Brass Calculator: 1 Brass to CFT, Kg, Sq Ft & Bricks
This brass calculator converts the brass unit used on Indian sites into cubic feet, cubic metres, kilograms, tonnes, square feet and bricks. One brass is 100 cubic feet (2.83 m³), so a brass of river sand weighs roughly 4.5 tonnes. Pick a mode, type your number and the answer updates as you type.
By Umer Sattar Updated 21 Oct 2026
1 brass of river sand
100 CFT · 4.53 tonnes
- Cubic feet
- 100 ft³
- Cubic metres
- 2.832 m³
- Weight
- 4,531 kg
- Tonnes
- 4.53 t
What is 1 brass?
Brass is a volume unit, not a weight and not an area. One brass is a heap that measures 10 ft × 10 ft × 1 ft, which is 100 cubic feet. You will hear it every day in Maharashtra (Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Aurangabad) and in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and north Karnataka, wherever sand, gitti (aggregate), murum and excavated earth are bought by the truck.
| 1 brass equals | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic feet (CFT) | 100 ft³ | The definition of a brass |
| Cubic metres | 2.832 m³ | 100 × 0.0283168 |
| River sand | ≈ 4,530 kg (4.5 t) | At 1,600 kg/m³ loose |
| 20 mm aggregate (gitti) | ≈ 4,390 kg (4.4 t) | At 1,550 kg/m³ loose |
| Murum / earth | ≈ 5,100 kg (5.1 t) | At 1,800 kg/m³ |
| Area at 1 ft depth | 100 sq ft | At 6 in depth it is 200 sq ft |
Is 1 brass equal to 100 square feet?
Only when the layer is exactly 1 foot thick. Brass measures volume, so the area it covers depends on depth: at 6 inches it covers 200 sq ft, at 4 inches about 300 sq ft. Use the Sq ft ↔ Brass tab for your exact depth.
Brass calculation formula
Every brass sum on site comes down to one idea: get the volume in cubic feet, then divide by 100. These are the formulas the calculator uses:
Brass = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft) ÷ 100 Brass = Volume (m³) ÷ 2.832 Cubic feet = Brass × 100 Weight (kg) = Brass × 2.832 × bulk density (kg/m³) Sq ft = Brass × 100 ÷ depth (ft)
Keep everything in feet before you multiply. A depth of 9 inches is 0.75 ft, not 9. That one slip is the most common reason a hand calculation comes out twelve times too big.
How to calculate brass: three site examples
1. Sand for a plinth filling
A plinth of 30 ft × 25 ft needs a 1.5 ft sand filling. Volume = 30 × 25 × 1.5 = 1,125 CFT, so 11.25 brass. At about 4.5 tonnes a brass, that is roughly 51 tonnes of sand. Order 12 brass: sand settles once it is watered and rammed.
2. Checking what the truck delivered
Measure the inside of the truck body with a tape: say 14 ft long, 7 ft wide and the load is 2.5 ft high when levelled. 14 × 7 × 2.5 = 245 CFT = 2.45 brass. If the bill says 3 brass, you are paying for more than arrived. A heaped load is not a levelled load, so always level it before measuring.
3. Excavation for a foundation
Ten column pits of 5 ft × 5 ft × 6 ft deep: 10 × 150 = 1,500 CFT = 15 brass of earth to remove. Excavated earth bulks up by about 20–30% once dug, so plan transport for around 18–19 brass.
Rates are usually quoted per brass in Maharashtra and per tonne in many other states. Price per tonne ≈ price per brass ÷ 4.5 for river sand. Ask your supplier which unit the quote is in before comparing.
1 brass in kg for different materials
Because brass is a volume, its weight depends on what is in the heap and how wet it is. These are loose bulk densities, the right figures for deliveries. Compacted or wet material is heavier.
| Material | Bulk density | 1 brass weighs |
|---|---|---|
| Dry loose sand | 1,450 kg/m³ | ≈ 4.1 t |
| River sand (damp) | 1,600 kg/m³ | ≈ 4.5 t |
| M-sand (crushed sand) | 1,750 kg/m³ | ≈ 5.0 t |
| 20 mm aggregate (gitti) | 1,550 kg/m³ | ≈ 4.4 t |
| Murum / excavated earth | 1,800 kg/m³ | ≈ 5.1 t |
How many tonnes is 1 brass of sand?
About 4.5 tonnes for normal damp river sand (2.832 m³ × 1,600 kg/m³ = 4,531 kg). Dry sand comes closer to 4.1 t and M-sand closer to 5 t.
How many bricks are in 1 brass of brickwork?
For a traditional 9 × 4½ × 3 inch brick (230 × 110 × 75 mm) with a 10 mm mortar joint, one brick plus its joint takes up 0.002448 m³, so 1 brass of brickwork holds about 1,157 bricks. With modular IS 1077 bricks (190 × 90 × 90 mm, 200 × 100 × 100 with the joint) the figure is about 1,416 bricks. Add 5% for breakage and cutting.
Older charts that say 450–500 bricks per brass are wrong for brick volume. That figure is closer to bricks per cubic metre (about 408 traditional or 500 modular). If you are planning a full wall with cement and sand, use the brick calculation formula tool instead.
Before you pay for a brass delivery
- Measure the truck body, not the heap on the ground: a dumped heap spreads and looks smaller than it is.
- Level the load before measuring height; a heaped top can hide 10–15% missing volume.
- Ask for the royalty or transit pass for sand and murum. Legal supply comes with one, and it records the quantity.
- Check the bulking of sand: damp sand swells by 20–30%, so a brass of wet sand contains less sand than a brass of dry sand.
- Agree on the unit (brass, tonne or CFT) in writing before the truck leaves the depot.
Brass Calculator: questions people ask
How many cubic feet are in 1 brass?
Exactly 100 cubic feet. That is the definition of a brass: a volume of 10 ft × 10 ft × 1 ft.
What is 1 brass in cubic metres?
1 brass = 2.832 m³ (100 × 0.0283168). To turn cubic metres into brass, divide by 2.832.
How many kg is 1 brass of sand?
About 4,530 kg (4.5 tonnes) for damp river sand at 1,600 kg/m³. Dry sand is about 4,100 kg and M-sand about 5,000 kg per brass.
How many sq ft is 1 brass?
It depends on depth: 100 sq ft at 1 ft deep, 200 sq ft at 6 inches, and 300 sq ft at 4 inches. Sq ft = 100 ÷ depth in feet.
How do I calculate brass from length, width and height?
Multiply length × width × height in feet and divide by 100. For example 20 ft × 10 ft × 5 ft = 1,000 CFT = 10 brass.
How many bricks are in 1 brass?
About 1,157 traditional 9 × 4½ × 3 inch bricks with 10 mm joints, or about 1,416 modular IS 1077 bricks. Add 5% for wastage.
How many brass does a truck carry?
It depends on the body size, so measure it: inside length × width × levelled load height in feet, divided by 100. Smaller tippers often carry 1.5–2.5 brass and larger 10-wheel tippers 4–5 brass, but the tape measure is the only reliable answer.