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Mortar

Bagged mortar from declared yield

B=⌈V(1+w100)Y⌉
where
B
bags
V
required wet mortar (litres)
w
waste (%)
Y
declared yield per bag (litres)
Explain this equation

This converts a required volume of wet mortar into the number of bags of a pre-mixed product, using the yield the manufacturer declares per bag.

V is the wet mortar you need, in litres. w is the waste percentage. Y is the declared yield: the litres of mixed mortar one bag makes. B is the number of whole bags. The calculator also shows the total mixed volume those bags provide.

V × (1 + w/100) is the volume including waste. Dividing by the yield per bag gives the number of bags, and the ⌈ ⌉ brackets round up, because you cannot buy part of a bag.

200 litres with 5% waste is 210 litres. At 13 litres per bag that is 16.2 bags, so 17 bags, which make 221 litres.

Watch out: use the mixed yield, not the bag weight or the dry volume. They are different numbers.

Convert required wet mortar volume into whole bags using the product yield.

litres
litres / bag
%

Enter your values to see the result.

Good to know

Use the manufacturer’s mixed yield, not bag mass or loose dry volume. Water addition must follow the product instructions.

Sources

  • MPA mortar / product-specific yield

Estimates are not design approval or British Standards compliance checks. Structural arch, retaining-wall, wind, foundation, lintel and masonry-capacity design are not performed. Use the project engineer’s specification.