Worked example

    How Much Concrete to Order From the Plans

    One real 11-sheet plan set, read from the foundation plan to the order: 76.7 CY of concrete as drawn, 82.0 CY to order with a 7% waste allowance, 3,461 lb of rebar and 2,346 blocks. Plus the two questions to settle before anyone books a truck.

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    Sheet A100: the foundation plan of the sample setAn 85 by 40 foot slab with a thickened edge, thickened bands under the block walls, ten pads, sixteen hairpin trench legs and the rebar, shown one layer at a time.12345AB85'-0"40'-0"FOUNDATION PLAN, A100
    Sheet A100 of the sample set, every counted layer drawn from its real coordinates.

    The order

    From the Takeoff to the Order

    A takeoff measures what is drawn. The order adds what the pour will use on top of that. Here is the sample set, item by item.

    Order sheet, sample set

    City of Ocala Park Pavilion

    Ready-mix

    As drawn
    76.7CYNet, before waste
    Waste allowance
    7%This example's allowance
    To order
    82.0CYIn 9 trucks

    Steel, block and the rest

    Steel, block and the rest
    Rebar#5: 3,062 lb. #7: 399 lb.3,461 lb
    CMU block, 8x8x16Restroom walls, 14 ft high. Masonry scope, not in the concrete total.2,346
    Grouted CMU cellsOne #5 bar each.59
    Welded wire mesh3,400 SF
    Vapor barrier, 10 mil3,400 SF
    Control joints, saw cut412 LF

    7% is the allowance this example uses, not a rule. The takeoff gives you the net volume, so you can add the allowance your crew uses on pours like this one.

    Estimate only. Verify before ordering.

    Reading the plan

    Read the Foundation Plan in Layers

    Sheet A100: the foundation plan of the sample setAn 85 by 40 foot slab with a thickened edge, thickened bands under the block walls, ten pads, sixteen hairpin trench legs and the rebar, shown one layer at a time.12345AB85'-0"40'-0"FOUNDATION PLAN, A100
    1. 01

      Start with the schedules

      The footing schedule, the slab legend and the general notes set every size before anything is measured. On the sample, sheet A100 carries the foundation plan, the footing schedule and the slab legend.

    2. 02

      Measure each piece as drawn

      The slab first, then the thickened edge, the pads and the hairpin legs, then the steel. Every number traces back to the sheet, and the scale is checked against the drawing's own dimensions.

    3. 03

      Add the allowance, then ask

      The net volume plus a waste allowance gives the order. Where the schedule, the drawing and the spec disagree, the question goes to the engineer before the order goes to the plant.

    Before you order

    Two Questions for the Engineer

    The sample set disagrees with itself in two places. Both go to the engineer before the concrete is ordered.

    Question 1

    F01 pad size

    Footing schedule
    5'-0" x 5'-0"
    Drawing
    6'-6" x 5'-8"

    Built as drawn, the pads take 3.3 CY more concrete (net of overlaps) and 270.1 lb more #5 bar.

    Question 2

    Slab strength

    Sheets A100 and A500
    3,000 psi
    SP100 specification table
    5,000 psi

    This changes the mix and the price, not the quantities.

    Testing this pour? Strength tests are accepted against the specified strength (ACI 318-19, section 26.12.3), so the lab needs one number, not two.

    Practice for the field exams: Strength Testing Technician, Field Testing Technician Grade I.

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    Questions

    Questions About the Order

    Why is the order bigger than the takeoff?

    The takeoff gives the net volume, as drawn: 76.7 CY on the sample. The order adds a waste allowance on top. With 7%, the sample comes to 82.0 CY in 9 trucks.

    Is 7% the right waste allowance?

    It is the allowance this example uses, not a rule. The takeoff gives you the net volume, so you add the allowance your crew uses.

    Does the takeoff say which concrete strength to order?

    It reports what the set says, and where the set disagrees with itself, it asks. On the sample, sheets A100 and A500 say 3,000 psi and the SP100 specification table says 5,000 psi, so that comes back as a question for the engineer. It changes the mix and the price, not the quantities.

    Is the sample a real job?

    Yes. It is the City of Ocala Park Pavilion, from a public bid set: one 11-sheet vector PDF. We are not affiliated with the City of Ocala, and the City does not endorse us.

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    Estimate only. Verify before ordering.

    The sample is the City of Ocala Park Pavilion, from a public bid set. We are not affiliated with the City of Ocala, and the City does not endorse us.