ranges from (300-350) blocks for smaller rooms, 420 for standard rooms, and (500 – 600) blocks for larger rooms.
Why does the Number of Blocks Differ?
Building a room depends on various factors like the plan, height, length, and breadth of which the room is to be crafted, what this means is it depends on what the builder, engineer in charge, or user wants, but for this article base, I will be using standardized measurements so it is clear.
For a room that’s 8 feet high and 10 by 12 respectively, using a standard concrete hollow block sized (8 by 8 by 16 inch ) implementing this measurement we will have 12 blocks height, then 35 blocks round the room, which is 12 × 35 = 420. So we will need precisely 420blocks for this room to be built.
So in this case a concrete hollow block was used for this construction, which is better than bricks or other materials that can be used for building a room as well.
Difference Between Blocks and Bricks
The primary difference between blocks and bricks is that blocks consist mainly of concrete and are larger when compared to bricks. They come in both hollow and solid structures and are used in load-resistant walls where strength is crucial. Furthermore, blocks have a greater advantage than bricks, because when blocks are lined with rebar they serve as a very strong wall that can be used as a base for concrete slabs, they also help resist natural disasters like earthquakes and they as well serve as supports in various scenarios.
The Ratio of Sand Cement and Granite Required to Make a Block.
There are several types of blocks, but I will be talking about the two main types that are mostly used.
- Hollow concrete block
- Solid concrete block.
Hollow Concrete Block
Concrete blocks are often made of 1:3:6 concrete with a maximum size aggregate of 10mm or a cement-sand mixture with a ratio of 1:6, 1:7, or 1:8. These blends, if properly rehabilitated, give concrete blocks a compressed strength that is far better than what is required for a one storey building.
The standard hollow concrete block assumes the concrete ratio of 1:3:5 which is a mixture of cement sand and gravel respectively, and the hollow block dimension is (40 by 20 by 20 in cm) and the weight for each block is roughly 17kg. A bag of cement weighs 50kg you can get 28 hollow concrete blocks with the given specifications. So some people may ask how much cement is contained In the standard building of a single room in Nigeria, Well still using 420 hollow blocks as taken earlier so 420÷28 = 15.
So therefore we have 15 bags of cement in 420 hollow blocks.
Solid Concrete Block
Blocks are made in a number of harmonized sizes, the precise sizes being about 9mm to 10mm less to allow the thickness of the mortar to take place. Solid blocks are used in the construction of walls where loading occurs. The dead loads of the structure will be increased because of the weight of the solid block, the size of the block can be modified to whatever we require and these blocks are easier to manufacture compared to the hollow concrete block.
These blocks are available in size (80 by 20 by 20 in cm), (40 by 20 by 20 in cm), and (40 by 20 by 10 in cm). Solid blocks require more workability and more ratios of cement sand and gravel will be used compared to hollow, and solid blocks are more tough compared to hollow concrete blocks. Solid blocks are preferred to hollow blocks in buildings or constructions where holes can be hazardous, compared to hollow blocks that are systematically produced because of their hollows, solid blocks are easier to produce.